michael crichton.congo-第41节

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　In　1774；　Lord　Monboddo　wrote　of　the　gorilla　that　〃this　wonderful　and　frightful　production　of　nature　walks　upright　like　man；　is　from　7　to　9　feet　high。　。　。　and　amazingly　strong；　covered　with　longish　hair；　jet　black　over　the　body；　but　longer　on　the　head；　the　face　more　like　the　human　than　the　Chimpenza；　but　the　plexion　black；　and　has　no　tail。〃
　Forty　years　later；　Bowditch　described　an　African　ape　〃generally　five　feet　high；　and　four　across　the　shoulders；　its　paw　was　said　to　be　even　more　disproportionate　than　its　breadth；　and　one　blow　of　it　to　be　fetal。〃　But　it　was　not　until　1847　that　Thomas　Savage；　an　African　missionary；　and　Jeffries　Wyman；　a　Boston　anatomist；　published　a　paper　describing　〃a　second　species　in　Africa　。　。　。　not　recognized　by　naturalists；〃　which　they　proposed　to　call　Troglodytes　gorilla。　Their　announcement　caused　enormous　excitement　in　the　scientific　world；　and　a　rush　in　London；　Paris；　and　Boston　to　procure　skeletons；　by　1855；　there　was　no　longer　any　doubt…　a　second；　very　large　ape　existed　in　Africa。
　Even　in　the　twentieth　century；　new　animal　species　were　discovered　in　the　rain　forest：　the　blue　pig　in　1944；　and　the　red…breasted　grouse　in　1961。　It　was　perfectly　possible　that　a　rare；　reclusive　primate　might　exist　in　the　jungle　depths。　But　there　was　still　no　hard　evidence　for　the　kakundakari。
　〃This　print　is　from　a　gorilla；〃　Munro　insisted。　〃Or　rather　a　group　of　gorillas。　They're　all　around　the　perimeter　fence。　They've　been　scouting　our　camp。〃
　〃Scouting　our　camp；〃　Elliot　repeated；　shaking　his　head。
　〃That's　right；〃　Munro　said。　〃Just　look　at　the　bloody　prints。〃
　Elliot　felt　his　patience　growing　short。　He　said　something　about　white…hunter　campfire　tales；　to　which　Munro　said　something　unflattering　about　people　who　knew　everything　from　books。
　At　that　point；　the　colobus　monkeys　in　the　trees　overhead　began　to　shriek　and　shake　the　branches。
　
　They　found　Malawi's　body　just　outside　the　pound。　The　porter　had　been　going　to　the　stream　to　get　water　when　he　had　been　killed；　the　collapsible　buckets　lay　on　the　ground　nearby。　The　bones　of　his　skull　had　been　crushed；　the　purple；　swelling　face　was　distorted；　the　mouth　open。
　The　group　was　repelled　by　the　manner　of　death；　Ross　turned　away；　nauseated；　the　porters　huddled　with　Kahega；　who　tried　to　reassure　them；　Munro　bent　to　examine　the　injury。　〃You　notice　these　flattened　areas　of　pression；　as　if　the　head　was　squeezed　between　something　　　　　
　Munro　then　called　for　the　stone　paddles　that　Elliot　had　found　in　the　city　the　day　before。　He　glanced　back　at　Kahega。
　Kahega　stood　at　his　most　erect　and　said；　〃We　go　home　now；　boss。〃
　〃That's　not　possible；〃　Munro　said。
　〃We　go　home。　We　must　go　home；　one　of　our　brothers　is　dead；　we　must　make　ceremony　for　his　wife　and　his　children；　boss。〃
　〃Kahega。　。
　〃Boss；　we　must　go　now。〃
　〃Kahega；　we　will　talk。〃　Munro　straightened；　put　his　arm　over　Kahega　and　led　him　some　distance　away；　across　the　clearing。　They　talked　in　low　voices　for　several　minutes。
