ch.nativetongue-第4章

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　Winder　shrugged。　〃The　park　netted　forty…two　million　dollars　last　year。　I　know　a　few　reporters　who'd　be　happy　to　remind　us。〃
　〃All　right；　go　for　ten；〃　said　Charles　Chelsea。　〃But　don't　overplay　it。　Otherwise　every　geek　in　Miami　is　going　to　show　up　at　the　gate　with　shoe　boxes　full　of　God　knows　what。〃
　The　thought　of　it　made　Joe　Winder　smile　for　the　first　time　all　day。
　
　One　of　the　few　things　Winder　liked　about　his　new　job　was　the　golf　cart　he　got　to　drive　around　the　Amazing　Kingdom　of　Thrills。　It　was　a　souped…up　Cushman　with　an　extra　set　of　twelve…volts；　and　headlights　scavenged　off　a　real　Jeep。　It　was　the　closest　thing　to　a　pany　car　that　Joe　Winder　had　ever　had；　and　sometimes　（especially　on　that　long　downhill　stretch　between　Magic　Mansion　and　the　Wet　Willy）　he　could　stomp　on　the　tiny　accelerator　and　forget　what　exactly　he　did　for　a　living。　At　night　Joe　Winder　tried　to　drive　more　carefully；　because　it　was　harder　to　watch　out　for　the　tourists。　The　tourists　at　the　Amazing　Kingdom　seldom　paid　attention　to　where　they　were　going；　they　wandered　and　weaved；　peered　and　pointed。　And　who　could　blame　them？　There　were　so　many　colorful　and　entertaining　distractions。　Before　Charles　Chelsea　had　given　Joe　Winder　the　keys　to　the　Cushman；　he　had　warned　him　to　be　wary　when　driving　near　the　tourists。　〃Whatever　you　do；　don't　hit　one；〃　Chelsea　had　said。　〃If　you're　going　to　crash；　aim　for　a　building；〃　he　had　advised；　〃or　even　a　park　employee。　Anything　but　a　paying　customer。〃
　So　Joe　Winder　drove　with　extra　caution　in　the　golf　cart　at　night。　He　arrived　at　the　Rare　Animal　Pavilion　shortly　after　eight；　and　parked　in　the　back。　Dr。　Will　Koocher；　the　vole　man；　was　waiting　inside　with　handouts　and　glossy　photographs。　Winder　sat　on　a　lab　stool　and　skimmed　the　material。
　Koocher　said；　〃We　kept　the　information　fairly　general。　They　tell　me　the　pictures　usually　go　over　big。〃
　As　Winder　studied　the　photographs；　he　said；　〃Cute　little　buggers。〃
　〃They're　just　rodents；〃　the　doctor　noted；　without　malice。
　〃You　don't　understand；〃　Winder　said；　〃Cuteness　is　vital　for　a　story　like　this。〃　He　explained　how　newspapers　and　television　stations　got　much　more　excited　about　animal　stories　when　the　animal　came　across　as　cuddly　and　lovable。　〃I'm　not　saying　it's　good　or　bad；　but　that's　the　way　it　is。〃
　Will　Koocher　nodded。　〃Like　with　the　manatees…everybody　wants　to　save　the　manatees；　but　nobody　gives　a　hoot　about　the　poor　crocodiles。〃
　〃Because　they're　not　particularly　cute；〃　Winder　said。　〃Who　wants　to　hug　a　reptile？〃
　〃I　see　your　point。〃　Will　Koocher　was　a　gaunt　young　man　with　the　longest　neck　that　Joe　Winder　had　ever　seen。　He　seemed　painfully　earnest　and　shy；　and　Winder　liked　him　immediately。
　〃I'll　tell　you　what　I　can；〃　Koocher　said；　〃but　I've　only　been　here　a　month。〃
　Like　everything　else　at　the　Amazing　Kingdom；　the　Vole　Project　had　begun　as　a　scheme　to　pete　with　Walt　Disney　World。　Years　earlier；　Disney　had　tried　to　save　the　dusky　seaside　sparrow；　a　small　marsh　bird　whose　habitat　was　being　wiped　out　by　overdevelopment　along　Florida's　coastline。　With　much　fanfare；　Disney　had　unveiled　a　captive…breeding　program　for　the　last　two　surviving　specimens　of　the　dusky。　Unfortunately；　the　last　two　surviving　specimens　were　both　males；　and　even　the　wizards　of　Disney　could　not　induce　the　scientific　miracle　of　homosexual　procreation。　Eventually　the　sparrow　fell　to　extinction；　but　the　Disney　organization　won　gobs　of　fawning　publicity　for　its　conservation　efforts。
　Not　to　be　outdone　（although　he　invariably　was）；　Francis　X。　Kingsbury　had　selected　another　endangered　species　and　manded　that　his　staff　save　it；　ASAP。　And　so　the　Vole　Project　was　born。
　Koocher　had　gotten　the　phone　call　while　finishing　his　thesis　at　Cornell。　〃I'd　published　two　field　studies　on　the　genus　Microtus；　so　I　suppose　that's　where　they　got　my　name。　Anyway；　this　guy　Chelsea　calls　and　asks　if　I'd　heard　of　Microtus　mango；　and　I　said　no；　all　my　work　was　on　the　northern　species。　He　sent　me　a　scientific　paper　that　had　been　published；　and　offered　me　a　job。　Forty　grand　a　year。〃
