jurassic.park-第59节

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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　are　too　stupid　to　know　that。〃
　　　　〃It's　not　clear　how　stupid　the　animals　are；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　〃You　think　that's　what　Grant　and　the　kids　are　doing？〃　Arnold　said。
　　　　〃Definitely　not；〃　Malcolm　said；　coughing　again。　〃Grant's　no　fool。　He　clearly　wants　to　be　detected　by　you。　He　and　the　kids　are　probably　waving　at　every　motion　sensor　in　sight。　But　maybe　they　have　other　problems　we　don't　know　about。　Or　maybe　they're　on　the　river。〃
　　　　〃I　can't　imagine　they'd　be　on　the　river。　The　banks　are　very　narrow。　It's　impossible　to　walk　along　there。〃
　　　　〃Would　the　river　bring　them　all　the　way　back　here？〃
　　　　〃Yes；　but　it's　not　the　safest　way　to　go；　because　it　passes　through　the　aviary。　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃Why　wasn't　the　aviary　on　the　tour？〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　〃We've　had　problems　setting　it　up。　Originally　the　park　was　intended　to　have　a　treetop　lodge　built　high　above　the　ground；　where　visitors　could　observe　the　pterodactyls　at　flight　level。　We've　got　four　dactyls　in　the　aviary　now…actually；　they're　cearadactyls；　which　are　big　fish…eating　dactyls。〃
　　　　〃What　about　them？〃
　　　　〃Well；　while　we　finished　the　lodge；　we　put　the　dactyls　in　the　aviary　to　acclimate　them。　But　that　was　a　big　mistake。　It　turns　out　our　fish…hunters　are　territorial。〃
　　　　〃Territorial？〃
　　　　〃Fiercely　territorial；〃　Arnold　said。　〃They　fight　among　themselves　for　territory…and　they'll　attack　any　other　animal　that　es　into　the　area　they've　marked　out。〃
　　　　〃Attack？〃
　　　　〃It's　impressive；〃　Arnold　said。　〃The　dactyls　glide　to　the　top　of　the　aviary；　fold　up　their　wings；　and　dive。　A　thirty…pound　animal　will　strike　a　man　on　the　ground　like　a　ton　of　bricks。　They　were　knocking　the　workmen　unconscious；　cutting　them　up　pretty　badly。〃
　　　　〃That　doesn't　injure　the　dactyls？〃
　　　　〃Not　so　far。〃
　　　　〃So；　if　those　kids　are　in　the　aviary　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃They're　not；〃　Arnold　said。　〃At　least；　I　hope　they're　not。〃

〃Is　that　the　lodge？〃　Lex　said。　〃What　a　dump。〃
　　　　Beneath　the　aviary　dome；　Pteratops　Lodge　was　built　high　above　the　ground；　on　big　wooden　pylons；　in　the　middle　of　a　stand　of　fir　trees。　But　the　building　was　unfinished　and　unpainted；　the　windows　were　boarded　up。　The　trees　and　the　lodge　were　splattered　with　broad　white　streaks。
　　　　〃I　guess　they　didn't　finish　it；　for　some　reason；〃　Grant　said；　hiding　his　disappointment。　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃e　on；　let's　go　back　to　the　boat。〃
　　　　The　sun　came　out　as　they　walked　along；　making　the　morning　more　cheerful。　Grant　looked　at　the　latticework　shadows　on　the　ground　from　the　dome　above；　He　noticed　that　the　ground　and　the　foliage　were　spattered　with　broad　streaks　of　the　same　white　chalky　substance　that　had　been　on　the　building。　And　there　was　a　distinctive；　sour　odor　in　the　morning　air。
　　　　〃Stinks　here；〃　Lex　said。　〃What's　all　the　white　stuff？〃
　　　　〃Looks　like　reptile　droppings。　Probably　from　the　birds。〃
　　　　〃How　e　they　didn't　finish　the　lodge？〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know。〃
　　　　They　entered　a　clearing　of　low　grass；　dotted　with　wild　flowers。　They　heard　a　long；　low　whistle。　Then　an　answering　whistle；　from　across　the　forest。
　　　　〃What's　that？〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know。〃
　　　　Then　Grant　saw　the　dark　shadow　of　a　cloud　on　the　grassy　field