michael crichton.congo-第37节

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anctified　by　print。
　The　gorilla　（who　must　have　been　quite　close）　made　a　snorting　noise；　and　Elliot　could　see　his　heavy　shadow　on。　the　grass　near　his　feet。　But　he　did　not　look　up　until　the　shadow　moved　away。
　When　Elliot　raised　his　head；　he　saw　the　male　gorilla　retreating　backward；　toward　the　far　edge　of　the　clearing。　There　the　male　turned；　and　scratched　his　head　in　a　puzzled　way；　as　if　wondering　why　his　terrifying：　display　had　not　driven　off　the　intruders。　He　slapped　the　ground　a　final　time；　and　then　he　and　the　rest　of　the　troop　melted　away　into　the　tall　grass。　It　was　silent　in　the　clearing　until　Ross　collapsed　into　Elliot's　arms。
　〃Well；〃　Munro　said　as　he　came　up；　〃it　seems　you　know　a　thing　or　two　about　gorillas　after　all。〃　Munro　patted　Ross's　arm。　〃It's　all　right。　They　don't　do　anything　unless　you　run　away。　Then　they　bite　you　on　the　ass。　That's　the　mark　for　cowardice　in　these　regions…because　it　means　you　ran　away。〃
　Ross　was　sobbing　quietly；　and　Elliot　discovered　that　his　own　knees　were　shaky；　he　went　to　sit　down。　It　had　all　happened　so　fast　that　it　was　a　few　moments　before　he　realized　that　these　gorillas　had　behaved　in　exactly　the　textbook　manner；　which　included　not　making　any　verbalizations　even　remotely　like　speech。
　
　3。The　Consortium
　
　AN　HOUR　LATER　THEY　FOUND　THE　WRECKAGE　OF　the　C…130　transport。　The　largest　airplane　in　the　world　appeared　in　correct　scale　as　it　lay　half　buried　in　the　jungle；　the　gigantic　nose　crushed　against　equally　gigantic　trees；　the　enormous　tail　section　twisted　toward　the　ground；　the　massive　wings　buckled　casting　shadows　on　the　jungle　floor。
　Through　the　shattered　cockpit　windshield；　they　saw　the　body　of　the　pilot；　covered　with　black　flies。　The　flies　buzzed　and　thumped　against　the　glass　as　they　peered　in。　Moving　aft；　they　tried　to　look　into　the　fuselage　windows；　but　even　on　crumpled　landing　gear　the　body　of　the　plane　stood　too　high　above　the　jungle　floor。
　Kahega　managed　to　climb　an　overturned　tree；　and　from　there　moved　onto　one　wing　and　looked　into　the　interior。　〃No　people；〃　he　said。
　〃Supplies？〃
　〃Yes；　many　supplies。　Boxes　and　containers。〃　Munro　left　the　others；　walking　beneath　the　crushed　tail　section　to　examine　the　far　side　of　the　plane。　The　port　wing；　concealed　from　their　view；　was　blackened　and　shattered；　the　engines　gone。　That　explained　why　the　plane　crashed…the　last　FZA　missile　had　found　its　target；　blowing　away　most　of　the　port　wing。　Yet　the　wreck　remained　oddly　mysterious　to　Munro；　something　about　its　appearance　was　wrong。　He　looked　along　the　length　of　the　fuselage；　from　the　crushed　nose；　down　the　line　of　windows；　past　the　stump　of　wing；　past　the　rear　exit　doors。。。。
　〃I'll　be　damned；〃　Munro　said　softly。
　He　hurried　back　to　the　others；　who　were　sitting　on　one　of　the　tires；　in　the　shadow　of　the　starboard　wing　The　tire　was　so　enormous　that　Ross　could　sit　on　it　and　swing　her　feet　in　the　air　without　touching　the　ground。
　〃Well；〃　Ross　said；　with　barely　concealed　satisfaction。
　〃They　didn't　get　their　damn　supplies。〃
