jurassic.park-第78节

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　　　　〃Meaning　what？〃
　　　　〃Equilibrium。〃　Grant　pointed　to　the　monitors。　On　one　of　them；　the　hypsilophodonts　leapt　into　the　air　as　a　pack　of　velociraptors　entered　the　field　from　the　west。
　　　　〃The　fences　have　been　down　for　hours；〃　Grant　said。　〃The　animals　are　mingling　with　each　other。　Populations　reaching　equilibriums　true　Jurassic　equilibrium。〃
　　　　〃I　don't　think　it　was　supposed　to　happen；〃　Gennaro　said。　〃The　animals　were　never　supposed　to　mix。〃
　　　　〃Well；　they　are。〃
　　　　On　another　monitor；　Grant　saw　a　pack　of　raptors　racing　at　full　speed　across　an　open　field　toward　a　four…ton　hadrosaur。　The　hadrosaur　turned　to　flee；　and　one　of　the　raptors　lumped　onto　its　back；　biting　into　the　long　neck；　while　others　raced　forward；　circled　around　it；　nipped　at　its　legs；　leapt　up　to　slash　at　the　belly　with　their　powerful　claws。　Within　minutes；　six　raptors　had　brought　down　the　larger　animal。
　　　　Grant　stared；　silently。
　　　　Ellie　said；　〃Is　it　the　way　you　imagined？〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know　what　I　imagined；〃　he　said。　He　watched　the　monitor。　〃No；　not　exactly。〃
　　　　Muldoon　said　quietly；　〃You　know；　it　appears　all　the　adult　raptors　are　out　right　now。〃
　　　　Grant　didn't　pay　much　attention　at　first。　He　just　watched　the　monitors；　the　interaction　of　the　great　animals。　In　the　south；　the　stegosaur　was　swinging　its　spiked　tail；　warily　circling　the　baby　tyrannosaur；　which　watched　it；　bemused；　and　occasionally　lunged　forward　to　nip　ineffectually　at　the　spikes。　In　the　western　quadrant；　the　adult　triceratopsians　were　fighting　among　themselves；　charging　and　locking　horns。　One　animal　already　lay　wounded　and　dying。
　　　　Muldoon　said；　〃We've　got　about　an　hour　of　good　daylight　left；　Dr。　Grant。　If　you　want　to　try　and　find　that　nest。〃
　　　　〃Right；〃　Grant　said。　〃I　do。〃
　　　　〃I　was　thinking；〃　Muldoon　said；　〃that；　when　the　Costa　Ricans　e；　they　will　probably　imagine　this　island　to　be　a　military　problem。　Something　to　destroy　as　soon　as　possible。〃
　　　　〃Damn　right；〃　Gennaro　said。
　　　　〃They'll　bomb　it　from　the　air；〃　Muldoon　said。　〃Perhaps　napalm；　perhaps　nerve　gas　as　well。　But　from　the　air。〃
　　　　〃I　hope　they　do；〃　Gennaro　said。　〃This　island　is　too　dangerous。　Every　animal　on　this　island　must　be　destroyed；　and　the　sooner　the　better。〃
　　　　Grant　said；　〃That's　not　satisfactory。〃　He　got　to　his　feet。　〃Let's　get　started。　〃
　　　　〃I　don't　think　you　understand；　Alan；〃　Gennaro　said。　〃It's　my　opinion　that　this　island　is　too　dangerous。　It　must　be　destroyed。　Every　animal　on　this　island　must　be　destroyed；　and　that's　what　the　Costa　Rican　guard　will　do。　I　think　we　should　leave　it　in　their　capable　hands。　Do　you　understand　what　I'm　saying？〃
　　　　〃Perfectly；〃　Grant　said　again。
　　　　〃Then　what's　your　problem？〃　Gennaro　said。　〃It's　a　military　operation。　Let　them　do　it。〃
　　　　Grant's　back　ached；　where　the　raptor　had　clawed　him。　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃We　have　to　take　care　of　it。〃
　　　　〃Leave　it　to　the　experts；〃　Gennaro　said。
