MICHAEL CRICHTON

shook her head. “I’ve got to do this myself. We have to get it down to fortypounds per person.”“Forty pounds? For everything?”“That’s what the computer projection allows. Munro’s brought in Kahega andseven other Kikuya assistants. With the three of us, that makes eleven people alltogether, plus Amy—she gets her full forty pounds. But it means a total of fourhundred eighty pounds.” Ross continued to weigh packs and parcels of food.The news gave Elliot serious misgivings. The expedition was taking yetanother turn, into still greater danger. His immediate desire to back out waschecked by his memory of the video screen, and the gray gorilla like creature thathe suspected was a new, unknown animal. That was a discovery worth risk. Hestared out the window at the porters. “They’re Kikuyu?”“Yes,” she said. “They’re good porters, even if they never shut up. Kikuyutribesmen love to talk. They’re all brothers, by the way, so be careful what yousay. I just hope Munro didn’t have to tell them too much.”“The Kikuyu?”“No, the NCNA.”“The NCNA,” Elliot repeated.“The Chinese. The Chinese are very interested in computers and electronictechnology,” Ross said. “Munro must be telling them something in exchange forthe advice they’re giving him.” She gestured to the window, and Elliot looked out.Sure enough, Munro stood under the shadow of the 747 wing, talking with fourChinese men.“Here,” Ross said, “stow these in that corner.” She pointed to three largeStyrofoam cartons marked AMERICAN SPORT DIVERS, LAKE ELSINORE,CALIF.“We doing underwater work?” Elliot asked, puzzled.But Ross wasn’t paying attention. “I just wish I knew what he was telling them,”she said. But as it turned out, Ross needn’t have worried, for Munro paid theChinese in something more valuable to them than electronics information.The Fokker lifted off from the Nairobi runway at 14:24 hours, three minutesahead of their new timeline schedule.106