　〃It's　awful；〃　Ross　said。　She　seemed　genuinely　affected　with　human　feeling　and　instinctively　Elliot　turned　to　fort　her；　but　she　continued；　〃The　whole　expedition　is　falling　apart。　Ifs　awful。　We　have　to　hold　it　together　somehow；　or　we'll　never　find　the　diamonds。〃
　〃Is　that　all　you　care　about？〃
　〃Well；　they　do　have　insurance。　。　。
　〃For　Christ's　sake；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃You're　just　upset　because　you've　lost　your　damned　monkey；〃　Ross　said。　〃Now　get　hold　of　yourself。　They're　watching　us。〃
　The　Kikuyu　were　indeed　watching　Ross　and　Elliot；　trying　to　sense　the　drift　of　sentiment。　But　they　all　knew　that　the　real　negotiations　were　between　Munro　and　Kahega；　standing　off　to　one　side。　Several　minutes　later　Kahega　returned；　wiping　his　eyes。　He　spoke　quickly　to　his　remaining　brothers；　and　they　nodded。　He　turned　back　to　Munro。
　〃We　stay；　boss。〃
　〃Good；〃　Munro　said；　immediately　resuming　his　former　imperious　tone。　〃Bring　the　paddles。〃
　When　they　were　brought；　Munro　placed　the　paddles　to　either　side　of　Malawi's　head。　They　fitted　the　semicircular　indentations　on　the　head　perfectly。
　Munro　then　said　something　quickly　to　Kahega　in　Swahili；　and　Kahega　said　something　to　his　brothers；　and　they　nodded。　Only　then　did　Munro　take　the　next　horrible　step。　He　raised　his　arms　wide；　and　then　swung　the　paddles　back　hard　against　the　already　crushed　skull。　The　dull　sound　was　sickening；　droplets　of　blood　spattered　over　his　shirt；　but　he　did　not　further　damage　the　skull。
　〃A　man　hasn't　the　strength　to　do　this；〃　Munro　said　flatly。　He　looked　up　at　Peter　Elliot。　〃Care　to　try？〃
　Elliot　shook　his　head。
　Munro　stood。　〃Judging　by　the　way　he　fell；　Malawi　was　standing　when　it　happened。〃　Munro　faced　Elliot；　looking　him　in　the　eye。　〃Large　animal；　the　size　of　a　man。　Large；　strong　animal。　A　gorilla。〃
　Elliot　had　no　reply。
　
　There　is　no　doubt　that　Peter　Elliot　felt　a　personal　threat　in　these　developments；　although　not　a　threat　to　his　safety。　〃I　simply　couldn't　accept　it；〃　he　said　later。　〃I　knew　my　field；　and　I　simply　couldn't　accept　the　idea　of　some　unknown；　radically　violent　behavior　displayed　by　gorillas　in　the　wild。　And　in　any　case；　it　didn't　make　sense。　Gorillas　making　stone　paddles　that　they　used　to　crush　human　skulls？　It　was　impossible。〃
　After　examining　the　body；　Elliot　went　to　the　stream　to　wash　the　blood　from　his　hands。　Once　alone；　away　from　the　others；　he　found　himself　staring　into　the　clear　running　water　and　considering　the　possibility　that　he　might　be　wrong。　Certainly　primate　researchers　had　a　long　history　of　misjudging　their　subjects。
　Elliot　himself　had　helped　eradicate　one　of　the　most　famous　misconceptions…the　brutish　stupidity　of　the　gorilla。　In　their　first　descriptions；　Savage　and　Wyman　had　written；　〃This　animal　exhibits　a　degree　of　intelligence　inferior　to　that　of　the　Chimpanzee；　this　might　be　expected　from　its　wider　departure　from　the　organization　of　the　human　subject。〃　Later　observers　saw　the　gorilla　as　〃savage；　morose；　and　brutal。〃　But　now　there　was　abundant　evidence　from　field　and　laboratory　studies　that　the　gorilla　was　in　many　ways　brighter　than　the　chimpanzee。