　　　　Grant　remembered　how　he　bhd　found　Gennaro；　just　six　hours　earlier；　huddled　and　terrified　in　the　cab　of　a　truck　in　the　maintenance　building。　And　suddenly　he　lost　his　temper　and　slammed　the　lawyer　up　against　the　concrete　wall。　〃Listen；　you　little　bastard；　you　have　a　responsibility　to　this　situation　and　you're　going　to　start　living　up　to　it。〃
　　　　〃I　am；〃　Gennaro　said；　coughing。
　　　　〃No；　you're　not。　You've　shirked　your　responsibility　all　along；　from　the　very　beginning。〃
　　　　〃The　hell…〃
　　　　〃You　sold　investors　on　an　undertaking　you　didn't　fully　understand。　You　were　part　owner　of　a　business　you　failed　to　supervise。　You　did　not　check　the　activities　of　a　man　whom　you　knew　from　experience　to　be　a　liar；　and　you　permitted　that　man　to　screw　around　with　the　most　dangerous　technology　in　human　history。　I'd　say　you　shirked　your　responsibility。〃
　　　　Gennaro　coughed　again。　〃Well；　now　I'm　taking　responsibility。〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Grant　said。　〃You're　still　shirking　it。　And　you　can't　do　that　any　more。〃　He　released　Gennaro；　who　bent　over；　gasping　for　breath。　Grant　turned　to　Muldoon。　〃What　have　we　got　for　weapons？〃
　　　　Muldoon　said；　〃We've　got　some　control　nets；　and　shock　prods。〃
　　　　〃How　good　are　these　shock　prods？〃　Grant　said。
　　　　〃They're　like　bang　sticks　for　sharks。　They　have　an　explosive　capacitor　tip；　delivers　a　shock　on　contact。　High　voltage；　low　amps。　Not　fatal；　but　it's　definitely　incapacitating。〃
　　　　〃That's　not　going　to　do　it；〃　Grant　said。　〃Not　in　the　nest。〃
　　　　〃What　nest？〃　Gennaro　said；　coughing。
　　　　〃The　raptor　nest；〃　Ellie　said。
　　　　〃The　raptor　nest？〃
　　　　Grant　was　saying；　〃Have　you　got　any　radio　collars？〃
　　　　〃I'm　sure　we　do；〃　Muldoon　said。
　　　　〃Get　one。　And　is　there　anything　else　that　can　be　used　for　defense？〃
　　　　Muldoon　shock　his　head。
　　　　〃Well；　get　whatever　you　can。〃
　　　　Muldoon　went　away。　Grant　turned　to　Gennaro。　〃Your　island　is　a　mess；　Mr。　Gennaro。　Your　experiment　is　a　mess。　It　has　to　be　cleaned　up。　But　you　can't　do　that　until　you　know　the　extent　of　the　mess。　And　that　means　finding　the　nests　on　the　island。　Especially　the　raptor　nests。　They'll　be　hidden。　We　have　to　find　them；　and　inspect　them；　and　count　the　eggs。　We　have　to　account　for　every　animal　born　on　this　island。　Then　we　can　burn　it　down。　But　first　we　have　a　little　work　to　do。〃

Ellie　was　looking　at　the　wall　map；　which　now　showed　the　animal　ranges。　Tim　was　working　the　keyboard。　She　pointed　to　the　map。　〃The　raptors　are　localized　in　the　southern　area；　down　where　the　volcanic　steam　fields　are。　Maybe　they　like　the　warmth。〃
　　　　〃Is　there　any　place　to　hide　down　there？〃
　　　　〃Turns　out　there　is；〃　she　said。　〃There's　massive　concrete　waterworks；　to　control　flooding　in　the　southern　flatlands。　Big　underground　area。　Water　and　shade。〃
　　　　Grant　nodded。　〃Then　that's　where　they'll　be。〃
　　　　Ellie　said；　〃I　think　there's　an　entrance　from　the　beach；　too。〃　She　turned　to　the　consoles　and　said；　〃Tim；　show　us　the　cutaways　on　the　waterworks。〃　Tim　wasn't　listening。　〃Tim？〃
　　　　He　was　hunched　over　the　keyboard。　〃Just　a　minute；〃　he　said。　〃I　found　something。〃
　　　　〃What　is　it？〃
　　　　〃It's　an　unmarked　storage　room。　I　don't　know　what's　there。〃
　　　　〃Then　it　might　have　weapons；　Grant　said。

