MICHAEL CRICHTON

“He says a white man is dead in their village,” Munro said. He picked up hispack, which contained the first-aid kit. “I’ll have to hurry.”Ross said, “We can’t afford the time.”Munro frowned at her.“Well, the man’s dead anyway.”“He’s not completely dead,” Munro said. “He’s not dead-for-ever.”The pygmy nodded vigorously. Munro explained that pygmies graded illness inseveral stages. First a person was hot, then he was with fever, then ill, thendead, then completely dead—and finally dead-for-ever.From the bush, three more pygmies appeared. Munro nodded. “Knew hewasn’t alone,” he said. “These chaps never are alone. Hate to travel alone. Theothers were watching us; if we’d made a wrong move, we’d get an arrow for ourtrouble. See those brown tips? Poison.”Yet the pygmies appeared relaxed now—at least until Amy came crashingback through the underbrush. Then there were shouts and swiftly drawn bows;Amy was terrified and ran to Peter, jumping up on him and clutching his chest—and making him thoroughly muddy.The pygmies engaged in a lively discussion among themselves, trying todecide what Amy’s arrival meant. Several questions were asked of Munro.Finally, Elliot set Amy back down on the ground and said to Munro, “What didyou tell them?”“They wanted to know if the gorilla was yours, and I said yes. They wanted toknow if the gorilla was female, and I said yes. They wanted to know if you hadrelations with the gorilla; I said no. They said that was good, that you shouldnot become too attached to the gorilla, because that would cause you pain.”“Why pain?”“They said when the gorilla grows up, she will either run away into the forestand break your heart or kill you.”Ross still opposed making a detour to the pygmy village, which was severalmiles away on the banks of the Liko River. “We’re behind on our timeline,” shesaid, “and slipping further behind every minute.”139