jurassic.park-第7部分

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hed　on　the　rocks　as　they　walked　toward　the　trailer。
　　　　〃When　I　first　came　over　the　hill；　I　thought　this　was　an　Indian　reservation；〃　Morris　said；　pointing　to　the　tipis。
　　　　〃No；〃　Grant　said。　〃Just　the　best　way　to　live　out　here。〃　Grant　explained　that　in　1978；　the　first　year　of　the　excavations；　they　had　e　out　in　North　Slope　octahedral　tents；　the　most　advanced　available。　But　the　tents　always　blew　over　in　the　wind。　They　tried　other　kinds　of　tents；　with　the　same　result。　Finally　they　started　putting　up　tipis；　which　were　larger　inside；　more　fortable；　and　more　stable　in　wind。　〃These're　Blackfoot　tipis；　built　around　four　poles；〃　Grant　said。　〃Sioux　tipis　are　built　around　three。　But　this　used　to　be　Blackfoot　territory；　so　we　thought　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃Uh…huh；〃　Morris　said。　〃Very　fitting。〃　He　squinted　at　the　desolate　landscape　and　shook　his　head。　〃How　long　you　been　out　here？〃
　　　　〃About　sixty　cases；〃　Grant　said。　When　Morris　looked　surprised；　he　explained；　〃We　measure　time　in　beer。　We　start　in　June　with　a　hundred　cases。　We've　gone　through　about　sixty　so　far。〃
　　　　〃Sixty…three；　to　be　exact；〃　Ellie　Sattler　said；　as　they　reached　the　trailer。　Grant　was　amused　to　see　Morris　gaping　at　her。　Ellie　was　wearing　cut…off　jeans　and　a　workshirt　tied　at　her　midriff。　She　was　twenty…four　and　darkly　tanned。　Her　blond　hair　was　pulled　back。
　　　　〃Ellie　keeps　us　going；〃　Grant　said；　introducing　her。　〃She's　very　good　at　what　she　does。〃
　　　　〃What　does　she　do？〃　Morris　asked。
　　　　〃Paleobotany；〃　Ellie　said。　〃And　I　also　do　the　standard　field　preps。〃　She　opened　the　door　and　they　went　inside。
　　　　The　air　conditioning　in　the　trailer　only　brought　the　temperature　down　to　eighty…five　degrees；　but　it　seemed　cool　after　the　midday　beat。　The　trailer　had　a　series　of　long　wooden　tables；　with　tiny　bone　specimens　neatly　laid　out；　tagged　and　labeled。　Farther　along　were　ceramic　dishes　and　crocks。　There　was　a　strong　odor　of　vinegar。
　　　　Morris　glanced　at　the　bones。　〃I　thought　dinosaurs　were　big；〃　he　said。
　　　　〃They　were；〃　Ellie　said。　〃But　everything　you　see　here　es　from　babies。　Snakewater　is　important　primarily　because　of　the　number　of　dinosaur　nesting　sites　here。　Until　we　started　this　work；　there　were　hardly　any　infant　dinosaurs　known。　Only　one　nest　had　ever　been　found；　in　the　Gobi　Desert。　We've　discovered　a　dozen　different　hadrosaur　nests；　plete　with　eggs　and　bones　of　infants。〃
　　　　While　Grant　went　to　the　refrigerator；　she　showed　Morris　the　acetic　acid　baths；　which　were　used　to　dissolve　away　the　limestone　from　the　delicate　bones。
　　　　〃They　look　like　chicken　bones；〃　Morris　said；　peering　into　the　ceramic　dishes。
　　　　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃They're　very　bird…like。〃
　　　　〃And　what　about　those？〃　Morris　said；　pointing　through　the　trailer　window　to　piles　of　large　bones　outside；　wrapped　in　heavy　plastic。
　　　　〃Rejects；〃　Ellie　said。　〃Bones　too　fragmentary　when　we　took　them　out　of　the　ground；　In　the　old　days　we'd　just　discard　them；　but　nowadays　we　send　them　for　genetic　testing。〃
　　　　〃Genetic　testing？〃　Morris　said。
　　　　〃Here　you　go；〃　Grant　said；　thrusting　a　beer　into　his　band。　He　gave　another　to　Ellie。　She　chugged　hers；　throwing　her　long　neck　back。　Morris　stared。
　　　　〃We're　pretty　informal　here；〃　Grant　said。　〃Want　to　step　into　my　office？〃