They　were　all　behind　the　maintenance　building；　unlocking　a　steel　storm　door；　lifting　it　up　into　the　sunlight；　to　reveal　concrete　steps　going　down　into　the　earth。　〃Damned　Arnold；〃　Muldoon　said；　as　he　hobbled　down　the　steps。　〃He　must　have　known　this　was　here　all　along。〃
　　　　〃Maybe　not；〃　Grant　said。　〃He　didn't　try　to　go　here。〃
　　　　〃Well；　then；　Hammond　knew。　Somebody　knew。〃
　　　　〃Where　is　Hammond　now？〃
　　　　〃Still　in　the　lodge。〃
　　　　They　reached　the　bottom　of　the　stairs；　and　came　upon　rows　of　gas　masks　hanging　on　the　wall；　in　plastic　containers。　They　shone　their　flashlights　deeper　into　the　room　and　saw　several　heavy　glass　cubes；　two　feet　high；　with　steel　caps。　Grant　could　see　small　dark　spheres　inside　the　cubes。　It　was　like　being　in　a　room　full　of　giant　pepper　mills；　he　thought。
　　　　Muldoon　opened　the　cap　of　one；　reached　in；　and　withdrew　a　sphere。　He　turned　it　in　the　light；　frowning。　〃I'll　be　damned。〃
　　　　〃What　is　it？〃　Grant　said。
　　　　〃MORO…12；〃　Muldoon　said。　〃It's　an　inhalation　nerve　gas。　These　are　grenades。　Lots　and　lots　of　grenades。〃
　　　　〃Let's　get　started；〃　Grant　said　grimly。

〃It　likes　me；〃　Lex　said；　smiling。　They　were　standing　in　the　garage　of　the　visitor　center；　by　the　little　raptor　that　Grant　had　captured　in　the　tunnel。　She　was　petting　the　raptor　through　the　cage　bars。　The　animal　rubbed　up　against　her　hand。
　　　　〃I'd　be　careful　there；〃　Muldoon　said。　〃They　can　give　a　nasty　bite。〃
　　　　〃He　likes　me；〃　Lex　said。　〃His　name　is　Clarence。〃
　　　　〃Clarence？〃
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Lex　said。
　　　　Muldoon　was　holding　the　leather　collar　with　the　small　metal　box　attached　to　it。　Grant　heard　the　high…pitched　beeping　in　the　headset。　〃Is　it　a　problem　putting　the　collar　on　the　animal？〃
　　　　Lex　was　still　petting　the　raptor；　reaching　through　the　cage。　〃I　het　he'll　let　me　put　it　on　him；〃　she　said。
　　　　〃I　wouldn't　try；〃　Muldoon　said。　〃They're　unpredictable。〃
　　　　〃I　het　he'll　let　me；〃　she　said。
　　　　So　Muldoon　gave　Lex　the　collar；　and　she　held　it　out　so　the　raptor　could　smell　it。　Then　she　slowly　slipped　it　around　the　animal's　neck。　The　raptor　turned　brighter　green　when　Lex　buckled　it　and　closed　the　Velcro　cover　over　the　buckle。　Then　the　animal　relaxed；　and　turned　paler　again。
　　　　〃I'll　be　damned；〃　Muldoon　said。
　　　　〃It's　a　chameleon；〃　Lex　said。
　　　　〃The　other　raptors　couldn't　do　that；〃　Muldoon　said；　frowning。　〃This　wild　animal　must　be　different。　By　the　way；〃　he　said；　turning　to　Grant；　〃if　they're　all　born　females；　how　do　they　breed？　You　never　explained　that　bit　about　the　frog　DNA。〃
　　　　〃It's　not　frog　DNA；〃　Grant　said。　〃It's　amphibian　DNA。　But　the　phenomenon　happens　to　be　particularly　well　documented　in　frogs。　Especially　West　African　frogs；　if　I　remember。〃
　　　　〃What　phenomenon　is　that？〃
　　　　〃Gender　transition；〃　Grant　said。　〃Actually；　it's　just　plain　changing　sex。〃　Grant　explained　that　a　number　of　plants　and　animals　were　known　to　have　the　ability　to　change　their　sex　during　life…orchids；　some　fish　and　shrimp；　and　now　frogs。　Frogs　that　had　been　observed　to　lay　eggs　were　able　to　change；　over　a　period　of　months；　into　plete　males。　They　first　adopted　the　fighting　stance　of　males；　they　developed　the　mating　whistle　of　males；　they　stimulated　the　hormones　and　grew　the　gonads　of　males；　and