the.lost.world-第24部分

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〃　To　the　right　was　another　arrow；　and　the　words；　〃To　Site　B。〃
　　　　Eddie　said；　〃Guys？　Which　way？〃
　　　　〃Go　to　Site　B；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　〃You　got　it；〃　The　Explorer　started　down　the　right　fork；　Thorne　followed。　Off　to　the　right；　sulfurous　yellow　steam　issued　from　the　ground；　bleaching　the　nearby　foliage　white。　The　smell　was　strong。
　　　　〃Volcanic；〃　Thorne　said　to　Malcolm；　〃just　as　you　predicted。〃　Driving　past；　they　glimpsed　a　bubbling　pool　in　the　earth；　crusted　thick　yellow　around　the　edges。
　　　　〃Yeah；〃　Eddie　said；　〃but　that's　active。　In　fact；　I'd　say　that　…　holy　shit！〃　Eddie's　brake　lights　flashed　on；　and　his　car　slammed　to　a　stop。
　　　　Thorne　had　to　swerve；　scraping　jungle　ferns　on　the　side　of　the　trailer；　to　miss　him。　He　pulled　up　alongside　the　Explorer；　and　glared　at　Eddie。　〃Eddie；　for　Pete's　sake；　will　you　…　〃
　　　　But　Eddie　wasn't　listening。
　　　　He　was　staring　straight　forward；　his　mouth　wide　open。
　　　　Thorne　turned　to　look。
　　　　Directly　ahead；　the　trees　along　the　road　had　been　beaten　down；　creating　a　gap　in　the　foliage。　They　could　see　all　the　way　from　the　ridge　road　across　the　entire　island　to　the　west。　But　Thorne　hardly　registered　the　panoramic　view。　Because　all　he　saw　was　a　large　animal；　the　size　of　a　hippopotamus；　ambling　across　the　road。　Except　it　wasn't　a　hippopotamus。　This　animal　was　pale　brown；　its　skin　covered　with　large　plate…like　scales。　Around　its　head；　it　had　a　curving　bony　crest；　and　rising　from　this　crest　were　two　blunted　horns。　A　third　horn　protruded　above　its　snout。
　　　　Over　the　radio；　he　heard　Eddie　breathing　in　shallow　gasps。　〃You　know　what　that　is？〃
　　　　〃That's　a　triceratops；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃A　young　one；　by　the　looks　of　it。〃
　　　　〃Must　be；〃　Eddie　said。　Ahead　of　them；　a　much　larger　animal　now　crossed　the　road。　It　was　easily　twice　the　size　of　the　first；　and　its　horns　were　long；　curving；　and　sharp。　〃Because　that's　his　mom。〃
　　　　A　third　triceratops　appeared；　then　a　fourth。　There　was　a　whole　herd　of　creatures；　ambling　slowly　across　the　road。　They　paid　no　attention　to　the　vehicles　as　they　crossed；　passed　through　the　gap；　and　descended　down　the　hill；　disappearing　from　view。
　　　　Only　then　were　the　men　able　to　see　through　the　gap　itself。　Thorne　had　a　view　across　a　vast　marshy　plain；　with　a　broad　river　coursing　through　the　center。　On　either　side　of　the　river；　animals　grazed。　There　was　a　herd　of　perhaps　twenty　medium…sized；　dark…green　dinosaurs　to　the　south；　their　large　heads　intermittently　poking　up　above　the　grass　along　the　river。　Nearby；　Thorne　saw　eight　duck…billed　dinosaurs　with　large　tube…like　crests　rising　above　their　heads；　they　drank　and　lifted　their　heads；　honking　mournfully。　Directly　ahead；　he　saw　a　＇one　stegosaurus；　with　its　curved　back　and　its　vertical　rows　of　plates。　The　triceratops　herd　moved　slowly　past　the　stegosaur；　which　paid　no　attention　to　them。　And　to　the　west；　rising　above　a　clump　of　trees；　they　saw　a　dozen　long；　graceful　necks　of　apatosaurs；　their　bodies　hidden　by　the　foliage　that　they　lazily　ate。　It　was　a　tranquil　scene　…but　it　was　a　scene　from　another　world。
　　　　〃Doc？〃　Eddie　said。　〃What　is　this　place？〃

