the.lost.world-第8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！


　　　　He　glanced　around；　but　no　one　was　near　him；　no　one　was　paying　attention。　〃Furthermore；　the　lateral　femur　was　cut　in　a　deep　gash。　This　is　extremely　disturbing。〃　He　hesitated；　not　wanting　to　say　too　much。　〃And　I　am　sending　back　a　sample　that　requires　close　examination。　I　also　think　some　other　people　are　interested。　Anyway；　whatever　is　going　on　down　here　is　new；　Ian。　There　haven't　been　any　specimens　for　over　a　year；　and　now　they're　showing　up　again。　Something　new　is　happening。　And　we　don't　understand　it　at　all。〃
　　　　Or　do　we？　Levine　thought。　He　pressed　the　disconnect；　turned　the　phone　off；　and　replaced　it　in　the　other　pocket　of　his　backpack。　Maybe；　he　thought；　we　know　more　than　we　realize。　He　looked　thoughtfully　toward　the　departure　gate。　It　was　time　to　catch　his　flight。

Palo　Alto

At　2　a。m。；　Ed　James　pulled　into　the　nearly　deserted　parking　lot　of　the　Marie　Callender's　on　Carter　Road。　The　black　BMW　was　already　there；　parked　near　the　entrance。　Through　the　windows；　he　could　see　Dodgson　sitting　inside　at　a　booth；　his　bland　features　frowning。　Dodgson　was　never　in　a　good　mood。　Right　now　he　was　talking　to　the　heavyset　man　alongside　him；　and　glancing　at　his　watch。　The　heavyset　man　was　Baselton。　The　professor　who　appeared　on　television。　James　always　felt　relieved　whenever　Baselton　was　there。　Dodgson　gave　him　the　creeps；　but　it　was　hard　to　imagine　Baselton　involved　in　anything　shady。
　　　　James　turned　off　the　ignition　and　twisted　the　rearview　mirror　so　he　could　see　as　he　buttoned　his　shirt　collar　and　pulled　up　his　tie。　He　glimpsed　his　face　in　the　mirror…a　disheveled；　tired　man　with　a　two…day　stubble　of　beard。　What　the　hell；　he　thought。　Why　shouldn't　he　look　tired？　It　was　the　middle　of　the　fucking　night。
　　　　Dodgson　always　scheduled　his　meetings　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　and　always　at　this　same　damn　Marie　Callender　restaurant。　James　never　understood　why；　the　coffee　was　awful。　But　then；　there　was　a　lot　he　didn't　understand。
　　　　He　picked　up　the　manila　envelope；　and　got　out　of　the　car；　slamming　the　door。　He　headed　for　the　entrance；　shaking　his　head。　Dodgson　had　been　paying　him　five　hundred　dollars　a　day　for　weeks　now；　to　follow　a　bunch　of　scientists　around。　At　first；　James　had　assumed　it　was　some　sort　of　industrial　espionage。　But　none　of　the　scientists　worked　for　industry；　they　held　university　appointments；　in　pretty　dull　fields。　Like　that　paleobotanist　Sattler　whose　specialty　was　prehistoric　pollen　grains。　James　had　sat　through　one　of　her　lectures　at　Berkeley；　and　had　barely　been　able　to　stay　awake。　Slide　after　slide　of　little　pale　spheres　that　looked　like　cotton　balls；　while　she　nattered　on　about　polysaccharide　bonding　angles　and　the　Campanian…Maastrichtlan　boundary。　Jesus；　it　was　boring。
　　　　Certainly　not　worth　five　hundred　dollars　a　day；　he　thought。　He　went　inside；　blinking　in　the　light；　and　walked　over　to　the　booth。　He　sat　down；　nodded　to　Dodgson　and　Baselton；　and　raised　his　hand　to　order　coffee　from　the　waitress。
　　　　Dodgson　glared　at　him。　〃I　haven't　got　all　night；〃　he　said。　〃Let's　get　started。〃
　　　　〃Right；〃　James　said；　lowering　his　hand。　〃Fine；　sure。〃　He　opened　the　envelope；　began　pulling　out　sheets　and　photos；　handing　them　across　the　table　to　Dodgson　as　he　talked。
　　　　〃Alan　Grant：　paleontologist　at　Montana　State。　At　the　moment　he's　on　leave　of　absence　and　is　now　in　Paris；　lecturing　on　the　latest　dinosaur　finds。　Apparently　he　has　some　new　ideas　about　tyrannosaurs　being　scavengers；　and　…　〃
　　　　〃Never　mind；〃　Dodgson　said。　〃Go　on。〃
　　　　〃Ellen　Sattler　Reiman；〃　James　said；　pushing　across　a　photo。　〃Botanist；　used　to　be　involved　with　Grant。　Now　married　to　a　physicist　at　Berkeley　and　has　a　young　son　and　daughter。　She　lectures　half…time　at　the　University。　Spends　the　rest　of　her　time　at　home；　because　…　〃
