the.lost.world-第58章
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cattered green ferns； and a few dark boulders。 He twisted his body to look more。
And then he saw him。
Dodgson lay on his back； head downward； on the slope of the hill。 His body was crumpled； arms and legs thrown out in awkward positions。 He was not moving。 King couldn't see him very well； in the dense foliage on the hillside； but Dodgson looked dead。
The buzzing was suddenly very loud； building rapidly； and King looked forward and saw； through the foliage that blocked the windshield； a car driving by； not ten yards away。 A car！
And then the car was gone。 From the sound of it； he thought； it was an electric car。 So it must be Malcolm。
Howard King was somehow encouraged by the thought that other people were on this island。 He felt new strength； despite the pain in his body。 He reached forward； and turned the key in the ignition。 The engine rumbled。
He put the car in gear； and gently stepped on the accelerator。
The rear wheels spun。 He engaged the front…wheel drive。 At once； the Jeep rumbled forward； lurching through the branches。 A moment later； he was out on the road。
He remembered this road now。 To the right； it led down to the tyrannosaurus nest。 Malcolm's car had gone to the left。
King turned left； and headed up the road。 He was trying to remember how to get back to the river； back to the boat。 He vaguely recalled that there was a Y…fork in the road at the top of the hill。 He would take that fork； he decided； drive down the hill； and get the hell off this island。
That was his only goal。
To get off this island； before it was too late。
Bad News
The Explorer came to the top of the hill； and Thorne drove onto the ridge road。 The road curved back and forth； cut into the rock face of the cliff。 In many places； the dropoff was precipitous； but they had views over the entire island。 Eventually they came to a place where they could look over the valley。 They could see the high hide off to the left； and closer by； the clearing with the two trailers。 Off to the right was the laboratory plex； and the worker plex beyond。
〃I don't see Dodgson anywhere；〃 Malcolm said unhappily。 〃Where could he have gone？〃
Thorne pushed the radio button。 〃Arby？〃
〃Yes； Doc。〃
〃Do you see them？〃
〃No； but。。。〃 He hesitated。
〃What？〃
〃Don't you want to e back here now？ It's pretty amazing。〃
〃What is？〃 Thorne said。
〃Eddie；〃 Arby said。 〃He just got back。 And he brought the baby with
him。〃
Malcolm leaned forward。 〃He did what？〃
FIFTH CONFIGURATION
〃At the edge of chaos； unexpected outes occur。 The risk to survival is severe。〃
IAN MALCOLM
Baby
In the trailer； they were clustered around the table where the baby Tyrannosaurus rex now lay unconscious on a stainless…steel pan； his large eyes closed； his snout pushed into the clear plastic oval of an oxygen mask。 The mask almost fitted the baby's blunt snout。 The oxygen hissed softly。
〃I couldn't just leave him；〃 Eddie said。 〃And I figured we can fix his leg。。。〃
〃But Eddie；〃 Malcolm said； shaking his head。
〃So I shot him full of morphine from the first…aid kit； and brought him back。 You see？ The oxygen mask almost fits him。〃
〃Eddie；〃 Malcolm said； 〃this was the wrong thing to do。〃
〃Why？ He's okay。 We just fix him and take him back。〃
〃But you're interfering with the system；〃 Malcolm said。
The radio clicked。 〃This is extremely unwise；〃 Levine said； over the radio。 〃Extremely。〃
〃Thank you； Richard；〃 Thorne said。
〃I am entirely opposed to bringing any animal back to the trailer。〃
〃Too late to worry about that now；〃 Sarah Harding said。 She had moved forward alongside the baby； and began strapping cardiac leads to the animal's chest； they heard the thump of the heartbeat。 It was very fast； over a hundred and fifty beats a minute。 〃How much morphine did you give him？〃
〃Gee；〃 Eddie said。 〃I just。。。you know。 The whole syringe。〃
〃What is that？ Ten cc's？〃
〃I think。 Maybe twenty。〃
Malcolm looked at Harding。 〃How long before it wears off？〃
