jurassic.park-第32节

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。　The　surface　of　the　lagoon　rippled　in　pink　crescents。　Farther　south；　they　saw　the　graceful　necks　of　the　camarasaurs；　standing　at　the　water's　edge；　their　bodies　mirrored　in　the　moving　surface。　It　was　quiet；　except　for　the　soft　drone　of　cicadas。　As　they　stared　out　at　that　landscape；　it　was　possible　to　believe　that　they　had　really　been　transported　millions　of　years　back　in　time　to　a　vanished　world。
　　　　〃It　works；　doesn't　it？〃　they　heard　Ed　Regis　say；　over　the　inter。　〃I　like　to　e　here　sometimes；　in　the　evening。　And　just　sit。〃
　　　　Grant　was　unimpressed。　〃Where　is　T…rex？〃
　　　　〃Good　question。　You　often　see　the　little　one　down　in　the　lagoon。　The　lagoon's　stocked；　so　we　have　fish　in　there。　The　little　one　has　learned　to　catch　the　fish。　Interesting　how　he　does　it。　He　doesn't　use　his　hands；　but　he　ducks　his　whole　head　under　the　water。　Like　a　bird。〃
　　　　〃The　little　one？〃
　　　　〃The　little　T…rex。　He's　a　juvenile；　two　years　old；　and　about　a　third　grown　now。　Stands　eight　feet　high；　weighs　a　ton　and　a　half。　The　other　one's　a　full…grown　tyrannosaur。　But　I　don't　see　him　at　the　moment。〃
　　　　〃Maybe　he's　down　hunting　the　camarasaurs；〃　Grant　said。
　　　　Regis　laughed；　his　voice　tinny　over　the　radio。　〃He　would　if　he　could；　believe　me。　Sometimes　he　stands　by　the　lagoon　and　stares　at　those　animals；　and　wiggles　those　little　forearms　of　his　in　frustration。　But　the　T…rex　territory　is　pletely　enclosed　with　trenches　and　fences。　They're　disguised　from　view；　but　believe　me；　he　can't　go　anywhere。〃
　　　　〃Then　where　is　he？〃
　　　　〃Hiding；〃　Regis　said。　〃He's　a　little　shy。〃
　　　　〃Shy？〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Tyrannosaurus　rex　is　shy？〃
　　　　〃Well；　he　conceals　himself　as　a　general　rule。　You　almost　never　see　him　out　in　the　open；　especially　in　daylight。〃
　　　　〃Why　is　that？〃
　　　　〃We　think　it's　because　he　has　sensitive　skin　and　sunburns　easily。〃
　　　　Malcolm　began　to　laugh。
　　　　Grant　sighed。　〃You're　destroying　a　lot　of　illusions。〃
　　　　〃I　don't　think　you'll　be　disappointed；〃　Regis　said。　〃Just　wait。〃
　　　　They　heard　a　soft　bleating　sound。　In　the　center　of　a　field；　a　small　cage　rose　up　into　view；　lifted　on　hydraulics　from　underground。　The　cage　bars　slid　down；　and　the　goat　remained　tethered　in　the　center　of　the　field；　bleating　plaintively。
　　　　〃Any　minute　now；〃　Regis　said　again。　They　stared　out　the　window。

〃Look　at　them；〃　Hammond　said；　watching　the　control　room　monitor。　〃Leaning　out　of　the　windows；　so　eager。　They　can't　wait　to　see　it。　They　have　e　for　the　danger。〃
　　　　〃That's　what　I'm　afraid　of；〃　Muldoon　said。　He　twirled　the　keys　on　his　finger　and　watched　the　Land　Cruisers　tensely。　This　was　the　first　time　that　visitors　had　toured　Jurassic　Park；　and　Muldoon　shared　Arnold's　apprehension。
　　　　Robert　Muldoon　was　a　big　man；　fifty　years　old；　with　a　steel…gray　mustache　and　deep　blue　eyes。　Raised　in　Kenya；　he　had　spent　most　of　his　life　as　a　guide　for　African　big…game　hunters；　as　had　his　father　before　him。　But　since　1980；　he　had　worked　principally　for　conservation　groups　and　zoo　designers　as　a　wildlife　consultant。　He　had　bee　well　known；　an　article　in　the　London　Sunday　Times　had　said；　〃What　Robert　Trent　Jones　is　to　golf　courses；　Robert　Muldoon　is　to　zoos：　a　designer　of　unsurpassed　knowledge　and　skill。〃