　　　　〃Go　on；　go　on。〃
　　　　〃Well。　Most　of　the　rest　are　deceased。　Donald　Gennaro；　lawyer。。。died　of　dysentery　on　a　business　trip。　Dennis　Nedry；　Integrated　puter　Systems。。。also　deceased。　John　Hammond；　who　started　International　Genetic　Technologies。。。died　while　visiting　the　pany's　research　facility　in　Costa　Rica。　Hammond　had　his　grandchildren　with　him　at　the　time；　the　kids　live　with　their　mother　back　east　and　…　〃
　　　　〃Anybody　contact　them？　Anybody　from　InGen？〃
　　　　〃No；　no　contact。　The　boy's　started　college　and　the　girl　is　in　prep　school。　And　InGen　filed　for　Chapter　11　protection　after　Hammond　died。　It's　been　in　the　courts　ever　since。　The　hard　assets　are　finally　being　sold　off。　During　the　last　two　weeks；　as　a　matter　of　fact。〃
　　　　Baselton　spoke　for　the　first　time。　〃Is　Site　B　involved　in　that　sale？〃
　　　　James　looked　blank。　〃Site　B？〃
　　　　〃Yes。　Has　anybody　talked　to　you　about　Site　B？〃
　　　　〃No；　I've　never　heard　of　it　before。　What　is　it？〃
　　　　〃If　you　hear　anything　about　Site　B；〃　Baselton　said；　〃we　want　to　know。〃
　　　　Sitting　beside　Baselton　in　the　booth；　Dodgson　thumbed　through　the　pictures　and　data　sheets；　then　tossed　them　aside　impatiently。　He　looked　up　at　James。　〃What　else　have　you　got？〃
　　　　〃That's　all；　Dr。　Dodgson。〃
　　　　〃That's　all？〃　Dodgson　said。　〃What　about　Malcolm？　And　what　about　Levine？　Are　they　still　friends？〃
　　　　James　consulted　his　notes。　〃I'm　not　sure。〃
　　　　Baselton　frowned。　〃Not　sure？〃　he　said。　〃What　do　you　mean；　you're　not　sure？〃
　　　　〃Malcolm　met　Levine　at　the　Santa　Fe　Institute；〃　James　said。　〃They　spent　time　together　there；　a　couple　of　years　ago。　But　Malcolm　hasn't　gone　back　to　Santa　Fe　recently。　He's　taken　a　visiting　lectureship　at　Berkeley　in　the　biology　department。　He　teaches　mathematical　models　of　evolution。　And　he　seems　to　have　lost　contact　with　Levine。〃
　　　　〃They　have　a　falling　out？〃
　　　　〃Maybe。　I　was　told　they　argued　about　Levine's　expedition。〃
　　　　〃What　expedition？〃　Dodgson　said；　leaning　forward。
　　　　〃Levine's　been　planning　some　kind　of　expedition　for　a　year　or　so　He's　ordered　special　vehicles　from　a　pany　called　Mobile　Field　Systems。　It's　a　small　operation　in　Woodside；　run　by　a　guy　named　Jack　Thorne。　Thorne　outfits　Jeeps　and　trucks　for　scientists　doing　field　research。　Scientists　in　Africa　and　Sichuan　and　Chile　all　swear　by　them。〃
　　　　〃Malcolm　knows　about　this　expedition？〃
　　　　〃He　Must。　He's　gone　to　Thorne's　place；　occasionally。　Every　month　or　so。　And　of　course　Levine's　been　going　there　almost　every　day；　That's　how　he　got　thrown　in　jail。〃
　　　　〃Thrown　in　jail？〃　Baselton　said。
　　　　〃Yeah；〃　James　said；　glancing　at　his　notes。　〃Let's　see。　February　tenth；　Levine　was　arrested　for　driving　a　hundred　and　twenty　in　a　fifteen　zone。　Right　in　front　of　Woodside　Junior　High。　The　judge　impounded　his　Ferrari；　yanked　his　license；　and　gave　him　munity　service。　Basically　ordered　him　to　teach　a　class　at　the　school。〃
　　　　Baselton　smiled。　〃Richard　Levine　teaching　junior　high。　I'd　love　to　see　that。〃
　　　　〃He's　been　pretty　conscientious。　Of　course　he's　spending　time　in　Woodside；　anyway；　with　Thorne。　That　is；　until　he　left　the　country。〃
　　　　〃When　did　he　leave　the　country？〃　Dodgson　said。
　　　　〃Two　days　ago。　He　went　to　Costa　Rica。　Short　trip；　he　was　due　back　early　this　morning。〃
　　　　And　where　is　he　now？〃
　　　　〃I　don't　know。　And　I'm　afraid；　uh；　it's　going　to　be　hard　to　find　out。〃
　　　　〃Why　is　that？〃
　　　　　James　hesitated；　coughed；　〃Because　he　was　on　the　passenger　manifest　of　the　flight　from　Costa　Rica　…　but　he　wasn't　on　the　plane　when　it　landed。　My　contact　in　Costa　Rica　says　he　checked　out　of　his　hotel　in　San　José　before　the　flight；　and　never　went　back。　Didn't　take　any　other　flight　out　of　the　city。　So；　uh；　for　the　moment；　I'm　afraid　that　Richard　Levine　has　disappeared。〃

