the.lost.world-第6部分

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　　　　〃No　pictures；〃　the　pilot　said　again；　and　he　pulled　the　camera　out　of　Levine's　hand。
　　　　〃Marty；　this　is　crazy。〃
　　　　〃Just　go　ahead　and　make　your　examination；〃　Guitierrcz　said；　and　then　he　began　speaking　in　Spanish　to　the　Pilot；　who　answered　sharply　and　angrily；　waving　his　hands。
　　　　Levine　watched　a　moment；　then　turned　away。　The　hell　with　this；　he　thought。　They　could　argue　forever。　He　hurried　forward；　breathing　through　his　mouth。　The　odor　became　much　stronger　as　he　approached　it。　Although　the　carcass　was　large　he　noticed　there　were　no　birds；　rats；　or　other　scavengers　feeding　on　it。　There　were　only　flies　…　flies　so　dense　they　covered　the　skin；　and　obscured　the　outline　of　the　dead　animal。
　　　　Even　so；　it　was　clear　that　this　had　been　a　substantial　creature；　roughly　the　size　of　a　cow　or　horse　before　the　bloat　began　to　enlarge　it　further。　The　dry　skin　had　cracked　in　the　sun　and　was　now　peeling　upward；　exposing　the　layer　of　runny；　yellow　subdermal　fat　beneath。
　　　　Oof；　it　stunk！　Levine　winced。　He　forced　himself　closer；　directing　all　his　attention　to　the　animal。
　　　　Although　it　was　the　size　of　a　cow；　it　was　clearly　not　a　mammal。　The　skin　was　hairless。　The　original　skin　color　appeared　to　have　been　green；　with　a　suggestion　of　darker　striations　running　through　it。　The　epidermal　surface　was　pebbled　in　polygonal　tubercles　of　varying　sizes；　the　pattern　reminiscent　of　the　skin　of　a　lizard。　This　texture　varied　in　different　parts　of　the　animal；　the　pebbling　larger　and　less　distinct　on　the　underbelly。　There　were　prominent　skin　folds　at　the　neck；　shoulder；　and　hip　joints　…　again；　like　a　lizard。
　　　　But　the　carcass　was　large。　Levine　estimated　the　animal　had　originally　weighed　about　a　hundred　kilograms；　roughly　two　hundred　and　twenty　pounds；　No　lizards　grew　that　large　anywhere　in　the　world；　except　the　Komodo　dragons　of　Indonesia。　Varanus　komodoensis　were　nine…foot…long　monitor　lizards；　crocodile…size　carnivores　that　ate　goats　and　pigs；　and　on　occasion　human　beings　as　well。　But　there　were　no　monitor　lizards　anywhere　in　the　New　World。　Of　course；　it　was　conceivable　that　this　was　one　of　the　Iguanidae。　Iguanas　were　found　all　over　South　America；　and　the　marine　iguanas　grew　quite　large。　Even　so；　this　would　be　a　record…size　animal。
　　　　Levine　moved　slowly　around　the　carcass；　toward　the　front　of　the　animal。　No；　he　thought；　it　wasn't　a　lizard。　The　carcass　lay　on　its　side；　its　left　rib　cage　toward　the　sky。　Nearly　half　of　it　was　buried；　the　row　of　protruberances　that　marked　the　dorsal　spinous　processes　of　the　backbone　were　just　a　few　inches　above　the　sand。　The　long　neck　was　curved；　the　head　hidden　beneath　the　bulk　of　the　body　like　a　duck's　head　under　feathers。　Levine　saw　one　forelimb；　which　seemed　small　and　weak。　The　distal　appendage　was　buried　in　sand。　He　would　dig　that　out　and　have　a　look　at　it；　but　he　wanted　to　take　pictures　before　he　disturbed　the　specimen　in　situ。
　　　　In　fact；　the　more　Levine　saw　of　this　carcass；　the　more　carefully　he　thought　he　should　proceed。　Because　one　thing　was　clear　…　this　was　a　very　rare；　and　possibly　unknown；　animal。　Levine　felt　simultaneously　excited　and　cautious。　If　this　discovery　was　as　significant　as　he　was　beginning　to　think　it　was；　then　it　was　essential　that　it　be　properly　documented。
　　　　Up　the　beach；　Guitierrez　was　still　shouting　at　the　pilot；　who　kept　shaking　his　head　stubbornly。　These　banana…republic　bureaucrats；　Levine　thought。　Why　shouldn't　he　take　pictures？　It　couldn't　harm　anything。　And　it　was　vital　to　document　the　changing　state　of　the　creature。
　　　　He　heard　a　thumping；　and　looked　up　to　see　a　second　helicopter　circling　the　bay；　its　dark　shadow　sliding　across　the　sand。　This　helicopter　was　ambulance…white；　with　red　lettering　on　the　side。　In　the　glare　of　the　setting　sun；　he　couldn't　read　it。
　　　　He　turned　back　to　the　carcass；　noticing　now　that　the　hind　leg　of　the　animal　was　powerfully　muscled；　very　different　from　the　foreleg。　It　suggested　that　this　creature　walked　upright；　balanced　on　strong　hind　legs。　Many　lizards　were　known　to　stand　upright；　of　course；　but　none　so　large　as　this。　In　point　of　fact；　as　Levine　looked　at　the　general　shape　of　the　carcass；　he　felt　increasingly　certain　that　this　was　not　a　lizard。
