michael crichton.congo-第38章

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alk　to　them。　Who；　then；　should　be　judged　the　greater　intellect？〃
　Berensky　added　a　prediction。　〃The　time　will　e；〃　he
　said；　〃when　circumstances　may　force　some　human　beings　to　municate　with　a　primate　society　on　its　own　terms。　Only　then　human　beings　will　bee　aware　of　their　placent　egotism　with　regard　to　other　animals。〃
　
　
　
　
　The　ERTS　expedition；　isolated　deep　in　the　Congo　rain　forest；　now　faced　just　such　a　problem。　Confronted　by　a　new　species　of　gorilla…like　animal；　they　somehow　had　to　deal　with　it　on　its　own　terms。
　During　the　evening；　Elliot　transmitted　the　taped　breath　sounds　to　Houston；　and　from　there　they　were　relayed　to　San　Francisco。　The　transcript　which　followed　the　transmission　was　brief：
　Seamans　Wrote：　RECVD　TRNSMISN。　SHLD　HELP。
　IMPORTNT…NEED　TRNSLATION　SOON；　Elliot　typed　back。　WHN　HAVE？
　PUTR　ANALYSS　DIFICLT…PROBLMS　XCEED　MGNITUDE　CSL　/　JSL　TRNSLATN。
　〃What　does　that　mean？〃　Ross　said。
　〃He's　saying　that　the　translation　problems　exceed　the　problem　of　translating　Chinese　or　Japanese　sign　language。〃
　She　hadn't　known　there　was　a　Chinese　or　Japanese　sign　language；　but　Elliot　explained　that　there　were　sign　languages　for　all　major　languages；　and　each　followed　its　own　rules。　For　instance；　BSL；　British　sign　language；　was　totally　different　from　ASL；　American　sign　language；　even　though　spoken　and　written　English　language　was　virtually　identical　in　the　two　countries。
　Different　sign　languages　had　different　grammar　and　syntax；　and　even　obeyed　different　sign　traditions。　Chinese　sign　language　used　the　middle　finger　pointing　outward　for　several　signs；　such　as　TWO　WEEKS　FROM　NOW　and　BROTHER；　although　this　configuration　was　insulting　and　unacceptable　in　American　sign　language。
　〃But　this　is　a　spoken　language；〃　Ross　said。
　〃Yes；〃　Elliot　said；　〃but　it's　a　plicated　problem。　We　aren't　likely　to　get　it　translated　soon。〃
　By　nightfall；　they　had　two　additional　pieces　of　information。　Ross　ran　a　puter　simulation　through　Houston　which　came　back　with　a　probability　course　of　three　days　and　a　standard　deviation　of　two　days　to　find　the　diamond　mines。　That　meant　they　should　be　prepared　for　five　more　days　at　the　site。　Food　was　not　a　problem；　but　ammunition　was：　Munro　proposed　to　use　tear　gas。
　They　expected　the　gray　gorillas　to　try　a　different　approach；　and　they　did；　attacking　immediately　after　dark。　The　battle　on　the　night　of　June　23　was　punctuated　by　the　coughing　explosions　of　canisters　and　the　sizzling　hiss　of　the　gas。　The　strategy　was　effective；　the　gorillas　were　driven　away；　and　did　not　return　again　that　night。
　Munro　was　pleased。　He　announced　that　they　had　enough　tear　gas　to　hold　off　the　gorillas　for　a　week；　perhaps　more。　For　the　moment；　their　problems　appeared　to　be　solved。
　
　DAY　12：　ZINJ　
　June　24；　1979
　
　1。The　Offensive
　
　SHORTLY　AFTER　DAWN；　THEY　DISCOVERED　THE　bodies　of　Mulewe　and　Akari　near　their　tent。　Apparently　the　attack　the　night　before　had　been　a　diversion；　allowing　one　gorilla　to　enter　the　pound；　kill　the　porters；　and　slip　out　again。　Even　more　disturbing；　they　could　find　no　clue　to　how　the　gorilla　had　got　through　the　electrified　fence　and　back　out　again。
　A　careful　search　revealed　a　section　of　fence　torn　near　the　bottom。　A　long　stick　lay　on　the　ground　nearby。　The　gorillas　had　used　the　stick　to　lift　the　bottom　of　the　fence；　enabling　one　to　crawl　through。　And　before　leaving；　the　gorillas　had　carefully　restored　the　fence　to　its　original　condition。
　The　intelligence　implied　by　such　behavior　was　hard　to　accept。　〃Time　and　again；〃　Elliot　said　later；　〃we　came　up　against　our　prejudices　about　animals。　We　kept　expecting　the　gorillas　to　behave　in　stupid；　stereotyped　ways　but　they　never　did。　We　never　treated　them　as　flexible　and　responsive　adversaries；　though　they　had　already　reduced　our　numbers　by　one　fourth。〃
