jurassic.park-第8节

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　　　　〃Here　you　go；〃　Grant　said；　thrusting　a　beer　into　his　band。　He　gave　another　to　Ellie。　She　chugged　hers；　throwing　her　long　neck　back。　Morris　stared。
　　　　〃We're　pretty　informal　here；〃　Grant　said。　〃Want　to　step　into　my　office？〃
　　　　〃Sure；〃　Morris　said。　Grant　led　him　to　the　end　of　the　trailer；　where　there　was　a　torn　couch；　a　sagging　chair；　and　a　battered　endtable。　Grant　dropped　onto　the　couch；　which　creaked　and　exhaled　a　cloud　of　chalky　dust。　He　leaned　back；　thumped　his　boots　up　on　the　endtable；　and　gestured　for　Morris　to　sit　in　the　chair。　〃Make　yourself　fortable。〃
　　　　Grant　was　a　professor　of　paleontology　at　the　University　of　Denver；　and　one　of　the　foremost　researchers　in　his　field；　but　he　had　never　been　fortable　with　social　niceties。　He　saw　himself　as　an　outdoor　man；　and　he　knew　that　all　the　important　work　in　paleontology　was　done　outdoors；　with　your　bands。　Grant　had　little　patience　for　the　academics；　for　the　museum　curators；　for　what　he　called　Teacup　Dinosaur　Hunters。　And　he　took　some　pains　to　distance　himself　in　dress　and　behavior　from　the　Teacup　Dinosaur　Hunters；　even　delivering　his　lectures　in　jeans　and　sneakers。
　　　　Grant　watched　as　Morris　primly　brushed　off　the　seat　of　the　chair　before　he　sat　down。　Morris　opened　his　briefcase；　rummaged　through　his　papers；　and　glanced　back　at　Ellie；　who　was　lifting　bones　with　tweezers　from　the　acid　bath　at　the　other　end　of　the　trailer；　paying　no　attention　to　them。　〃You're　probably　wondering　why　I'm　here。〃
　　　　Grant　nodded。　〃It's　a　long　way　to　e；　Mr。　Morris。〃
　　　　〃Well；〃　Morris　said；　〃to　get　right　to　the　point；　the　EPA　is　concerned　about　the　activities　of　the　Hammond　Foundation。　You　receive　some　funding　from　them。〃
　　　　〃Thirty　thousand　dollars　a　year；〃　Grant　said；　nodding。　〃For　the　last　five　years。〃
　　　　〃What　do　you　know　about　the　foundation？〃　Morris　said。
　　　　Grant　shrugged。　〃The　Hammond　Foundation　is　a　respected　source　of　academic　grants。　They　fund　research　all　over　the　world；　including　several　dinosaur　researchers。　I　know　they　support　Bob　Kerry　out　of　the　Tyrrell　in　Alberta；　and　John　Weller　in　Alaska。　Probably　more。〃
　　　　〃Do　you　know　why　the　Hammond　Foundation　supports　so　much　dinosaur　research？〃　Morris　asked。
　　　　〃Of　course。　It's　because　old　John　Hammond　is　a　dinosaur　nut。〃
　　　　〃You've　met　Hammond？〃
　　　　Grant　shrugged。　〃Once　or　twice。　He　es　here　for　brief　visits。　He's　quite　elderly；　you　know。　And　eccentric；　the　way　rich　people　sometimes　are。　But　always　very　enthusiastic。　Why？〃
　　　　〃Well；〃　Morris　said；　〃the　Hammond　Foundation　is　actually　a　rather　mysterious　organization。〃　He　pulled　out　a　Xeroxed　world　map；　marked　with　red　dots；　and　passed　it　to　Grant。　〃These　are　the　digs　the　foundation　financed　last　year。　Notice　anything　odd　about　them？　Montana；　Alaska；　Canada；　Sweden　。　。　。　They're　all　sites　in　the　north。　There's　nothing　below　the　forty…fifth　parallel。〃　Morris　pulled　out　more　maps。　〃It's　the　same；　year　after　year。　Dinosaur　projects　to　the　south；　in　Utah　or　Colorado　or　Mexico；　never　get　funded。　The　Hammond　Foundation　only　supports　cold…weather　digs。　We'd　like　to　know　why。〃
