jurassic.park-第66章

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　　　　A　dozen　propsognathids；　delicate　little　predators　no　larger　than　ducks；　stood　at　the　edge　of　the　jungle；　chittering　excitedly　as　the　men　climbed　out　of　the　car。
　　　　Dennis　Nedry　lay　on　his　back；　the　chubby　boyish　face　now　red　and　bloated。　Flies　buzzed　around　the　gaping　mouth　and　thick　tongue。　His　body　was　mangled…the　intestines　torn　open；　one　leg　chewed　through。　Gennaro　turned　away　quickly；　to　look　at　the　little　pys；　which　squatted　on　their　hind　legs　a　short　distance　away　and　watched　the　men　curiously。　The　little　dinosaurs　had　five…fingered　hands；　he　noticed。　They　wiped　their　faces　and　chins；　giving　them　an　eerily　human　quality　which…
　　　　〃I'll　be　damned；〃　Muldoon　said。　〃Wasn't　the　pys。〃
　　　　〃What？〃
　　　　Muldoon　was　shaking　his　head。　〃See　these　blotches？　On　his　shirt　and　his　face？　Smell　that　sweet　smell　like　old；　dried　vomit？〃
　　　　Gennaro　rolled　his　eyes。　He　smelled　it。
　　　　〃That's　dilo　saliva；〃　Muldoon　said。　〃Spit　from　the　dilophosaurs。　You　see　the　damage　on　the　corneas；　all　that　redness。　In　the　eyes　it's　painful　but　not　fatal。　You've　got　about　two　hours　to　wash　it　out　with　the　antivenin；　we　keep　it　all　around　the　park；　just　in　case。　Not　that　it　mattered　to　this　bastard。　They　blinded　him；　then　ripped　him　down　the　middle。　Not　a　nice　way　to　go。　Maybe　there's　justice　in　the　world　after　all。〃
　　　　The　propsognatbids　squeaked　and　hopped　up　and　down　as　Gennaro　opened　the　back　door　and　took　out　gray　metal　tubing　and　a　stainless…steel　case。　〃It's　all　still　there；〃　he　said。　He　handed　two　dark　cylinders　to　Gennaro。
　　　　〃What're　these？〃　Gennaro　said。
　　　　〃Just　what　they　look　like；〃　Muldoon　said。　〃Rockets。〃　As　Gennaro　backed　away；　he　said；　〃Watch　it…you　don't　want　to　step　in　something。〃
　　　　Gennaro　stepped　carefully　over　Nedry's　body。　Muldoon　carried　the　tubing　to　the　other　Jeep；　and　placed　it　in　the　back。　He　climbed　behind　the　wheel。　〃Let's　go。〃
　　　　〃What　about　him？〃　Gennaro　said；　pointing　to　the　body。
　　　　〃What　about　him？〃　Muldoon　said。　〃We've　got　things　to　do。〃　He　put　the　car　in　gear。　Looking　back；　Gennaro　saw　the　pys　resume　their　feeding。　One　jumped　up　and　squatted　on　Nedry's　open　mouth　as　it　nibbled　the　flesh　of　his　nose。

