the.lost.world-第3部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ee　upset　if　they　are　exposed　to　any　different　view。　The　characteristic　human　trait　is　not　awareness　but　conformity；　and　the　characteristic　result　is　religious　warfare。　Other　animals　fight　for　territory　or　food；　but；　uniquely　in　the　animal　kingdom；　human　beings　fight　for　their　'beliefs。'　The　reason　is　that　beliefs　guide　behavior；　which　has　evolutionary　importance　among　human　beings。　But　at　a　time　when　our　behavior　may；　well　lead　us　to　extinction；　I　see　no　reason　to　assume　we　have　any　awareness　at　all。　We　are　stubborn；　self…destructive　conformists。　Any　other　view　of　our　species　is　just　a　self…congratulatory　delusion。　Next　question。〃
　　　　Now；　walking　across　the　courtyard；　Sarah　Harding　laughed。　〃They　didn't　care　for　that。〃
　　　　I　admit　it's　discouraging；〃　he　said。　〃But　it　can't　be　helped。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃These　are　some　of　the　best　scientists　in　the　country；　and　still。。。no　interesting　ideas。　By　the　way；　what's　the　story　on　that　guy　who　interrupted　me？〃
　　　　〃Richard　Levine？〃　She　laughed。　〃Irritating；　isn't　he？　He　has　a　worldwide　reputation　for　being　a　pain　in　the　ass。〃
　　　　Malcolm　grunted。　〃I'd　say。〃
　　　　〃He's　wealthy；　is　the　problem；〃　Harding　said；　〃You　know　about　the　Becky　dolls？〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Malcolm　said；　giving　her　a　glance。
　　　　〃Well；　every　little　girl　in　America　does。　There's　a　series：　Becky　and　Sally　and　Frances；　and　several　more。　They're　Americana　dolls。　Levine　is　the　heir　of　the　pany。　So　he's　a　smartass　rich　kid；　Impetuous；　does　whatever　he　wants。〃
　　　　Malcolm　nodded。　〃You　have　time　for　lunch？〃
　　　　〃Sure；　I　would　be　…　〃
　　　　〃Dr。　Malcolm！　Wait　up！　Please！　Dr。　Malcolm！〃
　　　　Mal　turned。　Hurrying　across　the　courtyard　toward　them　was　the　gangling　figure　of　Richard　Levine。
　　　　〃Ah；　shit；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　〃Dr。　Malcolm；〃　Levine　said；　ing　up。　〃I　was　surprised　that　you　didn't　take　my　proposal　more　seriously。〃
　　　　〃How　could　I？〃　Malcolm　said。　〃It's　absurd。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　but　…　〃
　　　　〃Ms。　Harding　and　I　were　just　going　to　lunch；〃　Malcolm　said；　gesturing　to　Sarah。
　　　　〃Yes；　but　I　think　you　should　reconsider；〃　Levine　said；　pressing　on。　〃Because　I　believe　my　argument　is　valid　…　it　is　entirely　possible；　even　likely；　that　dinosaurs　still　exist。　You　must　know　there　are　persistent　rumors　about　animals　in　Costa　Rica；　where　I　believe　you　have　spent　time。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　and　in　the　case　of　Costa　Rica　I　can　tell　you　…　〃
　　　　〃Also　in　the　Congo；〃　Levine　said；　continuing。　〃For　years　there　have　been　reports　by　pygmies　of　a　large　sauropod；　perhaps　even　an　apatosaur；　in　the　dense　forest　around　Bokambu。　And　also　in　the　high　jungles　of　Irian　Jaya；　there　is　supposedly　an　animal　the　size　of　a　rhino；　which　perhaps　is　a　remnant　ceratopsian　…　〃
　　　　〃Fantasy；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Pure　fantasy。　Nothing　has　ever　been　seen。　No　photographs。　No　hard　evidence。〃
　　　　〃Perhaps　not；〃　Levine　said。　〃But　absence　of　proof　is　not　proof　of　absence。　I　believe　there　may　well　be　a　locus　of　these　animals；　survivals　from　a　past　time。〃
　　　　Malcolm　shrugged。　〃Anything　is　possible；〃　he　said。
