the.lost.world-第4章

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　I've　heard。〃
　　　　Malcolm　stared　at　him。　〃And　you　believe　that？〃
　　　　〃Not　at　first；　I　didn't；〃　Levine　said。　〃But　the　thing　is；　I　keep　hearing　it。　The　rumors　keep　floating　around。　Supposedly　you；　and　Alan　Grant；　and　a　bunch　of　other　people　were　there。〃
　　　　〃Did　you　ask　Grant　about　it？〃
　　　　〃I　asked　him；　last　year；　at　a　conference　in　Peking。　He　said　it　was　absurd。〃
　　　　Malcolm　nodded　slowly。
　　　　〃Is　that　what　you　say？〃　Levine　asked；　drinking　his　beer。　〃I　mean；　you　know　Grant；　don't　you？〃
　　　　〃No。　I　never　met　him。〃
　　　　Levine　was　watching　Malcolm　closely。　〃So　it's　not　true？〃
　　　　Malcolm　sighed。　〃Are　you　familiar　with　the　concept　of　a　technomyth？　It　was　developed　by　Geller　at　Princeton。　Basic　thesis　is　that　we've　lost　all　the　old　myths；　Orpheus　and　Eurydice　and　Perseus　and　Medusa。　So　we　fill　the　gap　with　modern　techno…myths。　Geller　listed　a　dozen　or　so。　One　is　that　an　alien's　living　at　a　hangar　at　Wright…Patterson　Air　Force　Base；　Another　is　that　somebody　invented　a　carburetor　that　gets　a　hundred　and　fifty　miles　to　the　gallon；　but　the　automobile　panies　bought　the　patent　and　are　sitting　on　it。　Then　there's　the　story　that　the　Russians　trained　children　in　ESP　at　a　secret　base　in　Siberia　and　these　kids　can　kill　people　anywhere　in　the　world　with　their　thoughts。　The　story　that　the　lines　in　Nazca；　Peru；　are　an　alien　spaceport。　That　the　CIA　released　the　AIDS　virus　to　kill　homosexuals。　That　Nikola　Tesla　discovers　an　incredible　energy　source　but　his　notes　are　lost。　That　in　Istanbul　there's　a　tenth…century　drawing　that　shows　the　earth　from　space。　That　the　Stanford　Research　Institute　found　a　guy　whose　body　glows　in　the　dark。　Get　the　picture？〃
　　　　〃You're　saying　InGen's　dinosaurs　are　a　myth；〃　Levine　said。
　　　　〃Of　course　they　are。　They　have　to　be。　Do　you　think　it's　possible　to　genetically　engineer　a　dinosaur？〃
　　　　〃The　experts　all　tell　me　It's　not。〃
　　　　〃And　they're　right；〃　Malcolm　said。　He　glanced　at　Harding；　as　if　for　confirmation。　She　said　nothing；　just　drank　her　beer。
　　　　In　fact；　Harding　knew　something　more　about　these　dinosaur　rumors。　Once　after　surgery；　Malcolm　had　been　delirious；　mumbling　nonsense　from　the　anaesthesia　and　pain　medication。　And　he　had　been　seemingly　fearful；　twisting　in　the　bed；　repeating　the　names　of　several　kinds　of　dinosaurs。　Harding　had　asked　the　nurse　about　it；　she　said　he　was　like　that　after　every　operation。　The　hospital　staff　assumed　it　was　a　drug…induced　fantasy　…　yet　it　seemed　to　Harding　that　Malcolm　was　reliving　some　terrifying　actual　experience。　The　feeling　was　heightened　by　the　slangy；　familiar　way　Malcolm　referred　to　the　dinosaurs：　he　called　them　〃raptors〃　and　〃pys〃　and　〃trikes。〃　And　he　seemed　especially　fearful　of　the　raptors。
　　　　Later；　when　he　was　back　home；　she　had　asked　him　about　his　delirium。　He　had　just　shrugged　it　off；　making　a　bad　joke　…　〃At　least　I　didn't　mention　other　women；　did　I？〃　And　then　he　made　some　ment　about　having　been　a　dinosaur　nut　as　a　kid；　and　how　illness　made　you　regress。　His　whole　attitude　was　elaborately　indifferent；　as　if　it　were　all　unimportant；　she　had　the　distinct　feeling　he　was　being　evasive。　But　she　wasn't　inclined　to　push　it；　those　were　the　days　when　she　was　in　love　with　him；　her　attitude　indulgent。
　　　　Now　he　was　looking　at　her　in　a　questioning　way；　as　if　to　ask　if　she　was　going　to　contradict　him。　Harding　just　raised　an　eyebrow；　and　stared　back。　He　must　have　his　reasons。　She　could　wait　him　out。
　　　　Levine　leaned　forward　across　the　table　toward　Malcolm　and　said；　〃So　the　InGen　story　is　entirely　untrue？〃
　　　　〃Entirely　untrue；〃　Malcolm　said；　nodding　gravely。　〃Entirely　untrue。〃

