michael crichton.congo-第50章

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　The　gorillas　were　gone。
　
　DAY　11：　ZINJ　
　June　23；　1979
　
　1。Gorilla　Elliotensis
　
　THE　GORILLA　CORPSES　LAY　STRETCHED　ON　THE　ground；　the　bodies　already　stiffening　in　the　morning　warmth。　Elliot　spent　two　hours　examining　the　animals；　both　adult　males　in　the　prime　of　life。
　The　most　striking　feature　was　the　uniform　gray　color。　The　two　known　races　of　gorilla；　the　mountain　gorilla　in　Virunga；　and　the　lowland　gorilla　near　the　coast；　both　had　black　hair。　Infants　were　often　brown　with　a　white　tuft　of　hair　at　the　rump；　but　their　hair　darkened　within　the　first　five　years。　By　the　age　of　twelve；　adult　males　had　developed　the　silver　patch　along　their　back　and　rump；　the　sign　of　sexual　maturity。
　With　age；　gorillas　turned　gray　in　much　the　same　way　as　people。　Male　gorillas　first　developed　a　spot　of　gray　above　each　ear；　and　as　the　years　passed　more　body　hair　turned　gray。　Old　animals　in　their　late　twenties　and　thirties　sometimes　turned　entirely　gray　except　for　their　arms；　which　remained　black。
　But　from　their　teeth　Elliot　estimated　that　these　males　were　no　more　than　ten　years　old。　All　their　pigmentation　seemed　lighter；　eye　and　skin　color　as　well　as　hair。　Gorilla　skin　was　black；　and　eyes　were　dark　brown。　But　here　the　pigmentation　was　distinctly　gray；　and　the　eyes　were　light　yellow　brown。
　As　much　as　anything　it　was　the　eyes　that　set　him　thinking。　Next　Elliot　measured　the　bodies。　The　crown…heel　length　was　139。2　and　141。7　centimeters。　Male　mountain　gorillas　had　been　recorded　from　147　to　205　centimeters；　with　an　average　height　of　175　centimeters…five　feet　eight　inches。　But　these　animals　stood　about　four　feet　six　inches　tall。　They　were　distinctly　small　for　gorillas。　He　weighed　them：　255　pounds　and　347　pounds。　Most　mountain　gorillas　weighed　between　280　and　450　pounds。
　Elliot　recorded　thirty　additional　skeletal　measurements　for　later　analysis　by　the　puter　back　in　San　Francisco。　Because　now　he　was　convinced　that　he　was　onto　something。　With　a　knife；　he　dissected　the　head　of　the　first　animal；　cutting　away　the　gray　skin　to　reveal　the　underlying　muscle　and　bone。　His　interest　was　the　sagittal　crest；　the　bony　ridge　running　along　the　center　of　the　skull　from　the　forehead　to　the　back　of　the　neck。　The　sagittal　crest　was　a　distinctive　feature　of　gorilla　skull　architecture　not　found　in　other　apes　or　man；　it　was　what　gave　gorillas　a　pointy…headed　look。
　Elliot　determined　that　the　sagittal　crest　was　poorly　developed　in　these　males。　In　general；　the　cranial　musculature　resembled　a　chimpanzee's　far　more　than　a　gorilla's。　Elliot　made　additional　measurements　of　the　molar　cusps；　the　jaw；　the　simian　shelf；　and　the　brain　case。
　By　midday；　his　conclusion　was　clear：　this　was　at　least　a　new　race　of　gorilla；　equal　to　the　mountain　and　lowland　gorilla…and　it　was　possibly　a　new　species　of　animal　entirely。
　
　〃Something　happens　to　the　man　who　discovers　a　new　species　of　animal；〃　wrote　Lady　Elizabeth　Forstmann　in　1879。　〃At　once　he　forgets　his　family　and　friends；　and　all　those　who　were　near　and　dear　to　him；　he　forgets　colleagues　who　supported　his　professional　efforts；　most　cruelly　he　forgets　parents　and　children；　in　short；　he　abandons　all　who　knew　him　prior　to　his　insensate　lust　for　fame　at　the　hands　of　the　demon　called　Science。〃
　Lady　Forstmann　understood；　for　her　husband　had　just　left　her　after　discovering　the　Norwegian　blue…crested　grouse　in　1878。　〃In　vain；〃　she　observed；　〃does　one　ask　what　it　matters　that　another　bird　or　animal　is　added　to　the　rich　panoply　of　God's　creations；　which　already　number…by　Linnaean　reckoning…in　the　millions。　There　is　no　response　to　such　a　question；　for　the　discoverer　has　joined　the　ranks　of　the　immortals；　at　least　as　he　imagines　it；　and　he　lies　beyond　the
　power　of　mere　people　to　dissuade　him　from　his　course。〃
　Certainly　Peter　Elliot　would　have　denied　that　his　own　behavior　resembled　that　of　the　dissolute　Scottish　nobleman。　Nevertheless　he　found　he　was　bored　by　the　prospect　of　further　exploration　of　Zinj；　he　had　no　interest　in　diamonds；　or　Amy's　dreams；　he　wished　only　to　return　home　with　a　skeleton　of　the　new　ape；　which　would　astonish　colleagues　around　the　world。　He　suddenly　remembered　he　did　not　own　a　tuxedo；　and　he　found　himself　preoccupied　with　matters　of　nomenclature；　he　imagined　in　the　future　three　species　of　African　apes：
