jurassic.park-第7部分

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　　　　Stone　shook　his　head。　〃Impossible。〃
　　　　〃Why？〃　Alice　Levin　said。　〃It　could　be　a　leftover　or　a　remnant　or　whatever　they　call　them。〃
　　　　Stone　continued　to　shake　his　head。　Alice　was　uninformed；　she　was　just　a　technician　who　worked　in　the　bacteriology　lab　down　the　hall。　And　she　had　an　active　imagination。　Stone　remembered　the　time　when　she　thought　she　was　being　followed　by　one　of　the　surgical　orderlies。　。　。　。
　　　　〃You　know；〃　Alice　Levin　said；　〃if　this　is　a　dinosaur；　Richard；　it　could　be　a　big　deal。〃
　　　　〃It's　not　a　dinosaur。〃
　　　　〃Has　anybody　checked　it。
　　　　〃No；〃　Stone　said。
　　　　〃Well；　take　it　to　the　Museum　of　Natural　History　or　something；〃　Alice　Levin　said。　〃You　really　should。〃
　　　　〃I'd　be　embarrassed。〃
　　　　〃You　want　me　to　do　it　for　you？〃　she　said。
　　　　〃No；〃　Richard　Stone　said。　〃I　don't。〃
　　　　〃You're　not　going　to　do　anything？〃
　　　　〃Nothing　at　all。〃　He　put　the　baggie　back　in　the　freezer　and　slammed　the　door。　〃It's　not　a　dinosaur；　it's　a　lizard。　And　whatever　it　is；　it　can　wait　until　Dr。　Simpson　gets　back　from　Borneo　to　identify　it。　That's　final；　Alice。　This　lizard's　not　going　anywhere。〃

SECOND　ITERATION

〃With　subsequent　drawings　of　the　fractal　curve；　sudden　changes　may　appear。〃
IAN　MAL
The　Shore　of　the　Inland　Sea

