mc.prey-第53章

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　Those　views　were　too　simpleminded。　Nineteenth…century　thinkers　saw　evolution　as　〃nature　red　in　tooth　and　claw；〃　envisioning　a　world　where　strong　animals　killed　weaker　ones。　They　didn't　take　into　account　that　the　weaker　ones　would　inevitably　get　stronger；　or　fight　back　in　some　other　way。　Which　of　course　they　always　do。
　The　new　ideas　emphasized　interactions　among　continuously　evolving　forms。　Some　people　talked　of　evolution　as　an　arms　race；　by　which　they　meant　an　ever…escalating　interaction。　A　plant　attacked　by　a　pest　evolves　a　pesticide　in　its　leaves。　The　pest　evolves　to　tolerate　the　pesticide；　so　the　plant　evolves　a　stronger　pesticide。　And　so　on。
　Others　talked　about　this　pattern　as　coevolution；　in　which　two　or　more　life…forms　evolved　simultaneously　to　tolerate　each　other。　Thus　a　plant　attacked　by　ants　evolves　to　tolerate　the　ants；　and　even　begins　to　make　special　food　for　them　on　the　surface　of　its　leaves。　In　return　the　resident　ants　protect　the　plant；　stinging　any　animal　that　tries　to　eat　the　leaves。　Pretty　soon　neither　the　plant　nor　the　ant　species　can　survive　without　the　other。
　This　pattern　was　so　fundamental　that　many　people　thought　it　was　the　real　core　of　evolution。　Parasitism　and　symbiosis　were　the　true　basis　for　evolutionary　change。　These　processes　lay　at　the　heart　of　all　evolution；　and　had　been　present　from　the　very　beginning。　Lynn　Margulies　was　famous　for　demonstrating　that　bacteria　had　originally　developed　nuclei　by　swallowing　other　bacteria。
　By　the　twenty…first　century；　it　was　clear　that　coevolution　wasn't　limited　to　paired　creatures　in　some　isolated　spinning　dance。　There　were　coevolutionary　patterns　with　three；　ten；　or　n　life…forms；　where　n　could　be　any　number　at　all。　A　cornfield　contained　many　kinds　of　plants；　was　attacked　by　many　pests；　and　evolved　many　defenses。　The　plants　peted　with　weeds；　the　pests　peted　with　other　pests；　larger　animals　ate　both　the　plants　and　the　pests。　The　oute　of　this　plex　interaction　was　always　changing；　always　evolving。　And　it　was　inherently　unpredictable。
　That　was；　in　the　end；　why　I　was　so　angry　with　Ricky。
　He　should　have　known　the　dangers；　when　he　found　he　couldn't　control　the　swarms。　It　was　insanity　to　sit　back　and　allow　them　to　evolve　on　their　own。　Ricky　was　bright；　he　knew　about　genetic　algorithms；　he　knew　the　biological　background　for　current　trends　in　programming。　He　knew　that　self…organization　was　inevitable。
　He　knew　that　emergent　forms　were　unpredictable。
　He　knew　that　evolution　involved　interaction　with　n　forms。
　He　knew　all　that；　and　he　did　it　anyway。
　He　did；　or　Julia　did。
　*　*　*
　I　checked　on　Charley。　He　was　still　asleep　in　his　room；　sprawled　out　on　the　bed。　Bobby　Lembeck　walked　by。　〃How　long　has　he　been　asleep？〃
　〃Since　you　got　back。　Three　hours　or　so。〃
　〃Do　you　think　we　should　wake　him　up；　check　on　him？〃
　〃Nah；　let　him　sleep。　We'll　check　him　after　dinner。〃
　〃When　is　that？〃
　〃Half　an　hour。〃　Bobby　Lembeck　laughed。　〃I'm　cooking。〃
　That　reminded　me　I　was　supposed　to　call　home　around　dinnertime；　so　I　went　into　my　room　and　dialed。
　Ellen　answered　the　phone。　〃Hello？　What　is　it！〃　She　sounded　harried。　I　heard　Amanda　crying　and　Eric　yelling　at　Nicole　in　the　background。　Ellen　said；　〃Nicole；　do　not　do　that　to　your　brother！〃
　I　said；　〃Hi；　Ellen。〃
　〃Oh；　thank　God；〃　she　said。　〃You　have　to　speak　to　your　daughter。〃
　〃What's　going　on？〃
　〃Just　a　minute。　Nicole；　it's　your　father。〃　I　could　tell　she　was　holding　out　the　phone　to　her。
　A　pause；　then；　〃Hi；　Dad。〃
　〃What's　going　on；　Nic？〃
　〃Nothing。　Eric　is　being　a　brat。〃　Matter…of…factly。
　〃Nic；　I　want　to　know　what　you　did　to　your　brother。〃
　〃Dad。〃　She　lowered　her　voice　to　a　whisper。　I　knew　she　was　cupping　her　hand　over　the　phone。　〃Aunt　Ellen　is　not　very　nice。〃
　〃I　heard　that；〃　Ellen　said；　in　the　background。　But　at　least　the　baby　had　stopped　crying；　she'd　been　picked　up。
　〃Nicole；〃　I　said。　〃You're　the　oldest　child；　I'm　counting　on　you　to　help　keep　things　together　while　I'm　gone。〃
　〃I'm　trying；　Dad。　But　he　is　a　majorly　turkey　butt。〃
　From　the　background：　〃I　am　not！　Up　yours；　weasel　poop！〃