　　　　In　1986；　he　had　done　some　work　for　a　San　Francisco　pany　that　was　building　a　private　wildlife　park　on　an　island　in　North　America。　Muldoon　had　laid　out　the　boundaries　for　different　animals；　defining　space　and　habitat　requirements　for　lions；　elephants；　zebras；　and　hippos。　Identifying　which　animals　could　be　kept　together；　and　which　had　to　be　separated。　At　the　time；　it　had　been　a　fairly　routine　job。　He　had　been　more　interested　in　an　Indian　park　called　TigerWorld　in　southern　Kashmir。
　　　　Then；　a　year　ago；　he　was　offered　a　job　as　game　warden　of　Jurassic　Park。　It　coincided　with　a　desire　to　leave　Africa；　the　salary　was　excellent；　Muldoon　had　taken　it　on　for　a　year。　He　was　astonished　to　discover　the　park　was　really　a　collection　of　genetically　engineered　prehistoric　animals。
　　　　It　was　of　course　interesting　work；　but　during　his　years　in　Africa；　Muldoon　had　developed　an　unblinking　view　of　animals…an　unromantic　view…that　frequently　set　him　at　odds　with　the　Jurassic　Park　management　in　California；　particularly　the　little　martinet　standing　beside　him　in　the　control　room。　In　Muldoon's　opinion；　cloning　dinosaurs　in　a　laboratory　was　one　thing。　Maintaining　them　in　the　wild　was　quite　another。
　　　　It　was　Muldoon's　view　that　some　dinosaurs　were　too　dangerous　to　be　kept　in　a　park　setting。　In　part；　the　danger　existed　because　they　still　knew　so　little　about　the　animals。　For　example；　nobody　even　suspected　the　dilophosaurs　were　poisonous　until　they　were　observed　hunting　indigenous　rats　on　the　island…biting　the　rodents　and　then　stepping　back；　to　wait　for　them　to　die。　And　even　then　nobody　suspected　the　dilophosaurs　could　spit　until　one　of　the　handlers　was　almost　blinded　by　spitting　venom。
　　　　After　that；　Hammond　had　agreed　to　study　dilophosaur　venom；　which　was　found　to　contain　seven　different　toxic　enzymes。　It　was　also　discovered　that　the　dilophosaurs　could　spit　a　distance　of　fifty　feet。　Since　this　raised　the　possibility　that　a　guest　in　a　car　might　be　blinded；　management　decided　to　remove　the　poison　sacs。　The　vets　had　tried　twice；　on　two　different　animals；　without　success；　No　one　knew　where　the　poison　was　being　secreted。　And　no　one　would　ever　know　until　an　autopsy　was　performed　on　a　dilophosaur　and　management　would　not　allow　one　to　be　killed。
　　　　Muldoon　worried　even　more　about　the　velociraptors。　They　were　instinctive　hunters；　and　they　never　passed　up　prey；　They　killed　even　when　they　't　weren't　hungry。　They　killed　for　the　pleasure　of　killing。　They　were　swift：　strong　runners　and　astonishing　jumpers。　They　had　lethal　claws　on　all　four　limbs；　one　swipe　of　a　forearm　would　disembowel　a　man；　spilling　his　guts　out。　And　they　had　powerful　tearing　jaws　that　ripped　flesh　instead　of　biting　it。　They　were　far　more　intelligent　than　the　other　dinosaurs；　and　they　seemed　to　be　natural　cage…breakers。