The　jungle　river　became　narrower。　The　banks　closed　in　on　both　sides　until　the　trees　and　foliage　overhanging　the　banks　met　high　above　to　block　out　the　sun。　Tim　heard　the　cry　of　birds；　and　saw　small　chirping　dinosaurs　leaping　among　the　branches。　But　mostly　it　was　silent；　the　air　hot　and　still　beneath　the　canopy　of　trees。
　　　　Grant　looked　at　his　watch。　It　was　eight　o'clock。
　　　　They　drifted　along　peacefully；　among　dappled　patches　of　light。　If　anything；　they　seemed　to　be　moving　faster　than　before。　Awake　now；　Grant　lay　on　his　back　and　stared　up　at　the　branches　overhead。　In　the　how；　he　saw　her　reaching　up。
　　　　〃Hey；　wbat're　you　doing？〃　he　said。
　　　　〃You　think　we　can　eat　these　berries？〃　She　pointed　to　the　trees。　Some　of　the　overhanging　branches　were　close　enough　to　touch。　Tim　saw　clusters　of　bright　red　berries　on　the　branches。
　　　　〃No；〃　Grant　said。
　　　　〃Why？　Those　little　dinosaurs　are　eating　them。〃　She　pointed　to　small　dinosaurs；　scampering　in　the　branches。
　　　　〃No；　Lex。〃
　　　　She　sighed；　dissatisfied　with　his　authority。　〃I　wish　Daddy　was　here；〃　she　said。　〃Daddy　always　knows　what　to　do。〃
　　　　〃What're　you　talking　about？〃　Tim　said。　〃He　never　knows　what　to　do。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　he　does；〃　she　sighed。　Lex　stared　at　the　trees　as　they　slid　past；　their　big　roots　twisting　toward　the　water's　edge。　〃Just　because　you're　not　his　favorite　。　。　。〃
　　　　Tim　turned　away；　said　nothing。
　　　　〃But　don't　worry；　Daddy　likes　you；　too。　Even　if　you're　into　puters　and　not　sports。〃
　　　　〃Dad's　a　real　sports　nut；〃　Tim　explained　to　Grant。
　　　　Grant　nodded。　Up　in　the　branches；　small　pale　yellow　dinosaurs；　barely　two　feet　tall；　hopped　from　tree　to　tree。　They　had　beaky　heads；　like　parrots。　〃You　know　what　they　call　those？〃　Tim　said。　〃Microceratops。〃
　　　　〃Big　deal；〃　Lex　said。
　　　　〃I　thought　you　might　be　interested。〃
　　　　〃Only　very　young　boys；〃　she　said；　〃are　interested　in　dinosaurs。〃
　　　　〃Says　who？〃
　　　　〃Daddy。〃
　　　　Tim　started　to　yell；　but　Grant　raised　his　band。　〃Kids；〃　he　said；　〃shut　up。〃
　　　　〃Why？〃　Lex　said；　〃I　can　do　what　I　want；　if　I…〃
　　　　Then　she　fell　silent；　because　she　heard　it；　too。　It　was　a　bloodcurdling　shriek；　from　somewhere　downriver。

Well；　where　the　hell　is　the　damn　rex？〃　Muldoon　said；　talking　into　the　radio。　〃Because　we　don't　see　him　here。〃　They　were　back　at　the　sauropod　pound；　looking　out　at　the　trampled　grass　where　the　hadrosaurs　had　stampeded。　The　tyrannosaur　was　nowhere　to　be　found。
　　　　〃Checking　now；〃　Arnold　said；　and　clicked　off。
　　　　Muldoon　turned　to　Gennaro。　〃Checking　now；〃　he　repeated　sarcastically。　〃Why　the　hell　didn't　he　check　before？　Why　didn't　he　keep　track　of　him？〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Gennaro　said。
　　　　〃He's　not　showing　up；〃　Arnold　said；　a　moment　later。
　　　　〃What　do　you　mean；　he's　not　showing　up？〃
　　　　〃He's　not　on　the　monitors。　Motion　sensors　aren't　finding　him。〃
　　　　〃Hell；〃　Muldoon　said。　〃So　much　for　the　motion　sensors。　You　see　Grant　and　the　kids？〃
　　　　〃Motion　sensors　aren't　finding　them；　either。〃
　　　　〃Well；　what　are　we　supposed　to　do　now？〃　Muldoon　said。
　　　　〃Wait；〃　Arnold　said。

