dk.watchers-第43部分

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al。　Weatherby　was　doing　cross…species　engineering；　after　all；　so　you　can　figure　that　some　pretty　horrible　possibilities　were　realized。〃
　Walt　stared　at　the　windshield；　now　entirely　opaqued。　Then　he　frowned　at　Lem。　〃Cross…species？　What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Well；　you　see；　he　was　isolating　those　genetic　determinants　of　intelligence　in　species　that　were　brighter　than　the　retriever…〃
　〃Like　apes？　They'd　be　brighter　than　dogs；　wouldn't　they？〃
　〃Yeah。　Apes。　。　。　and　human　beings。〃
　〃Jesus；〃　Walt　said。
　Lem　adjusted　a　dashboard　vent　to　direct　the　flow　of　tepid　air　into　his　face。　〃Weatherby　was　inserting　that　foreign　genetic　material　into　the　retriever's　genetic　code；　simultaneously　editing　out　the　dog's　own　genes　that　limited　its　intelligence　to　that　of　a　dog。〃
　Walt　rebelled。　〃That's　not　possible！　This　genetic　material；　as　you　call　it；　surely　it　can't　be　passed　from　one　species　to　another。〃
　〃It　happens　in　nature　all　the　time；〃　Lem　said。　〃Genetic　material　is　transferred　from　one　species　to　another；　and　the　carrier　is　usually　a　virus。　Let's　say　a　virus　thrives　in　rhesus　monkeys。　While　in　the　monkey；　it　acquires　genetic　material　from　the　monkey's　cells。　These　acquired　monkey　genes　bee　a　part　of　the　virus　itself。　Later；　upon　infecting　a　human　host；　that　virus　has　the　capability　of　leaving　the　monkey's　genetic　material　in　its　human　host。　Consider　the　AIDS　virus；　for　instance。　It's　believed　AIDS　was　a　disease　carried　by　certain　monkeys　and　by　human　beings　for　decades；　though　neither　species　was　susceptible　to　it；　I　mean；　we　were　strictly　carriers…we　never　got　sick
　from　what　we　carried。　But　then；　somehow；　something　happened　in　monkeys；　a　negative　genetic　change　that　made　them　not　only　carriers　but　victims　of　the　AIDS　virus。　Monkeys　began　to　die　of　the　disease。　Then；　when　the　virus　passed　to　humans；　it　brought　with　it　this　new　genetic　material　specifying　susceptibility　to　AIDS；　so　before　long　human　beings　were　also　capable　of　contracting　the　disease。　That's　how　it　works　in　nature。　It's　done　even　more　efficiently　in　the　lab。〃
　As　creeping　condensation　fogged　the　side　windows；　Walt　said；　〃So　Weatherby　really　succeeded　in　breeding　a　dog　with　human　intelligence？〃
　〃It　was　a　long；　slow　process；　but　gradually　he　made　advancements。　And　a　little　over　a　year　ago；　the　miracle　pup　was　born。〃
　〃Thinks　like　a　human　being？〃
　〃Not　like　a　human　being；　but　maybe　as　well　as。〃
　〃Yet　it　looks　like　an　ordinary　dog？〃
　〃That　was　what　the　Pentagon　wanted。　Which　made　Weatherby's　job　a　lot　harder；　I　guess。　Apparently；　brain　size　has　at　least　a　little　bit　to　do　with　intelligence；　and　Weatherby　might　have　made　his　breakthrough　a　lot　sooner　if　he'd　been　able　to　develop　a　retriever　with　a　larger　brain。　But　a　larger　brain　would　have　meant　a　reconfigured　and　much　larger　skull；　so　the　dog　would　have　looked　damned　unusual。〃
　All　the　windows　were　fogged　over　now。　Neither　Walt　nor　Lem　tried　to　clear　the　misted　glass。　Unable　to　see　out　of　the　car；　confined　to　its　humid　and　claustrophobic　interior；　they　seemed　to　be　cut　off　from　the　real　world；　adrift　in　time　and　space；　a　condition　that　was　oddly　conducive　to　the　consideration　of　the　wondrous　and　outrageous　acts　of　creation　that　genetic　engineering　made　possible。
　Walt　said；　〃The　Pentagon　wanted　a　dog　that　looked　like　a　dog　but　could　think　like　a　man？　Why？〃
