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ircraft in two hours。 In fact； six hours passed before the gigantic ash…covered hulk of the plane emerged from the murky afternoon darkness。
One reason it had taken them so long to move away from Mukenko was that they were obliged to avoid General Muguru and his troops。 Whenever they came across jeep tracks； Munro led them farther west； into the depths of the jungle。
〃He's not a fallow you want to meet；〃 Munro said。 〃And neither are his boys。 And they'd think nothing of cutting your liver out and eating it raw。〃
Dark ash on wings and fuselage made the giant transport look as if it had crashed in black snow。 Off one bent wing； a kind of waterfall of ash hissed over the metal down to the ground。 Far in the distance； they heard the soft beating of Kigani drums； and thumping mortar from Muguru's troops。
Otherwise it was ominously quiet。
Munro waited in the forest beyond the wreckage； watching the airplane。 Ross took the opportunity to try to transmit on the puter； continuously brushing ash from the video screen； but she could not reach Houston。
Finally Munro signaled； and they all began to move forward。 Amy； panicked； tugged at Munro's sleeve。 No go； she signed。 People there。
Munro frowned at her； glanced at Elliot。 Elliot pointed to the airplane。 Moments later； there was a crash； and two white…painted Kigani warriors emerged from the aircraft； onto the high wing。 They were carrying cases of whiskey and arguing about how to get them down to the jungle floor below。 After a moment； five more Kigani appeared beneath the wing； and the cases were passed to them。 The two men above jumped down； and the group moved off。
Munro looked at Amy and smiled。
Amy good gorilla； she signed。
They waited another twenty minutes； and when no further Kigani appeared； Munro led the group to the airplane。 They were just outside the cargo doors when a rain of white arrows began to whistle down on them。
〃Inside！〃 Munro shouted； and hurried them all up the crumpled landing gear； onto the upper wing surface； and from there into the airplane。 He slammed the emergency door； arrows clattered on the outer metal surface。
Inside the transport it was dark； the floor tilted at a crazy angle。 Boxes of equipment had slid across the aisles； toppled over； and smashed。 Broken glassware crunched underfoot。 Elliot carried Amy to a seat； and then noticed that the Kigani had defecated on the seats。
Outside； they heard drums； and the steady rain of arrows on the metal and windows。 Looking out through the dark ash； they glimpsed dozens of white…painted men； running through the trees； slipping under the wing。
〃What are we going to do？〃 Ross asked。
〃Shoot them；〃 Munro said briskly； breaking open their supplies； removing machine…gun clips。 〃We aren't short of ammunition。〃
〃But there must be a hundred men out there。〃
〃Yes； but only one man is important。 Kill the Kigani with red streaks painted beneath his eyes。 That'll end the attack right away。〃
〃Why？〃 Elliot asked。
〃Because he's the Angawa sorcerer；〃 Munro said； moving forward to the cockpit。 〃Kill him and we're off the hook。〃
Poison…tipped arrows clattered on the plastic windows and rang against the metal； the Kigani also threw feces； which thudded dully against the fuselage。 The drums beat constantly。
Amy was terrified； and buckled herself into a seat； signing； Amy leave now bird fly
Elliot found two Kigani concealed in the rear passenger partment。 lb his own amazement he killed both without hesitation； firing the machine gun which bucked in his hands； blasting the Kigani back into the passenger seats； shattering windows； crumpling their bodies。
〃Very good； Doctor。〃 Kahega grinned； although by then Elliot was shaking uncontrollably。 He slumped into a seat next to Amy。
People attack bird bird fly now bird fly Amy want go。
〃Soon； Amy；〃 he said； hoping it would prove true。
By now； the Kigani had abandoned their frontal assault； they were attacking from the rear； where there were no windows。 Everyone could hear the sound of bare feet moving over the tail section and up onto the fuselage above their heads。 Two warriors managed to climb through the open aft cargo door。 Munro； who was in the cockpit； shouted； 〃If they get you； they eat you！〃
Ross fired at the rear door； and blood spattered on her clothes as the intruding Kigani were knocked out backward。
Amy no like； she signed。 Amy want go home。 She clutched her seat belt。
〃There's the son of a bitch；〃 Munro shouted； and fired his machine gun。 A young man of about twenty； his eyes smeared with red； fell onto his back； shuddering with machine…gun fire。 〃Got him；〃 Munro said。 〃Got the Angawa〃 He sat back and allowed the warriors to remove the body。〃
It was then the Kigani attack ended； the warriors retreating into the silent bush。 Munro bent over the slumped body of the pilot and stared out at the jungle。
〃What happens now？〃 Elliot asked。 〃Have we won？〃
Munro shook his head。 〃They'll wait for nightfall。 Then they'll e back to kill us all。〃
Elliot said； 〃What will we do then？〃
Munro had been thinking about that。 He saw no possibility of their leaving the aircraft for at least twenty…four hours。
They needed to defend themselves at night and they needed a wider clearing around the plane during the day。 The obvious solution was to burn the waist…high bush in the immediate vicinity of the plane…if they could do that without exploding the residual fuel in the airplane tanks。
〃Look for flamethrowers；〃 he told Kahega； 〃or gas canisters。〃 And he began to check for documents that would tell him tank locations on the C…130。
Ross approached him。 〃We're in trouble； aren't we。〃
〃Yes；〃 Munro said。 He didn't mention the volcano。
〃I suppose I made a mistake。〃
〃Well； you can atone；〃 Munro said； 〃by thinking of some way out。〃
〃I'll see what！ can do；〃 she said seriously； and went aft。 Fifteen minutes later； she screamed。
