the.lost.world-第30部分
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〃Doc;〃 Levine said。 〃This was very unwise。〃
〃Why don't you explain that to them?〃 Thorne said。 〃They're your students。〃
Kelly said; 〃Don't be mad; Dr。 Levine。〃
〃It was our decision;〃 Arby explained to Levine。 〃We came on our own。〃
〃On your own?〃 Levine said。
〃We thought you'd need help;〃 Arby said。 〃And you did。 He turned to Thorne。
Thorne nodded。 〃Yes。 They've helped us。〃
〃And we promise; we won't get in the way;〃 Kelly said。 〃You go ahead and do whatever you have to do; and we will just … 〃
〃The kids were worried about you;〃 Malcolm said; ing up to Levine。 〃Because they thought you were in trouble。〃
〃Anyway; what's the big rush?〃 Eddie said。 〃I mean; you build all these vehicles; and then you leave without them … 〃
〃I had no choice;〃 Levine said。 〃The government has an outbreak of some new encephalitis on its hands。 They've decided it's related to the occasional dinosaur carcass that washes up there。 Of course; the whole idea is idiotic; but that won't stop them from destroying every animal on this island the minute they find out about it。 I had to get here first。 Time is short。〃
〃So you came here alone;〃 Malcolm said。
〃Nonsense; Ian。 Stop pouting。 I was going to call you; as soon as I verified this was the island。 And I didn't e here alone。 I had a guide named Diego; a local man who swore he had been on this island as a kid; years before。 And he seemed entirely knowledgeable。 He led me up the cliff without any problem。 And everything was going just fine; until we were attacked at the stream; and Diego … 〃
〃Attacked?〃 Malcolm said。 〃By what?〃
〃I didn't really see what it was;〃 Levine said。 〃It happened extremely fast。 The animal knocked me down; and tore the backpack; and I don't really know what happened after that。 Possibly the shape of my pack confused it; because I got up and started running again; and it didn't chase me。〃
Malcolm was staring at him。 〃You were damn lucky; Richard。〃
〃Yes; well; I ran for a long time。 When I looked back; I was alone in the jungle。 And lost。 I didn't know what to do; so I climbed a tree。 That seemed like a good idea … and then; around nightfall; the velociraptors showed up。〃
〃Velociraptors?〃 Arby said。
〃Small carnivores;〃 Levine said。 〃Basic theropod body shape; long snout; binocular vision。 Roughly two meters tall; weighing perhaps ninety kilos。 Very fast; intelligent; nasty little dinosaurs; and they travel in packs。 And last night there were eight of them; jumping all around my tree; trying to get to me。 All night long; jumping and snarling; jumping and snarling。。。I didn't get any sleep at all。〃
〃Aw; that's a shame;〃 Eddie said。
〃Look;〃 Levine said crossly。 〃It's not my problem if … 〃
Thorne said 〃You spent the night in the tree?〃
Yes; and in the morning the raptors had gone。 So I came down and started looking around。 I found the lab; or whatever it is。 Clearly; they abandoned it in a hurry; leaving some animals behind。 I went through the building; and discovered that there is still power … some systems are still going; all these years later。 And; most important; there is a network of security cameras。 That's a very lucky break。 So I decided to check on those cameras; and I was hard at work when you people barged in … 〃
〃Wait a minute;〃 Eddie said; 〃We came here to rescue you。〃
〃I don't know why;〃 Levine said。 〃I certainly never asked you to。〃
Thorne said; 〃it sounded like you did; over the phone。〃
〃That is a misunderstanding;〃 Levine said。 〃I was momentarily upset; because I couldn't work the phone。 You've made that phone too plicated; Doc。 That's the problem。 So: shall we get started?〃
Levine paused。 He looked at the angry faces all around him。 Malcolm turned to Thorne。 〃A great scientist;〃 he said; 〃and a great human being。〃
〃Look;〃 Levine said; 〃I don't know what your problem is。 The expedition was going to e to this island sooner or later。 In this instance; sooner is better。 Everything has turned out quite well; and; frankly; I don't see any reason to discuss it further。 This is not the time for petty bickering。 We have important things to do … and I think we should get started。 Because this island is an extraordinary opportunity; and it isn't going to last forever。
Dodgson
Lewis Dodgson sat hunched in a dark corner of the Chesperito Cantina in Puerto Cortés; nursing a beer。 Beside him; George Baselton; the Regis Professor of Biology at Stanford; was enthusiastically devouring a plate of huevos rancheros。 The egg yolks ran yellow across green salsa。 It made Dodgson sick just to look at it。 He turned away; but he could still hear Baselton licking his lips; noisily。
There was no one else in the bar; except for some chickens clucking around the floor。 Every so often; a young boy would e to the door; throw a handful of rocks at the chickens; and run away again; giggling。 A scratchy stereo played an old Elvis Presley tape through corroded speakers above the bar。 Dodgson hummed 〃Falling in Love With You;〃 and tried to control his temper。 He had been sitting in this dump for damn near an hour。
