michael crichton.congo-第49章

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　Still　she　would　not　cross。　She　signed　irritably；　Munro　stepped　over　and　lifted　her　across。　〃Gorillas　hate　water；〃　he　told　Ross。　〃I've　seen　them　refuse　to　cross　a　stream　smaller　than　this。〃　Amy　was　reaching　up　and　scratching　under　his　arms；　then　pointing　to　herself。　The　meaning　was　perfectly　clear。　〃Women；〃　Munro　sighed；　and　bent　over　and　tickled　her　vigorously。　Amy　rolled　on　the　ground；　grunting　and　snuffling　and　smiling　broadly。　When　he　stopped；　she　lay　expectantly　on　the　ground；　waiting　for　more。
　〃That's　all；〃　Munro　said。
　She　signed　to　him。
　〃Sorry；　I　don't　understand。　No；〃　he　laughed；　〃signing　slower　doesn't　help。〃　And　then　he　understood　what　she　wanted；　and　he　carried　her　back　across　the　moat　again；　into　the　camp。　She　kissed　him　wetly　on　the　cheek。
　〃Better　watch　your　monkey；〃　Munro　said　to　Elliot　as　he　sat　down　to　dinner。　He　continued　in　this　light　bantering　fashion；　aware　of　the　need　to　loosen　everybody　up；　they　were　all　nervous；　crouching　around　the　fire。　But　when　the　dinner　was　finished；　and　Kahega　was　off　setting　out　the　ammunition　and　checking　the　guns；　Munro　took　Elliot　aside　and　said；　〃Chain　her　in　your　tent。　If　we　start　shooting　tonight；　I'd　hate　to　have　her　running　around　in　the　dark。　Some　of　the　lads　may　not　be　too　particular　about　telling　one　gorilla　from　another。　Explain　to　her　that　it　may　get　very　noisy　from　the　guns　but　she　should　not　be　frightened。〃
　〃Is　it　going　to　get　very　noisy？〃　Elliot　said。
　〃I　imagine；〃　Munro　said。
　He　took　Amy　into　his　tent　and　put　on　the　sturdy　chain　leash　she　often　wore　in　California。　He　tied　one　end　to　his　cot；　but　it　was　a　symbolic　gesture；　Amy　could　move　it　easily　if　she　chose　to。　He　made　her　promise　to　stay　in　the　tent。
　She　promised。　He　stepped　to　the　tent　entrance；　and　she　signed；　Amy　like　Peter。
　〃Peter　like　Amy；〃　he　said；　smiling。　〃Everything's　going　to　be　fine。〃
　
　He　emerged　into　another　world。
　The　red　night　lights　had　been　doused；　but　in　the　flickering　glow　of　the　campfire　he　saw　the　goggle…eyed　sentries　in　position　around　the　pound。　With　the　low　throbbing　pulse　of　the　electrified　fence；　this　sight　created　an　unearthly　atmosphere。　Peter　Elliot　suddenly　sensed　the　precariousness　of　their　position…a　handful　of　frightened　people　deep　in　the　Congo　rain　forest；　more　than　two　hundred　miles　from　the　nearest　human　habitation。
　Waiting。
　He　tripped　over　a　black　cable　on　the　ground。　Then　he　saw　a　network　of　cables；　snaking　over　the　pound；　running　to　the　guns　of　each　sentry。　He　noticed　then　that　the　guns　had　an　unfamiliar　shape…they　were　somehow　too　slender；　too　insubstantial　and　that　the　black　cables　ran　from　the　guns　to　squat；　snub…nosed　mechanisms　mounted　on　short　tripods　at　Intervals　around　the　camp。
　He　saw　Ross　near　the　fire；　setting　up　the　tape　recorder。
　〃What　the　hell　is　all　this？〃　he　whispered；　pointing　to　the　cables。
　〃That's　a　LATRAP。　For　laser…tracking　projectile；〃　she　whispered。　〃The　LATRAP　system　consists　of　multiple　LGSDs　attached　to　sequential　RFSDs。〃
　She　told　him　that　the　sentries　held　guns　which　were　actually　laser…guided　sight　devices；　linked　to　rapid…firing　sensor　devices　on　tripods。　〃They　lock　onto　the　target；〃　she　said；　〃and　do　the　actual　shooting　once　the　target　is　identified。　It's　a　jungle　warfare　system。　The　RFSDs　have　maclan…baffle　silencers　so　the　enemy　won't　know　where　the　firing　is　ing　from。　Just　make　sure　you　don't　step　in　front　of　one；　because　they　automatically　lock　onto　body　heat。〃
　Ross　gave　him　the　tape　recorder；　and　went　off　to　check　the　fuel　cells　powering　the　perimeter　fence。　Elliot　glanced　at　the　sentries　in　the　outer　darkness；　Munro　waved　cheerfully　to　him。　Elliot　realized　that　the　sentries　with　their　grasshopper　goggles　and　their　acronymic　weapons　could　see　him　far　better　than　he　could　see　them。　They　looked　like　beings　from　another　universe；　dropped　into　the　timeless　jungle。
　Waiting。
　The　hours　passed。　The　jungle　perimeter　was　silent　except　for　the　murmur　of　water　in　the　moat。　Occasionally　the　porters　called　to　one　another　softly；　making　some　joke　in　Swahili；　but　they　never　smoked　because　of　the　heat…sensing　machinery。　Eleven　o'clock　passed；　and　then　midnight；　and　then　one　o'clock。