Alan　Grant　crouched　down；　his　nose　inches　from　the　ground。　The　temperature　was　over　a　hundred　degrees。　His　knees　ached；　despite　the　rug…layer's　pads　he　wore。　His　lungs　burned　from　the　harsh　alkaline　dust。　Sweat　dripped　off　his　forehead　onto　the　ground。　But　Grant　was　oblivious　to　the　disfort。　His　entire　attention　was　focused　on　the　six…inch　square　of　earth　in　front　of　him。
　　　　Working　patiently　with　a　dental　pick　and　an　artist's　camel　brush；　he　exposed　the　tiny　L…shaped　fragment　of　jawbone。　It　was　only　an　inch　long；　and　no　thicker　than　his　little　finger。　The　teeth　were　a　row　of　small　points；　and　had　the　characteristic　media＇　angling。　Bits　of　bone　flaked　away　as　he　dug。　Grant　paused　for　a　moment　to　paint　the　bone　with　rubber　cement　before　continuing　to　expose　it。　There　was　no　question　that　this　was　the　jawbone　from　an　infant　carnivorous　dinosaur。　Its　owner　had　died　seventy…nine　million　years　ago；　at　the　age　of　about　two　months。　With　any　luck；　Grant　might　find　the　rest　of　the　skeleton　as　well。　If　so；　it　would　be　the　first　plete　skeleton　of　a　baby　carnivore　
　　　　〃Hey；　Alan！〃
　　　　Alan　Grant　looked　up；　blinking　in　the　sunlight。　He　pulled　down　his　sunglasses；　and　wiped　his　forehead　with　the　back　of　his　arm。
　　　　He　was　crouched　on　an　eroded　hillside　in　the　badlands　outside　Snakewater；　Montana。　Beneath　the　great　blue　bowl　of　sky；　blunted　hills；　exposed　outcroppings　of　crumbling　limestone；　stretched　for　miles　in　every　direction。　There　was　not　a　tree；　or　a　bush。　Nothing　but　barren　rock；　hot　sun；　and　whining　wind。
　　　　Visitors　found　the　badlands　depressingly　bleak；　but　when　Grant　looked　at　this　landscape；　he　saw　something　else　entirely。　This　barren　land　was　what　remained　of　another；　very　different　world；　which　had　vanished　eighty　million　years　ago。　In　his　mind's　eye；　Grant　saw　himself　back　in　the　warm；　swampy　bayou　that　formed　the　shoreline　of　a　great　inland　sea。　This　inland　sea　was　a　thousand　miles　wide；　extending　all　the　way　from　the　newly　upthrust　Rocky　Mountains　to　the　sharp；　craggy　peaks　of　the　Appalachians。　All　of　the　American　West　was　underwater。　　　　
　　　　At　that　time；　there　were　thin　clouds　in　the　sky　overhead；　darkened　by　the　smoke　of　nearby　volcanoes。　The　atmosphere　was　denser；　richer　in　carbon　dioxide。　Plants　grew　rapidly　along　the　shoreline。　There　were　no　fish　in　these　waters；　but　there　were　clams　and　snails。　Pterosaurs　swooped　down　to　scoop　algae　from　the　surface。　A　few　carnivorous　dinosaurs　prowled　the　swampy　shores　of　the　lake；　moving　among　the　palm　trees。　And　offshore　was　a　small　island；　about　two　acres　in　size。　Ringed　with　dense　vegetation；　this　island　formed　a　protected　sanctuary　where　herds　of　herbivorous　duckbilled　dinosaurs　laid　their　eggs　in　munal　nests；　and　raised　their　squeaking　young。
　　　　Over　the　millions　of　years　that　followed；　the　pale　green　alkaline　lake　grew　shallower；　and　finally　vanished。　The　exposed　land　buckled　and　cracked　under　the　heat。　And　the　offshore　island　with　its　dinosaur　eggs　became　the　eroded　hillside　in　northern　Montana　which　Alan　Grant　was　now　excavating。
　　　　〃Hey；　Alan！〃
　　　　He　stood；　a　barrel…chested；　bearded　man　of　forty。　He　heard　the　chugging　of　the　portable　generator；　and　the　distant　clatter　of　the　jackhammer　cutting　into　the　dense　rock　on　the　next　hill。　He　saw　the　kids　working　around　the　jackhammer；　moving　away　the　big　pieces　of　rock　after　checking　them　for　fossils。　At　the　foot　of　the　hill；　he　saw　the　six　tipis　of　his　camp；　the　flapping　mess　tent；　and　the　trailer　that　served　as　their　field　laboratory。　And　he　saw　Ellie　waving　to　him；　from　the　shadow　of　the　field　laboratory。
　　　　〃Visitor！〃　she　called；　and　pointed　to　the　east。
　　　　Grant　saw　the　cloud　of　dust；　and　the　blue　Ford　sedan　bouncing　over　the　rutted　road　toward　them。　He　glanced　at　his　watch：　right　on　time。　On　the　other　hill；　the　kids　looked　up　with　interest。　They　didn't　get　many　visitors　in　Snakewater；　and　there　had　been　a　lot　of　speculation　about　what　a　lawyer　from　the　Environmental　Protection　Agency　would　want　to　see　Alan　Grant　about。
　　　　But　Grant　knew　that　paleontology；　the　study　of　extinct　life；　had　in　recent　years　taken　on　an　unexpected　relevance　to　the　modern　world。　The　modem　world　was　changing　fast；　and　urgent　questions　about　the　weather；　deforestation；　global　warming；　or　the　ozone　layer　often　seemed　answerable；　at　least　in　part；　with　information　from　the　past。　Information　that　paleontologists　could　provide。　He　had　been　called　as　an　expert　witness　twice　in　the　past　few　years。
　　　　Grant　started　down　the　hill　to　meet　the　car。

