michael crichton.congo-第44节

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　She　told　him　that　the　sentries　held　guns　which　were　actually　laser…guided　sight　devices；　linked　to　rapid…firing　sensor　devices　on　tripods。　〃They　lock　onto　the　target；〃　she　said；　〃and　do　the　actual　shooting　once　the　target　is　identified。　It's　a　jungle　warfare　system。　The　RFSDs　have　maclan…baffle　silencers　so　the　enemy　won't　know　where　the　firing　is　ing　from。　Just　make　sure　you　don't　step　in　front　of　one；　because　they　automatically　lock　onto　body　heat。〃
　Ross　gave　him　the　tape　recorder；　and　went　off　to　check　the　fuel　cells　powering　the　perimeter　fence。　Elliot　glanced　at　the　sentries　in　the　outer　darkness；　Munro　waved　cheerfully　to　him。　Elliot　realized　that　the　sentries　with　their　grasshopper　goggles　and　their　acronymic　weapons　could　see　him　far　better　than　he　could　see　them。　They　looked　like　beings　from　another　universe；　dropped　into　the　timeless　jungle。
　Waiting。
　The　hours　passed。　The　jungle　perimeter　was　silent　except　for　the　murmur　of　water　in　the　moat。　Occasionally　the　porters　called　to　one　another　softly；　making　some　joke　in　Swahili；　but　they　never　smoked　because　of　the　heat…sensing　machinery。　Eleven　o'clock　passed；　and　then　midnight；　and　then　one　o'clock。
　He　heard　Amy　snoring　in　his　tent；　her　noisy　rasping　audible　above　the　throb　of　the　electrified　fence。　He　glanced　over　at　Ross　sleeping　on　the　ground；　her　finger　on　the　switch　for　the　night　lights。　He　looked　at　his　watch　and　yawned；　nothing　was　going　to　happen　tonight；　Munro　was　wrong。
　Then　he　heard　the　breathing　sound。
　The　sentries　heard　it　too；　swinging　their　guns　in　the　darkness。　Elliot　pointed　the　recorder　microphone　toward　the　sound　but　it　was　hard　to　determine　its　exact　location。　The　wheezing　sighs　seemed　to　e　from　all　parts　of　the　jungle　at　once；　drifting　with　the　night　fog；　soft　and　pervasive。
　He　watched　the　needles　wiggle　on　the　recording　gauges。
　And　then　the　needles　bounced　into　the　red；　as　Elliot　heard　a　dull　thud；　and　the　gurgle　of　water。　Everyone　heard　it；　the　sentries　clicked　off　their　safeties。
　Elliot　crept　with　his　tape　recorder　toward　the　perimeter　fence　and　looked　out　at　the　moat。　Foliage　moved　beyond　the　fence。　The　sighing　grew　louder。　He　heard　the　gurgle　of　water　and　saw　a　dead　tree　trunk　lying　across　the　moat。
　That　was　what　the　slapping　sound　had　been：　abridge　being　placed　across　the　moat。　In　that　instant　Elliot　realized　they　had　vastly　underestimated　whatever　they　were　up　against。　He　signaled　to　Munro　to　e　and　look；　but　Munro　was　waving　him　away　from　the　fence　and　pointing　emphatically　to　the　squat　tripod　on　the　ground　near　his　feet。　Before　Elliot　could　move；　the　colobus　monkeys　began　to　shriek　in　the　trees　overhead…and　the　first　of　the　gorillas　silently　charged。
　He　had　a　glimpse　of　an　enormous　animal；　distinctly　gray　in　color；　racing　up　to　him　as　he　ducked　down；　a　moment　later；　the　gorillas　hit　the　electrified　fence　with　a　shower　of　spitting　sparks　and　the　odor　of　burning　flesh。
　It　was　the　start　of　an　eerie；　silent　battle。
