the.lost.world-第70部分

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　　　　Sarah　Harding　stared　at　him。　〃Maybe　we　will；　and　maybe　we　won't。〃
　　　　〃Why　not？　It's　a　perfect　Lost　World。〃
　　　　She　stared　at　him　in　disbelief。　〃It's　nothing　of　the　sort；〃　she　said。　〃Too　many　predators；　remember？〃
　　　　〃Well；　so　it　may　appear；　but　we　don't　know　…　〃
　　　　〃Richard；〃　she　said。　〃Ian　and　I　checked　the　records。　They　made　a　mistake　on　that　island；　many　years　ago。　Back　when　the　lab　was　still　in　production。〃
　　　　〃What　mistake？〃
　　　　〃They　were　manufacturing　infant　dinosaurs；　and　they　didn't　know　what　to　feed　them。　For　a　while　they　gave　them　goat's　milk；　which　was　fine。　It's　very　hypoallergenic。　But　as　the　carnivores　grew；　they　fed　them　a　special　animal…protein　extract。　And　the　extract　was　made　from　ground…up　sheep。〃
　　　　Levine　said；　〃So？　What's　wrong　with　that？〃
　　　　〃In　a　zoo；　they　never　use　sheep　extract；〃　she　said。　〃Because　of　the　danger　of　infection。〃
　　　　〃Infection；〃　Levine　repeated；　in　a　low　voice。　〃What　kind　of　infection？〃
　　　　〃Prions；〃　Malcolm　said；　from　the　other　side　of　the　boat。
　　　　Levine　looked　blank。
　　　　〃Prions；〃　Harding　said　are　the　simplest　disease…causing　entities　known；　even　simpler　than　viruses。　They're　just　protein　fragments。　They're　so　simple；　they　can't　even　invade　a　body　…　they　have　to　be　passively　ingested。　But　once　eaten；　they　cause　disease：　scrapie；　in　sheep；　mad…cow　disease；　and　kuru；　a　brain　disease　in　human　beings。　And　the　dinosaurs　developed　a　prion…disease　called　DX；　from　a　bad　batch　of　sheep　protein　extract。　The　lab　battled　it　for　years；　trying　to　get　rid　of　it；〃
　　　　〃You're　saying　they　didn't？〃
　　　　〃For　a　while；　it　seemed　as　if　they　did。　The　dinosaurs　were　flourishing。　But　then　something　happened。　The　disease　began　to　spread。　The　prions　are　excreted　in　feces；　so　it　is　possible　…　〃
　　　　〃Excreted　in　feces？〃　Levine　said。　〃The　pys　were　eating　feces。。。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　the　pys　are　all　infected。　The　pys　are　scavengers；　they　spread　the　protein　over　carcasses；　and　other　scavengers　became　infected。　Eventually；　all　the　raptors　were　infected。　Raptors　attack　healthy　animals；　not　always　successfully。　One　bite；　and　the　animal　bees　infected。　And　so；　bit　by　bit；　the　infection　spread　through　the　island　again。　That's　why　the　animals　die　early。　And　the　rapid　die…off　supports　a　much　larger　predator　population　than　you　would　expect　…　〃
　　　　Levine　was　visibly　anxious。　〃You　know；〃　he　said；　〃one　of　the　pys　bit　me。〃
　　　　〃I　wouldn't　worry；〃　Harding　said。　〃There　may　be　a　mild　encephalitis；　but　it's　usually　just　a　headache。　We'll　get　you　to　a　doctor　in　San　José。〃
　　　　Levine　began　to　sweat。　He　wiped　his　forehead　with　his　hand。　〃Actually；　I　don't　feel　very　good　at　all。〃
　　　　〃It　takes　a　week；　Richard；〃　she　said。　〃I'm　sure　you'll　be　fine。〃
　　　　Levine　sank　back　in　his　seat　unhappily。
　　　　〃But　the　point；〃　she　said；　〃is　that　I　doubt　this　island　will　be　able　to　tell　you　very　much　about　extinction。〃
　　　　Malcolm　stared　back　at　the　dark　cliffs　for　a　moment；　and　then　began　to　speak。　〃Maybe　that's　the　way　it　should　be；〃　he　said。　〃Because　extinction　has　always　been　a　great　mystery。　It's　happened　five　major　times　on　this　planet；　and　not　always　because　of　an　asteroid。　Everyone's　interested　in　the　Cretaceous　die…out　that　killed　the　dinosaurs；　but　there　were　die…outs　at　the　end　of　the　Jurassic　and　the　Triassic　as　well。　They　were　severe；　but　they　were　nothing　pared　to　the　Permian　extinction；　which　killed　eighty　percent　of　all　life　on　the　planet；　on　the　seas　and　on　the　land。　No　one　knows　why　that　catastrophe　happened。　But　I　wonder　if　we　are　the　cause　of　the　next　one。〃