The　visitor　coughed　in　the　white　dust　as　he　slammed　the　car　door。　〃Bob　Morris；　EPA；〃　he　said；　extending　his　hand。　〃I'm　with　the　San　Francisco　office。　〃
　　　　Grant　introduced　himself　and　said；　〃You　look　hot。　Want　a　beer？〃
　　　　〃Jesus；　yeah。〃　Morris　was　in　his　late　twenties；　wearing　a　tie；　and　pants　from　a　business　suit。　He　carried　a　briefcase。　His　wing…tip　shoes　crunched　on　the　rocks　as　they　walked　toward　the　trailer。
　　　　〃When　I　first　came　over　the　hill；　I　thought　this　was　an　Indian　reservation；〃　Morris　said；　pointing　to　the　tipis。
　　　　〃No；〃　Grant　said。　〃Just　the　best　way　to　live　out　here。〃　Grant　explained　that　in　1978；　the　first　year　of　the　excavations；　they　had　e　out　in　North　Slope　octahedral　tents；　the　most　advanced　available。　But　the　tents　always　blew　over　in　the　wind。　They　tried　other　kinds　of　tents；　with　the　same　result。　Finally　they　started　putting　up　tipis；　which　were　larger　inside；　more　fortable；　and　more　stable　in　wind。　〃These're　Blackfoot　tipis；　built　around　four　poles；〃　Grant　said。　〃Sioux　tipis　are　built　around　three。　But　this　used　to　be　Blackfoot　territory；　so　we　thought　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃Uh…huh；〃　Morris　said。　〃Very　fitting。〃　He　squinted　at　the　desolate　landscape　and　shook　his　head。　〃How　long　you　been　out　here？〃
　　　　〃About　sixty　cases；〃　Grant　said。　When　Morris　looked　surprised；　he　explained；　〃We　measure　time　in　beer。　We　start　in　June　with　a　hundred　cases。　We've　gone　through　about　sixty　so　far。〃
　　　　〃Sixty…three；　to　be　exact；〃　Ellie　Sattler　said；　as　they　reached　the　trailer。　Grant　was　amused　to　see　Morris　gaping　at　her。　Ellie　was　wearing　cut…off　jeans　and　a　workshirt　tied　at　her　midriff。　She　was　twenty…four　and　darkly　tanned。　Her　blond　hair　was　pulled　back。
　　　　〃Ellie　keeps　us　going；〃　Grant　said；　introducing　her。　〃She's　very　good　at　what　she　does。〃
　　　　〃What　does　she　do？〃　Morris　asked。
　　　　〃Paleobotany；〃　Ellie　said。　〃And　I　also　do　the　standard　field　preps。〃　She　opened　the　door　and　they　went　inside。
　　　　The　air　conditioning　in　the　trailer　only　brought　the　temperature　down　to　eighty…five　degrees；　but　it　seemed　cool　after　the　midday　beat。　The　trailer　had　a　series　of　long　wooden　tables；　with　tiny　bone　specimens　neatly　laid　out；　tagged　and　labeled。　Farther　along　were　ceramic　dishes　and　crocks。　There　was　a　strong　odor　of　vinegar。
　　　　Morris　glanced　at　the　bones。　〃I　thought　dinosaurs　were　big；〃　he　said。
　　　　〃They　were；〃　Ellie　said。　〃But　everything　you　see　here　es　from　babies。　Snakewater　is　important　primarily　because　of　the　number　of　dinosaur　nesting　sites　here。　Until　we　started　this　work；　there　were　hardly　any　infant　dinosaurs　known。　Only　one　nest　had　ever　been　found；　in　the　Gobi　Desert。　We've　discovered　a　dozen　different　hadrosaur　nests；　plete　with　eggs　and　bones　of　infants。〃
　　　　While　Grant　went　to　the　refrigerator；　she　showed　Morris　the　acetic　acid　baths；　which　were　used　to　dissolve　away　the　limestone　from　the　delicate　bones。
　　　　〃They　look　like　chicken　bones；〃　Morris　said；　peering　into　the　ceramic　dishes。
　　　　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃They're　very　bird…like。〃
　　　　〃And　what　about　those？〃　Morris　said；　pointing　through　the　trailer　window　to　piles　of　large　bones　outside；　wrapped　in　heavy　plastic。
　　　　〃Rejects；〃　Ellie　said。　〃Bones　too　fragmentary　when　we　took　them　out　of　the　ground；　In　the　old　days　we'd　just　discard　them；　but　nowadays　we　send　them　for　genetic　testing。〃
　　　　〃Genetic　testing？〃　Morris　said。
　　　　〃Here　you　go；〃　Grant　said；　thrusting　a　beer　into　his　band。　He　gave　another　to　Ellie。　She　chugged　hers；　throwing　her　long　neck　back。　Morris　stared。
　　　　〃We'