michael crichton.congo-第53章

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le　meanings；　including　the　obvious　one　that　none　of　them　should　ever　have　e　to　the　Congo　in　the　first　place。　It　also　meant　that　once　established　in　a　fortified　camp　or　colonial　town　you　were　unwise　to　step　out　into　the　surrounding　jungle；　whatever　the　provocation。　Several　of　Munro's　friends　had　bought　it　in　the　jungle　because　they　had　foolishly　left　home。　The　news　would　e　to　them：　〃Digger　bought　it　last　week　outside　Stanleyville。〃　〃Outside？　Why'd　he　leave　home？〃
　Munro　was　leading　the　expedition　outside　now；　and　home　was　the　little　silver　camp　with　its　perimeter　defense　behind　them。　Back　in　that　camp；　they　were　sitting　ducks　for　the　attacking　gorillas。　The　mercenaries　had　had　something　to　say　about　that；　too：　〃Better　a　sitting　duck　than　a　dead　duck。〃
　As　they　marched　through　the　rain　forest；　Munro　was　painfully　aware　of　the　single…file　column　strung　out　behind　him；　the　least　defensible　formation。　He　watched　the　jungle　foliage　move　in　as　their　path　narrowed。　He　did　not　remember　this　track　being　so　narrow　when　they　had　e　to　the　city。　Now　they　were　hemmed　in　by　close　ferns　and　spreading　palms。
　The　gorillas　might　be　only　a　few　feet　away；　concealed　in　the　dense　foliage；　and　they　wouldn't　know　it　until　it　was　too　late。
　They　walked　on。
　Munro　thought　if　they　could　reach　the　eastern　slopes　of　Mukenko；　they　would　be　all　right。　The　gray　gorillas　were　localized　near　the　city；　and　would　not　follow　them　far。　One　or　two　hours　walking；　and　they　would　be　beyond　danger。
　He　checked　his　watch：　they　had　been　gone　ten　minutes。
　And　then　he　heard　the　sighing　sound。　It　seemed　to　e　from　all　directions。　He　saw　the　foliage　moving　before　him；　shifting　as　if　blown　by　a　wind。　Only　there　was　no　wind。　He　heard　the　sighing　grow　louder。
　The　column　halted　at　the　edge　of　a　ravine；　which　followed　a　streambed　past　sloping　jungle　walls　on　both　sides。　It　was　the　perfect　spot　for　an　ambush。　Along　the　line　he　heard　the　safeties　click　on　the　machine　guns。　Kahega　came　up。　〃Captain；　what　do　we　do？〃
　Munro　watched　the　foliage　move；；　and　heard　the　sighing。　He　could　only　guess　at　the　numbers　concealed　in　the　bush。　Twenty？　Thirty？　Too　many；　in　any　case。
　Kahega　pointed　up　the　hillside　to　a　track　that　ran　above　the　ravine。　〃Go　up　there？〃
　For　a　long　time；　Munro　did　not　answer。　Finally；　he　said；　〃No；　not　up　there。〃
　〃Then　where；　Captain？〃
　〃Back；〃　Munro　said。　〃We　go　back。〃
　When　they　turned　away　from　the　ravine；　the　sighing　faded　and　the　foliage　ceased　its　movement。　When　he　looked　back　over　his　shoulder　for　a　last　glimpse；　the　ravine　appeared　an　ordinary　passage　in　the　jungle；　without　threat　of　any　kind。　But　Munro　knew　the　truth。　They　could　not　leave。
　
　3。Return
　
　ELLIOT'S　IDEA　CAME　IN　A　FLASH　OF　INSIGHT。　〃IN　the　middle　of　the　camp；〃　he　later　related；　〃I　was　looking　at　Amy　signing　to　Kahega。　Amy　was　asking　him　for　a　drink；　but　Kahega　didn't　know　Ameslan；　and　he　kept　shrugging　helplessly。　It　occurred　to　me　that　the　linguistic　skill　of　the　gray　gorillas　was　both　their　great　advantage　and　their　Achilles'　heel。〃
　Elliot　proposed　to　capture　a　single　gray　gorilla；　learn　its　language；　and　use　that　language　to　establish　munication　with　the　other　animals。　Under　normal　circumstances　it　would　take　several　months　to　learn　a　new　ape　language；　but　Elliot　thought　he　could　do　it　in　a　matter　of　hours。
　Seamans　was　already　at　work　on　the　gray…gorilla　verbalizations；　all　he　needed　was　further　input。　But　Elliot　had　decided　that　the　gray　gorillas　employed　a　bination　of　spoken　sounds　and　sign　language。　And　the　sign　language　would　be　easy　to　work　out。
　Back　at　Berkeley；　Seamans　had　developed　a　puter　program　called　APE；　for　animal　pattern　explanation。　APE　was　capable　of　observing　Amy　and　assigning　meanings　to　her　signs。　Since　the　APE　program　utilized　declassified　army　software　subroutines　for　code…breaking；　it　was　capable　of　identifying　new　signs；　and　translating　these　as　well。　Although　APE　was　intended　to　work　with　Amy　in　ASL；　there　was　no　reason　why　it　would　not　work　with　an　entirely　new　language。
