michael crichton.congo-第40节

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　Elliot　was　reluctant　to　agree　with　Munro；　but。　in　fact　a　well…known　academic　thesis　argued　just　that。　In　1955；　the　French　anthropologist　Maurice　Cavalle　published　a　controversial　paper　entitled　〃The　Death　of　Nature。〃　In　it　he　said：
　
　One　million　years　ago　the　earth　was　characterized　by　a　pervasive　wilderness　which　we　may　call　〃nature。〃　In　the　midst　of　this　wild　nature　stood　small　enclaves　of　human　habitation。　Whether　caves　with　artificial　fire　to　keep　men　warm；　or　later　cities　with　dwellings　and　artificial　fields　of　cultivation；　these　enclaves　were　distinctly　unnatural。　In　the　succeeding　millennia；　the　area　of　untouched　nature　surrounding　artificial　human　enclaves　progressively　declined；　although　for　centuries　the　trend　remained　invisible。
　Even　300　years　ago　in　France　or　England；　the　great　cities　of　man　were　isolated　by　hectares　of　wilderness　in　which　untamed　beasts　roamed；　as　they　had　for　thousands　of　years　before。　And　yet　the　expansion　of　man　continued　inexorably。
　One　hundred　years　ago；　in　the　last　days　of　the　great　European　explorers；　nature　had　so　radically　diminished　that　it　was　a　novelty：　it　is　for　this　reason　that　African　explorations　captured　the　imagination　of　nineteenth…century　man。　lb　enter　a　truly　natural　world　was　exotic；　beyond　the　experience　of　most　mankind；　who　lived　from　birth　to　death　in　entirely　man…made　circumstances。
　In　the　twentieth　century　the　balance　has　shifted　so　far　that　for　all　practical　purposes　one　may　say　that　nature　has　disappeared。　Wild　plants　are　preserved　in　hothouses；　wild　animals　in　zoos　and　game　parks：　artificial　settings　created　by　man　as　a　souvenir　of　the　once…prevalent　natural　world。　But　an　animal　in　a　zoo　or　a　game　park　does　not　live　its　natural　life；　any　more　than　a　man　in　a　city　lives　a　natural　life。
　Today　we　are　surrounded　by　man　and　his　creations。　Man　is　inescapable；　everywhere　on　the　globe；　and　nature　is　a　fantasy；　a　dream　of　the　past；　long　gone。
　
　Ross　called　Elliot　away　from　his　dinner。　〃It's　for　you；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　puter　next　to　the　antenna。　〃That　friend　of　yours　again。〃
　Munro　grinned；　〃Even　in　the　jungle；　the　phone　never　stops　ringing。〃
　Elliot　went　over　to　look　at　the　screen：　PUTR　LNGWAGE　ANALYSS　NG　REQUIR　MOR　INPUT　KN　PROVIDE？
　WHT　INPUT？　Elliot　typed　back。
　NOR　AURL　INPUT…TRNSMIT　RECORDNGS。
　Elliot　typed　back；　Yes　lf　Occurs。　YES　IF　OCRS。
　RCORD　FREQNCY　22…50；000　CYCLS…CRITICL
　Elliot　typed　back；　Understood。　UNDRSTOD。
　There　was　a　pause；　then　the　screen　printed：HOWS　AMY？
　Elliot　hesitated。　FINE。
　STAF　SNOS　LOV　came　the　reply；　and　the　transmission　was　momentarily　interrupted。
　HOLD　TRSNMSN。
　There　was　a　long　pause。
　INCREDIBL　NWZ；　Seamans　printed。　HAV　FOUND　MRS　SWENSN
　
　2。Swensn　NWZ
　
　FOR　A　MOMENT　ELLIOT　DID　NOT　RECOGNIZE　THE　name。　Swensn？　Who　was　Swensn？　A　transmission　error？　And　then　he　realized：　Mrs。　Swenson！　Amy's　discoverer；　the　woman　who　had　brought　her　from　Africa　and　had　donated　her　to　the　Minneapolis　zoo。　The　woman　who　had　been　in　Borneo　all　these　weeks。　IF　WE　HAD　ONLY　KNON　AMY　MOTHR　NOT　KILD　BY　NATIVS。