〃Look！　Look！〃
　　　　Directly　ahead；　the　big　dome　of　the　aviary　rose　above　them。　Grant　had　seen　it　only　from　a　distance；　now　he　realized　it　was　enormous…a　quarter　of　a　mile　in　diameter　or　more。　The　pattern　of　geodesic　struts　shone　dully　through　the　light　mist；　and　his　first　thought　was　that　the　glass　must　weigh　a　ton。　Then；　as　they　came　closer；　he　saw　there　wasn't　any　glass…just　struts。　A　thin　mesh　hung　inside　the　elements。
　　　　〃It　isn't　finished；〃　Lex　said。
　　　　〃I　think　it's　meant　to　be　open　like　that；〃　Grant　said。
　　　　〃Then　all　the　birds　can　fly　out。〃
　　　　〃Not　if　they're　big　birds；〃　Grant　said。
　　　　The　river　carried　them　beneath　the　edge　of　the　dome。　They　stared　upward。　Now　they　were　inside　the　dome；　still　drifting　down　the　river。　But　'thin　minutes　the　dome　was　so　high　above　them　that　it　was　hardly　visible　in　the　mist。　Grant　said；　〃I　seem　to　remember　there's　a　second　lodge　here。〃　Moments　later；　he　saw　the　roof　of　a　building　over　the　tops　of　the　trees　to　the　north。
　　　　〃You　want　to　stop？〃　Tim　said。
　　　　〃Maybe　there's　a　phone。　Or　motion　sensors。〃　Grant　steered　toward　the　shore。　〃We　need　to　try　to　contact　the　control　room。　It's　getting　late。〃
　　　　They　clambered　out；　slipping　on　the　muddy　bank；　and　Grant　hauled　the　raft　out　of　the　water。　Then　he　tied　the　rope　to　a　tree　and　they　set　off；　through　a　dense　forest　of　palm　trees。

Aviary

〃I　just　don't　understand；〃　John　Arnold　said；　speaking　into　the　phone。　〃I　don't　see　the　rex；　and　I　don't　see　Grant　and　the　kids　anywhere；　either。〃
　　　　He　sat　in　front　of　the　consoles　and　gulped　another　cup　of　coffee。　All　around　him；　the　control　room　was　strewn　with　paper　plates　and　half…eaten　sandwiches。　Arnold　was　exhausted。　It　was　8：00　a。m。　on　Saturday。　In　the　fourteen　hours　since　Nedry　destroyed　the　puter　that　ran　Jurassic　Park；　Arnold　had　patiently　pulled　systems　back　on　line；　one　after　another。　〃All　the　park　systems　are　back；　and　functioning　correctly。　The　phones　are　working。　I've　called　for　a　doctor　for　you。〃
　　　　On　the　other　end　of　the　line；　Malcolm　coughed。　Arnold　was　talking　to　him　in　his　room　at　the　lodge。　〃But　you're　having　trouble　with　the　motion　sensors？〃
　　　　〃Well；　I'm　not　finding　what　I　am　looking　for。〃
　　　　〃Like　the　rex？〃
　　　　〃He's　not　reading　at　all　now。　He　started　north　about　twenty　minutes　ago；　following　along　the　edge　of　the　lagoon；　and　then　I　lost　him。　I　don't　know　why；　unless　he's　gone　to　sleep　again。〃
　　　　〃And　you　can't　find　Grant　and　the　kids？〃
　　　　〃No。〃
　　　　〃I　think　it's　quite　simple；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃The　motion　sensors　cover　an　inadequate　area。〃
　　　　〃Inadequate？〃　Arnold　bristled。　〃They　cover　ninety…two…〃
　　　　〃Ninety…two　percent　of　the　land　area；　I　remember；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃But　if　you　put　the　remaining　areas　up　on　the　board；　I　think　you'll　find　that　the　eight　percent　is　topologically　unified；　meaning　that　those　areas　are　contiguous。　In　essence；　an　animal　can　move　freely　anywhere　in　the　park　and　escape　detection；　by　following　a　maintenance　road　or　the　jungle　river　or　the　beaches　or　whatever。〃
　　　　〃Even　if　that　were　so；〃　Arnold　said；　〃the　animals　a