　　　　〃Sure；〃　Morris　said。　Grant　led　him　to　the　end　of　the　trailer；　where　there　was　a　torn　couch；　a　sagging　chair；　and　a　battered　endtable。　Grant　dropped　onto　the　couch；　which　creaked　and　exhaled　a　cloud　of　chalky　dust。　He　leaned　back；　thumped　his　boots　up　on　the　endtable；　and　gestured　for　Morris　to　sit　in　the　chair。　〃Make　yourself　fortable。〃
　　　　Grant　was　a　professor　of　paleontology　at　the　University　of　Denver；　and　one　of　the　foremost　researchers　in　his　field；　but　he　had　never　been　fortable　with　social　niceties。　He　saw　himself　as　an　outdoor　man；　and　he　knew　that　all　the　important　work　in　paleontology　was　done　outdoors；　with　your　bands。　Grant　had　little　patience　for　the　academics；　for　the　museum　curators；　for　what　he　called　Teacup　Dinosaur　Hunters。　And　he　took　some　pains　to　distance　himself　in　dress　and　behavior　from　the　Teacup　Dinosaur　Hunters；　even　delivering　his　lectures　in　jeans　and　sneakers。
　　　　Grant　watched　as　Morris　primly　brushed　off　the　seat　of　the　chair　before　he　sat　down。　Morris　opened　his　briefcase；　rummaged　through　his　papers；　and　glanced　back　at　Ellie；　who　was　lifting　bones　with　tweezers　from　the　acid　bath　at　the　other　end　of　the　trailer；　paying　no　attention　to　them。　〃You're　probably　wondering　why　I'm　here。〃
　　　　Grant　nodded。　〃It's　a　long　way　to　e；　Mr。　Morris。〃
　　　　〃Well；〃　Morris　said；　〃to　get　right　to　the　point；　the　EPA　is　concerned　about　the　activities　of　the　Hammond　Foundation。　You　receive　some　funding　from　them。〃
　　　　〃Thirty　thousand　dollars　a　year；〃　Grant　said；　nodding。　〃For　the　last　five　years。〃
　　　　〃What　do　you　know　about　the　foundation？〃　Morris　said。
　　　　Grant　shrugged。　〃The　Hammond　Foundation　is　a　respected　source　of　academic　grants。　They　fund　research　all　over　the　world；　including　several　dinosaur　researchers。　I　know　they　support　Bob　Kerry　out　of　the　Tyrrell　in　Alberta；　and　John　Weller　in　Alaska。　Probably　more。〃
　　　　〃Do　you　know　why　the　Hammond　Foundation　supports　so　much　dinosaur　research？〃　Morris　asked。
　　　　〃Of　course。　It's　because　old　John　Hammond　is　a　dinosaur　nut。〃
　　　　〃You've　met　Hammond？〃
　　　　Grant　shrugged。　〃Once　or　twice。　He　es　here　for　brief　visits。　He's　quite　elderly；　you　know。　And　eccentric；　the　way　rich　people　sometimes　are。　But　always　very　enthusiastic。　Why？〃
　　　　〃Well；〃　Morris　said；　〃the　Hammond　Foundation　is　actually　a　rather　mysterious　organization。〃　He　pulled　out　a　Xeroxed　world　map；　marked　with　red　dots；　and　passed　it　to　Grant。　〃These　are　the　digs　the　foundation　financed　last　year。　Notice　anything　odd　about　them？　Montana；　Alaska；　Canada；　Sweden　。　。　。　They're　all　sites　in　the　north。　There's　nothing　below　the　forty…fifth　parallel。〃　Morris　pulled　out　more　maps。　〃It's　the　same；　year　after　year。　Dinosaur　projects　to　the　south；　in　Utah　or　Colorado　or　Mexico；　never　get　funded。　The　Hammond　Foundation　only　supports　cold…weather　digs。　We'd　like　to　know　why。〃
　　　　Grant　shuffled　through　the　maps　quickly。　If　it　was　true　that　the　foundation　only　supported　cold…weather　digs；　then　it　was　strange　behavior；　because　some　of　the　best　dinosaur　researchers　were　working　in　hot　climates；　and　…
　　　　〃And　there　are　other　puzzles；〃　Morris　said。　〃For　example；　what　is　the　relationship　of　dinosaurs　to　amber？〃
　　　　〃Amber？〃
　　　　〃Yes。　It's　the　hard　yellow　resin　of　dried　tree　sap…〃
　　　　〃I　know　what　it　is；〃　Grant　said。　〃But　why　are　you　asking？〃
　　　　〃Because；〃　Morris　said；　〃over　the　last　five　years；　Hammond　has　purchased　enormous　quantities　of　amber　in　America；　Europe；　and　Asia；　including　many　pieces　of　museum…quality　jewelry。　The　foundation　has　spent　seventeen　million　dollars　on　amber。　They　now　possess　the　largest　privately　held　stock　of　this　material　in　the　world。〃
