michael crichton.congo-第32章

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ept　looking　at　the　farmhouse；　wondering　what　he　would　see　if　he　went　inside。　Munro's　statement　had　been　so　casual；　They　killed　the　family。　。　。　and　then　ate　them。
　〃I　suppose；〃　Ross　said；　looking　over　her　shoulder；　〃that　we　should　consider　ourselves　lucky。　We're　probably　among　the　last　people　in　the　world　to　see　these　things。〃
　Munro　shook　his　head。　〃I　doubt　it；〃　he　said。　〃Old　habits　die　hard。〃
　
　During　the　Congolese　civil　war　in　the　1960s；　reports　of　widespread　cannibalism　and　other　atrocities　shocked　the　Western　world。　But　in　fact　cannibalism　had　always　been　openly　practiced　in　central　Africa。
　In　1897；　Sidney　Hinde　wrote　that　〃nearly　all　the　tribes　in　the　Congo　Basin　either　are；　or　have　been；　cannibals；　and　among　some　of　them　the　practice　is　on　the　increase。〃　Hinde　was　impressed　by　the　undisguised　nature　of　Congolese　cannibalism：　〃The　captains　of　steamers　have　often　assured　me　that　whenever　they　try　to　buy　goats　from　the　natives；　slaves　are　demanded　in　exchange；　the　natives　often　e　aboard　with　tusks　of　ivory　with　the　intention　of　buying　a　slave；　plaining　that　meat　is　now　scarce　in　their　neighborhood。〃
　In　the　Congo；　cannibalism　was　not　associated　with　ritual　or　religion　or　war；　it　was　a　simple　dietary　preference。　The　Reverend　Holman　Bentley；　who　spent　twenty　years　in　the　region；　quoted　a　native　as　saying；　〃You　white　men　consider　pork　to　be　the　tastiest　of　meat；　but　pork　is　not　to　be　pared　with　human　flesh。〃　Bentley　felt　that　the　natives　〃could　not　understand　the　objections　raised　to　the　practice。　'You　eat　fowls　and　goats；　and　we　eat　men；　why　not？　What　is　the　difference？'
　This　frank　altitude　astonished　observers；　and　led　to　bizarre　customs。　In　1910；　Herbert　Ward　wrote　of　markets　where　slaves　were　sold　〃piecemeal　whilst　still　alive；　incredible　as　it　may　appear；　captives　are　led　from　place　to　place　in　order　that　individuals　may　have　the　opportunity　of　indicating；　by　external　marks　on　the　body；　the　portion　they　desire　to　acquire。　The　distinguishing　marks　are　generally　made　by　means　of　coloured　clay　or　strips　of　grass　tied　in　a　peculiar　fashion。　The　astounding　stoicism　of　the　victims；　who　thus　witness　the　bargaining　for　their　limbs　piecemeal；　is　only　equaled　by　the　callousness　with　which　they　walk　forward　to　meet　their　fate。〃
　Such　reports　cannot　be　dismissed　as　late…Victorian　hysteria；　for　all　observers　found　the　cannibals　likable　and　sympathetic。　Ward　wrote　that　〃the　cannibals　are　not　schemers　and　they　are　not　mean。　In　direct　opposition　to　all　natural　conjectures；　they　are　among　the　best　types　of　men。〃　Bentley　described　them　as　〃merry；　manly　fellows；　very　friendly　in　conversation　and　quite　demonstrative　in　their　affection。〃
　Under　Belgian　colonial　administration；　cannibalism　became　much　rarer…by　the　1950s；　there　were　even　a　few　graveyards　to　be　found…but　no　one　seriously　thought　it　had　been　eradicated。　In　1956；　H。　C。　Engert　wrote；　〃Cannibalism　is　far　from　being　dead　in　Africa。　。　。　。　I　myself　once　lived　in　a　cannibal　village　for　a　time；　and　found　some　The　natives。　。　。　were　pleasant　enough　people。　It　was　just　an　old　custom　which　dies　hard。〃
　Munro　considered　the　1979　Kigani　uprising　a　political　insurrection。　The　tribesmen　were　rebelling　against　the　demand　by　the　Zaire　government　that　the　Kigani　change　from　hunting　to　farming；　as　if　that　were　a　simple　matter。　The　Kigani　were　a　poor　and　backward　people；　their　knowledge　of　hygiene　was　rudimentary；　their　diet　lacked　proteins　and　vitamins；　and　they　were　prey　to　malaria；　hookworm；　bilharzia；　and　African　sleeping　sickness。　One　child　in　four　died　at　birth；　and　few　Kigani　adults　lived　past　the　age　of　twenty…five。　The　hardships　of　their　life　required　explanation；　supplied　by　Angawa；　or　sorcerers。　The　Kigani　believed　that　most　deaths　were　supernatural：　either　the　victim　was　under　a　sorcerer's　spell；　had　broken　some　taboo；　or　was　killed　by　vengeful　spirits　from　the　dead。　Hunting　also　had　a　supernatural　aspect：　game　was　strongly　influenced　by　the　spirit　world。　In　fact；　the　Kigani　considered　the　supernatural　world　far　more　real　than　the　day…to…day　world；　which　they　felt　to　be　a　〃waking　dream；〃　and　they　attempted　to　control　the　supernatural　through　magical　spells　and　potions；　provided　by　the　Angawa。　They　also　carried　out　ritual　body　alterations；　such　as　painting　the　face　and　hands　white；　to　render　an　individual　more　powerful　in　battle。　The　Kigani　believed　that　magic　also　resided　in　the　bodies　of　their　adversaries；　and　so　to　overe　spells　cast　by　other　Angawa　they　ate　the　bodies　of　their　enemies。　The　magical　power　invested　in　the　enemy　thus　became　their　own；　frustrating　enemy　sorcerers。
