michael crichton.congo-第35部分

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ot　grabbed　Amy　as　the　boat　sank；　and　they　found　themselves　standing　knee…deep　in　the　muddy　water。
　They　managed　to　beach　the　Zodiac　on　the　dark　riverbank。　In　the　lead　boat；　Munro　paddled　over；　surveyed　the　damage；　and　announced　that　they　would　inflate　another　boat　and　go　on。　He　called　for　a　rest；　and　they　all　lay　in　the　moonlight　on　the　river's　edge　swatting　mosquitoes　away。
　Their　reverie　was　interrupted　by　the　screaming　whine　of　ground…to…air　rockets；　blossoming　explosions　in　the　sky　overhead。　With　each　explosion；　the　riverbank　glowed　bright　red；　casting　long　shadows；　then　fading　black　once　more。
　〃Muguru's　men　firing　from　the　ground；〃　Munro　said；　reaching　for　his　field　glasses。
　〃What're　they　shooting　at？〃　Elliot　said；　staring　up　into　the　sky。
　〃Beats　me；〃　Munro　said。
　Amy　touched　Munro's　arm；　and　signed；　Bird　e。　But　they　heard　no　sound　of　an　aircraft；　only　the　bursting　of　rockets　in　the　sky。
　Munro　said；　〃You　think　she　hears　something？〃
　〃Her　hearing　is　very　acute。〃
　And　then　they　heard　the　drone　of　a　distant　aircraft；　approaching　from　the　south。　As　it　came　into　view；　they　saw　it　twist；　maneuvering　among　the　brilliant　yellow…red　explosions　that　burst　in　the　moonlight　and　glinted　off　the　metal　body　of　the　aircraft。
　〃Those　poor　bastards　are　trying　to　make　time；〃　Munro　said；　scanning　the　plane　through　field　glasses。　〃That's　a　C…130　transport　with　Japanese　markings　on　the　tail。　Supply　plane　for　the　consortium　base　camp…if　it　makes　it　through。〃
　As　they　watched；　the　transport　twisted　left　and　right；　running　a　zigzag　course　through　the　bursting　fireballs　of　exploding　missiles。
　〃Breaking　a　snake's　back；〃　Munro　said。　〃The　crew　must　be　terrified；　they　didn't　buy　into　this。〃
　Elliot　felt　a　sudden　sympathy　for　the　crew；　he　imagined　them　staring　out　the　windows　as　the　fireballs　exploded　with　brilliant　light；　illuminating　the　interior　of　the　plane。　Were　they　chattering　in　Japanese？　Wishing　they　had　never　e？
　A　moment　later；　the　aircraft　droned　onward　to　the　north；　out　of　sight；　a　final　missile　with　a　red…hot　tail　chasing　after　it；　but　it　was　gone　over　the　jungle　trees；　and　he　listened　to　the　distant　explosion　of　the　missile。
　〃Probably　got　through；〃　Munro　said；　standing。　〃We'd
　better　move　on。〃　And　he　shouted　in　Swahili　for　Kahega　to　put　the　men　on　the　river　once　more。
　
　2。Mukenko
　
　ELLIOT　SHIVERED；　ZIPPED　HIS　PARKA　TIGHTER；　AND　waited　for　the　hailstorm　to　stop。　They　were　huddled　beneath　a　stand　of　evergreen　trees　above　8；000　feet　on　the　alpine　slopes　of　Mount　Mukenko。　It　was　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　the　air　temperature　was　38　degrees。　Five　hours　before；　they　had　left　the　river　behind　and　begun　their　pre…dawn　climb　in　100…degree　steaming　jungle。
　Alongside　him；　Amy　watched　the　golf　ball…sized　white　pellets　bounce　on　the　grass　and　slap　the　branches　of　the　tree　over　their　heads。　She　had　never　seen　hail　before。
　She　signed；　What　name？
　〃Hail；〃　he　told　her。
　Peter　make　stop。
　〃I　wish　I　could；　Amy。〃
　She　watched　the　hail　for　a　moment；　then　signed；　Amy　want　go　home。