Munro spun back into the passenger partment； his machine gun raised to fire。 But he saw that Ross had collapsed into a seat； laughing hysterically。 The others stared at her； not sure what to do。 He grabbed her shoulders and shook her： 〃Get a grip on yourself；〃 he said； but she just went on laughing。
Káhega stood next to a gas cylinder marked PROPANE。 〃She see this； and she ask how many more； I tell her six more； she begins to laugh。〃
Munro frowned。 The cylinder was large； 20 cubic feet。 〃Kahega； what'd they carry that propane for？〃
Kahega shrugged。 〃Too big for cooking。 They need only five； ten cubic feet for cooking。〃
Munro said； 〃And there are six more like this？〃
〃Yes； boss。 Six。〃
〃That's a hell of a lot of gas；〃 Munro said； and then he realized that Ross with her instinct for planning would have grasped at once the significance of all that propane； and Munro also knew what it meant； and he broke into a grin。
Annoyed； Elliot said； 〃Will someone please tell us what this means？〃
〃It means；〃 Munro said through his laughter； 〃it means things are looking up。〃
Buoyed by 50；000 pounds of heated air from the propane gas ring； the gleaming plastic sphere of the consortium balloon lifted off from the jungle floor； and climbed swiftly into the darkening night air。
The Kigani came running from the forest； the warriors brandishing spears and arrows。 Pale white arrows sliced up in the fading light； but they fell short； arcing back down to the ground again。 The balloon rose steadily into the sky。
At an altitude of 2；000 feet； the sphere caught an easterly wind which carried it away from the dark expanse of the Congo forest； over the smoking red volcanic heart of Mount Mukenko； and across the sharp depression of the Rift Valley； vertical walls shimmering in the moonlight。
From there； the balloon slid across the Zaire border； moving southeast toward Kenya…and civilization。
Epilogue： The Place of Fire
ON SEPTEMBER 18； 1979； THE LANDSAT 3 Satellite； at a nominal altitude of 918 kilometers； recorded a 185…kilometer…wide scan on Band 6 （。7…。8 millimicrons in the infrared spectrum） over central Africa。 Penetrating cloud cover over the rain forest； the acquired image clearly showed the eruption of Mount Mukenko still continuing after three months。 A puter projection of ejecta estimated 6…8 cubic kilometers of debris dispersed into the atmosphere； and another 23 cubic kilometers of lava released down the western flanks of the mountain。 The natives called it Kanya4feka； 〃the place of fire。〃
On October 1； 1979； R。 B。 Travis formally canceled the Blue Contract； reporting that no natural source of Type IIb diamonds could be anticipated in the foreseeable future。 The Japanese electronics firm of Monkawa revived interest in the Nagaura artificial boron…doping process。 American firms had also begun work on doping； it was expected that the process would be perfected by 1984。
On October 23； Karen Ross resigned from ERTS to work for the U。S。 Geological Survey EDC in Sioux Falls； South Dakota； where no military work was conducted； and no fieldwork was possible。 She has since married John Bellingham； a scientist at EDC。
Peter Elliot took an indefinite leave of absence from the Berkeley Department of Zoology on October 30。 A press release cited 〃Amy's increasing maturity and size。 。 。 making further laboratory research difficult。 。 。〃 Project Amy was formally disbanded； although most of the staff acpanied Elliot and Amy to the Institut d'Etudes Ethnologiques at Bukama； Zaire。 Here Amy's interaction with wild gorillas continued to be studied in the fold。 In November； 1979； she was thought to be pregnant； by then she was spending most of her time with a local gorilla troop； so it was difficult to be sure。 She disappeared in May l980。*
The institute conducted a census of mountain gorillas from March to August 1980。 The estimate was five thousand animals in all； approximately half the estimate of George Schaller； field biologist； twenty years before。 These data confirm that the mountain gorilla is disappearing rapidly。
Zoo reproduction rates have increased； and gorillas are unlikely to bee technically extinct； but their habitats are shrinking under the press of mankind； and researchers suspect that the gorilla will vanish as a wild； free…roaming animal in the next few years。
Kabega returned to Nairobi in 1979； working in a Chinese restaurant which went bankrupt in 1980。 He then joined the National Geographic Society expedition to Botswana to study hippos。
Aid Ubara； the eldest son of the porter Marawani and a radio astronomer at Cambridge； England； won the Herskovita Prize in 1980 for research on X…ray emissions from the galactic source M322。
At a handsome profit； Charles Munro sold 31 karats of blue Type IIb diamonds on the Amsterdam bourse in late 1979； the diamonds were purchased by Intel； Inc。； an American micronics pany。 Subsequently he was stabbed by a Russian agent in Antwerp in January 1980； the agent's body was later recovered in Brussels。 Munro was arrested by an armed border patrol in Zambia in March 1980； but charges were dropped。 He was reported in Somalia in May； but there is no confirmation。 He still resides in Tangier。
A Landsat 3 image acquired on January 8； 1980； showed that the eruption of Mount Mukenko had ceased。 The faint signature of crossed laser beams； recorded on some earlier satellite passes； was no longer visible。 The projected intersection point now marked a field of black quatermain lava with an average depth of eight hundred meters…nearly half a mile…over the Lost City of Zinj。
*In May 1980； Amy disappeared for four months； but in September she returned with a male infant clinging to her chest。 Elliot signed to her； and had the unexpected satisfaction of seeing the infant sign back to him Amy like Peter like Peter。 The signing was crisp and correct and has been recorded on videotape。 Amy would not approach closely with her infant； when the infant moved toward Elliot； Amy grabbed him to her chest； disappearing into the bush。 She was later sighted among a troop of twelve gorillas on the slopes of Mt。 Kyambara in northeastern Zaire。
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