　　　　Every　zoo　expert　knew　that　certain　animals　were　especially　likely　to　get　free　of　their　cages。　Some；　like　monkeys　and　elephants；　could　undo　cage　doors。　Others；　like　wild　pigs；　were　unusually　intelligent　and　could　lift　gate　fasteners　with　their　snouts。　But　who　would　suspect　that　the　giant　armadillo　was　a　notorious　cage…breaker？　Or　the　moose？　Yet　a　moose　was　almost　as　skillful　with　its　snout　as　an　elephant　with　its　trunk。　Moose　were　always　getting　free；　they　had　a　talent　for　it。
　　　　And　so　did　velociraptors。
　　　　Raptors　were　at　least　as　intelligent　as　chimpanzees。　And；　like　chimpanzees；　they　had　agile　hands　that　enabled　them　to　open　doors　and　manipulate　objects。　They　could　escape　with　ease。　And　when；　as　Muldoon　had　feared；　one　of　them　finally　escaped；　it　killed　two　construction　workers　and　maimed　a　third　before　being　recaptured。　After　that　episode；　the　visitor　lodge　had　been　reworked　with　heavy　barred　gates；　a　high　perimeter　fence；　and　tempered…glass　windows。　And　the　raptor　holding　pen　was　rebuilt　with　electronic　sensors　to　warn　of　another　impending　escape。
　　　　Muldoon　wanted　guns　as　well。　And　he　wanted　shoulder…mounted　TOW…missile　launchers。　Hunters　knew　how　difficult　it　was　to　bring　down　a　four…ton　African　elephant…and　some　of　the　dinosaurs　weighed　ten　times　as　much。　Management　was　horrified；　insisting　there　be　no　guns　anywhere　on　the　island。　When　Muldoon　threatened　to　quit；　and　to　take　his　story　to　the　press；　a　promise　was　reached。　In　the　end；　two　specially　built　laser…guided　missile　launchers　were　kept　in　a　locked　room　in　the　basement。　Only　Muldoon　had　keys　to　the　room。
　　　　Those　were　the　keys　Muldoon　was　twirling　now。　〃I'm　going　downstairs；〃　he　said。
　　　　Arnold；　watching　the　control　screens；　nodded。　The　two　Land　Cruisers　sat　at　the　top　of　the　hill；　waiting　for　the　T…rex　to　appear。
　　　　〃Hey；〃　Dennis　Nedry　called；　from　the　far　console。　〃As　long　as　you're　up；　get　me　a　Coke；　okay？〃

Grant　waited　in　the　car；　watching　quietly。　The　bleating　of　the　goat　became　louder；　more　insistent。　The　goat　tugged　frantically　at　its　tether；　racing　back　and　forth。　Over　the　radio；　Grant　heard　Lex　say　in　alarm；　〃What's　going　to　happen　to　the　goat？　Is　she　going　to　eat　the　goat？〃
　　　　〃I　think　so；〃　someone　said　to　her；　and　then　Ellie　turned　the　radio　down。　Then　they　smelled　the　odor；　a　garbage　stench　of　putrefaction　and　decay　that　drifted　up　the　hillside　toward　them。
　　　　Grant　whispered；　〃He's　here。〃
　　　　〃She；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　The　goat　was　tethered　in　the　center　of　the　field；　thirty　yards　from　the　nearest　trees。　The　dinosaur　must　be　somewhere　among　the　trees；　but　for　a　moment　Grant　could　see　nothing　at　all。　Then　he　realized　he　was　looking　too　low：　the　animal's　head　stood　twenty　feet　above　the　ground；　half　concealed　among　the　upper　branches　of　the　palm　trees。
　　　　Malcolm　whispered；　〃Oh；　my　God。　。　。　。　She's　as　large　as　a　bloody　building。　。　。　。〃
　　　　Grant　stared　at　the　enormous　square　head；　five　feet　long；　mottled　reddish　brown；　with　huge　jaws　and　fangs。　The　tyrannosaur's　jaws　worked　once；　opening　and　closing。　But　the　huge　animal　did　not　emerge　from　hiding。
　　　　Malcolm　whispered：　〃How　long　will　it　wait？〃
　　　　〃Maybe　three　or　four　minutes。　Maybe…〃
　　　　The　tyrannosaur　sprang　silently　forward；　fully　revealing　her　enormous　body。　In　four　bounding　st