the.lost.world-第56部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ly；　but　the　wheels　just　spun　in　the　air。　It　was　hopeless。　And　slowly；　the　car　sank　backward；　deeper　into　foliage　so　dense　he　could　not　see　through　it。　But　they　were　over　the　edge。　Beside　him；　King　was　sobbing。　He　heard　the　tyrannosaurs　roaring；　very　near　now。
　　　　Dodgson　flung　open　the　car　door；　and　jumped　out　into　space。　He　lunged　through　the　foliage；　fell；　hit　a　tree　trunk；　and　tumbled　down　a　steep　jungle　hill。　Somewhere　along　the　way　he　felt　a　sharp　pain　in　his　forehead；　and　saw　stars　for　the　brief　moment　before　blackness　enveloped　him；　and　he　lost　consciousness。

Decision
　　　　
They　sat　in　the　Explorer；　on　top　of　the　ridge　overlooking　the　jungle…covered　east　valley。　The　windows　were　down。　They　listened　to　the　bellowing　of　the　tyrannosaurs；　as　the　huge　animals　crashed　through　the　underbrush。
　　　　〃They　both　left　the　nest；〃　Thorne　said。
　　　　〃Yeah。　Those　guys　must　have　taken　something。〃　Malcolm　sighed。
　　　　They　were　silent　a　while；　listening。
　　　　They　heard　a　soft　buzzing；　and　then　Eddie　pulled　up　alongside　them；　in　the　motorcycle。　〃I　thought　you　might　need　help。　Are　you　going　to　go　down？〃
　　　　Malcolm　shook　his　head。　〃No；　absolutely　not。　It's　too　dangerous　…　we　don't　know　where　they　are。〃
　　　　Sarah　Harding　said；　〃Why　did　Dodgson　just　stand　there　like　that？　That's　not　the　way　to　act　around　predators。　You　get　caught　around　lions；　you　make　a　lot　of　noise；　wave　your　hands；　throw　things　at　them。　Try　to　scare　them　off。　You　don't　just　stand　there。〃
　　　　〃He　probably　read　the　wrong　research　paper；〃　Malcolm　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃There's　been　a　theory　going　around　that　tyrannosaurs　can　only　see　movement。　A　guy　named　Roxton　made　casts　of　rex　braincases；　and　concluded　that　tyrannosaurs　had　the　brain　of　a　frog。〃
　　　　The　radio　clicked。　Levine　said；　〃Roxton　is　an　idiot。　He　doesn't　know　enough　anatomy　to　have　sex　with　his　wife。　His　paper　was　a　joke。〃
　　　　〃What　paper？〃　Thorne　said。
　　　　The　radio　clicked　again。　〃Roxton；〃　Levine　said；　〃believed　that　tyrannosaurs　had　a　visual　system　like　an　amphibian：　like　a　frog。　A　frog　sees　motion　but　doesn't　see　stillness。　But　it　is　quite　impossible　that　a　predator　such　as　a　tyrannosaur　would　have　a　visual　system　that　worked　that　way。　Quite　impossible。　Because　the　most　mon　defense　of　prey　animals　is　to　freeze。　A　deer　or　something　like　that；　it　senses　danger；　and　it　freezes。　A　predator　has　to　be　able　to　see　them　anyway。　And　of　course　a　tyrannosaur　could。〃
　　　　Over　the　radio；　Levine　snorted　with　disgust。　〃It's　just　like　the　other　idiotic　theory　put　forth　by　Grant　a　few　years　back　that　a　tyrannosaur　could　be　confused　by　a　driving　rainstorm；　because　it　was　not　adapted　to　wet　climates。　That's　equally　absurd。　The　Cretaceous　wasn't　particularly　dry。　And　in　any　case；　tyrannosaurs　are　North　American　animals　they've　only　been　found　in　the　U。S。　or　Canada。　Tyrannosaurs　lived　on　the　shores　of　the　great　inland　sea；　east　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。　There　are　lots　of　thunderstorms　on　mountain　slopes。　I'm　quite　sure　tyrannosaurs　saw　plenty　of　rain；　and　they　evolved　to　deal　with　it。〃
　　　　〃So　is　there　any　reason　why　a　tyrannosaur　might　not　attack　somebody？〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　〃Yes；　Of　Course。　The　most　obvious　one；〃　Levine　said。
　　　　〃Which　is？〃
　　　　〃If　it　wasn't　hungry。　If　it　had　just　eaten　another　animal。　Anything　larger　than　a　goat　would　take　care　of　its　hunger　for　hours　to　e。　No；　no。　The　tyrannosaur　sees　fine；　moving　or　still。〃

They　listened　to　the　roaring；　ing　up　from　the　valley　below。　They　saw　thrashing　in　the　underbrush；　about　half　a　mile　away；　to　the　north。　More　bellowing。　The　two　rexes　seemed　to　be　answering　each　other。
　　　　Sarah　Harding　said；　〃What　are　we　carrying？〃
　　　　Thorne　said；　〃Three　Lindstradts。　Fully　loaded。〃
　　　　〃Okay；〃　she　said。　〃Let's　go。〃
　　　　The　radio　crackled。　〃I'm　not　there；〃　Levine　said；　over　the　radio。　〃But　I'd　certainly　advise　waiting。〃
　　　　〃The　hell　with　waiting；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Sarah's　right。　Let's　go　down　there　and　see　how　bad　it　is。〃
　　　　〃Your　funeral；〃　Levine　said。

Arby　came　back　to　the　monitor；　wiping　his　chin。　He　still　looked　a　little　green。　〃What　are　they　doing　now？〃
　　　　〃Dr。　Malcolm　and　the　others　are　going　to　the　nest。〃
　　　　〃Are　you　kidding？〃　he　said；　alarmed。
　　　　〃Don't　worry；〃　Kelly　said。　〃Sarah　can　handle　it。〃
　　　　〃You　hope；〃　Arby　said。

