the.lost.world-第63部分

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　　　　〃Because；　if　you　didn't　know　any　physical　chemistry；　you　could　look　at　a　crystal　and　ask　all　the　same　questions。　You'd　see　those　beautiful　spars；　those　perfect　geometric　facets；　and　you　could　ask；　What's　controlling　this　process？　How　does　the　crystal　end　up　so　perfectly　formed　…　and　looking　so　much　like　other　crystals？　But　it　turns　out　a　crystal　is　just　the　way　molecular　forces　arrange　themselves　in　solid　form。　No　one　controls　it。　It　happens　on　its　own。　To　ask　a　lot　of　questions　about　a　crystal　means　you　don't　understand　the　fundamental　nature　of　the　processes　that　led　to　its　creation。
　　　　〃So　maybe　living　forms　are　a　kind　of　crystallization。　Maybe　life　just　happens。　And　maybe；　like　crystals；　there's　a　characteristic　order　to　living　things　that　is　generated　by　their　interacting　elements。　Okay。　Well；　one　of　the　things　that　crystals　teach　us　is　that　order　can　arise　very　fast。　One　minute　you　have　a　liquid；　with　all　the　molecules　moving　randomly。　The　next　minute；　a　crystal　forms；　and　all　the　molecules　are　locked　in　order。　Right？〃
　　　　〃Right。。。〃
　　　　〃Okay。　Now。　Think　of　the　interaction　of　life　forms　on　the　planet　to　make　an　ecosystem。　That's　even　more　plex　than　a　single　animal。　All　the　arrangements　are　very　plicated。　Like　the　yucca　plant。　You　know　about　that？〃
　　　　〃Tell　me。〃
　　　　〃The　yucca　plant　depends　on　a　particular　moth　which　gathers　pollen　into　a　ball；　and　carries　the　ball　to　a　different　plant　…　not　a　different　flower　on　the　same　plant　…　where　it　rubs　the　ball　on　the　plant；　fertilizing　it。　Only　then　does　the　moth　lay　its　eggs。　The　yucca　plant　can't　survive　without　the　moth。　The　moth　can't　survive　without　the　plant。　plex　interactions　like　that　make　you　think　maybe　behavior　is　a　kind　of　crystallization；　too。〃
　　　　〃You're　speaking　metaphorically？〃　Harding　said。
　　　　〃I'm　talking　about　all　the　order　in　the　natural　world；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃And　how　perhaps　it　can　emerge　fast；　through　crystallization。　Because　plex　animals　can　evolve　their　behavior　rapidly。　Changes　can　occur　very　quickly。　Human　beings　are　transforming　the　planet；　and　nobody　knows　whether　it's　a　dangerous　development　or　not。　So　these　behavioral　processes　can　happen　faster　than　we　usually　think　evolution　occurs。　In　ten　thousand　years　human　beings　have　gone　from　hunting　to　farming　to　cities　to　cyberspace。　Behavior　is　screaming　forward；　and　it　might　be　nonadaptive。　Nobody　knows。　Although　personally；　I　think　cyberspace　means　the　end　of　our　species。〃
　　　　〃Yes？　Why　is　that？〃
　　　　〃Because　it　means　the　end　of　innovation；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃This　idea　that　the　whole　world　is　wired　together　is　mass　death。　Every　biologist　knows　that　small　groups　in　isolation　evolve　fastest。　You　put　a　thousand　birds　on　an　ocean　island　and　they'll　evolve　very　fast。　You　put　ten　thousand　on　a　big　continent；　and　their　evolution　slows　down。　Now；　for　our　own　species；　evolution　occurs　mostly　through　our　behavior。　We　innovavate　new　behavior　to　adapt。　And　everybody　on　earth　knows　that　innovation　only　occurs　in　small　groups。　