　〃No；〃　Munro　said。　〃And　we　saw　this　plane　the　night　before　last；　which　means　it's　been　down　at　least　thirty…six　hours。〃
　Munro　waited　for　Ross　to　figure　it　out。
　〃Thirty…six　hours？〃
　〃That's　right。　Thirty…six　hours。〃
　〃And　they　never　came　back　to　get　their　supplies　　　　　
　〃They　didn't　even　try　to　get　them；〃　Munro　said。　〃Look　at　the　main　cargo　doors；　fore　and　aft…no　one　has　tried　to　open　them。　I　wonder　why　they　never　came　back？〃
　
　In　a　section　of　dense　jungle；　the　ground　underfoot
　crunched　and　crackled。　Pushing　aside　the　palm　fronds；　they　saw　a　carpeting　of　shattered　white　bones。
　〃Kanyamagufa；〃　Munro　said。　The　place　of　bones。　He　glanced　quickly　at　the　porters　to　see　what　their　reaction　was；　but　they　showed　only　puzzlement；　no　fear。　They　were　East　African　Kikuyu　and　they　had　none　of　the　superstitions　of　the　tribes　that　bordered　the　rain　forest。
　Amy　lifted　her　feet　from　the　sharp　bleached　fragments。　She　signed；　Ground　hurt。
　Elliot　signed；　What　place　this？
　We　e　bad　place。
　What　bad　place？
　Amy　had　no　reply。
　〃These　are　bones！〃　Ross　said；　staring　down　at　the　ground。
　〃That's　right；〃　Munro　said　quickly；　〃but　they're　not　human　bones。　Are　they；　Elliot？〃
　Elliot　was　also　looking　at　the　ground。　He　saw　bleached　skeletal　remains　from　several　species；　although　he　could　not　immediately　identify　any　of　them。
　〃Elliot？　Not　human？〃
　〃They　don't　look　human；〃　Elliot　agreed；　staring　at　the　ground。　The　first　thing　he　noticed　was　that　the　majority　of　the　bones　came　from　distinctly　small　animals…birds；　monkeys；　and　tiny　forest　rodents。　Other　small　pieces　were　actually　fragments　from　larger　animals；　but　how　large　was　hard　to　say。　Perhaps　large　monkeys…but　there　weren't　any　large　monkeys　in　the　rain　forest。
　Chimpanzees？　There　were　no　chimps　in　this　part　of　the　Congo。　Perhaps　they　might　be　gorillas：　he　saw　one　fragment　from　a　cranium　with　heavy　frontal　sinuses；　and　he　saw　the　beginning　of　the　characteristic　sagittal　crest。
　〃Elliot？〃　Munro　said；　his　voice　tense；　insistent。　〃Nonhuman？〃
　〃Definitely　non…human；〃　Elliot　said；　staring。　What　could　shatter　a　gorilla　skull？　It　must　have　happened　after　death；　he　decided。　A　gorilla　had　died　and　after　many　years　the　bleached　skeleton　had　been　crushed　in　some　fashion。　Certainly　it　could　not　have　happened　during　life。
　〃Not　human；〃　Munro　said；　looking　at　the　ground。　〃Hell　of　a　lot　of　bones；　but　nothing　human。〃　As　he　walked　past　Elliot；　he　gave　him　a　look。　Keep　your　mouth　shut。　〃Kahega　and　his　men　know　that　you　are　expert　in　these　matters；〃
　Munro　said；　looking　at　him　steadily。
　What　had　Munro　seen？　Certainly　he　had　been　around　enough　death　to　know　a　human　skeleton　when　he　saw　one。　Elliot's　glance　fell　on　a　curved　bone。　It　looked　a　bit　like　a　turkey　wishbone；　only　much　larger　and　broader；　and　white　with　age。　He　picked　it　up。　It　was　a　fragment　of　the　zygomatic　arch　from　a　human　skull。　A　cheekbone；　from　beneath　the　eye。
　He　turned　the　fragment　in　his　hands。　He　looked　back　at　the　jungle　floor；　and　the　creepers　that　spread　reaching　tentacles　over　the　white　carpet　of　bones。　He　saw　many　very　fragile　bones；；　some　so　thin　they　were　translucent…bones　that　he　assumed　had　e　from　small　animals。