　　　　〃But　in　point　of　fact；　survival　is　possible；〃　Levine　insisted。　〃I　keep　getting　calls　about　new　animals　in　Costa　Rica。　Remnants；　fragments。〃
　　　　Malcolm　paused。　〃Recently？〃
　　　　〃Not　for　a　while。〃
　　　　〃Umm；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃I　thought　so。〃
　　　　〃The　last　call　was　nine　months　ago；〃　Levine　said。　〃I　was　in　Siberia　looking　at　that　frozen　baby　mammoth；　and　I　couldn't　get　back　in　time。　But　I'm　told　it　was　some　kind　of　very　large；　atypical　lizard；　found　dead　In　the　jungle　of　Costa　Rica。〃
　　　　〃And？　What　happened　to　it？〃
　　　　〃The　remains　were　burned。〃
　　　　〃So　nothing　is　left？〃
　　　　〃That's　right。〃
　　　　〃No　photographs？　No　proof？〃
　　　　〃Apparently　not。〃
　　　　〃So　it's　just　a　story；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　〃Perhaps。　But　I　believe　it　is　worth　mounting　an　expedition；　to　find　out　about　these　reported　survivals。〃
　　　　Malcolm　stared　at　him。　〃An　expedition？　To　find　a　hypothetical　Lost　World？　Who　is　going　to　pay　for　it？〃
　　　　〃I　am；〃　Levine　said。　〃I　have　already　begun　the　preliminary　planning。〃
　　　　〃But　that　could　cost　…　〃
　　　　〃I　don't　care　what　it　costs；〃　Levine　said。　〃The　fact　is；　survival　is　possible；　it　has　occurred　in　a　variety　of　species　from　other　genera；　and　it　may　be　that　there　are　survivals　from　the　Cretaceous　as　well。〃
　　　　〃Fantasy；〃　Malcolm　said　again；　shaking　his　head。　Levine　paused；　and　stared　at　Malcolm。　〃Dr。　Malcolm；〃　he　said；　〃I　must　say　I'm　very　surprised　at　your　attitude。　You've　just　presented　a　thesis　and　I　am　offering　you　a　chance　to　prove　it。　I　would　have　thought　You'd　jump　at　the　opportunity。〃
　　　　〃　My　jumping　days　are　over；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　〃But　instead　of　taking　me　up　on　this；　you　…　〃
　　　　〃I'm　not　interested　in　dinosaurs；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　〃But　everyone　is　interested　in　dinosaurs。〃
　　　　〃Not　me。〃　He　turned　on　his　cane；　and　started　to　walk　off。
　　　　〃By　the　way；〃　Levine　said。　〃What　were　you　doing　in　Costa　Rica？　I　heard　you　were　there　for　almost　a　year。〃
　　　　〃I　was　lying　in　a　hospital　bed。　They　couldn't　move　me　out　of　intensive　care　for　six　months。　I　Couldn't　even　get　on　a　plane。〃
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Levine　said。　〃I　know　you　got　hurt。　But　what　were　you　doing　there　in　the　first　place？　Weren't　you　looking　for　dinosaurs？〃
　　　　Malcolm　squinted　at　him　in　the　bright　sun；　and　leaned　on　his　cane。　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃I　wasn't。〃
　　　　
They　were　all　three　sitting　at　a　small　painted　table　in　the　corner　of　the　Guadalupe　Cafe；　on　the　other　side　of　the　river。　Sarah　Harding　drank　Corona　from　the　bottle；　and　watched　the　two　men　opposite　her。　Levine　looked　pleased　to　be　with　them；　as　if　he　had　won　some　victory　to　be　sitting　at　the　table。　Malcolm　looked　weary；　like　a　parent　who　has　spent　too　much　time　with　a　hyperactive　child。
　　　　〃You　want　to　know　what　I've　heard？〃　Levine　said。　〃I've　heard　that　a　couple　of　years　back；　a　pany　named　InGen　genetically　engineered　some　dinosaurs　and　put　them　on　an　island　in　Costa　Rica。　But　something　went　wrong；　a　lot　of　people　were　killed；　and　the　dinosaurs　were　destroyed。　And　now　nobody　will　talk　about　it；　because　of　some　legal　angle。　Nondisclosure　agreements　or　something。　And　the　Costa　Rican　government　doesn't　want　to　hurt　tourism。　So　nobody　will　talk。　That's　what　I've　heard。〃