Baselton finished his eggs; and pushed the plate away。 He brought out the small notebook he carried everywhere with him。 〃Now Lew;〃 he said。 〃I've been thinking about how to handle this。〃
〃Handle what?〃 Dodgson said irritably。 〃There's nothing to handle; unless we can get to that island。〃 While he spoke; he tapped a small photograph of Richard Levine on the edge of the bar table。 Turned it over。 Looked at the image upside down。 Then right side up。
He sighed。 He looked at his watch。
〃Lew;〃 Baselton said patiently; 〃getting to the island is not the important part。 The important part is how we present our discovery to the world。〃
Dodgson paused。 〃Our discovery;〃 he repeated。 〃I like that; George。 That's very good。 Our discovery。〃
〃Well; that's the truth; isn't it?〃 Baselton said; with a bland smile。 〃InGen is bankrupt; its technology lost to mankind。 A tragic; tragic loss; as I have said many times on television。 But under the circumstances; anyone who finds it again has made a discovery。 I don't know what else you would call it。 As Henri Poincaré put it … 〃
〃Okay;〃 Dodgson said。 〃So we make a discovery。 And then what? Hold a press conference?〃
〃Absolutely not;〃 Baselton said; looking horrified。 〃A press conference would appear extremely crass。 It would open us up to all sorts of criticism。 No; no。 A discovery of this magnitude must be treated with decorum。 It must be reported; Lew。〃
〃Reported?〃
〃In the literature: Nature; I imagine。 Yes。〃
Dodgson squinted。 〃You want to announce this in an academic publication?〃
〃What better way to make it legitimate?〃 Baselton said。 〃It's entirely proper to present our findings to our scholarly peers。 Of course it will start a debate … but what will that debate consist of? An academic squabble; professors sniping at professors; which will fill the science pages of the newspapers for three days; until it is pushed aside by the latest news on breast implants。 And in those three days; we will have staked our claim。〃
〃You'll write it?〃
〃Yes;〃 Baselton said。 〃And later; I think; an article in American Scholar; or perhaps Natural History。 A human…interest piece; what this discovery means for the future; what it tells us about the past; all that。。。。。。〃
Dodgson nodded。 He could see that Baselton was correct; and he was reminded once again how much he needed him; and how wise he had been to add him to the team。 Dodgson never thought about public reaction。 And Baselton thought about nothing else。
〃Well; that's fine;〃 Dodgson said。 〃But none of it matters; unless we get to that island。〃 He glanced at his watch again。
He heard a door open behind him; and Dodgson's assistant Howard King came in; pulling a heavyset Costa Rican man; with a mustache。 The man had a weathered face and a sullen expression。
Dodgson turned on his stool。 〃Is this the guy?〃
〃Yes; Lew。〃
〃What's his name?〃
〃Gandoca。〃
〃Se?or Gandoca。〃 Dodgson held up the photo of Levine。 〃You know this man?〃
Gandoca hardly glanced at the photo。 He nodded。 〃Sí。 Se?or Levine。〃
〃That's right。 Se?or flicking Levine。 When was he here?〃
〃A few days ago。 He left with Dieguito; my cousin。 They are not back yet。〃
〃And where did they go?〃 Dodgson asked。
〃Isla Sorna。〃
〃Good。〃 Dodgson drained his beer; pushed the bottle away。 〃You have a boat?〃 He turned to King。 〃Does he have a boat?〃
King said; 〃He's a fisherman。 He has a boat。〃
Gandoca nodded。 〃A fishing boat。 Sí。〃
〃Good。 I want to go to Isla Sorna; too。〃
〃Si; se?or; but today the weather … 〃
〃I don't care about the weather;〃 Dodgson said。 〃The weather will get better。 I want to go now。〃
〃Perhaps later … 〃
〃Now。〃
Gandoca spread his hands。 〃I am very sorry; se?or … 〃
Dodgson said; 〃Show him the money; Howard。〃
King opened a briefcase。 It was filled with five thousand colon notes。 Gatidoca looked; picked up one of the bills; inspected it。 He put it back carefully; shifted on his feet a little。
Dodgson said; 〃I want to go now。〃
〃Si; se?or;〃 Gandoca said。 〃We leave when you are ready。〃
〃That's more like it;〃 Dodgson said。 〃How long to get to the island?〃
〃Perhaps two hours; se?or。〃
〃Fine;〃 Dodgson said。 〃That'll be fine。〃
The High Hide
〃Here we go!〃
There was a click as Levine connected the flexible cable to the Explorer's power winch; and flicked it on。 The cable turned slowly in the sunlight。
They had all moved down onto the broad grassy plain at the base of the cliff。 The midday sun was high overhead; glaring off the rocky rim of the island。 Below; the valley shimmered in midday heat。
There was a herd of hypsilophodons a short distance away; the green gazelle…like animals raised their heads occasionally above the grass to look toward them; every time they heard the clink of metal; as Eddie and the kids laid out the aluminum strut assembly which had been the subject of so much speculation back in California。 That assembly now looked like a jumble of thin struts … an oversized version of pickup sticks … lying in t