michael crichton.congo-第7章

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　referring　to　the　unpublished　paper。　But　the　University　Information　Office　was　now　〃too　busy〃　to　issue　the　release。
　On　June　11；　the　Berkeley　faculty　scheduled　a　meeting　to　consider　〃issues　of　ethical　conduct〃　within　the　university。　Eleanor　Vries　announced　that　the　PPA　had　hired　the　noted　San　Francisco　attorney　Melvin　Bell　〃to　free　Amy　from　subjugation。〃　Bell's　office　was　not　available　for　ment。
　On　the　same　day；　the　Project　Amy　staff　had　a　sudden；　unexpected　breakthrough　in　their　understanding　of　Amy's　dreams。
　
　Through　all　the　publicity　and　motion；　the　group　had　continued　to　work　daily　with　Amy；　and　her　continued　distress…and　flaring　temper　tantrums…was　a　constant　reminder　that　they　had　not　solved　the　initial　problem。　They　persisted　in　their　search　for　clues；　although　when　the　break　finally　came；　it　happened　almost　by　accident。
　Sarah　Johnson；　a　research　assistant；　was　checking　prehistoric　archaeological　sites　in　the　Congo；　on　the　unlikely　chance　that　Amy　might　have　seen　such　a　site　（〃old　buildings　in　the　jungle〃）　in　her　infancy；　before　she　was　brought　to　the　Minneapolis　zoo。　Johnson　quickly　discovered　the　pertinent　facts　about　the　Congo：　the　region　had　not　been　explored　by　Western　observers　until　a　hundred　years　ago；　in　recent　times；　hostile　tribes　and　civil　war　had　made　scientific　inquiry　hazardous；　and　finally；　the　moist　jungle　environment　did　not　lend　itself　to　artifact　preservation。
　This　meant　remarkably　little　was　known　about　Congolese　prehistory；　and　Johnson　pleted　her　research　in　a　few　hours。　But　she　was　reluctant　to　return　so　quickly　from　her　assignment；　so　she　stayed　on；　looking　at　other　books　in　the　anthropology　library…ethnographies；　histories；　early　accounts。　The　earliest　visitors　to　the　interior　of　the　Congo　were　Arab　slave　traders　and　Portuguese　merchants；　and　several　had　written　accounts　of　their　travels。　Because　Johnson　could　read　neither　Arabic　nor　Portuguese；　she　just　looked　at　the　plates。
　And　then　she　saw　a　picture　that；　she　said；　〃sent　a　chill　up　my　spine。〃
　It　was　a　Portuguese　engraving　originally　dated　1642　and　reprinted　in　an　1842　volume。　The　ink　was　yellowing　on　frayed　brittle　paper；　but　clearly　visible　was　a　ruined　city　in　the　jungle；　overgrown　with　creeper　vines　and　giant　ferns。　The　doors　and　windows　were　constructed　with　semicircular　arches；　exactly　as　Amy　had　drawn　them。
　
　〃It　was；〃　Elliot　said　later；　〃the　kind　of　opportunity　that　es　to　a　researcher　once　in　his　lifetime…if　he's　lucky。　Of　course　we　knew　nothing　about　the　picture；　the　caption　was　written　in　flowing　script　and　included　a　word　that　looked　like　'Zinj；'　and　the　date　1642。　We　immediately　hired　translators　skilled　in　archaic　Arabic　and　seventeenth…century　Portuguese；　but　that　wasn't　the　point。　The　point　was　we　had　a　chance　to　verify　a　major　theoretical　question。　Amy's　pictures　seemed　to　be　a　clear　case　of　specific　genetic　memory。〃
　Genetic　memory　was　first　proposed　by　Marais　in　1911；　and　it　has　been　vigorously　debated　ever　since。　In　its　simplest　form；　the　theory　proposed　that　the　mechanism　of　genetic　inheritance；　which　governed　the　transmission　of　all　physical　traits；　was　not　limited　to　physical　traits　alone。　Behavior　was　clearly　genetically　determined　in　lower　animals；　which　were　born　with　plex　behavior　that　did　not　have　to　be　learned。　But　higher　animals　had　more　flexible　behavior；　dependent　on　learning　and　memory。　The　question　was　whether　higher　animals；　particularly　apes　and　men；　had　any　part　of　their　psychic　apparatus　fixed　from　birth　by　their　genes。
　Now；　Elliot　felt；　with　Amy　they　had　evidence　for　such　a　memory。　Amy　had　been　taken　from　Africa　when　she　was　only　seven　months　old。　Unless　she　had　seen　this　ruined　city　in　her　infancy；　her　dreams　represented　a　specific　genetic　memory　which　could　be　verified　by　a　trip　to　Africa。　By　the　evening　of　June　11；　the　Project　Amy　staff　was　agreed。　If　they　could　arrange　it…and　pay　for　it…they　would　take　Amy　back　to　Africa。
