michael crichton.congo-第24章

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　〃Meaning　what？〃　Elliot　asked。
　〃It's　something　new；〃　Seamans　said。　〃I'm　telling　you；　if　this　was　really　a　gorilla；　it　would　have　showed　up　。89　or　。94；　somewhere　in　there；　on　this　function。　But　the　image　es　out　at　。39。　That's　just　not　good　enough。　It's　not　a　gorilla；　Peter。〃
　〃Then　what　is　it？〃
　〃It's　a　transitional　form。　I　ran　a　function　to　measure　where　the　variation　was。　You　know　what　was　the　major　differential？　Skin　color。　Even　in　black…and…white；　it's　not　dark　enough　to　be　a　gorilla；　Peter。　This　is　a　whole　new　animal；　I　promise　you。〃
　Elliot　looked　at　Ross。　〃What　does　this　do　to　your　timeline？〃
　〃For　the　moment；　nothing；〃　she　said。　〃Other　elements　are　more　critical；　and　this　is　unfactorable。〃
　The　pilot　clicked　on　the　inter。　〃We　are　beginning　our　descent　into　Nairobi；〃　he　said。
　
　4。Nairobi
　
　FIVE　MILES　OUTSIDE　NAIROBI；　ONE　CAN　FIND　WILD　game　of　the　East　African　savannah。　And　within　the　memory　of　many　Nairobi　residents　the　game　could　be　found　closer　still…gazelles；　buffalo；　and　giraffe　wandering　around　backyards；　and　the　occasional　leopard　slipping　into　one's　bedroom。　In　those　days；　the　city　still　retained　the　character　of　a　wild　colonial　station；　in　its　heyday；　Nairobi　was　a　fast…living　place　indeed：　〃Are　you　married　or　do　you　live　in　Kenya？〃　went　the　standard　question。　The　men　were　hard…drinking　and　rough；　the　women　beautiful　and　loose；　and　the　pattern　of　life　no　more　predictable　than　the　fox　hunts　that　ranged　over　the　rugged　countryside　each　weekend。
　But　modern　Nairobi　is　almost'　unrecognizable　from　the　time　of　those　freewheeling　colonial　days。　The　few　remaining　Victorian　buildings　lie　stranded　in　a　modem　city　of　half　a　million；　with　traffic　jams；　stoplights；　skyscrapers；　supermarkets；　same…day　dry　cleaners；　French　restaurants；　and　air　pollution。
　The　ERTS　cargo　plane　landed　at　Nairobi　International　Airport　at　dawn　on　the　morning　of　June　16；　and　Munro　contacted　porters　and　assistants　for　the　expedition。　They　intended　to　leave　Nairobi　within　two　hours…until　Travis　called　from　Houston　to　inform　them　that　Peterson；　one　of　the　geologists　on　the　first　Congo　expedition；　had　somehow　made　it　back　to　Nairobi。
　Ross　was　excited　by　the　news。　〃Where　is　he　now？〃　she　asked。
　〃At　the　morgue；〃　Travis　said。
　Elliot　winced　as　he　came　close：　the　body　on　the　stainless　steel　table　was　a　blond　man　his　own　age。　The　man's　arms　had　been　crushed；　the　skin　was　swollen；　a　ghastly　purple　color。　He　glanced　at　Ross。　She　seemed　perfectly　cool；　not　blinking　or　turning　away。　The　pathologist　stepped　on　a　foot　petal；　activating　a　microphone　overhead。　〃Would　you　state　your　name；　please。〃
　〃Karen　Ellen　Ross。〃
　〃Your　nationality　and　passport　number？〃
　〃American；　F　1413649。〃
　〃Can　you　identify　the　man　before　you；　Miss　Ross？〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃He　is　James　Robert　Peterson。〃
　〃What　is　your　relation　to　the　deceased　James　Robert　Peterson？〃
　〃I　worked　with　him；〃　she　said　dully。　She　seemed　to　be　examining　a　geological　specimen；　scrutinizing　it　unemotionally。　Her　face　showed　no　reaction。
　The　pathologist　faced　the　microphone。　〃Identity　confirmed　as　James　Robert　Peterson；　male　Caucasian；　twenty…nine　years　old；　nationality　American。　〃　He　turned　back　to　Ross。　〃When　was　the　last　time　you　saw　Mr。　Peterson？〃
　〃In　May　of　this　year。　He　was　leaving　for　the　Congo。〃
　〃You　have　not　seen　him　in　the　last　month？〃
　〃No；〃　she　said。　〃What　happened？〃
　The　pathologist　touched　the　puffy　purple　injuries　on　his　arms。　His　fingertips　sank　in；　leaving　indentations　like　teeth　in　the　flesh。　〃Damned　strange　story；〃　the　pathologist　said。
　The　previous　day；　June　15；　Peterson　had　been　flown　to　Nairobi　airport　aboard　a　small　charter　cargo　plane；　in　end…stage　terminal　shock。　He　died　several　hours　later　without　regaining　consciousness。　〃Extraordinary　he　made　it　at　all。　Apparently　the　aircraft　made　an　unscheduled　stop　for　a　mechanical　problem　at　Garona　field；　a　dirt　track　in　Zaire。　And　then　this　fellow　es　stumbling　out　of　the　woods；　collapsing　at　their　feet。〃　The　pathologist　pointed　out　that　the　bones　had　been　shattered　in　both　arms。　The　injuries；　he　explained；　were　not　new；　they　had　occurred　at　least　four　days　earlier；　perhaps　more。　〃He　must　have　been　in　incredible　pain。〃