　Elliot　waited　impatiently　for　the　next　message　from　Seamans。
　Elliot　stared　at　the　message。　He　had　always　been　told　that　Amy's　mother　had　been　killed　by　natives　in　a　village　called　Bagimindi。　The　mother　had　been　killed　for　food；　and　Amy　was　orphaned。　。　。
　WHT　MEANS？
　MOTHR　ALREDY　DED　NOT　EATN。
　The　natives　hadn't　killed　Amy's　moth&　She　was　already　dead？
　XPLN。
　SWENSN　HAS　PICTR　CAN　TRAMSMT？
　Hastily；　Elliot　typed；　his　fingers　fumbling　at　the　keyboard。
　TRANSMT。
　There　was　a　pause　that　seemed　interminable；　and　then　the　video　screen　received　the　transmission；　scanning　it　from　top　to　bottom。　Long　before　the　picture　filled　the　screen；　Elliot　realized　what　it　showed。
　A　crude　snapshot　of　a　gorilla　corpse　with　a　crushed　skull。　The　animal　lay　on　its　back　in　a　packed…earth　clearing；　presumably　in　a　native　village。
　In　that　moment　Elliot　felt　as　if　the　puzzle　that　preoccupied　him；　that　had　caused　so　much　anguish　for　so　many　months；　was　explained。　If　only　they　had　been　able　to　reach　her　before。。。
　The　glowing　electronic　image　faded　to　black。
　Elliot　was　confronted　by　a　rush　of　sudden　questions。　Crushed　skulls　occurred　in　the　remote…and　supposedly　uninhabited…region　of　the　Congo；　kanyamagufa；　the　place　of　bones。　But　Bagimindi　was　a　trading　village　on　the　Lubula　River；　more　than　a　hundred　miles　away。　How　had　Amy　and　her　dead　mother　reached　Bagimindi？
　Ross　said；　〃Got　a　problem？〃
　〃I　don't　understand　the　sequence。　I　need　to　ask…〃
　〃Before　you　do；〃　she　said；　〃review　the　transmission。　It's　all　in　memory。〃　She　pressed　a　button　marked　REPEAT。
　The　earlier　transmitted　conversation　was　repeated　on　the　screen。　As　Elliot　watched　Seaman's　answers；　one　line　struck　him：　MOTHR　ALREDY　DED　NOT　EATN。
　Why　wasn't　the　mother　eaten？　Gorilla　meat　was　an　acceptable…indeed　a　prized…food　in　this　part　of　the　Congo　basin。　He　typed　in　a　question：
　WHY　MOTHR　NOT　EATN。
　MOTHR　/　INFNT　FWND　BY　NATIV　ARMY　PATRL　DOWN　FRM　SUDAN　CARRIED　CRPSE　/　INFNT　5　DAYS　TO　BAG…MINDI　VILLAG　FOR　SALE　TOURISTS。　SWENSN　THERE。
　
　Five　days！　Quickly；　Elliot　typed　the　important　question：
　WHER　FWNO？
　The　answer　came　back：　UNKNWN　AREA　CONGO。
　SPECFY。
　NO　DETALS。　A　short　pause；　then：　THERS　MOR　PICTRS。
　SND；　he　typed　back。
　The　screen　went　blank；　and　then　filled　once　more；　from　top　to　bottom。　Now　he　saw　a　closer　view　of　the　female　gorilla's　crushed　skull。　And　alongside　the　huge　skull；　a　small　black　creature　lying　on　the　ground；　hands　and　feet　clenched；　mouth　open　in　a　frozen　scream。
　Amy。
　
　Ross　repeated　the　transmission　several　times；　finishing　on　the　image　of　Amy　as　an　infant…small；　black；　screaming。
　〃No　wonder　she's　been　having　nightmares；〃　Ross　said。　〃She　probably　saw　her　mother　killed。〃
　Elliot　said；　〃Well；　at　least　we　can　be　sure　it　wasn't　gorillas。　They　don't　kill　each　other。〃
　〃Right　now；〃　Ross　said；　〃we　can't　be　sure　of　anything　at　all。；；
　
　The　night　of　June　21　was　so　quiet　that　by　ten　o'clock　they　switched　off　the　infrared　night　lights　to　save　power。　Almost　at　once　they　became　aware　of　movement　in　the　foliage　outside　the　pound。　Munro　and　Kahega　swung　their　guns　around。　The　rustling　increased；　and　they　heard　an　odd　sighing　sound；　a　sort　of　wheeze。