　These　beliefs　were　very　old；　and　the　Kigani　had　long　since　settled　on　a　pattern　of　response　to　threat；　which　was　to　eat　other　human　beings。　In　1890；　they　went　on　the　rampage　in　the　north；　following　the　first　visits　by　foreigners　bearing　firearms；　which　had　frightened　off　the　game。　During　the　civil　war　in　1961；　starving；　they　attacked　and　ate　other　tribes。
　〃And　why　are　they　eating　people　now？〃　Elliot　asked　Munro。
　〃They　want　their　right　to　hunt；〃　Munro　said。　〃Despite　the　Kinshasa　bureaucrats。〃
　
　In　the　early　afternoon；　the　expedition　mounted　a　hill　from　which　they　could　overlook　the　valleys　behind　them　to　the　south。　In　the　distance　they　saw　great　billowing　clouds　of　smoke　and　licking　flames；　there　were　the　muffled　explosions　of　air…to…ground　rockets；　and　the　helicopters　wheeling　like　mechanical　vultures　over　a　kill。
　〃Those　are　Kigani　villages；〃　Munro　said；　looking　back；　shaking　his　head。　〃They　haven't　a　prayer；　especially　since　the　men　in　those　helicopters　and　the　troops　on　the　ground　are　all　from　the　Abawe　tribe；　the　traditional　enemy　of　the　Kigani。〃
　The　twentieth…century　world　did　not　acmodate　man…eating　beliefs；　indeed；　the　government　in　Kinshasa；　two　thousand　miles　away；　had　already　decided　to　〃expunge　the　embarrassment〃　of　cannibals　within　its　borders。　In　June；　the　Zaire　government　dispatched　five　thousand　armed　troops；　six　rocket…armed　American　UH…2　helicopters；　and　ten　armored　personnel　carriers　to　put　down　the　Kigani　rebellion。　The　military　leader　in　charge；　General　Ngo　Muguru；　had　no　illusions　about　his　directive。　Muguru　knew　that　Kinshasa　wanted　him　to　eliminate　the　Kigani　as　a　tribe。　And　he　intended　to　do　exactly　that。
　
　During　the　rest　of　the　day；　they　heard　distant　explosions　of　mortar　and　rockets。　It　was　impossible　not　to　contrast　the　modernity　of　this　equipment　with　the　bows　and　arrows　of　the　Kigani　they　had　seen。　Ross　said　it　was　sad；　but　Munro　replied　that　it　was　inevitable。
　〃The　purpose　of　life；〃　Munro　said；　〃is　to　stay　alive。　Watch　any　animal　in　nature…all　it　tries　to　do　is　stay　alive；　it　doesn't　care　about　beliefs　or　philosophy。　Whenever　any　animal's　behavior　puts　it　out　of　touch　with　the　realities　of　its　existence；　it　bees　extinct。　The　Kigani　haven't　seen　that　times　have　changed　and　their　beliefs　don't　work。　And　they're　going　to　be　extinct。〃
　〃Maybe　there　is　a　higher　truth　than　merely　staying　alive；〃　Ross　said。
　〃There　isn't；〃　Munro　said。
　They　saw　several　other　parties　of　Kigani；　usually　from　a　distance　of　many　miles。　At　the　end　of　the　day；　after　they　had　crossed　the　swaying　wooden　bridge　over　the　Moruti　Gorge；　Munro　announced　that　they　were　now　beyond　the　Kigani　territory　and；　at　least　for　the　time　being；　safe。
　
　3。 Moruti　Camp
　
　IN　A　HIGH　CLEARING　ABOVE　MORUTI；　THE　〃PLACE　of　soft　winds；〃　Munro　shouted　Swahili　instructions　and　Kahega's　porters　began　to　unpack　their　loads。　Karen　Ross　looked　at　her　watch。　〃Are　we　stopping？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Munro　said。
　〃But　it's　only　five　o'clock。　There's　still　two　hours　of　light　left。〃
　〃We　stop　here；〃　Munro　said。　Moruti　was　located　at　1；500　feet；　another　two　hours'　walking　would　put　them　down　in　the　rain　forest　below。　〃It's　much　cooler　and　more　pleasant　here。〃
　Ross　said　that　she　did　not　care　about　pleasantness。
　〃You　will；〃　Munro　said。
　To　make　the　best　time；　Munro　intended　to　keep　out　of　the　rain　forest　wherever　possible。　Progress　in　the　jungle　was　slow　and　unfortable；　they　would　have　more　than　enough　experience　with　mud　and　leeches　and　fevers。
　Kahega　called　to　him　in　Swahili；　Munro　turned　to　Ross　and　said；　〃Kahega　wants　to　know　how　to　pitch　the　tents。〃
　Kahega　was　holding　a　crumpled　silver　b