Nest

Just　beyond　the　clearing；　they　parked　the　Explorer。　Eddie　pulled　up　in　the　motorcycle；　and　leaned　it　against　the　trunk　of　a　tree　and　waited　while　the　others　climbed　out　of　the　Explorer。
　　　　Sarah　Harding　smelled　the　familiar　sour　odor　of　rotting　flesh　and　excrement　that　always　marked　a　carnivore　nesting　site。　In　the　afternoon　heat；　it　was　faintly　nauseating。　Flies　buzzed　in　the　still　air。　Harding　took　one　of　the　rifles；　slung　it　over　her　shoulder。　She　looked　at　the　three　men。　They　were　all　standing　very　still；　tense；　not　moving。　Malcolm's　face　was　pale；　particularly　around　the　lips。　It　reminded　her　of　the　time　that　Coffmann；　her　old　professor；　had　visited　her　in　Africa。　Coffmann　was　one　of　those　hard…drinking　Hemingway　types；　with　lots　of　affairs　at　home；　and　lots　of　tales　of　his　adventures　with　the　orangs　in　Sumatra；　the　ring…tailed　lemurs　in　Madagascar。　So　she　took　him　with　her　to　a　kill　site　in　the　savannah。　And　he　promptly　passed　out。　He　weighed　more　than　two　hundred　pounds；　and　she　had　to　drag　him　out　by　the　collar　while　the　lions　circled　and　snarled　at　her。　It　had　been　a　good　lesson　for　her。
　　　　Now　she　leaned　close　to　the　three　men　and　whispered；　〃If　you've　got　any　qualms　about　this；　don't　go。　Just　wait　here。　I　don't　want　to　worry　about　you。　I　can　do　this　myself〃　She　started　off。
　　　　〃Are　you　sure　…　〃
　　　　〃Yes。　Now　keep　quiet。〃　She　moved　directly　toward　the　clearing。　Malcolm　and　the　others　hurried　to　catch　up　with　her。　She　pushed　aside　the　palm　fronds；　and　stepped　out　into　the　open。　The　tyrannosaurs　were　gone；　and　the　mud　cone　was　deserted。　Over　to　the　right；　she　saw　a　shoe；　with　a　bit　of　torn　flesh　sticking　out　above　the　ragged　sock。　That　was　all　there　was　left　of　Baselton。
　　　　From　within　the　nest；　she　heard　a　plaintive；　high…pitched　squeal。　Harding　climbed　up　the　mud　bank；　with　Malcolm　struggling　to　follow。　She　saw　two　infant　tyrannosaurs　there；　mewling。　Nearby　were　three　large　eggs。　They　saw　heavy　footprints　all　around；　in　the　mud。
　　　　〃They　took　one　of　the　eggs；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Damn。〃
　　　　〃You　didn't　want　anything　to　disrupt　your　little　ecosystem？〃
　　　　Malcolm　smiled　crookedly。　〃Yeah。　I　was　hoping。〃
　　　　〃Too　bad；〃　she　said；　and　moved　quickly　around　the　edge　of　the　pit。
　　　　She　bent　over；　looking　at　the　baby　tyrannosaurs。　One　of　the　babies　was　cowering；　its　downy　neck　pulled　into　its　body。　But　the　second　one　behaved　very　differently。　It　did　not　move　as　they　approached；　but　remained　lying　sprawled　on　its　side；　breathing　shallowly；　eyes　glazed。
　　　　〃This　one's　been　hurt；〃　she　said。

Levine　was　standing　in　the　high　hide。　He　pressed　the　headset　to　his　ear；　and　spoke　into　the　microphone　near　his　cheek。　〃I　need　a　description；〃　he　said。
　　　　Thorne　said；　〃There's　two　of　them；　roughly　two　feet　long；　weighing　maybe　forty　pounds。　About　the　size　of　small　cassowary　birds。　Large　eyes。　Short　snouts。　Pale…brown　color。　And　there's　a　ring　of　down　around　the　necks。〃
　　　　〃Can　they　stand？〃
　　　　〃Uh。。。if　they　can；　not　very　well。　They're　kind　of　flopping　around。　Squeaking　a　lot。〃
　　　　〃Then　they're　infants；〃　Levine　said；　nodding。　〃Probably　only　a　few　days　old。　Never　been　out　of　the　nest。　I'd　be　very　careful。〃
　　　　〃Why　is　that？〃
　　　　〃With　offspring　that　young；〃　Levine　said；　〃the　parents　won't　leave　them　for　long。〃

Harding　moved　closer　to　the　injured　infant。　Still　mewling；　the　baby　tried　to　crawl　toward　her；　dragging　its　body　awkwardly。　One　leg　was　bent　at　an　odd　angle。　〃I　think　the　left　leg's　hurt。〃
　　　　Eddie　came　closer；　standing　alongside　her　to　see。　〃Is　it　broken？〃
　　　　〃Yeah；　probably；　but　…　〃
　　　　〃Hey！〃　Eddie　said。　The　baby　lunge　d　forward；　and　clamped　its　jaws　around　the　ankle　of　his　boot。　He　pulled　his　foot　away；　dragging　the　baby；　which　held　its　grip　tightly。　〃Hey！　Let　go！〃
　　　　Eddie　lifted　his　leg　up；　shook　it　back　and　forth；　but　the　baby　refused　to　let　go。　He　pulled　for　a　moment　longer；　then　stopped。　Now　the　baby　just　lay　there　on　the　ground；　breathing　shallowly；　jaws　still　locked　around　Eddie's　boot。　〃J