the.lost.world-第19节

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ge。　She　emerged　inside　the　second　trailer；　which　seemed　to　be　mostly　utility　storage：　extra　tires；　spare　parts；　more　lab　equipment；　shelves　and　cabinets。　All　the　extra　supplies　that　meant　an　expedition　to　some　far…off　place。　There　was　even　a　motorcycle　hanging　off　the　back　of　the　trailer。　She　tried　some　of　the　cabinets；　but　they　were　locked。
　　　　But　even　here　there　were　extra　reinforcing　strips　as　well。　This　section　had　also　been　built　especially　strong。
　　　　Why？　she　wondered。　Why　so　strong？
　　　　〃Look　at　this；〃　Arby　said；　standing　before　a　wall　unit。　It　was　a　plex　of　glowing　LED　displays　and　lots　of　buttons；　and　looked　to　Kelly　like　a　plicated　thermostat。
　　　　〃What　does　it　do？〃　Kelly　said。
　　　　〃Monitors　the　whole　trailer；〃　he　said。　〃You　can　do　everything　from　here。　All　the　systems；　all　the　equipment。　And　look；　there's　TV。。。。〃　He　pushed　a　button；　and　a　monitor　glowed　to　life。　It　showed　Eddie　walking　toward　them；　across　the　floor。
　　　　〃And；　hey；　what's　this？〃　Arby　said。　At　the　bottom　of　the　display　was　a　button　with　a　securitv　cover。　He　flipped　the　cover　open。　The　button　was　silver　and　said　DEF。
　　　　〃Hey；　I　bet　this　is　that　bear　defense　he　was　talking　about。〃
　　　　A　moment　later；　Eddie　opened　the　trailer　door　and　said；　〃You　better　stop　that；　you'll　drain　the　batteries。　e　on；　now。　You　heard　what　the　doc　said。　Time　for　you　kids　to　go　home。〃
　　　　Kelly　and　Arby　exchanged　glances。
　　　　〃Okay；〃　Kelly　said。　〃We're　going。〃
　　　　Reluctantly；　they　left　the　trailer。

They　walked　across　the　shed　to　Thorne's　office　to　say　goodbye。　Arby　said；　〃I　wish　he'd　let　us　go。〃
　　　　〃Me；　too。〃
　　　　〃I　don't　want　to　stay　home　for　break；〃　he　said。　〃They're　just　going　to　be　working　all　the　time。〃　He　meant　his　parents。
　　　　〃I　know。〃
　　　　Kelly　didn't　want　to　go　home；　either。　This　idea　of　a　field　test　during　spring　break　was　perfect　for　her；　because　it　got　her　out　of　the　house；　and　out　of　a　bad　situation。　Her　mother　did　data　entry　in　an　insurance　pany　during　the　day；　and　at　night　she　worked　as　a　waitress　at　Denny's。　So　her　mom　was　always　busy　at　her　jobs；　and　her　latest　boyfriend；　Phil；　tended　to　hang　around　the　house　a　lot　at　night。　It　had　been　okay　when　Emily　was　there；　too；　but　now　Emily　was　studying　nursing　at　the　munity　college；　so　Kelly　was　alone　in　the　house。　And　Phil　was　sort　of　creepy。　But　her　mother　liked　Phil；　so　she　never　wanted　to　hear　Kelly　say　anything　bad　about　him。　She　just　told　Kelly　to　grow　up。
　　　　So　now　Kelly　went　to　Thorne's　office；　hoping　against　hope　that　at　the　last　minute　he　would　relent。　He　was　on　the　phone；　his　back　to　them。　On　the　screen　of　his　puter；　they　saw　one　of　the　satellite　images　they　had　taken　from　Levine's　apartment。　Thorne　was　zooming　in　on　the　image；　successive　magnifications。　They　knocked　on　the　door；　opened　it　a　little。
　　　　〃Bye；　Dr。　Thorne。〃
　　　　〃See　you；　Dr。　Thorne。〃
　　　　Thorne　turned；　holding　the　phone　to　his　ear。　〃Bye；　kids。〃　He　gave　a　brief　wave。
　　　　Kelly　hesitated。　〃Listen；　could　we　just　talk　to　you　for　a　minute　about　…　〃
　　　　Thorne　shook　his　head。　〃No。〃
　　　　〃But　…　〃　　　