　〃Imagine　the　possibilities　for　espionage；〃　Lem　said。　〃In　times　of　war；　dogs　would　have　no　trouble　getting　deep　into　enemy　territory；　scouting　installations　and　troop　strength。　Intelligent　dogs；　with　whom　we　could　somehow　municate；　would　then　return　and　tell　us　what　they　had　seen　and　what　they'd　overheard　the　enemy　talking　about。〃
　〃Tell　us？　Are　you　saying　dogs　could　be　made　to　talk；　like　canine　versions　of　Francis　the　Mule　or　Mr。　Ed？　Shit；　Lem；　be　serious！〃
　Lem　sympathized　with　his　friend's　difficulty　in　absorbing　these　astounding　possibilities。　Modern　science　was　advancing　so　rapidly；　with　so　many　revolutionary　discoveries　to　be　explored　every　year；　that　to　laymen　there　was　going　to　be　increasingly　less　difference　between　the　application　of　that　science　and　magic。　Few　nonscientists　had　any　appreciation　for　how　different　the　world　of　the　next　twenty　years　was　going　to　be　from　the　world　of　the　present；　as　different　as　the　1980s　were　from　the　1780s。　Change　was　occurring　at　an　Inprehensible　rate；　and　when　you　got　a　glimpse　of　what　might　be　ing…　as　Walt　just　had…it　was　both　inspiring　and　daunting；　exhilarating　and　scary。
　Lem　said；　〃In　fact；　a　dog　probably　could　be　genetically　altered　to　be　able　to　speak。　Might　even　be　easy；　I　don't　know。　But　to　give　it　the　necessary　vocal
　apparatus；　the　right　kind　of　tongue　and　lips　。　。　。　that'd　mean　drastically　altering　its　appearance；　which　is　no　good　for　the　Pentagon's　purposes。　So　these　dogs　wouldn't　speak。　munication　would　no　doubt　have　to　be　through　an　elaborate　sign　language。〃
　〃You're　not　laughing；〃　Walt　said。　〃This　has　got　to　be　a　fucking　joke；　so　why　aren't　you　laughing？〃
　〃Think　about　it；〃　Lem　said　patiently。　〃In　peacetime　。　。　。　imagine　the　president　of　the　United　States　presenting　the　Soviet　premier　with　a　one…year…old　golden　retriever　as　a　gift　from　the　American　people。　Imagine　the　dog　living　in　the　premier's　home　and　office；　privy　to　the　most　secret　talks　of　the　USSR's　highest　Party　officials。　Once　in　a　while；　every　few　weeks　or　months；　the　dog　might　manage　to　slip　out　at　night；　to　meet　with　a　U。S。　agent　in　Moscow　and　be　debriefed。〃
　〃Debriefed？　This　is　insane！〃　Walt　said；　and　he　laughed。　But　his　laughter　had　a　sharp；　hollow；　decidedly　nervous　quality　which；　to　Lem；　indicated　that　the　sheriffs　skepticism　was　slipping　away　even　though　he　wanted　to　hold　on　to　it。
　〃I'm　telling　you　that　it's　possible；　that　such　a　dog　was　in　fact　conceived　by　in　vitro　fertilization　of　a　genetically　altered　ovum　by　genetically　altered　sperm；　and　carried　to　term　by　a　surrogate　mother。　And　after　a　year　of　confinement　at　the　Banodyne　labs；　sometime　in　the　early　morning　hours　of　Monday；　May　17；　that　dog　escaped　by　a　series　of　incredibly　clever　actions　that　cannily　circumvented　the　facility's　security　system。〃
　〃And　the　dog's　now　loose？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃And　that's　what's　been　killing…〃
　〃No；〃　Lem　said。　〃The　dog　is　harmless；　affectionate；　a　wonderful　animal。　I　was　in　Weatherby's　lab　while　he　was　working　with　the　retriever。　In　a　limited　way；　I　municated　with　it。　Honest　to　God；　Walt；　when　you　see　that　animal　in　action；　see　what　Weatherby　created；　it　gives　you　enormous　hope　for　this　sorry　species　of　ours。〃
　Walt　stared　at　him；　unprehending。