Site　B

Sitting　in　the　cars；　they　stared　out　over　the　plain。　They　watched　the　dinosaurs　move　slowly　through　the　deep　grass。　They　beard　the　soft　cry　of　the　duckbills。　The　separate　herds　moved　peacefully　beside　the　river。
　　　　Eddie　said；　〃So　what　are　we　saying；　this　is　a　place　that　got　bypassed　by　evolution？　One　of　those　places　where　time　stands　still？〃
　　　　〃Not　at　all；〃　Malcolm　said；　〃There's　a　perfectly　rational　explanation　for　what　you　are　seeing。　And　we　are　going　to　…　〃
　　　　From　the　dashboard；　there　was　a　high…pitched　beeping。　On　the　GPS　map；　a　blue　grid　was　overlaid；　with　a　flashing　triangular　point　marked　LEVN。
　　　　〃It's　him！〃　Eddie　said。　〃We　got　the　son　of　a　bitch！〃
　　　　〃You're　reading　that？〃　Thorne　said。　〃It's　pretty　weak。。。。〃
　　　　〃It's　fine　…　it's　got　enough　signal　strength　to　transmit　the　ID　tab。　That's　Levine；　all　right。　Looks　like　it　is　ing　from　the　valley　over　there。〃
　　　　He　started　the　Explorer；　and　it　lurched　forward　up　the　road。　〃Let's　go；〃　Eddie　said。　〃I　want　to　get　the　hell　out　of　here。〃
　　　　With　the　flick　of　a　switch；　Thorne　turned　on　the　electric　Motor　for　the　trailer；　and　beard　the　chug　of　the　vacuum　pump；　the　low　whine　of　the　automatic　transmission。　He　put　the　trailer　in　gear；　and　followed　behind。
　　　　The　impenetrable　jungle　closed　in　around　them　again；　close　and　hot。　The　trees　overhead　blocked　nearly　all　the　sunlight。　As　he　drove；　he　heard　the　beeping　bee　irregular。　He　glanced　at　the　monitor；　saw　the　flashing　triangle　was　disappearing；　then　ing　back　again。
　　　　〃Are　we　losing　him；　Eddie？〃　Thorne　said。
　　　　〃Doesn't　matter　if　we　do；〃　Eddie　said。　〃We've　got　a　location　on　him　now；　and　we　can　go　right　there。　In　fact；　it　should　be　just　down　this　road　here。　Right　past　this　guardhouse　or　whatever　it　is；　dead　ahead。〃
　　　　Thorne　looked　past　the　Explorer；　and　saw　a　concrete　structure　and　a　tilting　steel　road…barrier。　It　did　indeed　look　like　a　guardhouse。　It　was　in　disrepair；　and　overgrown　with　vines。　They　drove　on；　ing　onto　paved　road。　It　was　clear　the　foliage　on　either　side　had　once　been　cut　far　back；　fifty　feet　on　either　side。　Pretty　soon　they　came　to　a　second　guardhouse；　and　a　second　checkpoint。
　　　　They　continued　on　another　hundred　yards；　the　road　still　curving　slowly　along　the　ridge。　The　surrounding　foliage　became　sparser；　through　gaps　in　the　ferns　Thorne　could　see　wooden　outbuildings；　all　painted　identical　green。　They　seemed　to　be　utility　structures；　perhaps　sheds　for　equipment。　He　had　the　sense　of　entering　a　substantial　plex。
　　　　And　then；　suddenly；　they　rounded　a　curve；　and　saw　the　entire　plex　spread　out　below　them。　It　was　about　a　half…mile　away。
　　　　Eddie　said；　〃What　the　hell　is　that？〃