　　　　〃No；　Kelly。　I've　got　to　place　this　call　now；〃　he　said。　〃It's　already　four　a；m。　in　Africa；　and　in　a　little　while　she'll　go　to　sleep。〃
　　　　〃Who？〃
　　　　〃Sarah　Harding。〃
　　　　〃Sarah　Harding　is　ing；　too？〃　she　said；　lingering　at　the　door。
　　　　〃I　don't　know。〃　Thorne　shrugged。　〃Have　a　good　vacation；　kids。　See　you　in　a　week。　Thanks　for　your　help。　Now　get　out　of　here。〃　He　looked　across　the　shed。　〃Eddie；　the　kids　are　leaving。　Show　them　to　the　door；　and　lock　them　out！　Get　me　those　papers！　And　pack　a　bag；　you're　ing　with　me！〃　Then　in　a　different　voice　he　said；　〃Yes；　operator；　I'm　still　waiting。〃
　　　　And　he　turned　away。

Harding

Through　the　night…vision　goggles；　the　world　appeared　in　shades　of　fluorescent　green。　Sarah　Harding　stared　out　at　the　African　savannah。　Directly　ahead；　above　the　high　grass；　she　saw　the　rocky　outcrop　of　a　kopje。　Bright…green　pinpoints　glowed　back　from　the　boulders。　Probably　rock　hyraxes；　she　thought；　or　some　other　small　rodent。
　　　　Standing　up　in　her　jeep；　wearing　a　sweatshirt　against　the　cool　night　air；　feeling　the　weight　of　the　goggles；　she　turned　her　head　slowly。　She　could　hear　the　yelping　in　the　night；　and　she　was　trying　to　locate　the　source。
　　　　Even　from　her　high　vantage　point；　standing　up　in　the　vehicle；　she　knew　the　animals　would　be　hidden　from　direct　view。　She　turned　slowly　north；　looking　for　movement　in　the　grass。　She　saw　none。　She　looked　back　quickly；　the　green　world　swirling　momentarily。　Now　she　faced　south。
　　　　And　she　saw　them。
　　　　The　grass　rippled　in　a　plex　pattern　as　the　pack　raced　forward；　yelping　and　barking；　prepared　to　attack。　She　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　female　she　called　Face　One；　or　Fl。　Fl　was　distinguished　by　a　white　streak　between　her　eyes。　F1　loped　along；　in　the　peculiar　sideways　gait　of　hyenas；　her　teeth　were　bared；　she　glanced　back　at　the　rest　of　the　pack；　noting　their　position。
　　　　Sarah　Harding　swung　the　glasses　through　the　darkness；　looking　ahead　of　the　pack。　She　saw　the　prey：　a　herd　of　African　buffalo；　standing　belly…deep　in　the　grass；　agitated。　They　were　bellowing　and　stamping　their　feet。
　　　　The　hyenas　yelped　louder；　a　pattern　of　sound　that　would　confuse　the　prey。　They　rushed　through　the　herd；　trying　to　break　it　up；　trying　to　separate　the　calves　from　their　mothers。　African　buffalo　looked　dull　and　stupid；　but　in　fact　they　were　among　the　most　dangerous　large　African　mammals；　heavy　powerful　creatures　with　sharp　horns　and　notoriously　mean　dispositions。　The　hyenas　could　not　hope　to　bring　down　an　adult；　unless　it　was　injured　or　sick。
　　　　But　they　would　try　to　take　a　calf
　　　　Sitting　behind　the　wheel　of　the　Jeep；　Makena；　her　assistant；　said；　〃You　want　to　move　closer？〃
　　　　〃No；　this　is　fine。〃
　　　　In　fact；　it　was　more　than　fine。　Their　jeep　was　on　a　slight　rise　and　they　had　a　better…than…average　view。　With　any　luck；　she　would　record　the　entire　attack　pattern。　She　turned　on　the　video　camera；　mounted　on　a　tripod　five　feet　above　her　head；　and　dictated　rapidly　into　the　tape　recorder。
　　　　〃Fl　south；　F2　and　F5　flanking；　twenty　yards。　F3　center。　F6　circling　wide　cast。　Can't　see　F7。　F8　circling　north。　Fl　straight　through。　Disrupting。　Herd　moving；　stamping。　There's　F7。　Straight　through。　F8　angling　through　from　the　north。　ing　out；　circling　again。〃
