the.lost.world-第7部分

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　　　　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　he　said　it；　he　saw　it　was　too　late；　the　first　of　the　flames　had　reached　the　carcass；　blackening　the　skin；　igniting　the　pockets　of　methane　with　a　blue　whump！　The　smoke　from　the　carcass　began　to　rise　thickly　into　the　sky。
　　　　〃Stop　it！　Stop　it！〃　Levine　turned　to　Guitierrez。　〃Make　them　stop　it！〃
　　　　But　Guitierrez　was　not　moving；　he　was　staring　at　the　carcass。　Consumed　by　flames；　the　torso　crackled　and　the　fat　sputtered；　and　then　as　the　skin　burned　away；　the　black；　flat　ribs　of　the　skeleton　were　revealed；　and　then　the　whole　torso　turned；　and　suddenly　the　neck　of　the　animal　swung　up；　surrounded　by　flames；　moving　as　the　skin　contracted。　And　inside　the　flames　Levine　saw　a　long　pointed　snout；　and　rows　of　sharp　predatory　teeth；　and　hollow　eye　sockets；　the　whole　thing　burning　like　some　medieval　dragon　rising　in　flames　up　into　the　sky。

San　José

Levine　sat　in　the　bar　of　the　San　José　airport；　nursing　a　beer；　waiting　for　his　plane　back　to　the　States。　Guitierrez　sat　beside　him　at　a　small　table；　not　saying　much。　An　awkward　silence　had　fallen　for　the　last　few　minutes。　Guitierrez　stared　at　Levine's　backpack；　on　the　floor　by　his　feet。　It　was　specially　constructed　of　dark…green　Gore…Tex；　with　extra　pockets　on　the　outside　for　all　the　electronic　gear。
　　　　〃Pretty　nice　pack；〃　Guitierrez　said。　〃Where'd　you　get　that；　anyway？　Looks　like　a　Thorne　pack。〃
　　　　Levine　sipped　his　beer。　〃It　is。〃
　　　　〃Nice；〃　Guitierrez　said；　looking　at　it。　〃What've　you　got　there　in　the　top　flap；　a　satellite　phone？　And　a　GPS？　Boy；　what　won't　they　think　of　next。　Pretty　slick。　Must　have　cost　you　a　…　〃
　　　　〃Marty；〃　Levine　said；　in　an　exasperated　tone。　〃Cut　the　crap。　Are　you　going　to　tell　me；　or　not？〃
　　　　〃Tell　you　what？〃
　　　　〃I　want　to　know　what　the　hell's　going　on　here。〃
　　　　〃Richard；　look；　I'm　sorry　if　you　…　〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Levine　said；　cutting　him　off。　〃That　was　a　very　important　specimen　on　that　beach；　Marty；　and　it　was　destroyed。　I　don't　understand　why　you　let　it　happen。〃
　　　　Guitierrez　sighed。　He　looked　around　at　the　tourists　at　the　other　tables　and　said；　〃This　has　to　be　in　confidence；　okay？〃
　　　　〃All　right。〃
　　　　〃It's　a　big　problem　here。〃
　　　　〃What　is。〃
　　　　〃There　have　been；　uh。。。aberrant　forms。。。turning　up　on　the　coast　ever　so　often。　It's　been　going　on　for　several　years　now。〃
　　　　〃'Aberrant　forms？〃'　Levine　repeated；　shaking　his　head　in　disbelief
　　　　〃That's　the　official　term　for　these　specimens；〃　Guitierrez　said。　〃No　one　in　the　government　is　willing　to　be　more　precise。　It　started　about　five　years　ago。　A　number　of　animals　were　discovered　up　in　the　mountains；　near　a　remote　agricultural　station　that　was　growing　test　varieties　of　soy　beans。〃
　　　　〃Soy　beans；〃　Levine　repeated。
　　　　Guitierrez　nodded。　〃Apparently　these　animals　are　attracted　to　beans；　and　certain　grasses。　The　assumption　is　that　they　have　a　great　need　for　the　amino　acid　lysine　in　their　diets。　But　nobody　is　really　sure。　Perhaps　they　just　have　a　taste　for　certain　crops　…　〃
　　　　〃Marty；〃　Levine　said。　〃I　don't　care　if　they　have　a　taste　for　beer　and　pretzels。　The　only　important　question　is：　where　did　the　animals　e　from？〃
　　　　〃Nobody　knows；〃　Guitierrez　said。
　　　　Levine　let　that　pass；　for　the　moment。　〃What　happened　to　those　other　animals？〃
　　　　〃They　were　all　destroyed。　And　to　my　knowledge；　no　others　were　found　for　years　afterward。　But　now　it　seems　to　be　starting　again。　In　the　last　year；　we　have　found　the　remains　of　four　more　animals；　including　the　one　you　saw　today。〃
　　　　〃And　what　was　done？〃
　　　　〃The；　ah；　aberrant　forms　are　always　destroyed。　Just　as　you　saw。　From　the　beginning；　the　government's　taken　every　possible　step　to　make　sure　nobody　finds　out　about　it。　A　few　years　back；　some　North　American　journalists　began　reporting　there　was　something　wrong　on　one　island；　Isla　Nublar。　Menéndez　invited　a　bunch　of　journalists　down　for　a　special　tour　of　the　island　…　and　proceeded　to　fly　them　to　the　wrong　island。　They　never　knew　the　difference。　Stuff　like　that。　I　mean；　the　government's　very　serious　about　this。〃