　　　　Malcolm　stared　at　him。　〃And　you　believe　that？〃
　　　　〃Not　at　first；　I　didn't；〃　Levine　said。　〃But　the　thing　is；　I　keep　hearing　it。　The　rumors　keep　floating　around。　Supposedly　you；　and　Alan　Grant；　and　a　bunch　of　other　people　were　there。〃
　　　　〃Did　you　ask　Grant　about　it？〃
　　　　〃I　asked　him；　last　year；　at　a　conference　in　Peking。　He　said　it　was　absurd。〃
　　　　Malcolm　nodded　slowly。
　　　　〃Is　that　what　you　say？〃　Levine　asked；　drinking　his　beer。　〃I　mean；　you　know　Grant；　don't　you？〃
　　　　〃No。　I　never　met　him。〃
　　　　Levine　was　watching　Malcolm　closely。　〃So　it's　not　true？〃
　　　　Malcolm　sighed。　〃Are　you　familiar　with　the　concept　of　a　technomyth？　It　was　developed　by　Geller　at　Princeton。　Basic　thesis　is　that　we've　lost　all　the　old　myths；　Orpheus　and　Eurydice　and　Perseus　and　Medusa。　So　we　fill　the　gap　with　modern　techno…myths。　Geller　listed　a　dozen　or　so。　One　is　that　an　alien's　living　at　a　hangar　at　Wright…Patterson　Air　Force　Base；　Another　is　that　somebody　invented　a　carburetor　that　gets　a　hundred　and　fifty　miles　to　the　gallon；　but　the　automobile　panies　bought　the　patent　and　are　sitting　on　it。　Then　there's　the　story　that　the　Russians　trained　children　in　ESP　at　a　secret　base　in　Siberia　and　these　kids　can　kill　people　anywhere　in　the　world　with　their　thoughts。　The　story　that　the　lines　in　Nazca；　Peru；　are　an　alien　spaceport。　That　the　CIA　released　the　AIDS　virus　to　kill　homosexuals。　That　Nikola　Tesla　discovers　an　incredible　energy　source　but　his　notes　are　lost。　That　in　Istanbul　there's　a　tenth…century　drawing　that　shows　the　earth　from　space。　That　the　Stanford　Research　Institute　found　a　guy　whose　body　glows　in　the　dark。　Get　the　picture？〃
　　　　〃You're　saying　InGen's　dinosaurs　are　a　myth；〃　Levine　said。
　　　　〃Of　course　they　are。　They　have　to　be。　Do　you　think　it's　possible　to　genetically　engineer　a　dinosaur？〃
　　　　〃The　experts　all　tell　me　It's　not。〃
　　　　〃And　they're　right；〃　Malcolm　said。　He　glanced　at　Harding；　as　if　for　confirmation。　She　said　nothing；　just　drank　her　beer。
　　　　In　fact；　Harding　knew　something　more　about　these　dinosaur　rumors。　Once　after　surgery；　Malcolm　had　been　delirious；　mumbling　nonsense　from　the　anaesthesia　and　pain　medication。　And　he　had　been　seemingly　fearful；　twisting　in　the　bed；　repeating　the　names　of　several　kinds　of　dinosaurs。　Harding　had　asked　the　nurse　about　it；　she　said　he　was　like　that　after　every　operation。　The　hospital　staff　assumed　it　was　a　drug…induced　fantasy　…　yet　it　seemed　to　Harding　that　Malcolm　was　reliving　some　terrifying　actual　experience。　The　feeling　was　heightened　by　the　slangy；　familiar　way　Malcolm　referred　to　the　dinosaurs：　he　called　them　〃raptors〃　and　〃pys〃　and　〃trikes。〃　And　he　seemed　especially　fearful　of　the　raptors。
　　　　Later；　when　he　was　back　home；　she　had　asked　him　about　his　delirium。　He　had　just　shrugged　it　off；　making　a　bad　joke　…　〃At　least　I　didn't　mention　other　women；　did　I？〃　And　then　he　made　some　ment　about　having　been　a　dinosaur　nut　as　a　kid；　and　how　illness　made　you　regress。　His　whole　attitude　was　elaborately　indifferent；　as　if　it　were　all　unimportant；　she　had　the　distinct　feeling　he　was　being　evasive。　But　she　wasn't　inclined　to　push　it；　those　were　the　days　when