　Pan　troglodytes；　the　chimpanzee。
　Gorilla　gorilla；　the　gorilla。
　Gorilla　elliotensis；　a　new　species　of　gray　gorilla。
　
　
　
　
　Even　if　the　species　category　and　name　were　ultimately　rejected；　he　would　have　acplished　far　more　than　most　scientists　studying　primates　could　ever　hope　to　achieve。
　Elliot　was　dazzled　by　his　own　prospects。
　
　In　retrospect；　no　one　was　thinking　clearly　that　morning。　When　Elliot　said　he　wanted　to　transmit　the　recorded　breathing　sounds　to　Houston；　Ross　replied　it　was　a　trivial　detail　that　could　wait。　Elliot　did　not　press　her；　they　both　later　regretted　their　decision。
　And　when　they　heard　booming　explosions　like　distant　artillery　fire　that　morning；　they　paid　no　attention。　Ross　assumed　it　was　General　Muguru's　men　fighting　the　Kigani。　Munro　told　her　that　the　fighting　was　at　least　fifty　miles　away；　too　far　for　the　sound　to　carry；　but　offered　no　alternative　explanation　for　the　noise。
　And　because　Ross　skipped　the　morning　transmission　to　Houston；　she　was　not　informed　of　new　geological　changes　that　might　have　given　new　significance　to　the　explosive　detonations。
　They　were　seduced　by　the　technology　employed　the　night　before；　secure　in　their　sense　of　indomitable　power。　Only　Munro　remained　immune。　He　had　checked　their　ammunition　supplies　with　discouraging　results。　〃That　laser　system　is　splendid　but　it　uses　up　bullets　like　there's　no　tomorrow；〃　Munro　said。　〃Last　night　consumed　half　of　our　total　ammunition。''
　〃What　can　we　do？〃　Elliot　asked。
　〃I　was　hoping　you'd　have　an　answer　for　that；〃　Munro　said。　〃You　examined　the　bodies。〃
　Elliot　stated　his　belief　that　they　were　confronted　with　a　new　species　of　primate。　He　summarized　the　anatomical　findings；　which　supported　his　beliefs。
　〃That's　all　well　and　good；〃　Munro　said。　〃But　I'm　interested　in　how　they　act；　not　how　they　look。　You　said　it　yourself…gorillas　are　usually　diurnal　animals；　and　these　are　nocturnal。　Gorillas　are　usually　shy　and　avoid　men；　while　these　are　aggressive　and　attack　men　fearlessly。　Why？〃
　Elliot　had　to　admit　that　he　didn't　know。
　〃Considering　our　ammunition　supplies；　I　think　we'd　better　find　out；〃　Munro　said。
　
　2。The　Temple
　
　THE　LOGICAL　PLACE　TO　BEGIN　WAS　THE　TEMPLE；　with　its　enormous；　menacing　gorilla　statue。　They　returned　that　afternoon；　and　found　behind　the　statue　a　succession　of　small　cubicle…like　rooms。　Ross　thought　that　priests　who　worshiped　the　cult　of　the　gorilla　lived　here。
　She　had　an　elaborate　explanation：　〃The　gorillas　in　the　surrounding　jungle　terrorized　the　people　of　Zinj；　who　offered　sacrifices　to　appease　the　gorillas。　The　priests　were　a　separate　class；　secluded　from　society。　Look　here；　at　the　entrance　to　the　line　of　cubicles；　there　is　this　little　room。　A　guard　stayed　here　to　keep　people　away　from　the　priests。　It　was　a　whole　system　of　belief。〃
　Elliot　was　not　convinced；　and　neither　was　Munro。　〃Even　religion　is　practical；〃　Munro　said。　〃It's　supposed　to　benefit　you。'；
　〃People　worship　what　they　fear；〃　Ross　said；　〃hoping　to　control　it。''
　〃But　how　could　they　control　the　gorillas？〃　Munro　asked。　〃What　could　they　do？〃
　When　the　answer　finally　came　it　was　startling；　for　they　had　it　all　backward。
　They　moved　past　the　cubicles　to　a　series　of　long　corridors；　decorated　with　bas…reliefs。　Using　their　infrared　puter　system；　they　were　able　to　see　the　reliefs；　which　were　scenes　arranged　in　a　careful　order　like　a　picture　textbook。
　The　first　scene　showed　a　series　of　caged　gorillas。　A　black　man　stood　near　the　cages　holding　a　stick　in　his　hand。
　The　second　picture　showed　an　African　standing　with　two　gorillas；　holding　ropes　around　their　necks。
　A　third　showed　an　African　instructing　the　gorillas　in　a　courtyard。　The　gorillas　were　tethered　to　vertical　poles；　each　with　a　ring　at　the　top。
　The　final　picture　showed　the　gorillas　attacking　a　line　of　straw　dummies；　which　hung　from　an　overhead　stone　support。　They　now　knew　the　meaning　of　what　they　had　found　in　the　courtyar