jurassic.park-第13节

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ghty　million　years　…　the　length　of　time　that　had　passed　since　this　little　animal　had　died。
　　　　In　the　classroom；　Grant　had　tried　different　parisons。　If　you　imagined　the　human　lifespan　of　sixty　years　was　pressed　to　an　hour；　then　eighty　million　years　would　still　be　3；652　years…older　than　the　pyramids。　The　velociraptor　had　been　dead　a　long　time。
　　　　〃Doesn't　look　very　fearsome；〃　one　of　the　kids　said。
　　　　〃He　wasn't；〃　Grant　said。　〃At　least；　not　until　he　grew　up。〃　Probably　this　baby　had　scavenged；　feeding　off　carcasses　slain　by　the　adults；　after　the　big　animals　had　gorged　themselves；　and　lay　basking　in　the　sun。　Carnivores　could　eat　as　much　as　25　percent　of　their　body　weight　in　a　single　meal；　and　it　made　them　sleepy　afterward。　The　babies　would　chitter　and　scramble　over　the　indulgent；　somnolent　bodies　of　the　adults；　and　nip　little　bites　from　the　dead　animal。　The　babies　were　probably　cute　little　animals。
　　　　But　an　adult　velociraptor　was　another　matter　entirely。　Pound　for　pound；　a　velociraptor　was　the　most　rapacious　dinosaur　that　ever　lived。　Although　relatively　small…about　two　hundred　pounds；　the　size　of　a　leopard…velociraptors　were　quick；　intelligent；　and　vicious；　able　to　attack　with　sharp　jaws；　powerful　clawed　forearms；　and　the　devastating　single　claw　on　the　foot。
　　　　Velociraptors　hunted　in　packs；　and　Grant　thought　it　must　have　been　a　sight　to　see　a　dozen　of　these　animals　racing　at　full　speed；　leaping　onto　the　back　of　a　much　larger　dinosaur；　tearing　at　the　neck　and　slashing　at　the　ribs　and　belly。　。　。　。
　　　　〃We're　running　out　of　time；〃　Ellie　said；　bringing　him　back。
　　　　Grant　gave　instructions　for　the　trench。　From　the　puter　image；　they　knew　the　skeleton　lay　in　a　relatively　confined　area；　a　ditch　around　a　two…meter　square　would　be　sufficient。　Meanwhile；　Ellie　lashed　down　the　tarp　that　covered　the　side　of　the　hill。　Grant　helped　her　pound　in　the　final　stakes。
　　　　〃How　did　the　baby　die？〃　one　of　the　kids　asked。
　　　　〃I　doubt　we'll　know；〃　Grant　replied。　〃Infant　mortality　in　the　wild　is　high。　In　African　parks；　it　runs　seventy　percent　among　some　carnivores。　It　could　have　been　anything　…　disease；　separation　from　the　group；　anything。　Or　even　attack　by　an　adult。　We　know　these　animals　hunted　in　packs；　but　we　don't　know　anything　about　their　social　behavior　in　a　group。〃
　　　　The　students　nodded。　They　had　all　studied　animal　behavior；　and　they　knew；　for　example；　that　when　a　new　male　took　over　a　lion　pride；　the　first　thing　he　did　was　kill　all　the　cubs。　The　reason　was　apparently　genetic：　the　male　had　evolved　to　disseminate　his　genes　as　widely　as　possible；　and　by　killing　the　cubs　he　brought　all　the　females　into　heat；　so　that　he　could　impregnate　them。　It　also　prevented　the　females　from　wasting　their　time　nurturing　the　offspring　of　another　male。
　　　　Perhaps　the　velociraptor　hunting　pack　was　also　ruled　by　a　dominant　male。　They　knew　so　little　about　dinosaurs；　Grant　thought。　After　150　years　of　research　and　excavation　all　around　the　world；　they　still　knew　almost　nothing　about　what　the　dinosaurs　had　really　been　like。
　　　　〃We've　got　to　go；〃　Ellie　said；　〃if　we're　going　to　get　to　Choteau　by　five。〃