　Lem　searched　for　the　words　to　convey　what　he　felt。　As　he　found　the　language　to　describe　what　the　dog　had　meant　to　him；　his　chest　grew　tight　with　emotion。　〃Well　。　。　。　I　mean；　if　we　can　do　these　amazing　things；　if　we　can　bring　such　a　wonder　into　the　world；　then　there's　something　of　profound　value　in　us　no　matter　what　the　pessimists　and　doomsayers　believe。　If　we　can　do　this；　we　have　the　power　and；　potentially；　the　wisdom　of　God。　We're　not　only　makers　of　weapons；　but　makers　of　life。　If　we　could　lift　members　of　another　species　up　to　our　level；　create　a　panion　race　to　share　the　world　。　。　。　our　beliefs　and　philosophies　would　be　changed　forever。　By　the　very　act　of　altering　the　retriever；　we've　altered　ourselves。　By　pulling　the　dog　to　a　new　level　of　awareness；　we　are　inevitably　raising　our　own　awareness　as　well。〃
　〃Jesus；　Lem；　you　sound　like　a　preacher。〃
　〃Do　I？　That's　because　I've　had　more　time　to　think　about　this　than　you
　have。　In　time；　you'll　understand　what　I'm　talking　about。　You'll　begin　to　feel　it；　too；　this　incredible　sense　that　humankind　is　on　its　way　to　godhood…and　that　we　deserve　to　get　there。〃
　Walt　Gaines　stared　at　the　steamed　glass；　as　if　reading　something　of　great　interest　in　the　patterns　of　condensation。　Then：　〃Maybe　what　you　say　is　right。　Maybe　we're　on　the　brink　of　a　new　world。　But　for　now　we've　got　to　live　in　and　deal　with　the　old　one。　So　if　it　wasn't　the　dog　that　killed　my　deputy…　what　was　it？〃
　〃Something　else　escaped　from　Banodyne　the　same　night　that　the　dog　got　out；〃　Lem　said。　His　euphoria　was　suddenly　tempered　by　the　need　to　admit　that　there　had　been　a　darker　side　to　the　Francis　Project。　〃They　called　it　The　Outsider。〃
　　
　5
　Nora　held　up　the　magazine　ad　that　pared　an　automobile　to　a　tiger　and　that　showed　the　car　in　an　iron　cage。　To　Einstein；　she　said；　〃All　right；　let's　see　what　else　you　can　clarify　for　us。　What　about　this　one？　What　is　it　that　interested　you　in　this　photograph…the　car？〃
　Einstein　barked　once：　No。
　〃Was　it　the　tiger？〃　Travis　asked。　One　bark。
　〃The　cage？〃　Nora　asked。
　Einstein　wagged　his　tail：　Yes。
　〃Did　you　choose　this　picture　because　they　kept　you　in　a　cage？〃　Nora　asked。
　Yes。
　Travis　crawled　across　the　floor　until　he　found　the　photo　of　a　forlorn　man　in　a　prison　cell。　Returning　with　it；　showing　it　to　the　retriever；　he　said；　〃And　did　you　choose　this　one　because　the　cell　is　like　a　cage？〃
　Yes。
　〃And　because　the　prisoner　in　the　picture　reminded　you　of　bow　you　felt　when　you　were　in　a　cage？〃
　Yes。
　〃The　violin；〃　Nora　said。　〃Did　someone　at　the　laboratory　play　the　violin　for　you？〃
　Yes。
　〃Why　would　they　do　that；　I　wonder？〃　Travis　said。
　That　was　one　the　dog　could　not　answer　with　a　simple　yes　or　no。
　〃Did　you　like　the　violin？〃　Nora　asked。　Yes。
　〃You　like　music　in　general？〃
　Yes。
　〃Do　you　like　jazz？〃
　The　dog　neither　barked　nor　wagged　his　tail。
　Travis　said；　〃He　doesn't　know　what　jazz　is。　I　guess　they　never　let　him　hear　any　of　that。〃
　〃Do　you　like　rock　and　roll？〃　Nora　asked。
　One　bark　and；　simultaneously；　a　wagging　of　the　tail。
　〃What's　that　supposed　to　mean？〃　Nora　asked。
　〃Probably　means　'yes　and　no；'　〃Travis　said。　〃He　likes　some　rock　and　roll。　but　not　all　of　it。〃
　Einstein　wagged　his　tail　to　confirm　Travis's　interpretation。
　〃Classical？〃　Nora　asked。
　Yes。
　Travis　said；　〃So　we've　got　a　dog　that's　a　snob；　huh？〃
　Yes；　yes；　yes。
　Nora　laughed　in　delight；　and　so　did　Travis；　and　Einstein　nuzzled　and　licked　them　happily。
　Travis　looked　around　for　another　picture；　snatched　up　the　one　of　the　man　on　the　exercise　treadmill。　〃They　wouldn't　want　to　let　you　out　of　the　lab；　I　guess。　Yet　they'd　want　to　keep　you　fit。　Is　this　how　they　exercised　you？　On　a　treadmill？〃
　Yes。
　The　sense　of　discovery　wa