　〃That's　good　money　right　out　of　school。〃
　〃Tell　me　about　it。　I　burned　up　the　interstate　getting　down　here。〃
　〃And　that's　when　you　met　Violet　and　Vance。〃
　〃Who's　that？〃
　〃The　voles；〃　Winder　said。　〃They've　got　names　now。〃
　〃Really？〃　Will　Koocher　looked　doubtful。　〃I　always　called　them　Male　One　and　Female　One。〃
　〃Not　anymore。　Kingsbury's　got　big　plans；　PR…wise。　The　little　mango　curies　are　going　to　be　famous…don't　be　surprised　if　the　networks　show　up　tomorrow。〃
　〃Is　that　so；〃　Koocher　said；　with　not　the　wildest　enthusiasm。　Winder　sensed　that　the　scientist　disapproved　of　anthropomorphizing　rodents；　so　he　decided　to　lay　off　the　Vance…and…Violet　routine。　Instead　he　asked　about　the　tongue。
　〃Well；　it　really　is　blue；〃　Koocher　said　stiffly。　〃Remarkably　blue。〃
　〃Could　I　say　indigo？〃　Joe　Winder　was　taking　notes。
　〃Yeah；〃　said　Koocher；　〃that's　about　right。〃　He　started　to　say　something　more；　but　caught　himself。
　Joe　Winder　asked：　〃So　what　killed　off　the　rest　of　them？　Was　it　disease？〃
　〃No；　same　old　story。　The　encroachment　of　mankind。〃　Koocher　unfolded　a　map　that　illustrated　how　the　mango　vole　had　once　ranged　from　the　Middle　Keys　up　to　Palm　Beach。　As　the　coastline　surrendered　to　hotels；　subdivisions　and　condominiums；　the　voles〃　territory　shrank。　〃They　tell　me　the　last　known　colony　was　here；　on　North　Key　Largo。　One　of　Kingsbury's　foremen　found　it　in　1988；　but　so　did　a　hungry　barn　owl。　They　were　lucky　to　save　the　two　that　they　did。〃
　〃And　they　mated　for　life？〃　said　Winder。
　Koocher　seemed　amused。　〃Who　told　you　that？〃
　〃Chelsea。〃
　〃That　figures。　Voles　don't　mate　for　life。　They　mate　for　fun；　and　they　mate　with　just　about　anything　that　resembles　another　vole。〃
　Winder　said；　〃Then　here's　another　dumb　question：　Why　were　there　only　two　in　our　exhibit？　They'd　been　together；　what；　a　year？　So　where're　all　the　bouncing　baby　voles？〃
　Edgily；　Koocher　said；　〃That's　been　our　biggest　disappointment。〃
　〃I　did　some　reading　up　on　it；〃　Winder　said。　〃With　your　typical　Microtus；　the　female　gives　birth　every　two　months。　Each　litter's　got　eight　or　nine　babies…at　that　rate；　you　could　replenish　the　whole　species　in　a　year。〃
　Will　Koocher　shifted　unfortably。　〃Female　One　was　not　receptive；〃　he　said。　〃Do　you　understand　what　that　means？〃
　〃Do　I　ever。〃
　〃This　was　an　extreme　case。　The　female　nearly　killed　the　male　on　several　occasions。　We　had　to　hire　a　Wackenhut　to　watch　the　cage。〃
　〃A　guard？〃　said　Joe　Winder。
　〃To　make　sure　she　didn't　hurt　him。〃
　Winder　swallowed　a　laugh。　Apparently；　Koocher　saw　no　humor　in　the　story。　He　said；　〃I　felt　sorry　for　the　little　guy。　The　female　was　much　larger；　and　extremely　hostile。　Every　time　the　male　would　attempt　to　mount　her；　she　would　attack。〃
　Joe　Winder　put　his　notebook　away。　He'd　think　of　a　way　to　write　around　the　reproduction　question。
　Koocher　said：　〃The　female　vole　wasn't　quite　right。〃
　〃In　what　way？〃
　But　Koocher　was　staring　past　him。　Winder　turned　and　saw　Charles　Chelsea　on　the　other　side　of　the　glass　door。　Chelsea　gave　a　chipper；　three…fingered　salute　and　disappeared。
　The　doctor　said；　〃Now's　not　a　terrific　time　to　get　into　all　this。　Can　we　talk　later？〃
　〃You　bet。　I'll　be　in　the　publicity　office。〃
　〃No；　not　here。　Can　I　call　you　at　home　in　a　day　or　two？〃
　Winder　said　sure。　〃But　I've　got　to　write　the　press　release　tonight。　If　there's　something　I　ought　to　know；　please　tell　me　before　I　make　an　ass　of　myself。〃
　Koocher　stood　up　and　smoothed　the　breast　of　his　lab　coat。　〃That　business　about　the　networks　ing…were　you　serious？〃
　〃Cute　sells；〃　Winder　said。　〃You　take　an　offbeat　animal　story　on　a　slow　news　day；　we're　talking　front　page。〃
　〃Christ。〃　Koocher　sighed。
　〃Hey；　I'm　sorry；〃　Winder　said。　He　hadn't　meant　to　e　off　as　such　a　coldhearted　prick。　〃I　know　what　these　little　critters　meant　to　you。〃
　Will　Koocher　smiled　ruefully。　He　folded　the　habitat　map　and　put　it　away。　He　looked　tired　and　sad；　and　Winder　felt　bad　for　him。　〃It's　all　right；〃　the　young　scientist　said。　〃They　were　doomed；　no　matter　what。〃
　〃We're　all　doomed；〃　said　Joe　Winder；　〃if　you　really　think　about　it。〃　Which　he　tried　not　to。
　
　Bud　Schwartz　parked　the　pickup　truck　under　an　immense　ficus　tree。　He　told　Dan