the women； stories of great giants with hairy bodies and flat noses； stories of creatures half leopard； half man； stories of native markets where the fattened carcasses of men were butchered and sold as a delicacy。
Such stories were sufficiently forbidding to keep the Arabs on the coast； despite other stories equally alluring： mountains of shimmering gold； riverbeds gleaming with diamonds； animals that spoke the language of men； great jungle civilizations of unimaginable splendor。 In particular； one story was repeated again and again in early accounts： the story of the Lost City of Zinj。
According to legend； a city known to the Hebrews of Solomonic times had been a source of inconceivable wealth in diamonds。 The caravan route to the city had been jealously guarded； passed from father to son； as a sacred trust for generation after generation。 But the diamond mines were exhausted and the city itself now lay in crumbling ruins； somewhere in the dark heart of Africa。 The arduous caravan routes were long since swallowed up by jungle； and the last trader who remembered the way had carried his secret with him to the grave many hundreds of years before。
This mysterious and alluring place the Arabs called the Lost City of Zinj。 * Yet despite its enduring fame； Johnson could find few detailed descriptions of the city。 In 1187 Ibn Baratu； an Arab in Mombasa； recorded that 〃the natives of the region tell。 。 。 of a lost city far inland； called Zinj。 There the inhabitants； who are black； once lived in wealth and luxury； and even the slaves decorated themselves with jewels and especially blue diamonds； for a great store of diamonds is there。〃
In 1292； a Persian named Mohammed Zaid stated that 〃a large ＇the size＇ diamond of a man's clenched fist 。 。 was exhibited on the streets of Zanzibar； and all said it had e from the interior； where the ruins of a city called Zinj may be found； and it is here that such diamonds may be found in profusion； scattered upon the ground and also in rivers
In 1334； another Arab； Ibn Mohammed； stated that 〃our number made arrangements to seek out the city of Zinj； but quitted our quest upon learning that the city was long since abandoned； and much ruined。 It is said that the aspect of the city is wondrous strange； for doors and windows are built in the curve of a half…moon； and the residences are now overtaken by a violent race of hairy men who speak in whispers no known language
Then the Portuguese； those indefatigable explorers； arrived。 By 1544； they were venturing inland from the west coast up the mighty Congo River； but they soon encountered all the obstacles that would prevent exploration of central Africa for hundreds of years to e。 The Congo was not navigable beyond the first set of rapids； two hundred miles inland （at what was once Léopoldville； and is now Kinshasa）。 The natives were hostile and cannibalistic。 And the hot steaming jungle was the source of disease…malaria； sleeping sickness； bilharzia； blackwater fever…which decimated foreign intruders。
The Portuguese never managed to penetrate the central
*The fabled city of Zinj formed the basis for H。 Rider Haggard's popular novel King Solomon's Mines； first published in 1885。 Haggard； a gifted linguist； had served on the staff of the Governor of Natal in 1875。 and he presumably heard of Zinj from the neighboring Zulus at that time。
Congo。 Neither did the English； under Captain Brenner； in 1644； his entire party was lost。 The Congo would remain for two hundred years as a blank spot on the civilized maps of the world。
But the early explorers repeated the legends of the interior； including the story of Zinj。 A Portuguese artist； Juan Diego de Valdez； drew a widely acclaimed picture of the Lost City of Zinj in 1642。 〃But；〃 Sarah Johnson said； 〃he also drew pictures of men with tails； and monkeys having carnal knowledge of native women。〃
Somebody groaned。
〃Apparently Valdez was crippled；〃 she continued。 〃He lived all his life in the town of Settibal； drinking with sailors and drawing pictures based on his conversations。〃
Africa was not thoroughly explored until the mid… nineteenth century； by Burton and Speke； Baker and Living…stone； and especially Stanley。 No trace of the Lost City of Zinj was found by any of them。 Nor had any trace of the apocryphal city been found in the hundred years since。
The gloom that descended over the Project Amy staff meeting was profound。 〃I told you it was bad news；〃 Sarah Johnson said。
〃You mean；〃 Peter Elliot said； 〃that this picture is based on a description； and we don't know whether the city actually exists or not。〃
〃I'm afraid so；〃 Sarah Johnson said。 〃There is no proof that the city in the picture exists at all。 It's just a story。〃
4。 Resolution
PETER ELLIOT'S UNQUESTIONED RELIANCE ON twentieth…century hard data…facts； figures； graphs…left him unprepared for the possibility that the 1642 engraving； in all its detail； was merely the fanciful speculation of an uninhibited artist。 The news came as a shock。
Their plans to take Amy to the Congo suddenly appeared childishly na？ve； the resemblance of her sketchy； schematic drawings to the 1642 Valdez engraving was obviously coincidental。 How could they ever have imagined that a Lost City of Zinj was anything but the stuff of ancient fable？ In the seventeenth…century world of widening horizons and new wonders； the idea of such a city would have seemed perfectly reasonable； even pelling。 But in the puterized twentieth century； the Lost City of Zinj was as unlikely as Camelot or Xanadu。 They had been fools ever to take it seriously。 〃The lost city doesn't exist；〃 he said。
〃Oh； it exists； all right；〃 she said。 〃There's no doubt about that。〃
Elliot glanced up quickly； and then he saw that Sarah Johnson had not answered him。 A tall gangly girl in her early twenties stood at the back of the room。 She might have been considered beautiful except for her cold； aloof demeanor。 This girl was dressed in a severe； businesslike suit； and she carried a briefcase； which she now set on the table； popping the latches。
〃I'm Dr。 Ross；〃 she announced； 〃from the Wildlife Fund； and I'd like your opinion of these pictures。〃
She passed around a series of photographs； which were viewed by the staff with an assortment of whistles and sighs。 At the head of the table； Elliot waited impatiently until the photographs came down to him。
They were grainy black…and…white images with horizontal scanning line streaks； photographed off a video screen。 But the image was unmistakable： a ruined city in the jungle； with curious inverted crescent…shaped doors and windows。
5。 Amy
〃BY SATELLITE？〃 ELLIOT REPEATED； HEARING THE tension in his voice。
〃That's right； the pictures were transmitted by satellite from Africa two days ago。〃
〃Then you know the location of this ruin？〃
〃Of course。〃
〃And your expedition leaves in a matter of hours？〃
〃Six hours and twenty…three minutes； to be exact；〃 Ross said； glancing at her digital watch；
Elliot adjourned the meeting； and talked privately with Ross for more than an hour。 Elliot later claimed that Ross had 〃deceived〃 him about the purpose of the expedition and the hazards they would face。 But Elliot was eager to go； and probably not inclined to be too fussy about the reasons behind Ross's ing expedition； or the dangers involved。 As a skilled grantsman； he had long ago grown fortable with situations where other peoples' money and his own motivations did not exactly coincide。 This was the cynical side of academic life： how much pure research had been funded because it might cure cancer？ A researcher promised anything to get his money。
Apparently it never occurred to Elliot that Ross might be using him as coldly as he was using her。 From the start Ross was never entirely truthful； she had been instructed by Travis to explain the ERTS Congo mission 〃with a little data dropout。〃 Data dropout was second nature to her； everyone at ERTS had learned to say no more than was necessary。 Elliot treated her as if she were an ordinary funding agency； and that was a serious mistake。
In the final analysis； Ross and Elliot misjudged each other； for each presented a deceptive ap