〃I have no idea；〃 she said。 〃I've sedated lions and jackals in the field； when I tagged them。 With those animals； there's a rough correlation between dose and body weight。 But with young animals； it's unpredictable。 Maybe a few minutes； maybe a few hours。 And I don't know a thing about baby tyrannosaurs。 Basically； it's a function of metabolism； and this one seems to be rapid； bird…like。 The heart's pumping very fast。 All I can say is； let's get him out of here as quickly as possible。〃
Harding picked up the small ultrasound transducer and held it to the baby's leg。 She looked over her shoulder at the monitor。 Kelly and Arby were blocking the view。 〃Please； give us a little room here；〃 she said； and they moved away。 〃We don't have much time。 Please。〃
As they moved away； Sarah saw the green…and…white outlines of the leg and its bones。 Surprisingly like a large bird； she thought。 A vulture or a stork。 She moved the transducer。 〃Okay。。。there's the metatarsals。。。and there's the tibia and fibula； the two bones of the lower leg。。。。〃
Arby said； 〃Why are the bones different shades like that？〃 The legs had some dense white sections within paler…green outlines。
〃Because it's an infant；〃 Harding said。 〃His legs are still mostly cartilage； with very little calcified bone。 I'd guess this baby probably can't walk yet … at least； not very well。 There。 Look at the patella。。。。You can see the blood supply to the joint capsule。。。。〃
〃How e you know all this anatomy？〃 Kelly said。
〃I have to。 I spend a lot of time looking through the seat of predators； she said。 〃Examining pieces of bones that are left behind； and figuring out which animals have been eaten。 To do that； you have to know parative anatomy very well。〃 She moved the transducer along the baby's leg。 〃And my father was a vet。〃
Malcolm looked up sharply。 〃Your father was a vet？〃
〃Yes。 At the San Diego Zoo。 He was a bird specialist。 But I don't see。。。Can you magnify this？〃
Arby flicked a switch。 The image doubled in size。
〃Ah。 Okay。 All right。 There it is。 You see it？〃
〃No。〃
〃It's mid…fibula。 See it？ A thin black line。 That's a fracture； just above the epiphysis。〃
〃That little black line there？〃 Arby said。
〃That little black line means death for this infant；〃 Sarah said。 〃The fibula won't heal straight； so the ankle joint can't pivot when he stands on his hind feet。 The baby won't be able to run； and probably can't even walk。 It'll be crippled； and a predator will pick it off before it gets more than a few weeks old。〃
Eddie said； 〃But we can set it。〃
〃Okay；〃 Sarah said。 〃What were you going to use for a cast？〃
〃Diesterase；〃 Eddie said。 〃I brought a kilo of it； in hundred…cc tubes。 I packed lots； for glue。 The stuff's polymer resin； it solidifies hard as steel。〃
〃Great；〃 Harding said。 〃That'll kill him； too。〃
〃It will？〃
〃He's growing； Eddie。 In a few weeks he'll be much larger。 We need something that's rigid； but biodegradeable；〃 she said。 〃Something that will wear off； or break off； in three to five weeks； when his leg's healed。 What have you got？〃
Eddie frowned。 〃I don't know。〃
〃Well； we haven't got much time；〃 Harding said。
Eddie said； 〃Doc？ This is like one of your famous test questions。 How to make a dinosaur cast with only Q…tips and superglue。〃
〃I know；〃 Thorne said。 The irony of the situation was not lost on him。 He had given problems such as these to his engineering students for three decades。 Now he was faced with one himself。
Eddie said； 〃Maybe we could degrade the resin … mix it with something like table sugar。〃
Thorne shook his head。 〃Hydroxy groups in the sucrose will make the resin friable。 It'll harden okay； but it'll shatter like glass as soon as the animal moves。〃
〃What if we mix it with cloth that's been soaked in sugar？〃
〃You mean； to get bacteria to decay the cloth？〃
〃Yeah。〃
〃And then the cast breaks？〃
〃Yeah。〃
Thorne shrugged。 〃That might work；〃 he said。 〃But without testing； we can't know how long the cast will last。 Might be a few days； it might be a few months。〃
〃That's too long；〃