　On　June　12；　the　team　waited　for　the　translators　to　plete　work　on　the　source　material。　Checked　translations　were　expected　to　be　ready　within　two　days。　But　a　trip　to　Africa　for　Amy　and　two　staff　members　would　cost　at　least　thirty　thousand　dollars；　a　substantial　fraction　of　their　total　annual　operating　budget。　And　transporting　a　gorilla　halfway　around　the　world　involved　a　bewildering　tangle　of　customs　regulations　and　bureaucratic　red　tape。
　Clearly；　they　needed　expert　help；　but　they　were　not　sure　where　to　turn。　And　then；　on　June　13；　a　Dr。　Karen　Ross　from　one　of　their　granting　institutions；　the　Earth　Resources　Wildlife　Fund；　called　from　Houston　to　say　that　she　was　leading　an　expedition　into　the　Congo　in　two　days'　time。　And　although　she　showed　no　interest　in　taking　Peter　Elliot　or　Amy　with　her；　she　conveyed…at　least　over　the　telephone…a　confident　familiarity　with　the　way　expeditions　were　assembled　and　managed　in　far…off　places　around　the　world。
　When　she　asked　if　she　could　e　to　San　Francisco　to　meet　with　Dr。　Elliot；　Dr。　Elliot　replied　that　he　would　be　delighted　to　meet　with　her；　at　her　convenience。
　
　3。Legal　Issues。
　
　PETER　ELLIOT　REMEMBERED　JUNE　14；　1979；　AS　A　day　of　sudden　reverses。　He　began　at　8　A。M。　in　the　San　Francisco　law　firm　of　Sutherland；　Morton　&　O'Connell；　because　of　the　threatened　custody　suit　from　the　PPA…a　suit　which　became　all　the　more　important　now　that　he　was　planning　to　take　Amy　out　of　the　country。
　He　met　with　John　Morton　in　the　firm's　wood…paneled　library　overlooking　Grant　Street。　Morton　took　notes　on　a　yellow　legal　pad。　〃I　think　you're　all　right；〃　Morton　began；　〃but　let　me　get　a　few　facts。　Amy　is　a　gorilla？〃
　〃Yes；　a　female　mountain　gorilla。〃
　〃Age？〃
　〃She's　seven　now。〃
　〃So　she's　still　a　child？〃
　Elliot　explained　that　gorillas　matured　in　six　to　eight　years；　so　that　Amy　was　late　adolescent；　the　equivalent　of　a　sixteen…year…old　human　female。
　Morton　scratched　notes　on　a　pad。　〃Could　we　say　she's　still　a　minor？〃
　〃Do　we　want　to　say　that？〃
　〃I　think　so。〃
　〃Yes；　she's　still　a　minor；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃Where　did　she　e　from？　I　mean　originally。〃
　〃A　woman　tourist　named　Swenson　found　her　in　Africa；　in　a　village　called　Bagimindi。　Amy's　mother　had　been　killed　by　the　natives　for　food。　Mrs。　Swenson　bought　her　as　an　infant。〃
　〃So　she　was　not　bred　in　captivity；〃　Morton　said；　writing　on　his　pad。
　〃No。　Mrs。　Swenson　brought　her　back　to　the　States　and　donated　her　to　the　Minneapolis　zoo。〃
　〃She　relinquished　her　interest　in　Amy？〃
　〃I　assume　so；〃　Elliot　said。　〃We've　been　trying　to　reach　Mrs。　Swenson　to　ask　about　Amy's　early　life；　but　she's　out　of　the　country。　Apparently　she　travels　constantly；　she's　in　Borneo。　Anyway；　when　Amy　was　sent　to　San　Francisco；　I　called　the　Minneapolis　zoo　to　ask　if　I　could　keep　her　for　study。　The　zoo　said　yes；　for　three　years。〃
　〃Did　you　pay　any　money？〃
　''No。
　〃Was　there　a　written　contract？〃
　〃No；　I　just　called　the　zoo　director。〃
　Morton　nodded。　〃Oral　agreement。　。　。〃　he　said；　writing。　〃And　when　the　three　years　were　up？〃
　〃That　was　the　spring　of　1976。　1　asked　the　zoo　for　an　extension　of　six　years；　and　they　gave　it　to　me。〃
　〃Again　orally？〃
　〃Yes。　I　called　on　the　phone。〃
　〃No　correspondence？〃
　〃No。　They　didn't　seem　very　interested　when　I　called。　To　tell　you　the　truth；　I　think　they　had　forgotten　about　Amy。　The　zoo　has　four　gorillas；　anyway。〃
　Morton　frowned。　〃Isn't　a　gorilla　a　pretty　expensive　animal？　I　mean；　if　you　wanted　to　buy　one　for　a　pet　or　for　the　circus。〃
　〃Gorillas　are　on　the　endangered　list；　you　can't　buy　them　as　pets。　But　yes；　they'd　be　pretty　expensive。〃
　〃How　expensive？〃