There　was　a　long　silence。　Dodgson　sat　back　in　the　booth；　hissing　between　his　teeth。　He　looked　at　Baselton；　who　shook　his　head。　Dodgson　very　carefully　picked　up　all　the　sheets　of　paper；　tapped　them　on　the　table；　making　a　neat　stack。　He　slipped　them　back　into　the　manila　envelope；　and　handed　the　envelope　to　James。
　　　　〃Now　listen；　you　stupid　son　of　a　bitch；〃　Dodgson　said。　〃There's　only　one　thing　I　want　from　you　now。　It's　very　simple。　Are　you　listening？〃
　　　　James　swallowed。　〃I'm　listening。〃
　　　　Dodgson　leaned　across　the　table。　〃Find　him；〃　he　said。

Berkeley

In　his　cluttered　Office；　Malcolm　looked　up　from　his　desk　as　his　assistant；　Beverly；　came　into　the　room。　She　was　followed　by　a　man　from　DHL；　carrying　a　small　box。
　　　　〃I'm　sorry　to　disturb　you；　Dr。　Malcolm；　but　you　have　to　sign　these　forms。。。。It's　that　sample　from　Costa　Rica。〃
　　　　Malcolm　stood；　and　walked　around　the　desk。　He　didn't　use　his　cane。　In　recent　weeks；　he　had　been　working　steadily　to　walk　without　the　cane。　He　still　had　occasional　pain　in　his　leg；　but　he　was　determined　to　make　progress。　Even　his　physical　therapist；　a　perpetually　cheery　woman　named　Cindy；　had　mented　on　it。　〃Gee；　after　all　these　years；　suddenly　you're　motivated；　Dr。　Malcolm；〃　she　had　said。　〃What's　going　on？〃
　　　　
　　　　〃Oh；　you　know；〃　Malcolm　had　said　to　her。　〃Can't　rely　on　a　cane　forever。　　　
　　　　The　truth　was　rather　different。　Confronted　by　Levine's　relentless　enthusiasm　for　the　lost…world　hypothesis；　his　excited　telephone　calls　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　night；　Malcolm　had　begun　to　reconsider　his　own　views。　And　he　had　e　to　believe　that　it　was　quite　possible　…　even　probable　…that　extinct　animals　existed　in　a　remote；　previously　unsuspected　location。　Malcolm　had　his　own　reasons　for　thinking　so；　which　he　had　only　hinted　at　to　Levi