　Elliot　said；　〃What　could　cause　that　injury？〃
　The　pathologist　had　never　seen　anything　like　it。　〃Superficially；　it　resembles　mechanical　trauma；　a　crush　injury　from　an　automobile　or　truck。　We　see　a　good　deal　of　those　here；　but　mechanical　crush　injuries　are　never　bilateral；　as　they　are　in　this　case。〃
　〃So　it　wasn't　a　mechanical　injury？〃　Karen　Ross　asked。
　〃Don't　know　what　it　was。　It's　unique　in　my　experience；〃　the　pathologist　said　briskly。　〃We　also　found　traces　of　blood　under　his　nails；　and　a　few　strands　of　gray　hair。　We're　running　a　test　now。〃
　Across　the　room；　another　pathologist　looked　up　from　his　microscope。　〃The　hair　is　definitely　not　human。　Cross　section　doesn't　match。　Some　kind　of　animal　hair；　close　to　human。〃
　〃The　cross　section？〃　Ross　said。
　〃Best　index　we　have　of　hair　origin；〃　the　pathologist　said。　〃For　instance；　human　pubic　hair　is　more　elliptical　in　cross　section　than　other　body　hair；　or　facial　hair。　It's　quite　characteristic…admissible　in　court。　But　especially　in　this　laboratory；　we　e　across　a　great　deal　of　animal　hair；　and　we're　expert　in　that　as　well。〃
　A　large　stainless…steel　analyzer　began　pinging。　〃Blood's　ing　through；〃　the　pathologist　said。
　On　a　video　screen　they　saw　twin　patterns　of　pastel…colored　streaks。　〃This　is　the　electrophoresis　pattern；〃　the　pathologist　explained。　〃To　check　serum　proteins。　That's　ordinary　human　blood　on　the　left。　On　the　right　we　have　the　blood　sample　from　under　the　nails。　You　can　see　it's　definitely　not　human　blood。〃
　〃Not　human　blood？〃　Ross　said；　glancing　at　Elliot。
　〃It's　close　to　human　blood；〃　the　pathologist　said；　staring　at　the　pattern。　〃But　it's　not　human。　Could　be　a　domestic　or　farm　animal…a　pig；　perhaps。　Or　else　a　primate。　Monkeys　and　apes　are　very　close　serologically　to　human　beings。　We'll　have　a　puter　analysis　in　a　minute。〃
　On　the　screen；　the　puter　printed　ALPHA　AND　BETA　SERUM　GLOBULINS　MATCH：　GORILLA　BLOOD。
　The　pathologist　said；　〃There's　your　answer　to　what　he　had　under　his　nails。　Gorilla　blood。〃
　
　5。 Examination
　
　〃SHE　WON'T　HURT　YOU；〃　ELLIOT　TOLD　THE　frightened　orderly。　They　were　in　the　passenger　partment　of　the　747　cargo　jet。　〃See；　she's　smiling　at　you。〃
　Amy　was　indeed　giving　her　most　winning　smile；　being　careful　not　to　expose　her　teeth。　But　the　orderly　from　the　private　clinic　in　Nairobi　was　not　familiar　with　these　fine　points　of　gorilla　etiquette。　His　hands　shook　as　he　held　the　syringe。
　Nairobi　was　the　last　opportunity　for　Amy　to　receive　a　thorough　checkup。　Her　large；　powerful　body　belied　a　constitutional　fragility；　as　her　heavy…browed；　glowering　face　belied　a　meek；　rather　tender　nature。　In　San　Francisco；　the　Project　Amy　staff　subjected　her　to　a　thorough　medical　regimen…　urine　samples　every　other　day；　stool　samples　checked　weekly　for　occult　blood；　plete　blood　studies　monthly；　and　a　trip　to　the　dentist　every　three　months　for　removal　of　the　black　tartar　that　accumulated　from　her　vegetarian　diet。
　Amy　took　it　all　in　stride；　but　the　terrified　orderly　did　not　know　that。　He　approached　her　holding　the　syringe　in　front　of　him　like　a　weapon。　〃You　sure　he　won't　bite？〃
　Amy；　trying　to　be　helpful；　signed；　Amy　promise　no　bite。　She　was　signing　slowly；　deliberately；　as　she　always　did　when　confronted　by　someone　who　did　not　know　her　language。
　〃She　promises　not　to　bite　you；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃So　you　say；〃　the　orderly　said。　Elliot　did　not　bother　to　explain　that　he　hadn't　said　it；　she　had。
　After　the　blood　samples　were　drawn；　the　orderly　relaxed　a　little。　Packing　up；　he　said；　〃Certainly　is　an　ugly　brute。〃
　〃You've　hurt　her　feelings；〃　Elliot　said。
　And；　indeed；　Amy　was　signing　vigorously；　What　ugly？　〃Nothing；　Amy；〃　Elliot　said。　〃He's　just　never　seen　a　gorilla　before。〃
　The　orderly　said；　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃You've　hurt　her　feelings。　You'd　better　apologize。〃
　The　orderly　snapped　his　medical　case　shut。　He　stared　at　Elliot　and　then　at　Amy。　〃Apologize　to　him？〃
　〃Her；〃　Elliot　said。　〃Yes。　How　would　you　like　to　be　told　you're　ugly？〃
　Elliot　felt　strongly　about　this。　Over　the　years；　he