　　　　He　worked　quickly　now；　for　the　light　was　fading　and　he　had　much　to　do。　With　every　specimen；　there　were　always　two　major　questions　to　answer；　both　equally　important。　First；　what　was　the　animal？　Second；　why　had　it　died？
　　　　Standing　by　the　thigh；　he　saw　the　epidermis　was　split　open；　no　doubt　from　the　gaseous　subcutaneous　buildup。　But　as　Levine　looked　more　closely；　he　saw　that　the　split　was　in　fact　a　sharp　gash；　and　that　it　ran　deep　through　the　femorotibialis；　exposing　red　muscle　and　pale　bone　beneath。　He　ignored　the　stench；　and　the　white　maggots　that　wriggled　across　the　open　tissues　of　the　gash；　because　he　realized　that　…
　　　　〃Sorry　about　all　this；〃　Guitierrez　said；　ing　over。　〃But　the　pilot　just　refuses。〃
　　　　The　pilot　was　nervously　following　Guitierrez；　standing　beside　him；　watching　carefully。
　　　　〃Marty；〃　Levine　said。　〃I　really　need　to　take　pictures　here。〃
　　　　〃I'm　afraid　you　can't；〃　Guitierrez　said；　with　a　shrtig。
　　　　〃It's　important；　Marty。〃
　　　　〃Sorry。　I　tried　my　best。〃
　　　　Farther　down　the　beach；　the　white　helicopter　landed；　its　whine　diminishing。　Men　in　uniforms　began　getting　out。
　　　　〃Marty。　What　do　you　think　this　animal　is？〃
　　　　〃Well；　I　can　only　guess；〃　Guitierrez　said。　〃From　the　general　dimensions　I'd　call　it　a　previously　unidentified　iguana。　It's　extremely　large；　of　course；　and　obviously　not　native　to　Costa　Rica。　My　guess　is　this　animal　came　from　the　Galdpagos；　or　one　of　the　…　〃
　　　　〃No；　Marty；〃　Levine　said。　〃It's　not　an　iguana。〃
　　　　〃Before　you　say　anything　more；〃　Guitierrez　said；　glancing　at　the　pilot；　〃I　think　you　ought　to　know　that　several　previously　unknown　species　of　lizard　have　shown　up　in　this　area。　Nobody's　quite　sure　why。　Perhaps　it's　due　to　the　cutting　of　the　rain　forest；　or　some　other　reason。　But　new　species　are　appearing。　Several　years　ago；　I　began　to　see　unidentified　species　of　…　〃
　　　　〃Marty。　It's　not　a　damn　lizard。〃
　　　　Guitierrez　blinked　his　eyes。　〃What　are　you　saying？　Of　course　it's　a　lizard。〃
　　　　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　Levine　said。
　　　　Guitierrez　said；　〃You're　probably　just　thrown　off　because　of　its　size。　The　fact　is；　here　in　Costa　Rica；　we　occasionally　encounter　these　aberrant　forms　…　〃
　　　　〃Marty；〃　Levine　said　coldly。　〃I　am　never　thrown　off　〃
　　　　〃Well；　of　course；　I　didn't　mean　that　…　〃
　　　　〃And　I　am　telling　you；　this　is　not　a　lizard；〃　Levine　said。
　　　　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Guitierrez　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃But　I　can't　agree。〃
　　　　Back　at　the　white　helicopter；　the　men　were　huddled　together；　putting　on　white　surgical　masks。
　　　　〃I'm　not　asking　you　to　agree；〃　Levine　said。　He　turned　back　to　the　carcass。　〃The　diagnosis　is　settled　easily　enough；　all　we　need　do　is　excavate　the　head；　or　for　that　matter　any　of　the　limbs；　for　example　this　thigh　here；　which　I　believe　…　〃
　　　　He　broke　off；　and　leaned　closer。　He　peered　at　the　back　of　the　thigh。
　　　　〃What　is　it？〃　Guiltierrez　said。
　　　　〃Give　me　your　knife。〃
　　　　〃Why？〃　Guitierrez　said。
　　　　〃Just　give　it　to　me。〃
　　　　Guitierrez　fished　out　his　pocketknife；　put　the　handle　in　Levine's　outstretched　hand。　Levine　peered　steadily　at　the　carcass。　〃I　think　you　will　find　this　interesting。〃
　　　　〃What？〃
　　　　〃Right　along　the　posterior　dermal　line；　there　is　a　…　〃
　　　　Suddenly；　they　heard　shouting　on　the　beach；　and　looked　up　to　see　the　men　from　the　white　helicopter　running　down　the　beach　toward　them。　They　carried　tanks　on　their　backs；　and　were　shouting　in　Spanish。
　　　　〃What　are　they　saying？〃　Levine　asked；　frowning。
　　　　Guitierrez　sighed。　〃They're　saying　to　get　back。〃
　　　　〃Tell　them　we're　busy；〃　Levine　said；　and　bent　over　the　carcass　again。
　　　　But　the　men　kept　shouting；　and　suddenly　there　was　a　roaring　sound；　and　Levine　looked　up　to　see　flamethrowers　igniting；　big　red　jets　of　flame　roaring　out　in　the　evening　light。　He　ran　around　the　carcass　toward　the　men；　shouting；　〃No！　No！〃
　　　　But　the　men　paid　no　attention。
　　　　He　shouted；　〃No；　this　is　a　priceless　…　〃
　　　　The　first　of　the　uniformed　men　grabbed　Levine；　and　threw　him　roughly　to　the　sand。
　　　　〃What　the　hell　are　you　doing？〃　Levine　yelled；　scrambling　to　his　feet。　But　even　as