　She　had　begun　talking　about　going　home　the　night　before。　Although　the　Thoralen　had　worn　off；　she　remained　depressed　and　withdrawn。　Elliot　had　offered　her　some　food　to　cheer　her　up。　She　signed　that　she　wanted　milk。　When　he　told　her　they　…had　none　（which　she　knew。　perfectly　well）；　she　signed　that　she　wanted　a　banana。　Kahega　had　produced　a　bunch　of　small；　slightly　sour　jungle　bananas。　Amy　had　eaten　them　without　objection　on　previous　days。　but　she　now　threw　them　into　the　water　contemptuously；　signing　she　wanted　〃real　bananas。〃
　When　Elliot　told　her　that　they　had　no　real　bananas；　she　signed；　Amy　want　go　home。
　〃We　can't　go　home　now；　Amy。〃
　Amy　good　gorilla　Peter　take　Amy　home。
　She　had　only　known　him　as　the　person　in　charge；　the　final　arbiter　of　her　daily　life　in　the　experimental　setting　of　Project　Amy。　He　could　think　of　no　way　to　make　clear　to　her　that　he　was　no　longer　in　charge；　and　'that　he　was　not　punishing　her　by　keeping　her　here。
　In　fact；　they　were　all　discouraged。　Each　of　the　expedition　members　had　looked　forward　to　escaping　the　oppressive　heat　of　the　rain　forest；　but　now　that　they　were　climbing　Mukenko；　their　enthusiasm　had　quickly　faded。　〃Christ；〃　Ross　said。　〃From　hippos　to　hail。〃
　As　if　on　cue；　the　hail　stopped。　〃All　right；〃　Munro　said；　〃let's　get　moving。〃
　
　
　
　
　Mukenko　had　never　been　climbed　until　1933。　In　1908；　a　German　party　under　von　Ranke　ran　into　storms　and　had　to　descend；　a　Belgian　team　in　1913　reached　10；000　feet　but　could　not　find　a　route　to　the　summit；　and　another　German　team　was　forced　to　quit　in　1919　when　two　team　members　fell　and　died；　about　12；000　feet。　Nevertheless　Mukenko　was　classified　as　a　fairly　easy　（non…technical）　climb　by　most　mountaineers；　who　generally　devoted　a　day　to　the　ascent；　after　1943；　a　new　route　up　the　southeast　was　found　which　was　frustratingly　slow　but　not　dangerous；　and　it　was　this　mute　that　most　climbers　followed。
　Above　9；000　feet；　the　pine　forest　disappeared　and　they　crossed　weak　grassy　fields　cloaked　in　chilly　mist；　the　air　was　thinner；　and　they　called　frequently　for　a　rest。　Munro　had　no　patience　with　the　plaints　of　his　charges。　〃What　did　you　expect？〃　he　demanded。　〃It's　a　mountain。　Mountains　are　high。〃　He　was　especially　merciless　with　Ross；　who　seemed　the　most　easily　fatigued。　〃What　about　your　timetable？〃　he　would　ask　her。　〃We're　not　even　to　the　difficult　part。　It's　not　even　interesting　until　eleven　thousand　feet。　You　quit　now　and　we'll　never　make　it　to　the　summit　before　nightfall；　and　that　means　we　lose　a　full　day。〃
　〃I　don't　care；〃　Ross　said　finally；　dropping　to　the　ground；　gasping　for　breath。
　〃Just　like　a　woman；〃　Munro　said　scornfully；　and　smiled　when　Ross　glared　at　him。　Munro　humiliated　them；　chided　them；　encouraged　them…and　somehow　kept　them　moving。
　Above　10；000　feet；　the　grass　disappeared　and　there　was　only　mossy　ground　cover；　they　came　upon　the　solitary　peculiar　fat…leafed　lobelia　trees；　emerging　suddenly　from　the　cold　gray　mist。　There　was　no　real　cover　between　10；000　feet　and　the　summit；　which　was　why　Munro　pushed　them；　he　did　not　want　to　get　caught　in　a　storm　on　the　barren　upper　slopes。
