the.lost.world-第7部分

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　　　　Directly　ahead　was　the　Customs　desk；　travelers　lined　up　to　have　their　passports　stamped。　He　was　booked　on　a　night　flight　to　San　Francisco；　with　a　long　stopover　in　Mexico　City；　not　many　people　were　queuing　up。　He　probably　had　time　to　call　his　office；　and　leave　word　for　his　secretary；　Linda；　that　he　would　be　on　the　flight；　and　perhaps；　he　thought；　he　should　also　call　Malcolm。　Looking　around；　he　saw　a　row　of　phones　marked　ICT　TELEFONOS　INTFRNATIONAL　along　the　wall　to　his　right；　but　there　were　only　a　few；　and　all　were　in　use。　He　had　better　use　the　satellite　phone　in　his　backpack；　he　thought；　as　he　swung　the　pack　off　his　shoulder；　and　perhaps　it　would　be…
　　　　He　paused；　frowning。
　　　　He　looked　back　at　the　wall。
　　　　Four　people　were　using　the　phones。　The　first　was　a　blonde　woman　in　shorts　and　a　halter　top；　bouncing　a　young　sunburned　child　in　her　arms　as　she　talked。　Next　to　her　stood　a　bearded　man　in　a　safari　jacket；　who　glanced　repeatedly　at　his　gold　Rolex　watch。　Then　there　was　a　grayhaired；　grandmotherly　woman　talking　in　Spanish；　while　her　two　fullgrown　sons　stood　by；　nodding　emphatically。
　　　　And　the　last　person　was　the　helicopter　pilot。　He　had　removed　his　uniform　jacket；　and　was　standing　in　short　sleeves　and　tie。　He　was　turned　away；　facing　the　wall；　shoulders　hunched。
　　　　Levine　moved　closer；　and　heard　the　pilot　speaking　in　English。　Levine　set　his　pack　down　and　beiit　over　it；　pretending　to　adjust　the　straps　while　he　listened。　The　pilot　was　still　turned　away　from　him。
　　　　He　heard　the　pilot　say；　〃No；　no；　Professor。　It　is　not　that　way。　No。　Then　there　was　a　pause。　〃No；〃　the　pilot　said。　〃I　am　telling　to　you；　no。　I　am　sorry；　Professor　Baselton；　but　this　is　not　known；　It　is　an　island；　but　which　one。。。We　must　wait　again　for　more。　No；　he　leaves　tonight。　No；　I　think　he　does　not　know　anything；　and　no　pictures。　No。　I　understand。　Adiós。
　　　　Levine　ducked　his　head　as　the　pilot　walked　briskly　toward　the　LACSA　desk　at　the　other　end　of　the　airport。
　　　　What　the　hell？　he　thought。
　　　　It　is　an　island；　but　which　one。。。
　　　　How　did　they　know　it　was　an　island？　Levine　himself　was　still　not　sure　of　that。　And　he　had　been　working　intensively　on　these　finds；　day　and　night；　trying　to　put　it　together。　Where　they　had　e　from。　Why　it　was　happening。
　　　　He　walked　around　the　corner；　out　of　sight；　and　pulled　out　the　little　satellite　phone。　He　dialed　it　quickly；　calling　a　number　in　San　Francisco。
　　　　The　call　went　through；　rapidly　clicking　as　it　linked　with　the　satellite。　It　began　to　ring。　There　was　a　beep。　An　electronic　voice　said；　〃Please　enter　your　access　code。〃
　　　　Levine　punched　in　a　six…digit　number。
　　　　There　was　another　beep。　The　electronic　voice　said；　〃Leave　your　message。〃
　　　　〃I'm　calling；〃　Levine　said；　〃with　the　results　of　the　trip。　Single　specimen；　not　in　good　shape。　Location：　BB…17　on　your　map。　That's　far　south；　which　fits　all　of　our　hypotheses。　I　wasn't　able　to　make　a　precise　identification　before　they　burned　the　specimen。　But　my　guess　is　that　it　was　an　ornitholestes。　As　you　know；　this　animal　is　not　on　the　list　…a　highly　sigificant　finding。〃
　　　　He　glanced　around；　but　no　one　was　near　him；　no　one　was　paying　attention。　〃Furthermore；　the　lateral　femur　was　cut　in　a　deep　gash。　This　is　extremely　disturbing。〃　He　hesitated；　not　wanting　to　say　too　much。　〃And　I　am　sending　back　a　sample　that　requires　close　examination。　I　also　think　some　other　people　are　interested。　Anyway；　whatever　is　going　on　down　here　is　new；　Ian。　There　haven't　been　any　specimens　for　over　a　year；　and　now　they're　showing　up　again。　Something　new　is　happening。　And　we　don't　understand　it　at　all。〃