Malcolm　had　been　denying　the　speculation　for　three　years。　By　now　he　was　getting　good　at　it；　his　weariness　was　no　longer　affected　but　genuine。　In　fact；　he　had　been　a　consultant　to　International　Genetic　Technologies　of　Palo　Alto　in　the　summer　of　1989；　and　he　had　made　a　trip　to　Costa　Rica　for　them；　which　had　turned　out　disastrously。　In　the　aftermath；　everyone　involved　had　moved　quickly　to　quash　the　story。　InGen　wanted　to　limit　its　liability。　The　Costa　Rican　government　wanted　to　preserve　its　reputation　as　a　tourist　paradise。　And　the　individual　scientists　had　been　bound　by　nondisclosure　agreements；　abetted　later　by　generous　grants　to　continue　their　silence。　In　Malcolm's　case；　two　years　of　medical　bills　had　been　paid　by　the　pany。
　　　　Meanwhile；　InGen's　island　facility　in　Costa　Rica　had　been　destroyed。　There　were　no　longer　any　living　creatures　on　the　island。　The　pany　had　hired　the　eminent　Stanford　professor　George　Baselton；　a　biologist　and　essayist　whose　frequent　television　appearances　had　made　him　a　popular　authority　on　scientific　subjects。　Baselton　claimed　to　have　visited　the　island；　and　had　been　tireless　in　denying　rumors　that　extinct　animals　had　ever　existed　there。　His　derisive　snort；　〃Saber…toothed　tigers；　indeed！〃　was　particularly　effective。
　　　　As　time　passed；　interest　in　the　story　waned。　InGen　was　long　since　bankrupt；　the　principal　investors　in　Europe　and　Asia　had　taken　their　losses。　Although　the　pany's　physical　assets；　the　buildings　and　lab　equipment；　would　be　sold　piecemeal；　the　core　technology　that　had　been　developed　would；　they　decided；　never　be　sold。　In　short；　the　InGen　chapter　was　closed。
　　　　There　was　nothing　more　to　say。
　　　　
〃So　there's　no　truth　to　it；〃　Levine　said；　biting　into　his　green…corn　tamale。　〃To　tell　you　the　truth；　Dr。　Malcolm；　that　makes　me　feel　better。〃
　　　　〃Why？〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　〃Because　it　means　that　the　remnants　that　keep　turning　up　in　Costa　Rica　must　be　real。　Real　dinosaurs。　I've　got　a　friend　from　Yale　down　there；　a　field　biologist；　and　he　says　he's　seen　them。　I　believe　him。〃
　　　　Malcolm　shrugged。　〃I　doubt；〃　he　said；　〃that　any　more　animals　will　turn　up　in　Costa　Rica。〃
　　　　〃It's　true　there　haven't　been　any　for　almost　a　year　now。　But　if　more　show　up；　I'm　going　down　there。　And　in　the　interim；　I　am　going　to　outfit　an　expedition。　I've　been　giving　a　lot　of　thought　to　how　it　should　be　done。　I　think　the　special　vehicles　could　be　built　and　ready　in　a　year。　I've　already　talked　to　Doc　Thorne　about　it。　Then　I'll　assemble　a　team；　perhaps　including　Dr。　Harding　here；　or　a　similarly　acplished　naturalist；　and　some　graduate　students。。。。〃
　　　　Malcolm　listened；　shaking　his　head。
　　　　〃You　think　I'm　wasting　my　time；〃　Levine　said。　〃I　do；　yes。〃
　　　　〃But　suppose　…　just　suppose　…　that　animals　start　to　show　up　again。〃
　　　　〃Never　happen。〃
　　　　〃But　suppose　they　did？〃　Levine　said。　〃Would　you　be　interested　in　helping　me？　To　plan　an　expedition？〃
　　　　Malcolm　finished　his　meal；　and　pushed　the　plate　aside。　He　stared　at　Levine。
　　　　〃Yes；〃　he　said　finally。　〃If　animals　started　showing　up　again；　I　would　be　interested　in　helping　you。〃
　　　　〃Great！〃　Levine　said。　〃That's　all　I　wanted　to　know。〃

Outside；　in　the　bright　sunlight　on　Guadalupe　Street；　Malcolm　walked　with　Sarah　toward　Malcolm's　battered　Ford　sedan。　Levine　climbed　into　a　bright…red　Ferrari；　waved　cheerfully；　and　roared　off。
　　　　〃You　think　it　will　ever　happen？〃　Sarah　Harding　said。　〃That　these；　ah；　animals　will　start　showing　up　again？〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Malcolm　said；　〃I　am　quite　sure　they　never　will。〃
　　　　〃You　sound　hopeful。〃
　　　　He　shook　his　head；　and　got　awkwardly　in　the　car；　swinging　his　bad　leg　tinder　the　steering　wheel。　Harding　climbed　in　beside　him。　He　glanced　at　her；　and　turned　the　key　in　the　ignition。　They　drove　back　to　the　Institute。

The　following　day；　she　went　back　to　Africa。　During　the　next　eighteen　months；　she　had　a　rough　sense　of　Levine's　progress；　since　from　time　to　time　he　called　her　with　some　question　about　field　protocols；　or　vehicle　tires；　or　the　best　anaesthetic　to　use　on　animals　in。　the　wild。　Sometimes　she　got　a　call　from　Doc　Thorne；　who　was　building　the　vehicles。　He　usually　sounded　harassed。
　　　　From　Malcolm　she　heard　nothing　at　all；　although　he　sent　her　a　card　on　her　birthday。　It　arrived　a　month　late。　He　had　scrawled　at　the　bottom；　〃Have　a　happy　birthday。　Be　glad　you're　nowhere　near　him。　He's　driving　me　crazy。〃

FIRST　CONFIGURATION

〃In　the　conservative　region　far　from　the　chaotic　edge；
individual　elements　coalesce　slowly；　showing　no　clear　pattern。〃

IAN　MALCOLM



Aberrant　Forms
　　　　
In　the　fading　afternoon　light；　the　helicopter　skimmed　low　along　the　coast；　following　the　line　where　the　dense　jungle