　The　sun　broke　out　at　11；000　feet；　and　they　stopped　to　position　the　second　of　the　directional　lasers　for　the　ERTS　laser…fix　system。　Ross　had　already　set　the　first　laser　several　miles　to　the　south　that　morning；　and　it　had　taken　thirty　minutes。
　The　second　laser　was　more　critical；　since　it　had　to　be　matched　to　the　first。　Despite　the　electronic　jamming；　the　transmitting　equipment　had　to　be　connected　with　Houston；　in　order　that　the　little　laser…it　was　the　size　of　a　pencil　eraser；　mounted　on　a　tiny　steel　tripod…could　be　accurately　aimed。　The　two　lasers　on　the　volcano　were　positioned　so　that　their　beams　crossed　many　miles　away；　above　the　jungle。　And　if　Ross's　calculations　were　correct；　that　intersection　point　was　directly　over　the　city　of　Zinj。
　
　Elliot　wondered　if　they　were　inadvertently　assisting　the　consortium；　but　Ross　said　no。　〃Only　at　night；〃　she　said；　〃when　they　aren't　moving。　During　the　day；　they　won't　be　able　to　lock　on　our　beacons…that's　the　beauty　of　the　system。〃
　Soon　they　smelled　sulfurous　volcanic　fumes　drifting　down　from　the　summit；　now　1；500　feet　above　them。　Up　here　there　was　no。　vegetation　at　all；　only　bare　hard　rock　and　scattered　patches　of　snow　tinged　yellow　from　the　sulfur。　The　sky　was　clear　dark　blue；　and　they　had　spectacular　views　of　the　south　Virunga　range…the　great　cone　of　Nyiragongo；　rising　steeply　from　the　deep　green　of　the　Congo　forests；　and；　beyond　that；　Mukenko；　shrouded　in　fog。
　The　last　thousand　feet　were　the　most　difficult；　particularly　for　Amy；　who　had　to　pick　her　way　barefoot　among　the　sharp　lava　rocks。　Above　12；000　feet；　the　ground　was　loose　volcanic　scree。　They　reached　the　summit　at　five　in　the　afternoon；　and　gazed　over　the　eight…mile…wide　lava　lake　and　smoking　crater　of　the　volcano。　Elliot　was　disappointed　in　the　landscape　of　black　rock　and　gray　steam　clouds。　〃Wait　until　night；〃　Munro　said。
　That　night　the　lava　glowed　in　a　network　of　hot　red　through　the　broken　dark　crust；　hissing　red　steam　slowly　lost　its　color　as　it　rose　into　the　sky。　On　the　crater　rim；　their　little　tents　reflected　the　red　glow　of　the　lava。　lb　the　west　scattered　clouds　were　silver　in　the　moonlight；　and　beneath　them　the　Congo　Jungle　stretched　away　for　miles。　They　could　see　the　straight　green　laser　beams；　intersecting　over　the　black　forest。　With　any　luck　they　would　reach　that　intersection　tomorrow。
　Ross　connected　her　transmitting　equipment　to　make　the　nightly　report　to　Houston。　After　the　regular　six…minute　delay；　the　signal　linked　directly　through　to　Houston；　without　interstitial　encoding　or　other　evasive　techniques。
　〃Hell；〃　Munro　said。
　〃But　what　does　it　mean？〃　Elliot　asked。
　〃It　means；〃　Munro　said　gloomily。　〃the　consortium　has　stopped　jamming　us。〃
　〃Isn't　that　good？〃
　〃No；〃　Ross　said。　〃It's　bad。　They　must　already　be　on　the　site；　and　they've　found　the　diamonds。〃　She　shook　her　head；　and　adjusted　the　video　screen：
　
　HUSTN　CONFRMS　CONSRTUM　ONSITE　ZINJ　PROBABILITY　1。000。　TAK　NO　FURTHR　RSKS。　SITUTN　HOPELSS。
　
　〃I　can't　believe　it；〃　Ross　said。　〃It's　all　over。〃
　Elliot　sighed。　〃My　feet　hurt；〃　he　said。
　〃I'm　tired；〃　Munro　sai