　　　　Or　do　we？　Levine　thought。　He　pressed　the　disconnect；　turned　the　phone　off；　and　replaced　it　in　the　other　pocket　of　his　backpack。　Maybe；　he　thought；　we　know　more　than　we　realize。　He　looked　thoughtfully　toward　the　departure　gate。　It　was　time　to　catch　his　flight。

Palo　Alto

At　2　a。m。；　Ed　James　pulled　into　the　nearly　deserted　parking　lot　of　the　Marie　Callender's　on　Carter　Road。　The　black　BMW　was　already　there；　parked　near　the　entrance。　Through　the　windows；　he　could　see　Dodgson　sitting　inside　at　a　booth；　his　bland　features　frowning。　Dodgson　was　never　in　a　good　mood。　Right　now　he　was　talking　to　the　heavyset　man　alongside　him；　and　glancing　at　his　watch。　The　heavyset　man　was　Baselton。　The　professor　who　appeared　on　television。　James　always　felt　relieved　whenever　Baselton　was　there。　Dodgson　gave　him　the　creeps；　but　it　was　hard　to　imagine　Baselton　involved　in　anything　shady。
　　　　James　turned　off　the　ignition　and　twisted　the　rearview　mirror　so　he　could　see　as　he　buttoned　his　shirt　collar　and　pulled　up　his　tie。　He　glimpsed　his　face　in　the　mirror…a　disheveled；　tired　man　with　a　two…day　stubble　of　beard。　What　the　hell；　he　thought。　Why　shouldn't　he　look　tired？　It　was　the　middle　of　the　fucking　night。
　　　　Dodgson　always　scheduled　his　meetings　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　and　always　at　this　same　damn　Marie　Callender　restaurant。　James　never　understood　why；　the　coffee　was　awful。　But　then；　there　was　a　lot　he　didn't　understand。
　　　　He　picked　up　the　manila　envelope；　and　got　out　of　the　car；　slamming　the　door。　He　headed　for　the　entrance；　shaking　his　head。　Dodgson　had　been　paying　him　five　hundred　dollars　a　day　for　weeks　now；　to　follow　a　bunch　of　scientists　around。　At　first；　James　had　assumed　it　was　some　sort　of　industrial　espionage。　But　none　of　the　scientists　worked　for　industry；　they　held　university　appointments；　in　pretty　dull　fields。　Like　that　paleobotanist　Sattler　whose　specialty　was　prehistoric　pollen　grains。　James　had　sat　through　one　of　her　lectures　at　Berkeley；　and　had　barely　been　able　to　stay　awake。　Slide　after　slide　of　little　pale　spheres　that　looked　like　cotton　balls；　while　she　nattered　on　about　polysaccharide　bonding　angles　and　the　Campanian…Maastrichtlan　boundary。　Jesus；　it　was　boring。
　　　　Certainly　not　worth　five　hundred　dollars　a　day；　he　thought。　He　went　inside；　blinking　in　the　light；　and　walked　over　to　the　booth。　He　sat　down；　nodded　to　Dodgson　and　Baselton；　and　raised　his　hand　to　order　coffee　from　the　waitress。
　　　　Dodgson　glared　at　him。　〃I　haven't　got　all　night；〃　he　said。　〃Let's　get　started。〃
　　　　〃Right；〃　James　said；　lowering　his　hand。　〃Fine；　sure。〃　He　opened　the　envelope；　began　pulling　out　sheets　and　photos；　handing　them　across　the　table　to　Dodgson　as　he　talked。
　　　　〃Alan　Grant：　paleontologist　at　Montana　State。　At　the　moment　he's　on　leave　of　absence　and　is　now　in　Paris；　lecturing　on　the　latest　dinosaur　finds。　Apparently　he　has　some　new　ideas　about　tyrannosaurs　being　scavengers；　and　…　〃
　　　　〃Never　mind；〃　Dodgson　said。　〃Go　on。〃
　　　　〃Ellen　Sattler　Reiman；〃　James　said；　pushing　across　a　photo。　〃Botanist；　used　to　be　involved　with　Grant。　Now　married　to　a　physicist　at　Berkeley　and　has　a　young　son　and　daughter。　She　lectures　half…time　at　the　University。　Spends　the　rest　of　her　time　at　home；　because　…　〃