　He　heard　Amy　snoring　in　his　tent；　her　noisy　rasping　audible　above　the　throb　of　the　electrified　fence。　He　glanced　over　at　Ross　sleeping　on　the　ground；　her　finger　on　the　switch　for　the　night　lights。　He　looked　at　his　watch　and　yawned；　nothing　was　going　to　happen　tonight；　Munro　was　wrong。
　Then　he　heard　the　breathing　sound。
　The　sentries　heard　it　too；　swinging　their　guns　in　the　darkness。　Elliot　pointed　the　recorder　microphone　toward　the　sound　but　it　was　hard　to　determine　its　exact　location。　The　wheezing　sighs　seemed　to　e　from　all　parts　of　the　jungle　at　once；　drifting　with　the　night　fog；　soft　and　pervasive。
　He　watched　the　needles　wiggle　on　the　recording　gauges。
　And　then　the　needles　bounced　into　the　red；　as　Elliot　heard　a　dull　thud；　and　the　gurgle　of　water。　Everyone　heard　it；　the　sentries　clicked　off　their　safeties。
　Elliot　crept　with　his　tape　recorder　toward　the　perimeter　fence　and　looked　out　at　the　moat。　Foliage　moved　beyond　the　fence。　The　sighing　grew　louder。　He　heard　the　gurgle　of　water　and　saw　a　dead　tree　trunk　lying　across　the　moat。
　That　was　what　the　slapping　sound　had　been：　abridge　being　placed　across　the　moat。　In　that　instant　Elliot　realized　they　had　vastly　underestimated　whatever　they　were　up　against。　He　signaled　to　Munro　to　e　and　look；　but　Munro　was　waving　him　away　from　the　fence　and　pointing　emphatically　to　the　squat　tripod　on　the　ground　near　his　feet。　Before　Elliot　could　move；　the　colobus　monkeys　began　to　shriek　in　the　trees　overhead…and　the　first　of　the　gorillas　silently　charged。
　He　had　a　glimpse　of　an　enormous　animal；　distinctly　gray　in　color；　racing　up　to　him　as　he　ducked　down；　a　moment　later；　the　gorillas　hit　the　electrified　fence　with　a　shower　of　spitting　sparks　and　the　odor　of　burning　flesh。
　It　was　the　start　of　an　eerie；　silent　battle。
　Emerald　laser　beams　flashed　through　the　air；　the　tripod…mounted　machine　guns　made　a　soft　thew…thew…thew　as　the　bullets　spit　outward；　the　aiming　mechanisms　whining　as　the　barrels　spun　and　fired；　spun　and　fired　again。　Every　tenth　bullet　was　a　white　phosphorous　tracer；　the　air　was　crisscrossed　green　and　white　over　Elliot's　head。
　The　gorillas　attacked　from　all　directions；　six　of　them　simultaneously　hit　the　fence　and　were　repelled　in　a　crackling　burst　of　sparks。　Still　more　charged；　throwing　themselves　on　the　flimsy　perimeter　mesh；　yet　the　sizzle　of　sparks　and　the　shriek　of　the　colobus　monkeys　was　the　loudest　sound　they　heard。　And　then　he　saw　gorillas　in　the　trees　overhanging　the　campsite。　Munro　and　Kahega　began　firing　upward；　silent　laser　beams　streaking　into　the　foliage。　He　heard　the　sighing　sound　again。　Elliot　turned　and　saw　more　gorillas　tearing　at　the　fence；　which　had　gone　dead…there　were　no　more　sparks。
　And　he　realized　that　this　swift；　sophisticated　equipment　was　not　holding　the　gorillas　back…they　needed　the　noise。　Munro　had　the　same　thought；　because　he　shouted　in　Swahili　for　the　men　to　hold　their　fire；　and　called　to　Elliot；　〃Pull　the　silencers！　The　silencers！〃
　Elliot　grabbed　the　black　barrel　on　the　first　tripod　mechanism　and　plucked　it　away；　swearing…it　was　very　hot。　Immediately　as　he　stepped　away　from　the　tripod；　a　stuttering　sound　filled　the　air；　and　two　gorillas　fell　heavily　from　the　trees；　one　still　alive。　The　gorilla　charged　him　as　he　pulled　away　the　silencer　from　the　second　tripod。　The　stubby　barrel　swung　around　and　blasted　the　gorilla　at　very　close　range；　warm　liquid　spattered　Elliot's　face。　He　pulled　the　silencer　from　the　third　tripod　and　threw　himself　to　the　ground。
　Deafening　machine…gun　fire　and　clouds　of　acrid　cordite　had　an　immediate　effect　on　the　gorillas；　they　backed　off　in　disorder。　There　was　a　period　of　silence；　although　the　sentries　fired　laser　shots　that　set　the　tripod　machines　scanning　rapidly　across　the　jungle　landscape；　whirring　back　and　forth；　searching　for　a　target。
　Then　the　machines　stopped　hunting；　and　paused。　The　jungle　around　them　was　still。
　The　gorillas　were　gone。
　
　DAY　11：　ZINJ　
　June　23；　1979
　
　1。Gorilla　Elliotensis
　
　THE　GORILLA　CORPSES　LAY　STRETCHED　ON　THE　ground；　the　bodies　already　sti