　Munro　had　difficulty　accepting　the　calculated　hostility　of　the　gorillas。　His　experience　had　taught　him　that　animals　in　nature　were　indifferent　to　man。　Finally　he　concluded　that　〃these　animals　had　been　trained　by　men；　and　I　had　to　think　of　them　as　men。　The　question　became　what　would　I　do　if　they　were　men？〃
　For　Munro　the　answer　was　clear：　take　the　offensive。
　
　Amy　agreed　to　lead　them　into　the　jungle　where　she　said　the　gorillas　lived。　By　ten　o'clock　that　morning；　they　were　moving　up　the　hillsides　north　of　the　city　armed　with　machine　guns。　It　was　not　long　before　they　found　gorilla　spoor…　quantities　of　dung；　and　nests　on　the　ground　and　in　the　trees。　Munro　was　disturbed　by　what　he　saw；　some　trees　held　twenty　or　thirty　nests；　suggesting　a　large　population　of　animals。
　Ten　minutes　later；　they　came　upon　a　group　of　ten　gray　gorillas　feeding　on　succulent　vines：　four　males　and　three　females；　a　juvenile；　and　two　scampering　infants。　The　adults　were　lazy；　basking　in　the　sun；　eating　in　desultory　fashion。　Several　other　animals　slept　on　their　backs；　snoring　loudly。　They　all　seemed　remarkably　unguarded。
　Munro　gave　a　hand　signal；　the　safeties　clicked　off　the　guns。　He　prepared　to　fire　into　the　group　when　Amy　tugged　at　his　trouser　leg。　He　looked　off　and　〃had　the　shock　of　my　bloody　life。　Up　the　slope　was　another　group；　perhaps　ten　or　twelve　animals…and　then　I　saw　another　group…and　another…and　another　still。　There　must　have　been　three　hundred　or　more。　The　hillside　was　crawling　with　gray　gorillas。〃
　
　The　largest　gorilla　group　ever　sighted　in　the　wild　had　been　thirty…one　individuals；　in　Kabara　in　1971；　and　even　that　sighting　was　disputed。　Most　researchers　thought　it　was　actually　two　groups　seen　briefly　together；　since　the　usual　group　size　was　ten　to　fifteen　individuals。　Elliot　found　three　hundred　animals　〃an　awesome　sight。〃　But　he　was　even　more　impressed　by　the　behavior　of　the　animals。　As　they　browsed　and　fed　in　the　sunlight；　they　behaved　very　much　like　ordinary　gorillas　in　the　wild；　but　there　were　important　differences。
　〃From　the　first　sighting；　I　never　had　any　doubt　that　they　had　language。　Their　wheezing　vocalizations　were　striking　and　clearly　constituted　a　form　of　language。　In　addition　they　used　sign　language；　although　nothing　like　what　we　knew。　Their　hand　gestures　were　delivered　with　outstretched　arms　in　a　graceful　way；　rather　like　Thai　dancers。　These　hand　movements　seemed　to　plement　or　add　to　the　sighing　vocalizations。　Obviously　the　gorillas　had　been　taught；　or　had　elaborated　on　their　own；　a　language　system　far　more　sophisticated　than　the　pure　sign　language　of　laboratory　apes　in　the　twentieth　century。〃
　Some　abstract　corner　of　Elliot's　mind　considered　this　discovery　tremendously　exciting；　while　at　the　same　time　he　shared　the　fear　of　the　others　around　him。　Crouched　behind　the　dense　foliage　they　held　their　breath　and　watched　the　gorillas　feed　on　the　opposite　hillside。　Although　the　gorillas　seemed　peaceful；　the　humans　watching　them　felt　a　tension　approaching　panic　at　being　so　close　to　such　great　numbers　of　them。　Finally；　at　Munro's　signal；　they　slipped　back　down　the　trail；　and　returned　to　the　camp。
　The　porters　were　digging　graves　for　Akari　and　Mulewe　in　camp。　It　was　a　grim　reminder　of　their　jeopardy　as　they　discussed　their　alternatives。　Munro　said　to　Elliot；　〃They　don't　seem　to　be　aggressive　during　the　day。〃
　〃No；〃　Elliot　said。　〃Their　behavior　looks　quite　typical…　if　anything；。　it's　more　sluggish　than　that　of　ordinary　gorillas　in　daytime。　Probably　most　of　the　males　are　sleeping　during　the　day。〃
　〃How　many　animals　on　the　hillside　are　males？〃　Munro　asked。　They　had　already　concluded　that　only　male　animals　participated　in　the　attacks；　Munro　was　asking　for　odds。