　〃Well；　there's　no　established　market　value；　but　it　would　be　twenty　or　thirty　thousand　dollars。〃
　〃And　all　during　these　years；　you　have　been　teaching　her　language？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Peter　said。　〃American　Sign　Language。　She　has　a　vocabulary　of　six　hundred　and　twenty　words　now。〃
　〃Is　that　a　lot？〃
　〃More　than　any　known　primate。〃
　Morton　nodded；　making　notes。　〃You　work　with　her　every　day　in　ongoing　research？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Good；〃　Morton　said。　〃That's　been　very　important　in　the　animal　custody　cases　so　far。〃
　For　more　than　a　hundred　years；　there　had　been　organized　movements　in　Western　countries　to　stop　animal　experimentation。　They　were　led　by　the　anti…vivisectionists；　the　RSPCA；　the　ASPCA。　Originally　these　organizations　were　a　kind　of　lunatic　fringe　of　animal　lovers；　intent　on　stopping　all　animal　research。
　Over　the　years；　scientists　had　evolved　a　standard　defense　acceptable　to　the　courts。　Researchers　claimed　that　their　experiments　had　the　goal　of　bettering　the　health　and　welfare　of　mankind；　a　higher　priority　than　animal　welfare。　They　pointed　out　that　no　one　objected　to　animals　being　used　as　beasts　of　burden　or　for　agricultural　work…a　life　of　drudgery　to　which　animals　had　been　subjected　for　thousands　of　years。　Using　animals　in　scientific　experiments　simply　extended　the　idea　that　animals　were　the　servants　of　human　enterprises。
　In　addition；　animals　were　literally　brutes。　They　had　no　self…awareness；　no　recognition　of　their　existence　in　nature。　This　meant；　in　the　words　of　philosopher　George　H。　Mead；　that　〃animals　have　no　rights。　We　are　at　liberty　to　cut　off　their　lives；　there　is　no　wrong　mitted　when　an　animal's　life　is　taken　away。　He　has　not　lost　anything　　　　　
　Many　people　were　troubled　by　these　views；　but　attempts　to　establish　guidelines　quickly　ran　into　logical　problems。　The　most　obvious　concerned　the　perceptions　of　animals　further　down　the　phylogenetic　scale。　Few　researchers　operated　on　dogs；　cats；　and　other　mammals　without　anesthesia；　but　what　about　annelid　worms；　crayfish；　leeches；　and　squid？　Ignoring　these　creatures　was　a　form　of　〃taxonomic　discrimination。〃　Yet　if　these　animals　deserved　consideration；　shouldn't　it　also　be　illegal　to　throw　a　live　lobster　into　a　pot　of　boiling　water？
　The　question　of　what　constituted　cruelty　to　animals　was　confused　by　the　animal　societies　themselves。　In　some　countries；　they　fought　the　extermination　of　rats；　and　in　1968　there　was　the　bizarre　Australian　pharmaceutical　case。　*　In　the　face　of　these　ironies；　the　courts　hesitated　to　interfere　with　animal　experimentation。　As　a　practical　matter；　researchers　were　free　to　do　as　they　wished。　The　volume　of　animal　research　was　extraordinary：　during　the　1970s；　sixty…four　million　animals　were　killed　in　experiments　in　the　United　States　each　year。
　But　attitudes　had　slowly　changed。　Language　studies　with　dolphins　and　apes　made　it　clear　that　these　animals　were　not　only　intelligent　but　self…aware；　they　recognized　themselves　in　mirrors　and　photographs。　In　1974；　scientists　themselves　formed　the　International　Primate　Protection　League　to　monitor　research　involving　monkeys　and　apes。　In　March；　1978；　the　Indian　government　banned　the　export　of　rhesus　monkeys　to　research　laboratories　around　the　world。　And　there　were　court　cases　which　concluded　that　in　some　instances　animals　did；　indeed；　have　rights。
　The　old　view　was　analogous　to　slavery：　the　animal　was　the　property　of　its　owner；　who　could　do　whatever　he　wished。　But　now　ownership　became　secondary。　In　February；　1977；
　
　*A　new　pharmaceutical　factory　was　built　in　Western　Australia。　In　this　factory　all　the　pills　came　out　on　a　conveyor　bell；　a　person　had　to　watch　the　belt；　and　press　buttons　to　sort　the　pills　into　separate　bins　by　size　and　color。　A　Skinnenan　animal　behaviorist　pointed　o