　Emerald　laser　beams　flashed　through　the　air；　the　tripod…mounted　machine　guns　made　a　soft　thew…thew…thew　as　the　bullets　spit　outward；　the　aiming　mechanisms　whining　as　the　barrels　spun　and　fired；　spun　and　fired　again。　Every　tenth　bullet　was　a　white　phosphorous　tracer；　the　air　was　crisscrossed　green　and　white　over　Elliot's　head。
　The　gorillas　attacked　from　all　directions；　six　of　them　simultaneously　hit　the　fence　and　were　repelled　in　a　crackling　burst　of　sparks。　Still　more　charged；　throwing　themselves　on　the　flimsy　perimeter　mesh；　yet　the　sizzle　of　sparks　and　the　shriek　of　the　colobus　monkeys　was　the　loudest　sound　they　heard。　And　then　he　saw　gorillas　in　the　trees　overhanging　the　campsite。　Munro　and　Kahega　began　firing　upward；　silent　laser　beams　streaking　into　the　foliage。　He　heard　the　sighing　sound　again。　Elliot　turned　and　saw　more　gorillas　tearing　at　the　fence；　which　had　gone　dead…there　were　no　more　sparks。
　And　he　realized　that　this　swift；　sophisticated　equipment　was　not　holding　the　gorillas　back…they　needed　the　noise。　Munro　had　the　same　thought；　because　he　shouted　in　Swahili　for　the　men　to　hold　their　fire；　and　called　to　Elliot；　〃Pull　the　silencers！　The　silencers！〃
　Elliot　grabbed　the　black　barrel　on　the　first　tripod　mechanism　and　plucked　it　away；　swearing…it　was　very　hot。　Immediately　as　he　stepped　away　from　the　tripod；　a　stuttering　sound　filled　the　air；　and　two　gorillas　fell　heavily　from　the　trees；　one　still　alive。　The　gorilla　charged　him　as　he　pulled　away　the　silencer　from　the　second　tripod。　The　stubby　barrel　swung　around　and　blasted　the　gorilla　at　very　close　range；　warm　liquid　spattered　Elliot's　face。　He　pulled　the　silencer　from　the　third　tripod　and　threw　himself　to　the　ground。
　Deafening　machine…gun　fire　and　clouds　of　acrid　cordite　had　an　immediate　effect　on　the　gorillas；　they　backed　off　in　disorder。　There　was　a　period　of　silence；　although　the　sentries　fired　laser　shots　that　set　the　tripod　machines　scanning　rapidly　across　the　jungle　landscape；　whirring　back　and　forth；　searching　for　a　target。
　Then　the　machines　stopped　hunting；　and　paused。　The　jungle　around　them　was　still。
　The　gorillas　were　gone。
　
　DAY　11：　ZINJ　
　June　23；　1979
　
　1。Gorilla　Elliotensis
　
　THE　GORILLA　CORPSES　LAY　STRETCHED　ON　THE　ground；　the　bodies　already　stiffening　in　the　morning　warmth。　Elliot　spent　two　hours　examining　the　animals；　both　adult　males　in　the　prime　of　life。
　The　most　striking　feature　was　the　uniform　gray　color。　The　two　known　races　of　gorilla；　the　mountain　gorilla　in　Virunga；　and　the　lowland　gorilla　near　the　coast；　both　had　black　hair。　Infants　were　often　brown　with　a　white　tuft　of　hair　at　the　rump；　but　their　hair　darkened　within　the　first　five　years。　By　the　age　of　twelve；　adult　males　had　developed　the　silver　patch　along　their　back　and　rump；　the　sign　of　sexual　maturity。
　With　age；　gorillas　turned　gray　in　much　the　same　way　as　people。　Male　gorillas　first　developed　a　spot　of　gray　above　each　ear；　and　as　the　years　passed　more　body　hair　turned　gray。　Old　animals　in　their　late　twenties　and　thirties　sometimes　turned　entirely　gray　except　for　their　arms；　which　remained　black。