　Now　he　was　not　sure。
　A　question　from　graduate　school　returned　to　him。　What　seven　bones　pose　the　orbit　of　the　human　eye？　Elliot　tried　to　remember。　The　zygoma；　the　nasal；　the　inferior　orbital；　the　sphenoid…that　was　four…the　ethmoid；　five…something　must　e　from　beneath；　from　the　mouth…the　palatine；　six…one　more　to　go…he　couldn't　think　of　the　last　bone。　Zygoma；　nasal；　inferior　orbital；　sphenoid；　ethmoid；　palatine。　。　。　delicate　bones；　translucent　bones；　small　bones。
　Human　bones。
　〃At　least　these　aren't　human　bones；〃　Ross　said。
　〃No；〃　Elliot　agreed。　He　glanced　at　Amy。
　Amy　signed；　People　die　here。
　〃What　did　she　say？〃
　〃She　said　people　don't　benefit　from　the　air　here。〃
　〃Let's　push　on；〃　Munro　said。
　
　
　
　
　Munro　led　him　a　little　distance　ahead　of　the　others。　〃Well　done；〃　he　said。　〃Have　to　be　careful　about　the　Kikuyu。　Don't　want　to　panic　them。　What'd　your　monkey　say？〃
　〃She　said　people　died　there。〃
　〃That's　more　than　the　others　know；〃　Munro　said；　nodding　grimly。　〃Although　they　suspect。〃
　Behind　them；　the　party　walked　single…file；　nobody　talking。
　〃What　the　hell　happened　back　there？〃　Elliot　said。
　〃Lots　of　bones；〃　Munro　said。　〃Leopard；　colobus；　forest　rat；　maybe　a　bush　baby；　human。　。
　〃And　gorilla；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃Yes；〃　Munro　said。　〃I　saw　that；　too。　Gorilla。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃What　can　kill　a　gorilla；　Professor？〃
　Elliot　had　no　answer。
　
　The　consortium　camp　lay　in　ruins；　the　tents　shredded　and　shattered；　the　dead　bodies　covered　with　dense　black　clouds　of　flies。　In　the　humid　air；　the　stench　was　overpowering；　the　buzzing　of　the　flies　an　angry　monotonous　sound。　Everybody　except　Munro　hung　back　at　the　edge　of　the　camp。
　〃No　choice；〃　he　said。　〃We've　got　to　know　what　happened　to　these…〃　He　went　inside　the　camp　itself；　stepping　over　the　flattened　fence。
　As　Munro　moved　inside；　the　perimeter　defenses　were　set　off；　emitting　a　screaming　high…frequency　signal。　Outside　the　fence；　the　others　cupped　their　hands　over　their　ears　and　Amy　snorted　her　displeasure。
　Bad　noise。
　Munro　glanced　back　at　them。　〃Doesn't　bother　me；〃　he　said。　〃That's　what　you　get　for　staying　outside。〃　Munro　went　to　one　dead　body；　turning　it　over　with　his　foot。　Then　he　bent　down；　swatting　away　the　cloud　of　buzzing　flies；　and　carefully　examined　the　head。
　Ross　glanced　over　at　Elliot。　He　seemed　to　be　in　shock；　the　typical　scientist；　immobilized　by　disaster。　At　his　side；　Amy　covered　her　ears　and　winced。　But　Ross　was　not　immobilized；　she　took　a　deep　breath　and　crossed　the　perimeter。　〃I　have　to　know　what　defenses　they　installed。〃
　〃Pine；〃　Elliot　said。　He　felt　detached；　light…headed；　as　if　he　might　faint；　the　sight　and　the　smells　made　him　dizzy。　He　saw　Ross　pick　her　way　across　the　pound；　then　lift　up　a　black　box　with　an　odd　baffled　cone。　She　traced　a　wire　back　toward　the　center　of　the　camp。　Soon　afterward　the　high…frequency　signal　ceased；　she　had　turned　it　off　at　the　source。
　Amy　signed；　Better　now。
　With　one　hand；　Ross　rummaged　through　the　electronics　equipment　in　the　center　of　the　units　in　the　camp；　whi