　Elliot　heard　it　too；　and　felt　a　chill：　it　was　the　same　wheezing　that　had　been　recorded　on　the　tapes　from　the　first　Congo　expedition。　He　turned　on　the　tape　recorder；　and　swung　the　microphone　around。　They　were　all　tense；　alert；　waiting。
　But　for　the　next　hour　nothing　further　happened。　The　foliage　moved　all　around　them；　but　they　saw　nothing。　Then　shortly　before　midnight　the　electrified　perimeter　fence　erupted　in　sparks。　Munro　swung　his　gun　around　and　fired；　Ross　hit　the　switch　for　the　night　lights　and　the　camp　was　bathed　in　deep　red。
　〃Did　you　see　it？〃　Munro　said。　〃Did　you　see　what　it　was？〃
　They　shook　their　heads。　Nobody　had　seen　anything。　Elliot　checked　his　tapes；　he　had　only　the　harsh　rattle　of　gunfire；　and　the　sounds　of　sparks。　No　breathing。
　The　rest　of　the　night　passed　uneventfully。
　
　DAY　10：　ZINJ　
　June　22；　1979
　
　1。Return
　
　THE　MORNING　OF　JUNE　22　WAS　FOGGY　AND　GRAY。　Peter　Elliot　awoke　at　6　A。M。　to　find　the　camp　already　up　and　active。　Munro　was　stalking　around　the　perimeter　of　the　camp；　his　clothing　soaked　to　the　chest　by　the　wet　foliage。　He　greeted　Elliot　with　a　look　of　triumph；　and　pointed　to　the　ground。
　There；　on　the　ground；　were　fresh　footprints。　They　were　deep　and　short；　rather　triangular…shaped；　and　there　was　a　wide　space　between　the　big　toe　and　the　other　four　toes…as　wide　as　the　space　between　a　human　thumb　and　fingers。
　〃Definitely　not　human；〃　Elliot　said；　bending　to　look　closely。
　Munro　said　nothing。
　〃Some　kind　of　primate。〃
　Munro　said　nothing。
　〃It　can't　be　a　gorilla；〃　Elliot　finished；　straightening。　His　video　munications　from　the　night　before　had　hardened　his　belief　that　gorillas　were　not　involved。　Gorillas　did　not　kill　other　gorillas　as　Amy's　mother　had　been　killed。　〃It　can't　be　a　gorilla；〃　he　repeated。
　〃It's　a　gorilla；　all　right；〃　Munro　said。　〃Have　a　look　at　this。〃　He　pointed　to　another　area　of　the　soft　earth。　There　were　four　indentations　in　a　row。　〃Those　are　the　knuckles；　when　they　walk　on　their　hands。〃
　〃But　gorillas；〃　Elliot　said；　〃are　shy　animals　that　sleep　at　night　and　avoid　contact　with　men。〃
　〃Tell　the　one　that　made　this　print。〃
　〃It's　small　for　a　gorilla；〃　Elliot　said。　He　examined　the　fence　nearby；　where　the　electrical　short　had　occurred　the　night　before。　Bits　of　gray　fur　clung　to　the　fence。　〃And　gorillas　don't　have　gray　fur。〃
　〃Males　do；〃　Munro　said。　〃Silverbacks。〃
　〃Yes；　but　the　silverback　coloring　is　whiter　than　this。　This　fur　is　distinctly　gray。〃　He　hesitated。　〃Maybe　it's　a　kakundakari。〃
　Munro　looked　disgusted。
　The　kakunidakari　was　a　disputed　primate　in　the　Congo。　Like　the　yeti　of　the　Himalayas　and　bigfoot　of　North　America；　he　had　been　sighted　but　never　captured。　There　were　endless　native　stories　of　a　six…foot…tall　hairy　ape　that　walked　on　his　hind　legs　and　otherwise　behaved　in　a　manlike　fashion。
　Many　respected　scientists　believed　the　kakundakari　existed；　perhaps　they　remembered　the　authorities　who　had　once　denied　the　existence　of　the　gorilla。
　In　1774；　L