　　　　〃Go　on；　go　on。〃
　　　　〃Well。　Most　of　the　rest　are　deceased。　Donald　Gennaro；　lawyer。。。died　of　dysentery　on　a　business　trip。　Dennis　Nedry；　Integrated　puter　Systems。。。also　deceased。　John　Hammond；　who　started　International　Genetic　Technologies。。。died　while　visiting　the　pany's　research　facility　in　Costa　Rica。　Hammond　had　his　grandchildren　with　him　at　the　time；　the　kids　live　with　their　mother　back　east　and　…　〃
　　　　〃Anybody　contact　them？　Anybody　from　InGen？〃
　　　　〃No；　no　contact。　The　boy's　started　college　and　the　girl　is　in　prep　school。　And　InGen　filed　for　Chapter　11　protection　after　Hammond　died。　It's　been　in　the　courts　ever　since。　The　hard　assets　are　finally　being　sold　off。　During　the　last　two　weeks；　as　a　matter　of　fact。〃
　　　　Baselton　spoke　for　the　first　time。　〃Is　Site　B　involved　in　that　sale？〃
　　　　James　looked　blank。　〃Site　B？〃
　　　　〃Yes。　Has　anybody　talked　to　you　about　Site　B？〃
　　　　〃No；　I've　never　heard　of　it　before。　What　is　it？〃
　　　　〃If　you　hear　anything　about　Site　B；〃　Baselton　said；　〃we　want　to　know。〃
　　　　Sitting　beside　Baselton　in　the　booth；　Dodgson　thumbed　through　the　pictures　and　data　sheets；　then　tossed　them　aside　impatiently。　He　looked　up　at　James。　〃What　else　have　you　got？〃
　　　　〃That's　all；　Dr。　Dodgson。〃
　　　　〃That's　all？〃　Dodgson　said。　〃What　about　Malcolm？　And　what　about　Levine？　Are　they　still　friends？〃
　　　　James　consulted　his　notes。　〃I'm　not　sure。〃
　　　　Baselton　frowned。　〃Not　sure？〃　he　said。　〃What　do　you　mean；　you're　not　sure？〃
　　　　〃Malcolm　met　Levine　at　the　Santa　Fe　Institute；〃　James　said。　〃They　spent　time　together　there；　a　couple　of　years　ago。　But　Malcolm　hasn't　gone　back　to　Santa　Fe　recently。　He's　taken　a　visiting　lectureship　at　Berkeley　in　the　biology　department。　He　teaches　mathematical　models　of　evolution。　And　he　seems　to　have　lost　contact　with　Levine。〃
　　　　〃They　have　a　falling　out？〃
　　　　〃Maybe。　I　was　told　they　argued　about　Levine's　expedition。〃
　　　　〃What　expedition？〃　Dodgson　said；　leaning　forward。
　　　　〃Levine's　been　planning　some　kind　of　expedition　for　a　year　or　so　He's　ordered　special　vehicles　from　a　pany　called　Mobile　Field　Systems。　It's　a　small　operation　in　Woodside；　run　by　a　guy　named　Jack　Thorne。　Thorne　outfits　Jeeps　and　trucks　for　scientists　doing　field　research。　Scientists　in　Africa　and　Sichuan　and　Chile　all　swear　by　them。〃
　　　　〃Malcolm　knows　about　this　expedition？〃
　　　　〃He　Must。　He's　gone　to　Thorne's　place；　occasionally。　Every　month　or　so。　And　of　course　Levine's　been　going　there　almost　every　day；　That's　how　he　got　thrown　in　jail。〃
　　　　〃Thrown　in　jail？〃　Baselton　said。
　　　　〃Yeah；〃　James　said；　glancing　at　his　notes。　〃Let's　see。　February　tenth；　Levine　was　arrested　for　driving　a　hundred　and　twenty　in　a　fifteen　zone。　Right　in　front　of　Woodside　Junior　High。　The　judge　impounded　his　Ferrari；　yanked　his　license；　and　gave　him　munity　service。　Basically　ordered　him　to　teach　a　class　at　the　school。〃
　　　　Baselton　smiled。　〃Richard　Levine　teaching　junior　high。　I'd　love　to　see　that。〃
　　　　〃He's　been　pretty　conscientious。　Of　course　he's　spending　time　in　Woodside；　anyway；　with　Thorne。　That　is；　until　he　left　the　country。〃
　　　　〃When　did　he　leave　the　country？〃　Dodgson　said。
　　　　〃Two　days　ago。　He　went　to　Costa　Rica。　Short　trip；　he　was　due　back　early　this　morning。〃
　　　　And　where　is　he　now？〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know。　And　I'm　afraid；　uh；　it's　going　to　be　hard　to　find　out。〃
　　　　〃Why　is　that？〃
　　　　　James　hesitated；　coughed；　〃Because　he　was　on　the　passenger　manifest　of　the　flight　from　Costa　Rica　…