　　　　Grant　shuffled　through　the　maps　quickly。　If　it　was　true　that　the　foundation　only　supported　cold…weather　digs；　then　it　was　strange　behavior；　because　some　of　the　best　dinosaur　researchers　were　working　in　hot　climates；　and　…
　　　　〃And　there　are　other　puzzles；〃　Morris　said。　〃For　example；　what　is　the　relationship　of　dinosaurs　to　amber？〃
　　　　〃Amber？〃
　　　　〃Yes。　It's　the　hard　yellow　resin　of　dried　tree　sap…〃
　　　　〃I　know　what　it　is；〃　Grant　said。　〃But　why　are　you　asking？〃
　　　　〃Because；〃　Morris　said；　〃over　the　last　five　years；　Hammond　has　purchased　enormous　quantities　of　amber　in　America；　Europe；　and　Asia；　including　many　pieces　of　museum…quality　jewelry。　The　foundation　has　spent　seventeen　million　dollars　on　amber。　They　now　possess　the　largest　privately　held　stock　of　this　material　in　the　world。〃
　　　　〃I　don't　get　it；〃　Grant　said。
　　　　〃Neither　does　anybody　else；〃　Morris　said。　〃As　far　as　we　can　tell；　it　doesn't　make　any　sense　at　all。　Amber　is　easily　synthesized。　It　has　no　mercial　or　defense　value。　There's　no　reason　to　stockpile　it。　But　Hammond　has　done　just　that；　over　many　years。〃
　　　　〃Amber；〃　Grant　said；　shaking　his　head。
　　　　〃And　what　about　his　island　in　Costa　Rica？〃　Morris　continued。　〃Ten　years　ago；　the　Hammond　Foundation　leased　an　island　from　the　government　of　Costa　Rica。　Supposedly　to　set　up　a　biological　preserve。〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know　anything　about　that；〃　Grant　said；　frowning。
　　　　〃I　haven't　been　able　to　find　out　much；〃　Morris　said。　〃The　island　is　a　hundred　miles　off　the　west　coast。　It's　very　rugged；　and　it's　in　an　area　of　ocean　where　the　binations　of　wind　and　current　make　it　almost　perpetually　covered　in　fog。　They　used　to　call　it　Cloud　Island。　Isla　Nublar。　Apparently　the　Costa　Ricans　were　amazed　that　anybody　would　want　it。〃　Morris　searched　in　his　briefcase。　〃The　reason　I　mention　it；〃　he　said；　〃is　that；　according　to　the　records；　you　were　paid　a　consultant's　fee　in　connection　with　this　island。〃
　　　　〃I　was？〃　Grant　said。
　　　　Morris　passed　a　sheet　of　paper　to　Grant。　It　was　the　Xerox　of　a　check　issued　in　March　1984　from　InGen　Inc。；　Farallon　Road；　Palo　Alto；　California。　Made　out　to　Alan　Grant　In　the　amount　of　twelve　thousand　dollars。　At　the　lower　corner；　the　check　was　marked　CONSULTANT　SERVICES/COSTA　RICA/JUVENILE　HYPERSPACE。
　　　　〃Ob；　sure；〃　Grant　said。　〃I　remember　that。　It　was　weird　as　hell；　but　I　remember　it。　And　it　didn't　have　anything　to　do　with　an　island。〃

Alan　Grant　had　found　the　first　clutch　of　dinosaur　eggs　in　Montana　in　1979；　and　many　more　in　the　next　two　years；　but　he　hadn't　gotten　around　to　publishing　his　findings　until　1983。　His　paper；　with　its　report　of　a　herd　of　ten　thousand　duckbilled　dinosaurs　living　along　the　shore　of　a　vast　inland　sea；　building　munal　nests　of　eggs　in　the　mud；　raising　their　infant　dinosaurs　in　the　herd；　made　Grant　a　celebrity　overnight。　The　notion　of　maternal　instincts　in　giant　dinosaurs…and　the　drawings　of　cute　babies　poking　their　snouts　out　of　the　eggs…had　appeal　around　the　world。　Grant　was　besieged　with　requests　for　interviews；　lectures；　books。　Characteristically；　he　turned　them　all　down；　wanting　only　to　continue　his　excavations。　But　it　was　during　those　frantic　days　of　the　mid…1980s　that　he　was　approached　by　the　InGen　corporation　with　a　request　for　consulting　services。