Hammond

Gennaro's　secretary　bustled　in　with　a　new　suitcase。　It　still　had　the　sales　tags　on　it。　〃You　know；　Mr。　Gennaro；〃　she　said　severely；　〃when　you　forget　to　pack　it　makes　me　think　you　don't　really　want　to　go　on　this　trip。〃
　　　　〃Maybe　you're　right；〃　Gennaro　said。　〃I'm　missing　my　kid's　birthday。〃　Saturday　was　Amanda's　birthday；　and　Elizabeth　had　invited　twenty　screaming　four…year…olds　to　share　it；　as　well　as　Cappy　the　Clown　and　a　magician。　His　wife　hadn't　been　happy　to　hear　that　Gennaro　was　going　out　of　town。　Neither　was　Amanda。
　　　　〃Well；　I　did　the　best　I　could　on　short　notice；〃　his　secretary　said。　〃There's　running　shoes　your　size；　and　khaki　shorts　and　shirts；　and　a　shaving　kit。　A　pair　of　jeans　and　a　sweatshirt　if　it　gets　cold。　The　car　is　downstairs　to　take　you　to　the　airport。　You　have　to　leave　now　to　make　the　flight。〃
　　　　She　left。　Gennaro　walked　down　the　hallway；　tearing　the　sales　tags　off　the　suitcase。　As　he　passed　the　all…glass　conference　room；　Dan　Ross　left　the　table　and　came　outside。
　　　　〃Have　a　good　trip；〃　Ross　said。　〃But　let's　be　very　clear　about　one　thing。　I　don't　know　how　bad　this　situation　actually　is；　Donald。　But　if　there's　a　problem　on　that　island；　burn　it　to　the　ground。〃
　　　　〃Jesus；　Dan　。　。　。　We're　talking　about　a　big　investment。〃
　　　　〃Don't　hesitate。　Don't　think　about　it。　Just　do　it。　Hear　me？〃
　　　　Gennaro　nodded。　〃I　hear　you；〃　he　said。　〃But　Hammond…　〃
　　　　〃Screw　Hammond；〃　Ross　said。

