michael crichton.congo-第38章

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ths　of　the　gorge；　where　the　afternoon　sun　did　not　reach　the　narrow　strip　of　dark　water；　the　boats　moved　through　a　rushing；　churning　inferno；　careening　off　rocky　walls；　spinning　end　around　end；　while　the　boatmen　shouted　and　cursed　and　fended　off　the　rock　walls　with　paddles。
　Amy　lay　on　her　back；　lashed　to　the　side　of　the　boat；　and　Elliot　was　in　constant　fear　that　she　would　drown　from　the　muddy　waves　that　crashed　over　the　gunwales。　Not　that　Ross　was　doing　much　better；　she　kept　repeating　〃Oh　my　God　oh　my　God　oh　my　God〃　over　and　over；　in　a　low　monotone；　as　the　water　smashed　down　on　them　in　successive　waves；　soaking　them　to　the　skin。
　Other　indignities　were　forced　upon　them　by　nature。　Even　in　the　boiling；　pounding　heart　of　the　gorge；　black　clouds　of　mosquitoes　hung　in　the　air；　stinging　them　again　and　again。　Somehow　it　did　not　seem　possible　that　there　could　be　mosquitoes　in　the　midst　of　the　roaring　chaos　of　the　Ragora　Gorge；　but　they　were　there。　The　boats　moved　with　gut…wrenching　fury　through　the　standing　waves；　and　in　the　growing　darkness　the　passengers　baled　out　the　boats　and　slapped　at　the　mosquitoes　with　equal　intensity。
　And　then　suddenly　the　river　broadened；　the　muddy　water　slowed；　and　the　walls　of　the　canyon　moved　apart。　The　river　became　peaceful　again。　Elliot　slumped　back　in　the　boat；　exhausted；　feeling　the　fading　sun　on　his　face　and　the　water　moving　beneath　the　inflated　rubber　of　the　boat。
　〃We　made　it；〃　he　said。
　〃So　far；〃　Kahega　said。　〃But　we　Kikuyu　say　no　one　escapes　from　life　alive。　No　relaxing　now；　Doctors！〃
　〃Somehow；〃　Ross　said　wearily；　〃I　believe　him。〃
　
　They　drifted　gently　downstream　for　another　hour；　and　the　rock　walls　receded　farther　away　on　each　side；　until　finally　they　were　in　fiat　African　rain　forest　once　more。　It　was　as　if　the　Ragora　Gorge　had　never　existed；　the　river　was　wide　and　sluggish　gold　in　the　descending　sun。
　Elliot　stripped　off　his　soaking　shirt　and　changed　it　for　a　pullover；　for　the　evening　air　was　chilly。　Amy　snored　at　his　feet；　covered　with　a　towel　so　she　would　not　get　too　cold。　Ross　checked　her　transmitting　equipment；　making　sure　it　was　all　right。　When　she　was　finished；　the　sun　had　set　and　it　was　rapidly　growing　dart。　Kahega　broke　out　a　shotgun　and　inserted　yellow　stubby　shells。
　〃What's　that　for？〃　Elliot　said。
　〃Kiboko；　〃Kahega　said。　〃I　do　not　know　the　word　in　English。〃　He　shouted；　〃Mzee！　Nini　maana　kiboko？〃
　In　the　lead　boat；　Munro　glanced　back。　〃Hippopotamus；〃　he　said。
　〃Hippo；〃　Kahega　said。
　〃Are　they　dangerous？〃　Elliot　asked。
　〃At　night；　we　hope　no；〃　Kahega　said。　〃But　me；　I　think　yes。〃
　
　The　twentieth　century　had　been　a　period　of　intensive　wildlife　study；　which　overturned　many　tong…standing　conceptions　about　animals。　It　was　now　recognized　that　the　gentle；　soft…eyed　deer　actually　lived　in　a　ruthless；　nasty　society；　while　the　supposedly　vicious　wolf　was　devoted　to　family　and　offspring　in　exemplary　fashion。　And　the　African　lion…the　proud　king　of　beasts…was　relegated　to　the　status　of　slinking　scavenger；　while　the　loathed　hyena　assumed　new　dignity。　（For　decades；　observers　had　e　upon　a　dawn　kill　to　find　lions　feeding　on　the　carcass；　while　the　scavenging　hyenas　circled　at　the　periphery；　awaiting　their　chance。　Only　after　scientists　began　night　tracking　the　animals　did　a　new　interpretation　emerge：　hyenas　actually　made　the　kill；　only　to　be　driven　off　by　opportunistic　and　lazy　lions；　hence　the　traditional　dawn　scene。　This　coincided　with　the　discovery　that　lions　were　in　many　ways　erratic　and　mean；　while　the　hyenas　had　a　finely　developed　social　structure…yet　another　instance　of　longstanding　human　prejudice　toward　the　natural　world　of　animals。）
　But　the　hippopotamus　remained　a　poorly　understood　animal。　Herodotus's　'river　horse〃　was　the　largest　African　mammal　after　the　elephant；　but　its　habit　of　lying　in　the　water　　with　just　eyes　and　nostrils　protruding　made　it　difficult　to　study。　Hippos　were　organized　around　a　male。　A　mature　male　had　a　harem　of　several　females　and　their　offspring；　a　group　of　eight　to　fourteen　animals　altogether。