Thorne　stared；　astonished。　In　the　center　of　the　clearing　he　saw　the　flat　roof　of　an　enormous　building。　It　covered　several　acres；　stretching　away　into　the　distance。　It　was　the　size　of　two　football　fields。　Beyond　the　vast　roof　was　a　large　blocky　building　with　a　metal　roof；　which　had　the　functional　look　of　a　power　plant；　But　if　so；　it　was　as　big　as　the　power　plant　for　a　small　town。
　　　　At　the　far　end　of　the　main　building；　Thorne　saw　loading　docks；　and　turnarounds　for　trucks。　Over　to　the　right；　partially　hidden　in　foliage；　there　were　a　series　of　small　structures　that　looked　like　cottages。　But　from　a　distance　it　was　hard　to　be　sure。
　　　　Taken　together；　the　whole　plex　had　a　utilitarian　quality　that　reminded　Thorne　of　an　industrial　site；　or　a　fabrication　plant。　He　frowned；　trying　to　put　it　together。
　　　　〃Do　you　know　what　this　is？〃　Thorne　said　to　Malcolm。
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Malcolm　said；　nodding　slowly。　〃It's　what　I　suspected　for　some　time　now。〃
　　　　〃Yes？〃
　　　　〃It's　a　manufacturing　plant；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃It's　a　kind　of　factory。〃
　　　　〃But　it's　huge；〃　Thorne　said。
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃It　had　to　be。〃
　　　　Over　the　radio；　Eddie　said；　〃I'm　still　getting　a　reading　from　Levine。　And　guess　what？　It　seems　to　be　ing　from　that　building。〃

They　drove　past　the　covered　front　entrance　to　the　main　building；　beneath　the　sagging　portico。　The　building　was　of　modern　design；　concrete　and　glass；　but　the　jungle　had　long　ago　grown　up　around　it。　Vines　hung　from　the　roof　Panes　of　glass　were　broken；　ferns　sprouted　between　cracks　in　the　concrete。　　　　
　　　　Thorne　said；　〃Eddie？　Got　a　reading？〃
　　　　Eddie　said；　〃Yeah。　Inside。　What　do　you　want　to　do？〃
　　　　〃Set　up　base　camp　in　that　field　over　there；〃　Thorne　said；　pointing　a　half…mile　to　the　left；　where　once；　it　seemed；　there　had　been　an　extensive　lawn。　It　was　still　an　open　clearing　in　the　jungle；　there　would　be　sunlight　for　the　photovoltaics。　〃Then　we'll　have　a　look　around。〃
　　　　Eddie　parked　his　Explorer；　turning　it　around　to　face　back　the　way　they　had　e。　Thorne　maneuvered　the　trailers　alongside　the　car；　and　cut　the　engine。　He　climbed　out　into　the　still；　hot　morning　air。　Malcolm　got　out　and　stood　with　him。　Here　in　the　center　of　the　island；　it　was　pletely　silent；　except　for　the　buzz　of　insects。
　　　　Eddie　came　over；　slapping　himself。　〃Great　place；　huh？　No　shortage　of　mosquitoes。　You　want　to　go　get　the　son　of　a　bitch　now？〃　Eddie　unclipped　a　receiver　from　his　belt；　and　cupped　his　hand　over　the　display；　trying　to　see　it　in　the　sunlight。　〃Still　right　over　there。〃　He　pointed　to　the　main　building。　〃What　do　you　say？〃
　　　　〃Let's　go　get　him；〃　Thorne　said。
　　　　The　three　men　turned；　climbed　into　the　Explorer；　and；　leaving　the　trailers　behind；　drove　in　hot　sunlight　toward　the　giant；　ruined　building。

Trailer

Inside　the　trailer；　the　sound　of　the　car　engine　faded　away；　and　there…was　silence。　The　dashboard　glowed；　the　GPS　map　remained　visible　on　the　monitor；　the　flashing　X　marking　their　position。　A　small　window　in　the　monitor；　titled　〃Active　Systems；〃　indicated　the　battery　charge；　photovoltaic　efficiency；　and　usage　over　the　past　twelve　hours。　The　electronic　readouts　all　glowed　bright　green。
　　　　In　the　living　section；　where　the　kitchen　and　beds　were　located；　the　recirculating　water　supply　in　the　sink　gurgled　softly。　Then　there　was　a　thumping　sound；　ing　from　the　upper　storage　partment；　located　near　the　ceiling。　The　thumping　was　repeated；　and　then　there　was　silence。
　　　　After　a　moment；　a　credit　card　appeared　through　the　crack　of　the　partment　door。　The　card　slid