　Elliot　said；　〃Most　studies　have　found　that　adult　males　constitute　fifteen　percent　of　gorilla　groupings。　And　most　studies　show　that　isolated　observations　underestimate　troop　size　by　twenty…five　percent。　There　are　more　animals　than　you　see　at　any　given　moment。〃
　The　arithmetic　was　disheartening。　They　had　counted　three　hundred　gorillas　on　the　hillside；　which　meant　there　were　probably　four　hundred；　of　which　15　percent　were　males。　That　meant　that　there　were　sixty　attacking　animals…and　only　nine　in　their　defending　group。
　〃Hard；〃　Munro　said；　shaking　his　head。
　Amy　had　one　solution。　She　signed；　Go　now。
　Ross　asked　what　she　said　and　Elliot　told　her；　〃She　wants　to　leave。　I　think　she's　right。〃
　〃Don't　be　ridiculous；〃　Ross　said。　〃We　haven't　found　the　diamonds。　We　can't　leave　now。〃
　Go　now；　Amy　signed　again。
　They　looked　at　Munro。　Somehow　the　group　had　decided　that　Munro　would　make　the　decision　of　what　to　do　next。　〃I　want　the　diamonds　as　much　as　anyone；〃　he　said。　〃But　they　won't　be　much　use　to　us　if　we're　dead。　We　have　no　choice。　We　must　leave　if　we　can。〃
　Ross　swore；　in　florid　Texan　style。
　Elliot　said　to　Munro；　〃What　do　you　mean；　if　we　can？〃
　〃I　mean；〃　Munro　said；　〃that　they　may　not　let　us　leave。〃
　
　2。Departure
　
　FOLLOWING　MUNRO'S　INSTRUCTIONS；　THEY　carried　only　minimal　supplies　of　food　and　ammunition。　They　left　everything　else…the　tents；　the　perimeter　defenses；　the　munications　equipment；　everything；　in　the　sunlit　clearing　at　midday。
　Munro　glanced　back　over　his　shoulder　and　hoped　he　was　doing　the　right　thing。　In　the　1960s；　the　Congo　mercenaries　had　had　an　ironic　rule：　〃Don't　leave　home。〃　It　had　multiple　meanings；　including　the　obvious　one　that　none　of　them　should　ever　have　e　to　the　Congo　in　the　first　place。　It　also　meant　that　once　established　in　a　fortified　camp　or　colonial　town　you　were　unwise　to　step　out　into　the　surrounding　jungle；　whatever　the　provocation。　Several　of　Munro's　friends　had　bought　it　in　the　jungle　because　they　had　foolishly　left　home。　The　news　would　e　to　them：　〃Digger　bought　it　last　week　outside　Stanleyville。〃　〃Outside？　Why'd　he　leave　home？〃
　Munro　was　leading　the　expedition　outside　now；　and　home　was　the　little　silver　camp　with　its　perimeter　defense　behind　them。　Back　in　that　camp；　they　were　sitting　ducks　for　the　attacking　gorillas。　The　mercenaries　had　had　something　to　say　about　that；　too：　〃Better　a　sitting　duck　than　a　dead　duck。〃
　As　they　marched　through　the　rain　forest；　Munro　was　painfully　aware　of　the　single…file　column　strung　out　behind　him；　the　least　defensible　formation。　He　watched　the　jungle　foliage　move　in　as　their　path　narrowed。　He　did　not　remember　this　track　being　so　narrow　when　they　had　e　to　the　city。　Now　they　were　hemmed　in　by　close　ferns　and　spreading　palms。
　The　gorillas　might　be　only　a　few　feet　away；　concealed　in　the　dense　foliage；　and　they　wouldn't　know　it　until　it　was　too　late。
　They　walked　on。
　Munro　thought　if　they　could　reach　the　eastern　slopes　of　Mukenko；　they　would　be　all　right。　The　gray　gorillas　were　localized　near　the　city；　and　would　not　follow　them　far。　One　or　two　hours　walking；　and　they　would　be　beyond　danger。
　He　checked　his　watch：　they　had　been　gone　ten　minutes。
　And　then　he　heard　the　sighing　sound。　It　seemed　to　e　from　all　directions。　He　saw　the　foliage　moving　before　him；　shifting　as　if　blown　by　a　wind。　Only　there　was　no　wind。　He　heard　the　sighing　grow　louder。
　The　column　halted　at　the　edge　of　a　ravine；　which　followed　a　streambed　past　sloping　jungle　walls　on　both　sides。　It　was　the　perfect　spot　for　an　ambush。　Along　the　line　he　heard　the　safeties　click　on　the　machine　guns。　Kahega　came　up。　〃Captain；　what　do　we　do？〃
　Munro　watched　the　foliage　move；；　and　heard　the　sighing。　He　could　only　guess　at　the　numbers　concealed　in　the　bush。　Twenty？　Thirty？　Too　m