　But　from　their　teeth　Elliot　estimated　that　these　males　were　no　more　than　ten　years　old。　All　their　pigmentation　seemed　lighter；　eye　and　skin　color　as　well　as　hair。　Gorilla　skin　was　black；　and　eyes　were　dark　brown。　But　here　the　pigmentation　was　distinctly　gray；　and　the　eyes　were　light　yellow　brown。
　As　much　as　anything　it　was　the　eyes　that　set　him　thinking。　Next　Elliot　measured　the　bodies。　The　crown…heel　length　was　139。2　and　141。7　centimeters。　Male　mountain　gorillas　had　been　recorded　from　147　to　205　centimeters；　with　an　average　height　of　175　centimeters…five　feet　eight　inches。　But　these　animals　stood　about　four　feet　six　inches　tall。　They　were　distinctly　small　for　gorillas。　He　weighed　them：　255　pounds　and　347　pounds。　Most　mountain　gorillas　weighed　between　280　and　450　pounds。
　Elliot　recorded　thirty　additional　skeletal　measurements　for　later　analysis　by　the　puter　back　in　San　Francisco。　Because　now　he　was　convinced　that　he　was　onto　something。　With　a　knife；　he　dissected　the　head　of　the　first　animal；　cutting　away　the　gray　skin　to　reveal　the　underlying　muscle　and　bone。　His　interest　was　the　sagittal　crest；　the　bony　ridge　running　along　the　center　of　the　skull　from　the　forehead　to　the　back　of　the　neck。　The　sagittal　crest　was　a　distinctive　feature　of　gorilla　skull　architecture　not　found　in　other　apes　or　man；　it　was　what　gave　gorillas　a　pointy…headed　look。
　Elliot　determined　that　the　sagittal　crest　was　poorly　developed　in　these　males。　In　general；　the　cranial　musculature　resembled　a　chimpanzee's　far　more　than　a　gorilla's。　Elliot　made　additional　measurements　of　the　molar　cusps；　the　jaw；　the　simian　shelf；　and　the　brain　case。
　By　midday；　his　conclusion　was　clear：　this　was　at　least　a　new　race　of　gorilla；　equal　to　the　mountain　and　lowland　gorilla…and　it　was　possibly　a　new　species　of　animal　entirely。
　
　〃Something　happens　to　the　man　who　discovers　a　new　species　of　animal；〃　wrote　Lady　Elizabeth　Forstmann　in　1879。　〃At　once　he　forgets　his　family　and　friends；　and　all　those　who　were　near　and　dear　to　him；　he　forgets　colleagues　who　supported　his　professional　efforts；　most　cruelly　he　forgets　parents　and　children；　in　short；　he　abandons　all　who　knew　him　prior　to　his　insensate　lust　for　fame　at　the　hands　of　the　demon　called　Science。〃
　Lady　Forstmann　understood；　for　her　husband　had　just　left　her　after　discovering　the　Norwegian　blue…crested　grouse　in　1878。　〃In　vain；〃　she　observed；　〃does　one　ask　what　it　matters　that　another　bird　or　animal　is　added　to　the　rich　panoply　of　God's　creations；　which　already　number…by　Linnaean　reckoning…in　the　millions。　There　is　no　response　to　such　a　question；　for　the　discoverer　has　joined　the　ranks　of　the　immortals；　at　least　as　he　imagines　it；　and　he　lies　beyond　the
　power　of　mere　people　to　dissuade　him　from　his　course。〃
　Certainly　Peter　Elliot　would　have　denied　that　his　own　behavior　resembled　that　of　the　dissolute　Scottish　nobleman。　Nevertheless　he　found　he　was　bored　by　the　prospect　of　further　exploration　of　Zinj；　he　had　no　interest　in　diamonds；　or　Amy's　dreams；　he　wished　only　to　return　home　with　a　skeleton　of　the　new　ape；　which　would　astonish　colleagues　around　the　world。　He　suddenly　remembered　he　did　not　own　a　tuxedo；　a