　Despite　their　obese；　rather　humorous　appearance；　hippos　were　capable　of　unusual　violence。　The　bull　hippopotamus　was　a　formidable　creature；　fourteen　feet　long　and　weighing　nearly　ten　thousand　pounds。　Charging；　he　moved　with　extraordinary　speed　for　such　a　large　animal；　and　his　four　stubby　blunted　tusks　were　actually　razor　sharp　on　the　sides。　A　hippo　attacked　by　slashing；　moving　his　cavernous　mouth　from　side　to　side；　rather　than　biting。　And；　unlike　most　animals；　a　fight　between　bulls　often　resulted　in　the　death　of　one　animal　from　deep　slashing　wounds。　There　was　nothing　symbolic　about　a　hippopotamus　fight。
　The　animal　was　dangerous　to　man；　as　well。　In　river　areas　where　herds　were　found；　half　of　native　deaths　were　attributed　to　hippos；　elephants　and　predatory　cats　accounted　for　the　remainder。　The　hippopotamus　was　vegetarian；　and　at　night　the　animals　came　onto　the　land；　where　they　ate　enormous　quantities　of　grass　to　sustain　their　great　bulk。　A　hippo　separated　from　the　water　was　especially　dangerous；　anyone　finding　himself　between　a　landed　hippo　and　the　river　he　was　rushing　to　return　to　did　not　generally　survive　the　experience。
　But　the　hippo　was　essential　to　Africa's　river　ecology。　His　fecal　matter；　produced　in　prodigious　quantities；　fertilized　the　river　grasses；　which　in　turn　allowed　river　fish　and　other　creatures　to　live。　Without　the　hippopotamus　African　rivers　would　be　sterile；　and　where　they　had　been　driven　away；　the　rivers　died。
　This　much　was　known；　and　one　thing　more。　The　hippopotamus　was　fiercely　territorial。　Without　exception；　the　male　defended　his　river　against　any　intruder。　And　as　had　been　recorded　on　many　occasions；　intruders　included　other　hippos；　crocodiles；　and　passing　boats。　And　the　people　in　them。
　
　
　
　DAY　7：　MUKENKO
　June　19；　1979
　
　1。　Kiboko
　
　MUNRO'S　INTENTION　IN　CONTINUING　THROUGH　the　night　was　two…fold。　First；　he　hoped　to　make　up　precious　time；　for。　all　the　puter　projections　assumed　that　they　would　stop　each　night。　But　it　took　no　effort　to　ride　the　river　in　the　moonlight；　most　of　the　party　could　sleep；　and　they　would　advance　themselves　another　fifty　or　sixty　miles　by　dawn。
　But　more　important；　he　hoped　to　avoid　the　Ragora　hippos；　which　could　easily　destroy　their　flimsy　rubber　boats。　During　the　day；　the　hippos　were　found　in　pools　beside　the　riverbanks；　and　the　bulls　would　certainly　attack　any　passing　boat。　At　night；　when　the　animals　went　ashore　to　forage；　the　expedition　could　slip　down　the　river　and　avoid　a　confrontation　entirely。
　It　was　a　clever　plan；　but　it　ran　into　trouble　for　an　unexpected　reason…their　progress　on　the　Ragora　was　too　rapid。　It　was　only　nine　o'clock　at　night　when　they　reached　the　first　hippo　areas；　too　early　for　the　animals　to　be　eating。　The　hippos　would　attack　the　boats…but　they　would　attack　in　the　dark。
　The　river　twisted　and　turned　in　a　series　of　curves。　At　each　curve　there　was　a　still　pool；　which　Kahega　pointed　out　as　the　kind　of　quiet　water　that　hippos　liked　to　inhabit。　And　he　pointed　to　the　grass　on　the　banks；　cut　short　as　if　the　banks　had　been　mown。
　〃Soon　now；〃　Kahega　said。
　They　heard　a　low　grunting；　〃Raw…huh…huh…huh。〃　It　sounded　like　an　old　man　trying　to　clear　his　throat　of　phlegm。　Munro　tensed　in　the　lead　boat。　They　drifted　around　another　curve；　carried　smoothly　in　the　flow　of　current。　The　two　boats　were　now　about　ten　yards　apart。　Munro　held　his　loaded　shotgun　ready。
　The　sound　came　again；　this　time　in　a　chorus：　〃Haw…huh…huh…huh。〃
　Kahega　plunged　his　paddle　into　the　water。　It　struck　bottom　quickly。　He　pulled　it　out；　only　three　feet　of　it　was　wet。　〃Not　deep；〃　he　said；　shaking　his　head。
　〃Is　that　bad？〃　Ross　said。
　〃Yes；　I　think　it　is　bad。〃
　They　came　around　the　next　bend；　and　Elliot　saw　a　half…dozen　partially　submerged　black　rocks　near　the　shore；　gleaming　in　the　moonlight。　Then　one　of　the　〃rocks〃　crashed　upward　and　he　saw　an　enormous　creature　lift　entirely　out　of　the　shallow　water　so　that　he　could　see　the　four　stubby　legs；　and　the　hippo　churned　forward　toward　Munro's　boat。
　Munro　fired　a　low　magnesium　flare　as　the　animal　charged；　in　the　harsh　white　light　Elliot　saw　a　gigantic　mouth；　four　huge　glistening　blunted　teeth；　the　head　lifted　upward　as　the　animal