michael crichton.congo-第15部分

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　〃Coordinates　for　the　lost　city；〃　Travis　said。
　Rogers　nodded；　mopping　his　brow。　He　was　a　portly　man　who　sweated　profusely。　〃How　good　do　you　want　it？〃
　〃Damned　good；〃　Travis　said。　〃You　won't　fool　the　Japanese　with　static。〃
　〃You　don't　want　to　give　them　the　actual　co…ords？〃
　〃God；　no。　But　I　want　them　reasonably　close。　Say；　within　two　hundred　kilometers。〃
　〃Can　do；〃　Rogers　said。
　〃Coded？〃　Travis　said。
　'Of　course。　〃
　〃You　have　a　code　they　can　break　in　twelve　to　fifteen　hours？〃
　Rogers　nodded。　〃We've　got　a　dilly。　Looks　like　hell；　but　then　when　you　work　it；　it　pops　out。　Got　an　internal　weakness　in　concealed　lettering　frequency。　At　the　other　end；　looks　like　we　made　a　mistake；　but　it's　very　breakable。〃
　〃It　can't　be　too　easy；〃　Travis　warned。
　〃Oh；　no；　they'll　earn　their　yen。　They'll　never　suspect　a　feed。　We　ran　it　past　the　army　and　they　came　back　all　smiles；　teaching　us　a　lesson。　Never　knew　it　was　a　setup。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Travis　said；　〃put　the　data　out；　and　let's　feed　them。　I　want　something　that'll　give　them　a　sense　of　confidence　for　the　next　forty…eight　hours　or　more…until　they　figure　out　that　we've　screwed　them。〃
　〃Delighted；〃　Rogers　said；　and　he　moved　off　to　Beta　terminal。
　Travis　sighed。　The　feeding　would　soon　begin；　and　he　hoped　it　would　protect　his　team　in　the　field…long　enough　for　them　to　get　to　the　diamonds　first。
　
　5。 Dangerous　Signatures
　
　THE　SOFT　MURMUR　OF　VOICES　WOKE　HIM。
　〃How　unequivocal　is　that　signature？〃
　〃Pretty　damn　unequivocal。　Here's　the　pissup；　nine　days　ago；　and　it's　not　even　epicentered。〃
　〃That's　cloud　cover？〃
　〃No；　that's　not　cloud　cover；　it's　too　black。　That's　ejecta　from　the　signature。〃
　〃Hell。〃
　Elliot　opened　his　eyes　to　see　dawn　breaking　as　a　thin　red　line　against　blue…black　through　the　windows　of　the　passenger　partment。　His　watch　read　5：11…five　in　the　morning；　San　Francisco　time。　He　had　slept　only　two　hours　since　calling　Seamans。　He　yawned　and　glanced　down　at　Amy；　curled　up　in　her　nest　of　blankets　on　the　floor。　Amy　snored　loudly。　The　other　bunks　were　unoccupied。
　He　heard　soft　voices　again；　and　looked　toward　the　puter　console。　Jensen　and　Irving　were　staring　at　a　screen　and　talking　quietly。　〃Dangerous　signature。　We　got　a　puter　projection　on　that？〃
　〃ing。　It'll　take　a　while。　I　asked　for　a　five…year　run…back；　as　well　as　the　other　pissups。〃
　Elliot　climbed　out　of　his　cot　and　looked　at　the　screen。　〃What's　pissups？〃　he　said。
　〃PSOPs　are　prior　significant　orbital　passes　by　the　satellite；〃　Jensen　explained。　〃They're　called　pissups　because　we　usually　ask　for　them　when　we're　already　pissing　upwind。　We've　been　looking　at　this　volcanic　signature　here；〃　Jensen　said；　pointing　to　the　screen。　〃It's　not　too　promising。〃
　〃What　volcanic　signature？〃　Elliot　asked。
　They　showed　him　the　billowing　plumes　of　smoke…dark　green　in　artificial　puter…generated　colors…which　belched　from　the　mouth　of　Mukenko；　one　of　the　active　volcanoes　of　the　Virunga　range。　〃Mukenko　erupts　on　the　average　of　once　every　three　years；〃　Irving　said。　〃The　last　eruption　was　March；　1977；　but　it　looks　like　it's　gearing　up　for　another　full　eruption　in　the　next　week　or　so。　We're　waiting　now　for　the　probability　assessment。〃
　〃Does　Ross　know　about　this？〃
　They　shrugged。　〃She　knows；　but　she　doesn't　seem　worried。　She　got　an　urgent　GPU…geopolitical　update…from　Houston　about　two　hours　ago；　and　she　went　directly　into　the　cargo　bay。　Haven't　seen　her　since。〃
