gns.batsoutofhell-第16部分

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d　doubtlessly　have　involved　him　in　a　head…on…collision。
　　
　　Then；　at　last；　every　nerve　seemed　to　freeze　in　his　body。　His　brain　was　confused。　He　did　not　know　where　he　was；　or　where　he　was　heading。…An　island　loomed　up　ahead　of　him。　His　foot　was　jammed　securely　on　the　accelerator；　and　there　was　no　way　in　which　he　could　free　it　even　had　he　realised　the　danger。　Rigid　hands　clutched　the　wheel。　Eyes　stared　sightlessly　ahead。
　　
　　The　car；　a　Viva；　hit　the　roundabout　and　overturned；　sliding　on　its　roof　with　a　screech　of　tortured　metal；　and　finished　upside　down　on　the　forecourt　of　the　Midland　Bank　branch　at　Four　Oaks。
　　
　　The　wheels　spun。　People　gathered；　staring；　curious；　horrified。　Baxterdale　watched　them　from　his　inverted　position；　unharmed　by　the　accident；　but　slowly　dying　from　the　paralytic　plague。　He　stayed　there　for　almost　an　hour；　and　only　when　a　fire…engine　could　be　spared　from　the　scene　of　burning　devastation　in　Sutton　Park　was　the　Treasury　Chief　cut　free　and　rushed　to　hospital。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　Nine
　　
　　Haynes's　expression　was　grave。　His　bloodshot　eyes　were　proof　that　he　had　not　slept　for　days。　Once　again　a　meeting　was　being　held　in　his　small　office；　but　this　time；　apart　from　Rickers；　Newman　and　Susan　Wylie；　there　were　two　leading　bacteriologists　from　London；　and　a　well…built；　grey…haired　Ministry　of　Defence　official。
　　
　　Sir　John　Stirchley　was　tall　and　thin；　wore　rimless　glasses　that　seemed　to　have　the　effect　of　making　his　eyes　larger　than　they　really　were；　and　this；　bined　with　bushy　eyebrows　and　a　military…type　moustache　gave　him　an　appearance　of　severity。　His　work　was　acknowledged　by　biologists　throughout　the　world。
　　
　　Professor　Talbot；　on　the　other　hand；　was　clean…shaven；　said　little；　and　was　virtually　unknown　outside　his　London　laboratory。　Yet　Sir　John　Stirchley　had　the　greatest　admiration　for　him；　and　had　singled　him　out　from　a　host　of　top　bacteriologists　as　the　man　most　suited　to　help　in　the　crisis　which　was　now　building　up　to　a　peak。
　　
　　All　eyes　were　on　Newman；　the　bandages　around　his　waist　and　beneath　his　clothing　giving　him　a　more　mature　stature；　but　every　time　he　moved　the　stiff　jerky　motions　reminded　one　of　a　screen　cartoon　character。　He　had　certainly　been　fortunate　not　to　have　received　more　severe　injuries　at　the　hands　of　the　mob。
　　
　　'Gentlemen；'　Haynes　began；　sounding　tired　and　lifeless；　'we　are　now　faced　with　a　situation　which；　up　until　a　few　days　ago；　we　had　considered　not　impossible　but　certainly　improbable。　The　bats　have　moved　into　Birmingham；　and；　as　far　as　we　know；　they　have　not　infiltrated　beyond　the　city　centre。　It　was　thought　at　first　that　a　single　bat　had　somehow　penetrated　the　Bank　Treasury。　It　was　later　discovered　that　several　more　of　the　creatures　were　hiding　out　in　a　rather　antiquated　ventilation　shaft。　Seven　bank　clerks　who　came　into　contact　with　the　bat　died　at　intervals　during　the　course　of　the　following　week。　This　was　only　to　be　expected；　but　the　most　alarming　features　of　all　were　to　spread　from　there。'
　　
　　He　paused；　fumbled　a　cigarette　out　of　a　packet　on　the　desk；　and　lit　it　with　fingers　that　shook。
　　