Put　three　people　on　a　mittee　and　they　may　get　something　done。　Ten　people；　and　it　gets　harder。　Thirty　people；　and　nothing　happens。　Thirty　million；　it　bees　impossible。　That's　the　effect　of　mass　media　…　it　keeps　anything　from　happening。　Mass　media　swamps　diversity。　It　makes　every　place　the　same。　Bangkok　or　Tokyo　or　London：　there's　a　McDonald's　on　one　corner；　a　Benneton　on　another；　a　Gap　across　the　street。　Regional　differences　vanish。　All　differences　vanish。　In　a　mass…media　world；　there's　less　of　everything　except　the　top　ten　books；　records；　movies；　ideas。　People　worry　about　losing　species　diversity　in　the　rain　forest。　But　what　about　intellectual　diversity　…　our　most　necessary　resource？　That's　disappearing　faster　than　trees。　But　we　haven't　figured　that　out；　so　now　we're　planning　to　put　five　billion　people　together　in　cyberspace。　And　it'll　freeze　the　entire　species。　Everything　will　stop　dead　in　its　tracks。　Everyone　will　think　the　same　thing　at　the　same　time。　Global　uniformity。　Oh；　that　hurts。　Are　you　done？〃
　　　　〃Almost；〃　Harding　said。　〃Hang　on。〃
　　　　〃And　believe　me；　it'll　be　fast。　If　you　map　plex　systems　on　a　fitness　landscape；　you　find　the　behavior　can　move　so　fast　that　fitness　can　drop　precipitously。　It　doesn't　require　asteroids　or　diseases　or　anything　else。　It's　just　behavior　that　suddenly　emerges；　and　turns　out　to　be　fatal　to　the　creatures　that　do　it。　My　idea　was　that　dinosaurs　…　being　plex　creatures　…　might　have　undergone　some　of　these　behavioral　changes。　And　that　led　to　their　extinction。〃
　　　　〃What；　all　of　them？〃
　　　　〃It　just　takes　a　few；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Some　dinosaur　roots　in　the　swamps　around　the　inland　sea；　changes　the　water　circulation；　and　destroys　the　plant　ecology　that　twenty　other　species　depend　on。　Bang！　They're　gone。　That　causes　still　more　dislocations。　A　predator　dies　off；　and　its　prey　grow　unchecked。　The　ecosystem　bees　unbalanced。　More　things　go　wrong。　More　species　die。　And　suddenly　it's　over。　It　could　have　happened　that　way。〃
　　　　〃Just　behavior。。。〃
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Anyway；　that　was　the　idea。　And　I　had　this　nice　thought　that　we　might　prove　it。。。。But　now　it's　finished。　We　have　to　get　out　of　here。　You　better　tell　the　others。〃
　　　　Thorne　clicked　on　the　radio。　〃Eddie？　It's　Doc。〃
　　　　There　was　no　answer。
　　　　〃Eddie？〃
　　　　The　radio　crackled。　And　then　they　heard　a　noise　that　at　first　sounded　like　static。　It　was　a　moment　before　they　realized　it　was　a　high…pitched　human　scream。

The　High　Hide

The　first　of　the　raptors　hissed　as　it　began　jumping　up；　clattering　against　the　high　hide　shaking　the　structure。　Its　claws　raked　against　the　metal；　and　it　fell　down　again。　Eddie　was　astonished　at　how　high　it　jumped　…　the　animal　could　leap　eight　feet　straight　up；　again　and　again；　without　apparent　effort。　Its　jumps　attracted　the　other　animals；　which　slowly　came　back　to　circle　the　hide。
　　　　Soon　the　hide　was　surrounded　by　leaping；　snarling　raptors。　It　swayed　back　and　forth　as　the　animals　slammed　into　it；　clawed　for　purchase；　and　fell　back　again。　But　more　ominously；　Levine　saw；　they　were　learning。　Already；　some　of　them　had　begun　to　use　their　clawed　forearms　to　grip　the　structure；　holding　on　while　their　legs　got　footing。　One　of　the　raptors　came　within　a　few　feet　of　their　little　shelter　before　finally　falling　back。　The　falls　never　seemed　to　hurt　the　animals。　They　immediately　leapt　up；　and　jumped　again。
