the.lost.world-第57章
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he baby just lay there on the ground； breathing shallowly； jaws still locked around Eddie's boot。 〃Jeez；〃 Eddie said。
〃Aggressive little guy； isn't he；〃 Sarah said。 〃Right from birth。。。〃
Eddie looked down at the tiny； razor…sharp jaws。 They hadn't penetrated the leather。 The baby held on firmly。 With the butt of his rifle； he poked the infant's head a couple of times。 It had no effect at all。 The baby lay on the ground； breathing shallowly。 Its big eyes blinked slowly as they stared up at Eddie； but it did not release its grip。
They heard the distant roars of the parents； somewhere to the north。 〃Let's get out of here；〃 Malcolm said。 〃We've seen what we came here to see。 We've got to find where Dodgson went。〃
Thorne said； 〃I think I saw a track up the trail。 They might have gone off there。〃
〃We better have a look。〃
They all started back to the car。
〃Wait a minute；〃 Eddie said； looking down at his foot。 〃What am I going to do about the baby？〃
〃Shoot it；〃 Malcolm said； over his shoulder。
〃You mean kill it？〃
Sarah said； 〃It's got a broken leg； Eddie； it's going to die anyway。〃
〃Yeah； but … 〃
Thorne called； 〃We're going back up the trail； Eddie； and if we don't find Dodgson； we'll take the ridge road going toward the laboratory。 Then down to the trailer again。〃
〃Okay； Doc。 I'm right behind you。〃 Eddie lifted his rifle； turned it in his hands。
〃Do it now；〃 Sarah said； climbing into the Explorer。 〃Because you don't want to be here when Momma and Poppa get back。〃
Gambler's Ruin
Driving up the trail； Malcolm stared at the dashboard monitor； as the image flicked from one camera view to another。 He was looking for Dodgson and the rest of his party。
Over the radio； Levine said； 〃How bad was it？〃
〃They took one egg；〃 Malcolm said。 〃And we had to shoot one of the babies。〃
〃So； a loss of two。 Out of a total hatching brood of what； six？〃
〃That's right。〃
〃Frankly； I'd say it's a minor matter；〃 Levine said。 〃As long as you stop those people from doing anything more。〃
〃We're looking for them now；〃 Malcolm said morosely。
Harding said； 〃It was bound to happen； Ian。 You know you can't expect to observe the animals without changing anything。 It's a scientific impossibility。〃
〃Of course it is；〃 Malcolm said。 〃That's the greatest single scientific discovery of the twentieth century。 You can't study anything without changing it。〃
Since Galileo； scientists had adopted the view that they were objective observers of the natural world。 That was implicit in every aspect of their behavior； even the way they wrote scientific papers； saying things like 〃It was observed。。。〃 As if nobody had observed it。 For three hundred years； that impersonal quality was the hallmark of science。 Science was objective； and the observer had no influence on the results he or she described。
This objectivity made science different from the humanities； or from religion…fields where the observer's point of view was integral； where the observer was inextricably mixed up in the results observed。
But in the twentieth century； that difference had vanished。 Scientific objectivity was gone； even at the most fundamental levels。 Physicists now knew you couldn't even measure a single subatomic particle without affecting it totally。 If you stuck your Instruments in to measure a particle's position； you changed its velocity。 If you measured its velocity； you changed its position。 That basic truth became the Heisenberg uncertainty principle： that whatever you studied you also changed。 In the end； it became clear that all scientists were participants in a participatory universe which did not allow anyone to be a mere observer。
〃I know objectivity is impossible；〃 Malcolm said impatiently。 〃I'm not concerned about that。〃
〃Then what are you concerned about？〃
〃I'm concerned about the Gambler's Ruin；〃 Malcolm said； staring at the monitor。
Gambler's Ruin was a notorious and much…debated statistical phenomenon that had major consequences both for evolution； and for everyday life。 〃Let's say you're a gambler；〃 he said。 〃And you're playing a coin…toss game。 Every time the coin es up heads； you win a dollar。 Every time it es up tails； you lose a dollar。〃
〃Okay。〃
〃What happens over time？〃
Harding shrugged。 〃The chances of getting either heads or tails is even。 So maybe you win； maybe you lose。 But in the end； you'll e out at zero。〃
〃Unfortunately； you don't；〃 Malcolm said。 〃If you gamble long enough； you'll always lose … the gambler is always ruined。 That's why casinos stay in business。 But the question is； what happens over time？ What happens in the period before the gambler is finally ruined？〃
〃Okay；〃 she said。 〃What happens？〃
〃If you chart the gambler's fortunes over time； what you find is the gambler wins for a period； or loses for a period。 In other words； everything in the world goes in streaks。 It's a real phenomenon； and you see it everywhere： in weather； in river flooding； in baseball； in heart rhythms； in stock markets。 Once things go bad； they tend to stay bad。 Like the old folk saying that bad things e in threes。 plexity theory tells us the folk wisdom is right。 Bad things cluster。 Things go to hell together。 That's the real world。〃
〃So what are you saying？ That things are going to hell now？〃
〃They could be； thanks to Dodgson；〃 Malcolm said； frowning at the monitor。 〃What happened to those bastards； anyway？〃
King
There was a buzzing； like the sound of a distant bee。 Howard King was dimly aware of it； as he came slowly back to consciousness。 He opened his eyes； and saw the windshield of a car； and the branches of trees beyond。
The buzzing was louder。
King didn't know where he was。 He couldn't remember how he got here； what had happened。 He felt pain in his shoulders； and at his hips。 His forehead throbbed。 He tried to remember but the pain distracted him； prevented him from thinking clearly。 The last thing he remembered was the tyrannosaur in front of him on the road。 That was the last thing。 Then Dodgson had looked back and …
King turned his head； and cried out as sudden； sharp pain ran up his neck to his skull。 The pain made him gasp； took his breath away。 He closed his eyes； wincing。 Then he slowly opened them again。
Dodgson was not in the car。 The driver's door hung wide open； a dappled shadow across the door panel。 The keys were still in the ignition。
Dodgson was gone。
There was a streak of blood across the top of the steering wheel。 The black box was on the floor by the gearshift。 The open driver's door creaked a little； moved a little。
In the distance； King heard the buzzing again； like a giant bee。 It was a mechanical sound； he now realized。 Something mechanical。
It made him think of the boat。 How long would the boat wait at the river？ What time was it； anyway？ He looked at his watch。 The crystal was smashed； the hands fixed at 1：54。
He heard the buzzing again。 It was ing closer。
With an effort； King pushed himself away from the seat； toward the dashboard。 Streaks of electric pain shot up his spine； but quickly subsided。 He took a deep breath。
I'm all right； he thought。 At least； I'm still here。
King looked at the open driver's door； in the sunlight。 The sun was still high。 It must still be sometime in the afternoon。 When was the boat leaving？ Four o'clock？ Five o'clock？ He couldn't remember any more。 But he was certain that those Spanish fishermen wouldn't hang around once it started to get dark。 They'd leave the island。
And Howard King wanted to be on the boat when they did。 It was the only thing he wanted in the world。 Wincing； he raised himself up； and painfully slid over to the driver's seat。 He settled himself in； took a deep breath； and then leaned over； and looked out the open door。
The car was hanging over empty space； supported by trees。 He saw a steep jungle hillside； falling away beneath him。 It was dark beneath the canopy of trees。 He felt dizzy； just looking down。 The ground must be twenty or thirty feet below him。 He saw scattered green ferns； and a few dark boulders。 He twisted his body to look more。
And then he sa