　　　　〃I　don't　get　it；〃　Grant　said。
　　　　〃Neither　does　anybody　else；〃　Morris　said。　〃As　far　as　we　can　tell；　it　doesn't　make　any　sense　at　all。　Amber　is　easily　synthesized。　It　has　no　mercial　or　defense　value。　There's　no　reason　to　stockpile　it。　But　Hammond　has　done　just　that；　over　many　years。〃
　　　　〃Amber；〃　Grant　said；　shaking　his　head。
　　　　〃And　what　about　his　island　in　Costa　Rica？〃　Morris　continued。　〃Ten　years　ago；　the　Hammond　Foundation　leased　an　island　from　the　government　of　Costa　Rica。　Supposedly　to　set　up　a　biological　preserve。〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know　anything　about　that；〃　Grant　said；　frowning。
　　　　〃I　haven't　been　able　to　find　out　much；〃　Morris　said。　〃The　island　is　a　hundred　miles　off　the　west　coast。　It's　very　rugged；　and　it's　in　an　area　of　ocean　where　the　binations　of　wind　and　current　make　it　almost　perpetually　covered　in　fog。　They　used　to　call　it　Cloud　Island。　Isla　Nublar。　Apparently　the　Costa　Ricans　were　amazed　that　anybody　would　want　it。〃　Morris　searched　in　his　briefcase。　〃The　reason　I　mention　it；〃　he　said；　〃is　that；　according　to　the　records；　you　were　paid　a　consultant's　fee　in　connection　with　this　island。〃
　　　　〃I　was？〃　Grant　said。
　　　　Morris　passed　a　sheet　of　paper　to　Grant。　It　was　the　Xerox　of　a　check　issued　in　March　1984　from　InGen　Inc。；　Farallon　Road；　Palo　Alto；　California。　Made　out　to　Alan　Grant　In　the　amount　of　twelve　thousand　dollars。　At　the　lower　corner；　the　check　was　marked　CONSULTANT　SERVICES/COSTA　RICA/JUVENILE　HYPERSPACE。
　　　　〃Ob；　sure；〃　Grant　said。　〃I　remember　that。　It　was　weird　as　hell；　but　I　remember　it。　And　it　didn't　have　anything　to　do　with　an　island。〃

Alan　Grant　had　found　the　first　clutch　of　dinosaur　eggs　in　Montana　in　1979；　and　many　more　in　the　next　two　years；　but　he　hadn't　gotten　around　to　publishing　his　findings　until　1983。　His　paper；　with　its　report　of　a　herd　of　ten　thousand　duckbilled　dinosaurs　living　along　the　shore　of　a　vast　inland　sea；　building　munal　nests　of　eggs　in　the　mud；　raising　their　infant　dinosaurs　in　the　herd；　made　Grant　a　celebrity　overnight。　The　notion　of　maternal　instincts　in　giant　dinosaurs…and　the　drawings　of　cute　babies　poking　their　snouts　out　of　the　eggs…had　appeal　around　the　world。　Grant　was　besieged　with　requests　for　interviews；　lectures；　books。　Characteristically；　he　turned　them　all　down；　wanting　only　to　continue　his　excavations。　But　it　was　during　those　frantic　days　of　the　mid…1980s　that　he　was　approached　by　the　InGen　corporation　with　a　request　for　consulting　services。
　　　　〃Had　you　heard　of　InGen　before？〃　Morris　asked。　〃No。〃
　　　　〃How　did　they　contact　you？〃
　　　　〃Telephone　call。　It　was　a　man　named　Gennaro　or　Gennino；　something　like　that。〃
　　　　Morris　nodded。　〃Donald　Gennaro；〃　he　said。　〃He's　the　legal　counsel　for　InGen。〃
　　　　〃Anyway；　he　wanted　to　know　about　eating　habits　of　dinosaurs。　And　he　offered　me　a　fee　to　draw　up　a　paper　for　him。〃　Grant　drank　his　beer；　set　the　can　on　the　floor。　〃Gennaro　was　particularly　interested　in　young　dinosaurs。　Infants　and　juveniles。　What　they　ate。　I　guess　he　thought　I　would　know　about　that。〃
　　　　〃Did　you？〃
　　　　〃Not　really；　no。　I　told　him　that。　We　had　found　lots　of　skeletal　material；　but　we　had　very　little　dietary　data。　But　Gennaro　said　he　knew　we　hadn't　published　everything；　and　he　wanted　whatever　we　had。　And　he　offered　a　very　large　fee。　Fifty　thousand　dollars。〃
　　　　Morris　took　out　a　tape　recorder　and　set　it　on　the　endtable。　〃You　mind？〃
　　　　〃No；　go　ahead。〃
　　　　〃So　Gennaro　telephoned　you　in　1984。　W