　　　　This　was　classic　hyena　behavior。　The　lead　animals　ran　through　the　herd；　while　others　circled　it；　then　came　in　from　the　sides。　The　buffalo　couldn't　keep　track　of　their　attackers。　She　listened　to　the　herd　bellowing；　even　as　the　group　panicked；　broke　its　tight　clustered　formation。　The　big　animals　moved　apart；　turning；　looking。　Harding　couldn't　see　the　calves；　they　were　below　the　grass。　But　she　could　hear　their　plaintive　cries。
　　　　Now　the　hyenas　came　back。　The　buffalo　stamped　their　feet；　lowered　their　big　heads　menacingly。　The　grass　rippled　as　the　hyenas　circled；　yelping　and　barking；　the　sounds　more　staccato。　She　caught　a　brief　glimpse　of　female　F8；　her　jaws　already　red。　But　Harding　hadn't　seen　the　actual　attack。
　　　　The　buffalo　herd　moved　a　short　distance　to　the　east；　where　it　regrouped。　One　female　buffalo　now　stood　apart　from　the　herd。　She　bellowed　continuously　at　the　hyenas。　They　must　have　taken　her　calf
　　　　Harding　felt　frustrated。　It　had　happened　so　swiftly　…　too　swiftly　…　which　could　only　mean　that　the　hyenas　had　been　lucky；　or　the　calf　was　injured。　Or　perhaps　very　young；　even　newborn；　a　few　of　the　buffalo　were　still　calving。　She　would　have　to　review　the　videotape；　to　try　and　reconstruct　what　had　happened。　The　perils　of　studying　fast…moving　nocturnal　animals；　she　thought。
　　　　But　there　was　no　question　they　had　taken　an　animal。　All　the　hyenas　were　clustered　around　a　single　area　of　grass；　they　yelped　and　jumped。　She　saw　F3；　and　then　F5；　their　muzzles　bloody。　Now　the　pups　came　lip；　squealing　to　get　at　the　kill。　The　adults　immediately　made　room　for　them；　helped　them　to　eat。　Sometimes　they　pulled　away　flesh　from　the　carcass；　and　held　it　so　the　young　ones　could　eat。
　　　　Their　behavior　was　familiar　to　Sarah　Harding；　who　had　bee　in　recent　years　the　foremost　expert　on　hyenas　in　the　world。　When　she　first　reported　her　findings；　she　was　greeted　with　disbelief　and　even　outrage　from　colleagues；　who　disputed　her　results　in　very　personal　terms。　She　was　attacked　for　being　a　woman；　for　being　attractive；　for　having　〃an　overbearing　feminist　perspective。〃　The　University　reminded　her　she　was　on　tenure　track。　Colleagues　shook　their　heads。　But　Harding　had　persisted；　and　slowly；　over　time；　as　more　data　accumulated；　her　view　of　hyenas　had　e　to　be　accepted。
　　　　Still；　hyenas　would　never　be　appealing　creatures；　she　thought；　watching　them　feed。　They　were　ungainly；　heads　too　big　and　bodies　sloping；　coats　ragged　and　mottled；　gait　awkward；　vocalizations　too　reminiscent　of　an　unpleasant　laugh。　In　an　increasingly　urban　world　of　concrete　skyscrapers；　wild　animals　were　romanticized；　classified　as　noble　or　ignoble；　heroes　or　villains。　And　in　this　media…driven　world；　hyenas　were　simply　not　photogenic　enough　to　be　admirable。　Long　since　cast　as　the　laughing　villains　of　the　African　plain；　they　were　hardly　thought　worth　a　systematic　study　until　Harding　had　begun　her　own　research。
　　　　What　she　had　discovered　cast　hyenas　in　a　very　different　light。　Brave　hunters　and　attentive