〃My　boy；　my　boy；〃　the　familiar　raspy　voice　said。　〃How　have　you　been；　my　boy？〃
　　　　〃Very　well；　sir；〃　Gennaro　replied。　He　leaned　back　in　the　padded　leather　chair　of　the　Gulfstream　II　jet　as　it　flew　east；　toward　the　Rocky　Mountains。
　　　　〃You　never　call　me　any　more；〃　Hammond　said　reproachfully。　〃I've　missed　you；　Donald。　How　is　your　lovely　wife？〃
　　　　〃She's　fine。　Elizabeth's　fine。　We　have　a　little　girl　now。〃
　　　　〃Wonderful；　wonderful。　Children　are　such　a　delight。　She'd　get　a　kick　out　of　our　new　park　in　Costa　Rica。〃
　　　　Gennaro　had　forgotten　how　short　Hammond　was；　as　he　sat　in　the　chair；　his　feet　didn't　touch　the　carpeting…he　swung　his　legs　as　he　talked。　There　was　a　childlike　quality　to　the　man；　even　though　Hammond　must　now　be　。　。　。　what？　Seventy…five？　Seventy…six？　Something　like　that。　He　looked　older　than　Gennaro　remembered；　but　then；　Gennaro　hadn't　seen　him　for　almost　five　years。
　　　　Hammond　was　flamboyant；　a　born　showman；　and　back　in　1983　he　had　had　an　elephant　that　he　carried　around　with　him　in　a　little　cage。　The　elephant　was　nine　inches　high　and　a　foot　long；　and　perfectly　formed；　except　his　tusks　were　stunted。　Hammond　took　the　elephant　with　him　to　fund…raising　meetings。　Gennaro　usually　carried　it　into　the　room；　the　cage　covered　with　a　little　blanket；　like　a　tea　cozy；　and　Hammond　would　give　his　usual　speech　about　the　prospects　for　developing　what　he　called　〃consumer　biologicals。〃　Then；　at　the　dramatic　moment；　Hammond　would　whip　away　the　blanket　to　reveal　the　elephant。　And　he　would　ask　for　money。
　　　　The　elephant　was　always　a　rousing　success；　its　tiny　body；　hardly　bigger　than　a　cat's；　promised　untold　wonders　to　e　from　the　laboratory　of　Norman　Atherton；　the　Stanford　geneticist　who　was　Hammond's　partner　in　the　new　venture。
　　　　But　as　Hammond　talked　about　the　elephant；　he　left　a　great　deal　unsaid。　For　example；　Hammond　was　starting　a　genetics　pany；　but　the　tiny　elephant　hadn't　been　made　by　any　genetic　procedure；　Atherton　had　simply　taken　a　dwarf…elephant　embryo　and　raised　it　in　an　artificial　womb　with　hormonal　modifications。　That　in　itself　was　quite　an　achievement；　but　nothing　like　what　Hammond　hinted　had　been　done。
　　　　Also；　Atherton　hadn't　been　able　to　duplicate　his　miniature　elephant；　and　he'd　tried。　For　one　thing；　everybody　who　saw　the　elephant　wanted　one。　Then；　too；　the　elephant　was　prone　to　colds；　particularly　during　winter。　The　sneezes　ing　through　the　little　trunk　filled　Hammond　with　dread。　And　sometimes　the　elephant　would　get　his　tusks　stuck　between　the　bars　of　the　cage　and　snort　irritably　as　he　tried　to　get　free；　sometimes　he　got　infections　around　the　tusk　line。　Hammond　always　fretted　that　his　elephant　would　die　before　Atherton　could　grow　a　replacement。
　　　　Hammond　also　concealed　from　prospective　investors　the　fact　that　the　elephant's　behavior　had　changed　substantially　in　the　process　of　miniaturization。　The　little　creature　might　look　like　an　elephant；　but　he　acted　like　a　vicious　rodent；　quick…moving　and　mean…tempered。　Hammond　discouraged　people　from　petting　the　elephant；　to　avoid　nipped　fingers。
　　　　And　although　Hammond　spoke　confidently　of　seven　billion　dollars　in　annual　revenues　by　1993；　his　project　was　intensely　speculative。　Hammond　had　vision　and　enthusiasm；　but　there　was　no　certainty　that　his　plan　would　work　at　all。　Particularly　since　Norman　Atherton；　the　brains　behind　the　project；　bad　terminal　cancer…which　was　a　final　point　Hammond　neglected　to　mention。
　　　　Even　so；　with　Gennaro's　help；　Hammond　got　his　money。　Between　September　of　1983　and　November　of　1985；　John　Alfred　Hammond　and　his　〃Pachyderm　Portfolio〃　raised　870　million　in　venture　capital　to　finance　his　proposed　corporation；　International　Genetic　Technologies；　Inc。　And　they　could　have　raised　more；　except　Hammond　insisted　on　absolute　secrecy；　and　he　offered　no　return　on　capital　for　at　least　five　years。　That　scared　a　lot　of　investors　off。　In　the　end；　they'd　had　to　take　mostly　Japanese　consortia。　The　Japanese　were　the　only　investors　who　had　the　patience。

Sitting　in　the　leather　chair　of　the　jet；　Gennaro　thought　about　how　evasive　Hammond　was。　The　old　man　was　now　ignoring　the　fact　that　Gennaro's　law　firm　had　forced　this　trip　on　him。　Instead；　Hammond　behaved　as　if　they　were　engaged　in　a　purely　social　outing。　〃It's　too　bad　you　didn't　bring　your　family　with　you；　Donald；〃　he　said　。
　　　　Gennaro　shrugged。　〃It's　my　daughter's　birthday。　Twenty　kids　already　scheduled。　The　cake　and　the　clown。　You　know　how　it　is。〃
　　　　〃Oh；　I　understand；〃　Hammond　said。　〃Kids　set　their　hearts　on　things。〃
　　　　〃Anyway；　is　the　park　ready　for　visitors？〃　Gennaro　asked。
　　　　〃Well；　not　officially；〃　Hammond　said。　〃But　the　hotel　is　built；　so　there　is　a　place　to　stay。　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃And　the　animals？〃
　　　　〃Of　course；　the　ani