　　'First；　this　man　Baxterdale；'　he　continued。　'As　far　as　anybody　knew　he　had　had　no　contact　with　the　bat。　He　was　later　discovered；　on　the　same　day；　trapped　in　his　car　which　had　overturned。　There　was　no　doubt　that　he　had　somehow　contracted　this　mutated　meningitis　virus；　but　even　if　he　had　done　so　then　he　should　have　survived　another　two　or　three　days。　He　died　within　hours！　There　was　a　wound　on　his　hand；　a　small　but　nasty　bite　which　was　later　found　to　have　been　inflicted　by　a　rat。　Baxterdale　had　contracted　the　disease　via　a　rodent。　Now；　perhaps　Professor　Newman　would　be　kind　enough　to　give　us　a　summary　of　his　recent　experiments　with　rats。'
　　
　　'I　injected　twenty　rats　with　the　same　virus　which　is　causing　wide…spread　death　amongst　the　bats；'　Brian　Newman　said。　'Only　one　rat　died。　Trie'　others　appeared　to　be　immune。　I　thought　that　possibly　they　had　bee　carriers　in　the　same　way　that　many　bats　are。　Further　tests　proved　that　they　were　not。　The　virus　had　died　without　apparently　harming　them　in　any　way。　One　rat　in　twenty；　gentlemen。
　　
　　Five　per　cent。　But　a　thousand　times　more　deadly　than　a　bat。'
　　
　　'And　what　about　mice？'　Sir　John　Stirchley　asked。
　　
　　'Totally　erratic；'　Newman　replied。　'Some　followed　the　same　course　as　the　bats。　About　fifty　per…cent　fatalities。　Definitely　not　as　receptive　as　bats；　but　more　so　than　rats。　But；　overall；　there　is　no　pattern。　There　is　only　one　mon　denominator；　and　that　is　that　the　disease　is　deadly　and　it　can　be　carried　by　almost　any　living　being；　including　humans！　Seven　Treasury　clerks　died　as　a　result　of　ing　into　contact　with　an　infected　bat。　Within　a　week　three　hospital　staff　and　one　doctor　caught　the　disease。　Yet　none　of　those　who　attended　to　earlier　victims　caught　it。　Why？'　He　shrugged　his　shoulders。　'Maybe　we　shall　never　find　the　answer　to　that　one。　It　could　be　that　some　people　are　immune　for　some　reason。　One　thing　seems　fairly　certain；　though。　The　virus　is　only　passed　on　while　the　sufferer　lives。　Once　the　victim　dies；　so　does　the　virus。　Whilst　we　are　faced　with　a　situation　akin　to　outbreaks　of　bubonic　plague　in　the　Middle　Ages；　we　have　the　small　consolation　of　knowing　that　corpses　can　be　handled　with　impunity。'
　　
　　'And　your　experiments　to　find　an　antidote？'　Sir　John　Stirchley　asked。
　　
　　'Negative。　At　the　moment　I　have　nothing　to　report。　I　am　still　hopeful；　though。'
　　
　　Haynes　took　off　his　glasses　and　sighed。　'So　much　for　the　biological　side　of　this　business。'　He　turned　to　the。　Ministry　of　Defence　official。　'Now；　Mr　Littler；　we　have　brought　you　up　to　date　on　our　side　of　things；　so　perhaps　you　would　be　kind　enough　to　fill　us　in　on　the　details　of　what　is　happening　in　the　Midlands？　One　is　always　dubious　of　relying　solely　upon　newspaper；　radio　and　television　reports。'
　　
　　'Quite　so；'　the　other　spoke　in　a　fiat；　expressionless　voice。　'Well；　as　you　know　a　large　number　of　bats　have　infiltrated　the　centre　of　Birmingham。　The　first　reported　sighting　was　in　the　old　Snow　Hill　Station。　The　pest　authorities　were　called　in；　the　building　was　sealed　off　and　pumped　full　of　cymag　gas。　Later　it　was　discovered　that　forty…two　bats　had　been　killed。　All　males。'
　　
　　'All　males！'　Newman　gasped。　Then…'
　　
　　'Precisely。　The　point　I　am　just　about　to　make；'　Littler　continued；　'is　that　it　is　reasonable　to　assume　that　the　females　are　breeding　elsewhere。　In　the　city；　or　in　rural　areas？　It　is　impossible　to　say。　According　to　reliable　information　which　I　have；　the　female　bats　should　have　given　birth　to　their　young　already；　and　so；　by　the　middle　of　September　when　these　young　bats　are　able　to　fend　for　themselves；　their　numbers　could　have　increased　by　twenty…five　percent。　As　one　infected　bat　alone　is　capable　of　killing　an　innumerable　number　of　people　before　it　dies；　then　we　have　some　idea　of　what　we　are　up　against。'