　Then；　too；　there　were　the　famous　stories　of　chimpanzees　kidnapping　and　eating　human　infants。　For　decades；　primate　researchers　had　dismissed　such　native　tales　as　〃wild　and　superstitious　fantasy。〃　But　there　was　no　longer　any　doubt　that　chimpanzees　occasionally　kidnapped…and　ate…human　infants；　when　Jane　Goodall　studied　Gombe　chimpanzees；　she　locked　away　her　own　infant　to　prevent　his　being　taken　and　killed　by　the　chimps。
　Chimpanzees　hunted　a　variety　of　animals；　according　to　a　plicated　ritual。　And　field　studies　by　Dian　Fossey　suggested　that　gorillas　also　hunted　from　time　to　time；　killing　small　game　and　monkeys；　whenever…　He　heard　a　rustling　in　the　bushes　across　the　stream；　and　an　enormous　silverback　male　gorilla　reared　up　in　chest…high　foliage。　Peter　was　startled；　although　as　soon　as　he　got　over　his　fright　he　realized　that　he　was　safe。　Gorillas　never　crossed　open　water；　even　a　small　stream。　Or　was　that　a　misconception；　too？
　The　male　stared　at　him　across　the　water。　There　seemed　to　be　no　threat　in　his　gaze；　just　a　kind　of　watchful　curiosity。　Elliot　smelled　the　musty　odor　of　the　gorilla；　and　he　heard　the　breath　hiss　through　his　flattened　nostrils。　He　was　wondering　what　he　should　do　when　suddenly　the　gorilla　crashed　noisily　away　through　the　underbrush；　and　was　gone。
　This　encounter　perplexed　him；　and　he　stood；　wiping　the　sweat　from　his　face。　Then　he　realized　that　there　was　still　movement　in　the　foliage　across　the　stream。　After　a　moment；　another　gorilla　rose　up；　this　one　smaller：　a　female；　he　thought；　though　he　couldn't　be　sure。　The　new　gorilla　gazed　at　him　as　implacably　as　the　first。　Then　the　hand　moved。
　Peter　e　give　tickle。
　〃Amy！〃　he　shouted；　and　a　moment　later　he　had　splashed　across　the　stream；　and　she　had　leapt　into　his　arms；　hugging　him　and　delivering　sloppy　wet　kisses　and　grunting　happily。
　
　Amy's　unexpected　return　to　camp　nearly　got　her　shot　by　the　jumpy　Kikuyu　porters。　Only　by　blocking　her　body　with　his　own　did　Elliot　prevent　gunfire。　Twenty　minutes　later；　however；　everyone　had　adjusted　to　her　presence…and　Amy　promptly　began　making　demands。
　She　was　unhappy　to　learn　that　they　had　not　acquired　milk　or　cookies　in　her　absence；　but　when　Munro　produced　the　bottle　of　warm　Dom　Perignon；　she　agreed　to　accept　champagne　instead。
　They　all　sat　around　her；　drinking　champagne　from　tin　cups。　Elliot　was　glad　for　the　mitigating　presence　of　the　others；　for　now　that　Amy　was　sitting　there；　safely　restored　to　him；　calmly　sipping　her　champagne　and　signing　Tickle　drink　Amy　like；　he　found　himself　overe　with　anger　toward　her。
　Munro　grinned　at　Elliot　as　he　gave　him　his　champagne。　〃Calmly；　Professor；　calmly。　She's　just　a　child。〃
　〃The　hell　she　is；〃　Elliot　said。　He　conducted　the　subsequent　conversation　entirely　in　sign　language；　not　speaking。
　Amy；　he　signed。　Why　Amy　leave？
　She　buried　her　nose　in　her　cup；　singing　Tickle　drink　good　drink。
　Amy；　he　signed。　Amy　tell　Peter　why　leave。
　Peter　not　like　Amy。
　Peter　like　Amy。
　Peter　hurt　Amy　Peter　fly　ouch　pin　Amy　no　like　Peter　no　like　Amy　Amy　sad　sad。
　In　a　detached　corner　of　his　mind；　he　thought　he　would　have　to　remember　that　〃ouch　pin〃　had　now　been　extended　to　the　Thoralen