　Elliot　went　into　the　dimly　lit　cargo　bay　of　the　jet。　The　cargo　bay　was　not　insulated　and　it　was　chilly：　the　trucks　had　a　thin　frost　on　metal　and　glass；　and　his　breath　hissed　from　his　mouth。　He　found　Karen　Ross　working　at　a　table　under　low　pools　of　light。　Her　back　was　turned　to　him；　but　when　he　approached；　she　dropped　what　she　was　doing　and　turned　to　face　him。
　〃I　thought　you　were　asleep；〃　she　said。
　〃I　got　restless。　What's　going　on？〃
　〃Just　checking　supplies。　This　is　our　advanced　technology　unit；〃　she　said；　lifting　up　a　small　backpack。　〃We've　developed　a　miniaturized　package　for　field　parties；　twenty　pounds　of　equipment　contains　everything　a　man　needs　for　two　weeks：
　food；　water；　clothing；　everything。〃
　〃Even　water？〃　Elliot　asked。
　Water　was　heavy：　seven…tenths　of　human　body　weight　was　water；　and　most　of　the　weight　of　food　was　water；　that　was　why　dehydrated　food　was　so　light。　But　water　was　far　more　critical　to　human　life　than　food。　Men　could　survive　for　weeks　without　food；　but　they　would　die　in　a　matter　of　hours　without　water。　And　water　was　heavy。
　Ross　smiled。　〃The　average　man　consumes　four　to　six　liters　a　day；　which　is　eight　to　thirteen　pounds　of　weight。　On　a　two…week　expedition　to　a　desert　region；　we'd　have　to　provide　two　hundred　pounds　of　water　for　each　man。　But　we　have　a　NASA　water…recycling　unit　which　purifies　all　excretions；　including　urine。　It　weighs　six　ounces。　That's　how　we　do　it。〃
　Seeing　his　expression；　she　said；　〃It's　not　bad　at　all。　Our　purified　water　is　cleaner　than　what　you　get　from　the　tap。；'
　〃I'll　take　your　word　for　it。〃　Elliot　picked　up　a　pair　of　strange…looking　sunglasses。　They　were　very　dark　and　thick；　and　there　was　a　peculiar　lens　mounted　over　the　forehead　bridge。
　〃Holographic　night　goggles；〃　Ross　said。　〃Employing　thin…film　diffraction　optics。〃　She　then　pointed　out　a　vibration…free　camera　lens　with　optical　systems　that　pensated　for　movement；　strobe　infrared　lights；　and　miniature　survey　lasers　no　larger　than　a　pencil　eraser。　There　was　also　a　series　of　small　tripods　with　rapid…geared　motors　mounted　on　the　top；　and　brackets　to　hold　something；　but　she　did　not　explain　these　devices　beyond　saying　they　were　〃defensive　units。〃
　Elliot　drifted　toward　the　far　table；　where　he　found　six　submachine　guns　set　out　under　the　lights。　He　picked　one　up；　it　was　heavy；　and　gleaming　with　grease。　Clips　of　ammunition　lay　stacked　nearby。　Elliot　did　not　notice　the　lettering　on　the　stock；　the　machine　guns　were　Russian　AK…47s　manufactured　under　license　in　Czechoslovakia。
　He　glanced　at　Ross。
　〃Just　precautions；〃　Ross　said。　〃We　carry　them　on　every　expedition。　It　doesn't　mean　anything。〃
　Elliot　shook　his　head。　〃Tell　me　about　your　GPU　from　Houston；〃　he　said。
　〃I'm　not　worried　about　it；〃　she　said。
　〃I　am；〃　Elliot　said。
　
　As　Ross　explained　it；　the　GPU　was　just　a　technical　report。　The　Zaire　government　had　closed　its　eastern　borders　during　the　previous　twenty…four　hours；　no　tourist　or　mercial　traffic　could　enter　the　country　from　Rwanda　or　Uganda；　everyone　now　had　to　enter　the　country　from　the　west；　through　Kinshasa。
　No　official　reason　was　given　for　closing　the　eastern　border；　although　sources　in　Washington　speculated　that　Idi　Amin's　troops；　fleeing　across　the　Zaire　border　from　the　Tanzanian　invasion　of　Uganda；　might　be　causing　〃local　difficulties。〃　In　central　Africa；　local　difficulties　usually　meant　cannibalism　and　other　atrocities。