　　　　〃Had　you　heard　of　InGen　before？〃　Morris　asked。　〃No。〃
　　　　〃How　did　they　contact　you？〃
　　　　〃Telephone　call。　It　was　a　man　named　Gennaro　or　Gennino；　something　like　that。〃
　　　　Morris　nodded。　〃Donald　Gennaro；〃　he　said。　〃He's　the　legal　counsel　for　InGen。〃
　　　　〃Anyway；　he　wanted　to　know　about　eating　habits　of　dinosaurs。　And　he　offered　me　a　fee　to　draw　up　a　paper　for　him。〃　Grant　drank　his　beer；　set　the　can　on　the　floor。　〃Gennaro　was　particularly　interested　in　young　dinosaurs。　Infants　and　juveniles。　What　they　ate。　I　guess　he　thought　I　would　know　about　that。〃
　　　　〃Did　you？〃
　　　　〃Not　really；　no。　I　told　him　that。　We　had　found　lots　of　skeletal　material；　but　we　had　very　little　dietary　data。　But　Gennaro　said　he　knew　we　hadn't　published　everything；　and　he　wanted　whatever　we　had。　And　he　offered　a　very　large　fee。　Fifty　thousand　dollars。〃
　　　　Morris　took　out　a　tape　recorder　and　set　it　on　the　endtable。　〃You　mind？〃
　　　　〃No；　go　ahead。〃
　　　　〃So　Gennaro　telephoned　you　in　1984。　What　happened　then？〃
　　　　〃Well；〃　Grant　said。　〃You　see　our　operation　here。　Fifty　thousand　would　support　two　full　summers　of　digging。　I　told　him　I'd　do　what　I　could。〃
　　　　〃So　you　agreed　to　prepare　a　paper　for　him。〃
　　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　　〃On　the　dietary　habits　of　juvenile　dinosaurs？〃
　　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　　〃You　met　Gennaro？〃
　　　　〃No。　Just　on　the　phone。〃
　　　　〃Did　Gennaro　say　why　he　wanted　this　information？〃
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Grant　said。　〃He　was　planning　a　museum　for　children；　and　he　wanted　to　feature　baby　dinosaurs。　He　said　he　was　hiring　a　number　of　academic　consultants；　and　named　them。　There　were　paleontologists　like　me；　and　a　mathematician　from　Texas　named　Ian　Malcolm；　and　a　couple　of　ecologists。　A　systems　analyst。　Good　group。〃
　　　　Morris　nodded；　making　notes。　〃So　you　accepted　the　consultancy？〃　
　　　　〃Yes。　I　agreed　to　send　him　a　summary　of　our　work：　what　we　knew　about　the　habits　of　the　duckbilled　hadrosaurs　we'd　found。〃
　　　　〃What　kind　of　information　did　you　send？〃　Morris　asked。
　　　　〃Everything：　nesting　behavior；　territorial　ranges；　feeding　behavior；　social　behavior。　Everything。〃
　　　　〃And　how　did　Gennaro　respond？〃
　　　　〃He　kept　calling　and　calling。　Sometimes　in　the　middle　of　the　night。　Would　the　dinosaurs　eat　this？　Would　they　eat　that？　Should　the　exhibit　include　this？　I　could　never　understand　why　he　was　so　worked　up。　I　mean；　I　think　dinosaurs　are　important；　too；　but　not　that　important。　They've　been　dead　sixty…five　million　years。　You'd　think　his　calls　could　wait　until　morning。〃
　　　　〃I　see；〃　Morris　said。　〃And　the　fifty　thousand　dollars？〃
　　　　Grant　shook　his　head。　〃I　got　tired　of　Gennaro　and　called　the　whole　thing　off。　We　settled　up　for　twelve　thousand。　That　must　have　been　about　the　middle　of　'85。〃
　　　　Morris　made　a　note。　〃And　InGen？　Any　other　contact　with　them？〃
　　　　〃Not　since　1985。〃
　　　　〃And　when　did　the　Hammond　Foundation　begin　to　fund　your　research？〃
　　　　〃I'd　have　to　look；〃　Grant　said。　〃But　it　was　around　then。　Mid…eighties。〃
　　　　〃And　you　know　Hammond　as