　　
　　'But　apart　from　Snow　Hill　Station。'　Haynes　broke　in；　'there　must　be　dozens　of　other　such　places　harbouring　bats。'
　　
　　'Of　course；'　Littler　replied。　'They　have　been　sighted　in　scores　of　derelict　slum　areas；　but　it　seems　that　once　they　are　disturbed　they　leave　and　seek　refuge　elsewhere。　We　had　one　report　of　a　large　flock　seen　entering　a　derelict　house　hi　Moseley。　We　followed　the　same　procedure　as　with　Snow　Hill　Station；　but　afterwards；　when　it　was　safe　to　enter；　we　found　not　one　single　dead　bat。　They　had　obviously　flown　before　our　arrival。'
　　
　　'It's　like　the　mythical　burial　ground　of　the　elephants　in　Africa；'　Rickers　groaned。　'Somewhere　that's　never　found。　We　have　to　find　the　bats'　breeding　places　if　we're　to　check　their　spread；　and　that's　only　half　way　towards　solving　the　problem。'
　　
　　'And　what　about　the　public？'　Sir　John　Stirchley　lowered　his　voice。　'The　scenes　on　television　and　the　accounts　in　the　newspapers　are　pretty　awful。　Is　it　really　as　bad　as　all　that？'
　　
　　'Worse；'　Littler　said　with　a　grimace。　'So　far　twenty…three　people　have　died　as　a　direct　result　of　this　virus。　Doctors　are　working　night　and　day；　and　surgeries　and　hospitals　are　besieged　by　terrified　people　who　claim　to　have　been　in　contact　with　bats。　The　Prime　Minister　is　speaking　to　the　country　tonight。　The　Midlands　is　to　be　declared　a　disease…zone；　a　circle　incorporating　Stoke…on…Trent；　Leicester；　Kidderminster　and　Wellington。　All　roads　will　be　closed　to　and　from　the　Midlands　in　an　attempt　to　keep　everybody　and　everything　in。'
　　
　　'Impossible！'　Sir　John　snapped。　'We　have　neither　the　police　nor　the　armed　forces　with　which　to　implement　this。　Just　closing　the　roads　and　railways　won't　be　sufficient。　People　will　travel　on　foot。'
　　
　　'We　shall　not　be　relying　solely　upon　the　police　or　armed　forces　as　we　know　them；'　Littler　spoke　uncertainly；　as　though　he　should　not　be　disclosing　the　information。　'There　can　be　。。。　shall　we　say；　the　formation　of　an　additional　force。'
　　
　　'Like　vigilantes？'
　　
　　'Oh；　no；　the　vigilantes　are　already　making　their　presence　felt。　This　will　be　a　body　of　men。　Armed。　Well；　I'll　say　no　more；　but　it　is　the　only　way。'
　　
　　'A　police　state；'　Stirchley　muttered。
　　
　　'Only　temporarily。　While　the　bats　continue　to　spread　the　disease；'
　　
　　'All　the　armies　in　the　world　couldn't　contain　a　colony　of　bats。'
　　
　　'It　isn't　just　the　bats；　sir。　It's　the　people。　If　they　begin　fleeing　the　infected　area　then　they　are　capable　of　carrying　the　virus　to　other　parts；　the　same　as　the　bats　do。　Likewise；　we　can't　have　a　breakdown　of　law　and　order　in　the　Midlands。　Imagine　the　looting　which　would　take　place　if　everyone　left。'
　　
　　'What　are　the　feelings　of　the　citizens　of　Birmingham　at　present？'
　　
　　'Panic　hasn't　broken　out　yet；'　the　Ministry　man　replied；　'but　it　could　at　any　moment。　Once　people　start　dying　in　the　streets　and　there　aren't　enough　hospitals　to　cope　with　the　sick；　then　all　hell　will　be　let　loose。　That's　why　the　BVF　is　being　formed。'
　　
　　'British　Volunteer　Force。'
　　
　　The　seven　people　looked　at　each　other　in　silence。　There　was　no　more　to　be　said。　No　amount　of　talking　could　e　up　with　a　solution。　Not　unless　Professor　Newman　discovered　an　antidote　or　someone　found　the　main　breeding　quarter