　　　　〃How　is　that？〃　Kelly　said。
　　　　〃Human　beings　are　so　destructive；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃I　sometimes　think　we're　a　kind　of　plague；　that　will　scrub　the　earth　clean。　We　destroy　things　so　well　that　I　sometimes　think；　maybe　that's　our　function。　Maybe　every　few　eons；　some　animal　es　along　that　kills　off　the　rest　of　the　world；　clears　the　decks；　and　lets　evolution　proceed　to　its　next　phase。〃
　　　　Kelly　shook　her　head。　She　turned　away　from　Malcolm　and　moved　lip　the　boat；　to　sit　alongside　Thorne。
　　　　〃Are　you　listening　to　all　that？〃　Thorne　said。　〃I　wouldn't　take　any　of　it　too　seriously。　It's　jist　theories。　Human　beings　can't　help　making　them；　but　the　fact　is　that　theories　are　just　fantasies。　And　they　change。　When　America　was　a　new　country；　people　believed　in　something　called　phlogiston。　You　know　what　that　is？　No？　Well；　it　doesn't　matter；　because　it　wasn't　real　anyway。　They　also　believed　that　four　humors　controlled　behavior。　And　they　believed　that　the　earth　was　only　a　few　thousand　years　old。　Now　we　believe　the　earth　is　four　billion　years　old；　and　we　believe　in　photons　and　electrons；　and　we　think　human　behavior　is　controlled　by　things　like　ego　and　self…esteem。　We　think　those　beliefs　are　more　scientific　and　better。〃
　　　　〃Aren't　they？
　　　　Thorne　shrugged。　〃They're　still　just　fantasies。　They're　not　real。　Have　you　ever　seen　a　self…esteem？　Can　you　bring　me　one　on　a　plate？　How　about　a　photon？　Can　you　bring　me　one　of　those？〃
　　　　Kelly　shook　her　head。　〃No；　but。。。〃
　　　　〃And　you　never　will；　because　those　things　don't　exist。　No　matter　how　seriously　people　take　them；〃　Thorne　said。　〃A　hundred　years　from　now；　people　will　look　back　at　us　and　laugh。　They'll　say；　'You　know　what　people　used　to　believe？　They　believed　in　photons　and　electrons。　Can　you　imagine　anything　so　silly？'　They'll　have　a　good　laugh；　because　by　then　there　will　be　newer　and　better　fantasies。〃　Thorne　shook　his　head。　〃And　meanwhile；　you　feel　the　way　the　boat　moves？　That's　the　sea。　That's　real。　You　smell　the　salt　in　the　air？　You　feel　the　sunlight　on　your　skin？　That's　all　real。　You　see　all　of　us　together？　That's　real。　Life　is　wonderful。　It's　a　gift　to　be　alive；　to　see　the　sun　and　breathe　the　air。　And　there　isn't　really　anything　else。　Now　look　at　that　pass；　and　tell　me　where　south　is。　I　want　to　go　to　Puerto　Cortés。　It's　time　for　us　all　to　go　home。〃

Acknowledgments
　　　　
This　novel　is　entirely　fiction；　but　in　writing　it；　I　have　drawn　on　the　work　of　researchers　in　many　different　fields。　I　am　especially　indebted　to　the　Work；　and　the　speculations；　of　John　Alexander；　Mark　Boguski；　Edwin　Colbert；　John　Conway；　Philip　Currie；　Peter　Dodson；　Niles　Eldredge；　Stephen　Jay　Gould；　Donald　Griffin；　John　Holland；　John　Horner；　Fred　Hoyle；　Stuart　Kauffman；　Christopher　Langton；　Ernst　Mayr；　Mary　Midgley；　John　Ostrom；　Norman　Packard；　David　Raup；　Jeffrey　Schank；　Manfred　Schroeder；　George　Gaylord　Simpson；　Bruce　Weber；　John　Wheeler；　and　David　Weishampel。
　　　　It　remains　only　to　say　that　the　views　expressed　in　this　novel　are　mine；　not　theirs；　and　to　remind　the　reader　that　a　century　and　a　half　after　Darwin；　nearly　all　positions　on　evolution　remain　strongly　contended；　and　fiercely　debated。

　
　
　
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