　　　　〃Why？〃
　　　　〃They're　worried。〃
　　　　〃Worried？　Why　should　they　be　worried　about　…　〃
　　　　Guitierrez　held　up　his　hand；　shifted　in　his　chair；　moved　closer。　〃Disease；　Richard。〃
　　　　〃Disease？〃
　　　　〃Yeah。　Costa　Rica　has　one　of　the　best　health…care　systems　in　the　world；〃　Guitierrez　said。　〃The　epidemiologists　have　been　tracking　some　weird　type　of　encephalitis　that　seems　to　be　on　the　increase；　particularly　along　the　coast。〃
　　　　〃Encephalitis'？　Of　what　origin？　Viral？〃
　　　　Guitierrez　shook　his　head。　〃No　causative　agent　has　been　found。〃
　　　　〃Marty。。。〃
　　　　〃I'm　telling　you；　Richard。　Nobody　knows。　It's　not　a　virus；　because　antibody　titres　don't　go　up；　and　white…cell　differentials　don't　change。　It's　not　bacterial；　because　nothing　has　ever　been　cultered。　It's　a　plete　mystery。　All　the　epidemiologists　know　is　that　it　seems　to　affect　primarily　rural　farmers：　people　who　are　around　animals　and　livestock。　And　it's　a　true　encephalitis…splitting　headaches；　mental　confusion；　fever；　delirium。〃
　　　　〃Mortality？〃
　　　　〃So　far　it　seems　to　be　self…limited；　lasts　about　three　weeks。　But　even　so　it's　got　the　government　worried。　This　country　is　dependent　on　tourism；　Richard。　Nobody　wants　talk　of　unknown　diseases。〃
　　　　〃So　they　think　the　encephalitis　is　related　to　these；　ah；　aberrant　forms？〃
　　　　He　shrugged。　〃Lizards　carry　lots　of　viral　diseases；〃　Guitierrez　said。　〃They're　a　known　vector。　So　it's　not　unreasonable；　there　might　be　a　connection。〃
　　　　〃But　you　said　this　isn't　a　viral　disease。〃
　　　　〃Whatever　it　is。　They　think　it's　related。〃
　　　　Levine　said；　〃All　the　more　reason　to　find　out　where　these　lizards　are　ing　from。　Surely　they　must　have　searched。。。〃
　　　　〃Searched？〃　Guiiticrrez　said；　with　a　laugh。　〃Of　course　they've　searched。　They've　gone　over　every　square　inch　of　this　country；　again　and　again。　They've　sent　out　dozens　of　search　parties　…　I've　led　several　myself。　They've　done　aerial　surveys。　They've　had　overflights　of　the　jungle。　They've　had　overflights　of　the　offshore　islands。　That　in　itself　is　a　big　job。　There　are　quite　a　few　islands；　you　know；　particularly　along　the　west　coast。　Hell；　they've　even　searched　the　ones　that　are　privately　owned。〃
　　　　〃Are　there　privately　owned　islands？〃　Levine　asked。
　　　　〃A　few。　Three　or　four。　Like　Isla　Nublar　…　it　was　leased　to　an　American　pany；　InGen；　for　years。〃
　　　　〃But　you　said　that　island　was　searched。。。〃
　　　　〃Thoroughly　searched。　Nothing　there。〃
　　　　〃And　the　others？〃
　　　　〃Well；　let's　see；〃　Guitierrez　said；　ticking　them　off　on　his　fingers。　〃There's　Isla　Talamanca；　on　the　east　coast；　they've　got　a　Club　Med　there。　There's　Sorna；　on　the　west　coast；　it's　leased　to　a　German　mining　pany。　And　there's　Morazan；　up　north；　it's　actually　owned　by　a　wealthy　Costa　Rican　family。　And　there　may　be　another　island　I've　forgotten　about。〃
　　　　〃And　the　searches　found　what？〃
　　　　〃Nothing；〃　Guitierrez　said。　〃They've　found　nothing　at　all。　So　the　assumption　is　that　the　animals　are　ing　from　some　location　deep　in　the　jungle。　And　that's　why　we　haven't　been　able　to　find　it　so　far。〃
　　　　Levine　grunted。　〃In　that　case；　lots　of　luck；〃
　　　　〃I　know；〃　Guitierrez　said。　〃Rain　forest　is　an　incredibly　good　environment　for　concealment。　A　search　party　could　pass　within　ten　yards　of　a　large　animal　and　never　see　it。　And　even　the　most　advanced　remote　sensing　technology　doesn't　help　much；　because　there　are　multiple　layers　to　penetrate…clouds；　tree　canopy；　lower…level　flora。　There's　just　no　way　around　it：　almost　anything　could　be　hiding　in　the　rain　forest。　Anyway；〃　he　said；　〃the　government's　frustrated。　And；　of　course；　the　government　is　not　the　only　interested　party。〃
　　　　Levine　looked　up　sharply。　〃Oh？〃
　　　　〃Yes。　For　some　reason；　there's　been　a　lot　of　interest　in　these　animals。〃
　　　　〃What　sort　of　interest？〃　Levine　said；　as　casually　as　he　could。
　　　　〃Last　fall；　the　government　issued　a　permit　to　a　team　of　botanists　from　Berkeley　to　do　an　aerial　survey　of　the　jungle　canopy　in　the　central　highlands。　The　survey　had　been　going　on　for　a　month　when　a　dispute　arose　a　bill　for　aviation　fuel；　or　something　like　that。　Anyway；　a　bureaucrat　in　San　José　called　Berke