　〃Do　you　believe　that？〃　Elliot　asked。　〃Cannibalism　and　atrocities？〃
　〃No；〃　Ross　said。　〃It's　all　a　lie。　It's　the　Dutch　and　the　Germans　and　the　Japanese…probably　your　friend　Morikawa。　The　Euro…Japanese　electronics　consortium　knows　that　ERTS　is　close　to　discovering　important　diamond　reserves　in　Virunga。　They　want　to　slow　us　down　as　much　as　they　can。　They've　got　the　fix　in　somewhere；　probably　in　Kinshasa；　and　closed　the　eastern　borders。　It's　nothing　more　than　that。〃
　〃If　there's　no　danger；　why　the　machine　guns？〃
　〃Just　precautions；〃　she　said　again。　〃We'll　never　use　machine　guns　on　this　trip；　believe　me。　Now　why　don't　you　get　some　sleep？　We'll　be　landing　in　Tangier　soon。〃
　〃Tangier？〃
　〃Captain　Munro　is　there。〃
　
　6。 Munro
　
　THE　NAME　OF　〃CAPTAIN〃　CHARLES　MUNRO　WAS　not　to　be　found　on　the　list　of　the　expedition　leaders　employed　by　any　of　the　usual　field　parties。　There　were　several　reasons　for　this；　foremost　among　them　his　distinctly　unsavory　reputation。
　Munro　had　been　raised　in　the　wild　Northern　Frontier　Province　of　Kenya；　the　illegitimate　son　of　a　Scottish　farmer　and　his　handsome　Indian　housekeeper。　Munro's　father　had　the　bad　luck　to　be　killed　by　Mau　Mau　guerillas　in　1956。　*　Soon　afterward；　Munro's　mother　died　of　tuberculosis；　and　Munro　made　his　way　to　Nairobi　where　in　the　late　1950s　he　worked　as　a　white　hunter；　leading　parties　of　tourists　into　the　bush。　It　was　during　this　time　that　Munro　awarded　himself　the　title　of　〃Captain；〃　although　he　had　never　served　in　the　military。
　Apparently；　Captain　Munro　found　humoring　tourists　uncongenial；　by　1960；　he　was　reported　running　guns　from　Uganda　into　the　newly　independent　Congo。　After　Moise　Tshombe　went　into　exile　in　1963；　Munro's　activities　became　politically　embarrassing；　and　ultimately　forced　him　to　disappear　from　East　Africa　in　late　1963。
　He　appeared　again　in　1964；　as　one　of　General　Mobutu's　white　mercenaries　in　the　Congo；　under　the　leadership　of　Colonel　〃Mad　Mike〃　Hoare。　Hoare　assessed　Munro　as　a　〃hard；　lethal　customer　who　knew　the　jungle　and　was　highly　effective；　when　we　could　get　him　away　from　the　ladies。〃　
　*Although　more　than　nineteen　thousand　people　were　killed　in　the　Mau　Mau　uprisings。　only　thirty…seven　whites　were　killed　during　seven　years　of　terrorism。　Each　dead　white　was　properly　regarded　more　as　a　victim　of　circumstance　than　of　emerging　black　politics。
　
　Following　the　capture　of　Stanleyville　in　Operation　Dragon　Rouge；　Munro's　name　was　associated　with　the　mercenary　atrocities　at　a　village　called　Avakabi。　Munro　again　disappeared　for　several　years。
　In　1968；　he　re…emerged　in　Tangier；　where　he　lived　splendidly　and　was　something　of　a　local　character。　The　source　of　Munro'。s　obviously　substantial　ine　was　unclear；　but　he　was　said　to　have　supplied　munist　Sudanese　rebels　with　East　German　light　arms　in　1971；　to　have　assisted　the　royalist　Ethiopians　in　their　rebellion　in　1974…1975；　and　to　have　assisted　the　French　paratroopers　who　dropped　into　Zaire's　Shaba　province　in　1978。
　His　mixed　activities　made　Munro　a　special　case　in　Africa　in　the　1970s；　although　he　was　persona　non　grata　in　a　half…dozen　African　states；　he　traveled　freely　throughout　the　continent；　using　various　passports。　It　was　a　transparent　ruse：　every　border　official　recognized　him　on　sight；　but　these　officials　were　equally　afraid　to　let　him　enter　the　country　or　to　deny　him　entry。
　Foreign　mining　and　exploration　panies；　sensitive　to　local　feeling；　were　reluctant　to　hire　Munro