　〃Dad。　You　see　what　I'm　up　against。〃
　Eric：　〃Up　your　hole　with　a　ten…foot　pole！〃
　I　looked　at　the　monitor　in　front　of　me。　It　showed　views　of　the　desert　outside；　rotating　images　from　all　the　security　cameras。　One　camera　showed　my　dirt　bike；　lying　on　its　side；　near　the　door　to　the　power　station。　Another　camera　showed　the　outside　of　the　storage　shed；　with　the　door　swinging　open　and　shut；　revealing　the　outline　of　Rosie's　body　inside。　Two　people　had　died　today。　I　had　almost　died。　And　now　my　family；　which　yesterday　had　been　the　most　important　thing　in　my　life；　seemed　distant　and　petty。
　〃It's　very　simple；　Dad；〃　Nicole　was　saying　in　her　most　reasonable　grown…up　voice。　〃I　came　home　with　Aunt　Ellen　from　the　store；　I　got　a　very　nice　blouse　for　the　show；　and　then　Eric　came　into　my　room　and　knocked　all　my　books　on　the　floor。　So　I　told　him　to　pick　them　up。　He　said　no　and　called　me　the　b…word；　so　I　kicked　him　in　the　butt；　not　very　hard；　and　took　his　G。I。　Joe　and　hid　it。　That's　all。〃
　I　said；　〃You　took　his　G。I。　Joe？〃　G。I。　Joe　was　Eric's　most　important　possession。　He　talked　to　G。I。　Joe。　He　slept　with　G。I。　Joe　on　the　pillow　beside　him。
　〃He　can　have　it　back；〃　she　said；　〃as　soon　as　he　cleans　up　my　books。〃
　〃Nic　。。。〃
　〃Dad；　he　called　me　the　b…word。〃
　〃Give　him　his　G。I。　Joe。〃
　The　images　on　the　screen　were　rotating　through　the　various　cameras。　Each　image　only　stayed　on　screen　for　a　second　or　two。　I　waited　for　the　image　of　the　shed　to　e　back　up。　I　had　a　nagging　feeling　about　it。　Something　bothered　me。
　〃Dad；　this　is　humiliating。〃
　〃Nic；　you're　not　the　mother…〃
　〃Oh　yeah；　and　she　was　here　for　maybe　five　seconds。〃
　〃She　was　at　the　house？　Mom　was　there？〃
　〃But　then；　big　surprise；　she　had　to　go。　She　had　a　plane　to　catch。〃
　〃Uh…huh。　Nicole；　you　need　to　listen　to　Ellen…〃
　〃Dad；　I　told　you　she's　being…〃
　〃Because　she's　in　charge　until　I　get　back。　So　if　she　says　to　do　something；　you　do　it。〃
　〃Dad。　I　feel　this　is　unreasonable。〃　Her　members…of…the…jury　voice。
　〃Well；　honey；　that's　how　it　is。〃
　〃But　my　problem…〃
　〃Nicole。　That's　how　it　is。　Until　I　get　back。〃
　〃When　are　you　ing　home？〃
　〃Probably　tomorrow。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　〃So。　We　understand　each　other？〃
　〃Yes；　Dad。　I'll　probably　have　a　nervous　breakdown　here　。。。〃
　〃Then　I　promise　I'll　visit　you　in　the　mental　hospital；　as　soon　as　I　get　back。〃
　〃Very　funny。〃
　〃Let　me　speak　to　Eric。〃
　I　had　a　short　conversation　with　Eric；　who　told　me　several　times　that　it　was　not　fair。　I　told　him　to　put　Nicole's　books　back。　He　said　he　didn't　knock　them　down；　it　was　an　accident。　I　said　to　put　them　back　anyway。　Then　I　talked　to　Ellen　briefly。　I　encouraged　her　as　best　I　could。　Sometime　during　this　conversation；　the　security　camera　showing　the　outside　of　the　shed　came　up　again。　And　I　again　saw　the　swinging　door；　and　the　outside　of　the　shed。　In　this　elevation　the　shed　was　slightly　above　grade；　there　were　four　wooden　steps　leading　from　the　door　down　to　ground　level。　But　it　all　looked　the　way　it　should。　I　did　not　know　what　had　bothered　me。　Then　I　realized。
　David's　body　wasn't　there。　It　wasn't　in　the　frame。　Earlier　in　the　day；　I　had　seen　his　body　slide　out　the　door　and　disappear　from　view；　so　it　should　be　lying　outside。　Given　the　slight　grade；　it　might　have　rolled　a　few　yards　from　the　door；　but　not　more　than　that。　No　body。
　But　perhaps　I　was　mistaken。　Or　perhaps　there　were　coyotes。　In　any　case　the　camera　image　had　now　changed。　I'd　have　to　sit　through　another　cycle　to　see　it　again。　I　decided　not　to　wait。　If　David's　body　was　gone；　there　was　nothing　I　could　do　about　it　now。　It　was　about　seven　o'clock　when　we　sat　down　to　eat　dinner　in　the　little　kitchen　of　the　residential　module。　Bobby　brought　out　plates　of　ravioli　with　tomato　sauce；　and　mixed　vegetables。　I　had　been　a　stay…at…home　dad　long　enough　to　recognize　the　brands　of　frozen　food　he　was　using。　〃I　really　think　that　Contadina　is　better　ravioli。〃
　Bobby　shrugged。　〃I　go　to　the　fridge；　I　find　what's　there。〃
　I　was　surprisingly　hungry。　I　ate　everything　on　my　plate。
　〃Couldn't　have　been　that　bad；〃　Bobby　said。
　Mae　was　silent　as　she　ate；　as　usual。　Beside　her；　Vince　ate　noisily。　Ricky　was　at　the　far　end　o