　　　　Eddie　and　the　kids　scrambled　to　their　feet。　Levine　said；　〃Get　back！　Don't　look　out；〃　and　he　pushed　the　kids　into　the　center　of　the　shelter。
　　　　Eddie　was　bent　over　his　knapsack；　and　held　up　an　incandescent　flare。　He　poppcd　it　and　flung　it　over　the　side；　two　of　the　raptors　fell　away。　The　flare　sputtered　an　the　wet　ground；　casting　harsh　red　shadows。　But　the　raptors　kept　ing。　Eddie　pulled　up　one　of　the　aluminum　bars　from　the　floor；　leaned　over　the　side　railing　brandishing　the　bar　like　a　club。
　　　　One　of　the　raptors　had　already　climbed　high　enough　to　dart　forward；　jaws　gaping；　at　Eddie's　neck。　Surprised；　Eddie　shouted　and　jerked　his　head　back；　the　raptor　narrowly　missed　him；　but　its　jaws　closed　on　his　shirt。　Then　the　raptor　fell　back；　jaws　clenched　tight；　and　its　weight　pulled　Eddie　forward　over　the　failing。
　　　　He　yelled　〃Help　me！　Help！〃　as　he　started　to　topple　over　the　side；　Levine　threw　his　arms　around　him；　dragging　him　back。　Levine　looked　past　Eddie's　shoulder　at　the　raptor；　which　was　now　dangling　in　space；　hissing　furiously；　still　gripping　the　shirt。　Eddie　pounded　the　raptor　on　the　snout　with　his　bar。　But　the　raptor　held　on　like　a　bulldog。　Eddie　was　bent　precariously　over　the　railing；　he　might　fall　at　any　moment。
　　　　He　jabbed　the　bar　into　the　animal's　eye；　and　abruptly　the　raptor　released　its　grip。　The　two　men　fell　back　into　the　shelter。　When　they　got　to　their　feet；　they　saw　raptors　climbing　up　the　sides　of　the　hide。　As　they　appeared　at　the　rail；　Eddie　swung　at　them　with　the　strut；　knocking　them　back。
　　　　〃Quick！〃　he　shouted　to　the　kids。　〃Up　on　the　roof！　Quick！〃　Kelly　started　climbing　one　of　the　struts；　then　pushed　herself　easily　up　onto　the　roof。　Arby　stood　there；　his　expression　blank。　She　looked　back　down　and　said；　〃e　on；　Arb！〃
　　　　The　boy　was　frozen；　his　eyes　wide　with　fear。　Levine　ran　to　help　him；　lifted　him　up。　Eddie　was　swinging　the　strut　in　wide　arcs；　the　metal　smacking　against　the　raptors。
　　　　One　of　the　raptors　caught　the　strut　in　its　jaws　and　jerked　it　hard。　Eddie　lost　his　balance；　twisted；　and　fell　backward；　toppling　over　the　side。　He　cried　〃Nooo！〃　as　he　fell。　Immediately　all　the　animals　dropped　down　to　the　ground。　They　heard　Eddie　screaming　in　the　night。　The　raptors　snarled。
　　　　Levine　was　terrified。　He　was　still　holding　Arby　in　his　arms；　Pushing　him　up　to　the　roof　〃Go　on；〃　he　kept　saying。　〃Go　on。　Go　on。〃
　　　　From　the　roof；　Kelly　was　saying；　〃You　can　do　it；　Arb。〃
　　　　The　boy　gripped　the　roof；　pulling　himself　up；　his　legs　churning　in　panic。　He　kicked　Levine　hard　in　the　mouth　and　Levine　dropped　him。　He　saw　the　boy　slide　away；　and　drop　backward　to　the　ground。
　　　　〃Oh　Christ；〃　Levine　said。　〃Oh　Christ。〃

Thorne　was　underneath　the　trailer；　unhooking　the　cable。　He　released　it；　crawled　out；　and　sprinted　for　the　Jeep。　He　heard　the　whirr　of　a　motor　and　saw　that　Sarah　had　gotten　onto　the　motorbike；　and　was　already　racing　off；　a　Lindstradt　rifle　slung　across　her　sh