　If　they　could　forge　satellite　links　from　the　Congo　to　Houston　to　Berkeley；　they　could　feed　video　data　from　a　captive　animal　directly　into　the　APE　program。　And　APE　promised　a　speed　of　translation　far　beyond　the　capacity　of　any　human　observer。　（The　army　software　was　designed　to　break　enemy　codes　in　minutes。）
　Elliot　and　Ross　were　convinced　it　would　work；　Munro　was
　not。　He　made　some　disparaging　ments　about　interrogating　prisoners　of　war。　〃What　do　you　intend　to　do；〃　he　said；　〃torture　the　animal？〃
　〃We　will　employ　situational　stress；〃　Elliot　said；　〃to　elicit　language　usage。〃　He　was　laying　out　test　materials　on　the　ground：　a　banana；　a　bowl　of　water；　a　piece　of　candy；　a　stick；　a　succulent　vine；　stone　paddles。　〃We'll　scare　the　hell　out　of　her　if　we　have　to。〃
　〃Her？〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Elliot　said；　loading　the　Thoralen　dart　gun。　〃Her。''
　
　4。Capture
　
　HE　WANTED　A　FEMALE　WITHOUT　AN　INFANT。　An　infant　would　create　difficulties。
　Pushing　through　waist…high　undergrowth；　he　found　himself　on　the　edge　of　a　sharp　ridge　and　saw　nine　animals　grouped　below　him：　two　males；　five　females；　and　two　juveniles。　They　were　foraging　through　the　jungle　twenty　feet　below。　He　watched　the　group　long　enough　to　be　sure　that　all　the　females　used　language；　and　that　there　were　no　infants　Concealed　in　the　foliage。　Then　he　waited　for　his　chance。
　The　gorillas　fed　casually　among　the　ferns；　plucking　up　tender　shoots；　which　they　chewed　lazily。　After　several　minutes；　one　female　moved　up　from　the　group　to　forage　nearer　the　top　of　the　ridge　where　he　was　crouching。　She　was　separated　from　the　rest　of　the　group　by　more　than　ten　yards。
　Elliot　raised　the　dart　pistol　in　both　hands　and　squinted　down　the　sight　at　the　female。　She　was　perfectly　positioned。
　He　watched；　squeezed　the　trigger　slowly…and　lost　his　footing　on　the　ridge。　He　fell　crashing　down　the　slope；　right　into　the　midst　of　the　gorillas。
　
　Elliot　lay　unconscious　on　his　back；　twenty　feet　below；　but　his　chest　was　moving；　and　his　arm　twitched；　Munro　felt　certain　that　he　was　all　right。　Munro　was　only　concerned　about　the　gorillas。
　The　gray　gorillas　had　seen　Elliot　fall　and　now　moved　toward　the　body。　Eight　or　nine　animals　clustered　around　him；　staring　impassively；　signing。
　Munro　slipped　the　safety　off　his　gun。
　Elliot　groaned；　touched　his　head；　and　opened　his　eyes。　Munro　saw　Elliot　stiffen　as　he　saw　the　gorillas；　but　he　did　not　move。　Three　mature　males　crouched　very　close　to　him；　and　he　understood　the　precariousness　of　his　situation。　Elliot　lay　motionless　on　the　ground　for　nearly　a　minute。　The　gorillas　whispered　and　signed；　but　they　did　not　e　any　closer。
　Finally　Elliot　sat　up　on　one　elbow；　which　caused　a　burst　of　signing　but　no　direct　threatening　behavior。
　On　the　hillside　above；　Amy　tugged　at　Munro's　sleeve；　signing　emphatically。　Munro　shook　his　head：　he　did　not　understand；　he　raised　his　machine　gun　again；　and　Amy　bit　his　kneecap。　The　pain　was　excruciating。　It　was　all　Munro　could　do　to　keep　from　screaming。
　
　Elliot；　lying　on　the　ground　below；　tried　to　control　his　breathing。　The　gorillas　were　very　close…close　enough　for　him　to　touch　them；　close　enough　to　smell　the　sweet；　musty　odor　of　their　bodies。　They　were　agitated；　the　males　had　started　grunting；　a　rhythmic　ho…ho…ho。
　He　decided　he　had　better　get　to　his　feet；　slowly　and　methodically。　He　thought　that　if　he　could　put　some　distance　between　himself　and　the　animals；　their　sense　of　threat　would　be　reduced。　But　as　soon　as　he　began　to　move　the　grunting　grew　louder；　and　one　of　the　males　began　a　sideways　crablike　movement；　slapping　the　ground　with　his　flat　palms。
　Immediately　Elliot　lay　back　down。　The　gorillas　relaxed；
　and　he　decided　he　had　done　the　correct　thing。　The　animals　were　confused　by　this　human　being　crashing　down　in　their　midst；　they　apparently　did　not　expect　contact　with　men　in　foraging　areas。
　He　decided　to　wait　them　out；　if　necessary　remaining　on　his　back　for　several　hours　until　they　lost　interest　and　moved　off。　He　breathed　slowly；　regularly；　aware　that　he　was　sweating。　Probably　he　smelled　of　fear…but　like　men；　gorillas　had　a　poorly　developed　sense　of　smell。　They　did　not　react…to　the　odor　of　fear。　He　waited。　The　gorillas　were　sighing　and　signing　swift