rt of airlifting in a small army； Ross's expedition was in serious trouble。 Survival projections were running 〃point two four four and change〃… only one chance in four that the Congo expedition would get out alive； assuming the help of the puter link which was now broken。
Travis wondered if Ross and the others realized how grave their situation was。 〃Any new Band Five on Mukenko？〃 Travis asked。
Band 5 on Landsat satellites recorded infrared data。 On its last pass over the Congo； Landsat had acquired significant new information on Mukenko。 The volcano had bee much hotter in the nine days since the previous Landsat pass； the temperature increase was on the order of 8 degrees。
〃Nothing new；〃 the technician said。 〃And the puters don't project an eruption。 Four degrees of orbital change are Within sensor error on that system； and the additional four degrees have no predictive value。〃
〃Well； that's something；〃 Travis said。 〃But what are they going to do about the apes now that they're cut off from the puter？〃
That was the question the Congo Field Survey had been asking themselves for the better part of an hour。 With munications disrupted the only puters available were the puters in their own heads。 And those puters were not powerful enough。
Elliot found it strange to think that his own brain was inadequate。 〃We had all bee accustomed to the availability of puting power；〃 he said later。 〃In any decent laboratory you can get all the memory and all the putation speed you could want； day or night。 We were so used to it we had e to take it for granted。
Of course they could have eventually worked out the ape language； but they were up against a time factor： they didn't have months to puzzle it out； they had hours。 Cut off from the APE program their situation was ominous。 Munro said that they could not survive another night of frontal attack； and they had every reason to expect an attack that night。
Amy's rescue of Elliot suggested their plan。 Amy had shown some ability to municate with the gorillas； perhaps she could translate for them as well。 〃It's worth a try；〃 Elliot insisted。
Unfortunately； Amy herself denied that this was possible。 In response to the question 〃Amy talk thing talk？〃 She
signed； No talk。
〃Not at all？〃 Elliot said； remembering the way she had signed。 〃Peter see Amy talk thing talk。〃
No talk。 Make noise。
He concluded from this that she was able to mimic the gorilla verbalizations but had no knowledge of their meaning。 It was now past two； they had only four or five hours until nightfall。
Munro said； 〃Give it up。 She obviously can't help us。〃 Munro preferred to break camp and fight their way out in daylight。 He was convinced that they could not survive another night among the gorillas。
But something nagged at Elliot's mind。
After years of working with Amy； he knew she had the maddening literal…mindedness of a child。 With Amy； especially when she was feeling uncooperative； it was necessary to be exact to elicit the appropriate response。 Now he looked at Amy and said； 〃Amy talk thing talk？〃
No talk。
〃Amy understand thing talk？〃
Amy did not answer。 She was chewing on vines； preoccupied。
〃Amy； listen to Peter。〃 She stared at him。 〃Amy understand thing talk？〃
Amy understand thing talk； she signed back。 She did it so matter…of…factly that at first he wondered if she realized what he was asking her。
〃Amy watch thing talk； Amy understand talk？〃
Amy understand。
〃Amy sure？〃
Amy sure。
〃I'll be goddamned；〃 Elliot said。
Munro was shaking his head。 〃We've only got a few hours
of daylight left；〃 he said。 〃And even if you do learn their language； how are you going to talk to them？〃
6。Amy Talk Thing Talk
AT 3 P。M。； ELLIOT AND AMY WERE PLETELY concealed in the foliage along the hillside。 The only sign of their presence was the slender cone of the microphone that protruded through the foliage。 The microphone was connected to the videotape recorder at Elliot's feet； which he used to record the sounds of the gorillas on the hills beyond。
The only difficulty was trying to determine which gorilla the directional microphone had focused on…and which gorilla Amy had focused on； and whether they were the same gorilla。 He could never be quite sure that Amy was translating the verbal utterances of the same animal that he was recording。 There were eight gorillas in the nearest group and Amy kept getting distracted。 One female had a six…month…old infant； and at one point； when the baby was bitten by a bee； Amy signed； Baby mad。 But Elliot was recording a male。
Amy； he signed。 Pay attention。
Amy pay attention。 Amy good gorilla。
Yes； he signed。 Amy good gorilla。 Amy pay attention man thing。
Amy not like。
He swore silently； and erased half an hour of translations from Amy。 She had obviously been paying attention to the wrong gorilla。 When he started the tape again； he decided that this time he would record whatever Amy was watching。 He signed； What thing Amy watch？
Amy watch baby。
That wouldn't work； because the baby didn't speak。 He signed； Amy watch woman thing。
Amy like watch baby。
This dependency on Amy was like a bad dream。 He was in the hands of an animal whose thinking and behavior he barely understood； he was cut off from the wider society of human beings and human machinery； thus increasing his dependency on the animal； and yet he had to trust her。
After another hour； with the sunlight fading； he took Amy back down the hillside to the camp。
Munro had planned as best he could。
First he dug a series of holes like elephant traps outside the camp； they were deep pits lined with sharp stakes； covered with leaves and branches。
He widened the moat in several places； and cleared away dead trees and underbrush that might be used as bridges。
He cut down the low tree branches overhanging the camp； so that if gorillas went into the trees； they would be kept at least thirty feet above the ground…too high to jump down。
He gave three of the remaining porters； Muzezi； Amburi； and Harawi； shotguns along with a supply of tear…gas canisters。
With Ross； he boosted power on the perimeter fence to almost 200 amps。 This was the maximum the thin mesh could handle without melting； they had been obliged to reduce the pulses from four to two per second。 But the additional current changed the fence from a deterrent to a lethal barrier。 The first animals to hit that fence would be immediately killed； although the likelihood of shorts and a dead fence was considerably increased。
At sunset； Munro made his most difficult decision。 He loaded the stubby tripod…mounted RFSDs with half their remaining ammunition。 When that was gone； the machines would simply stop firing。 From that point on； Munro was counting on Elliot and Amy and their translation。
And Elliot did not look very happy when he came back down the hill。
7。Final Defense
〃How LONG UNTIL YOU'RE READY？〃 MUNRO asked him。
〃Couple of hours； maybe more。〃 Elliot asked Ross to help him； and Amy went to get food from Kahega。 She seemed very proud of herself； and behaved like an important person in the group。
Ross said； 〃Did it work？〃
〃We'll know in a minute；〃 Elliot said。 His first plan was to run the only kind of internal check on Amy that he could； by verifying repetitions of sounds。 If she had consistently translated sounds in the same way； they would have a reason for confidence。
But it was painstaking work。 They had only the half…inch VTR and the small pocket tape recorder； there were no connecting cables。 They called for silence from the others in the camp and proceeded to run the checks； taping； retaping； listening to the whispering sounds。
At once they found that their ears simply weren't capable of discriminating the sounds…everything sounded the same。 Then Ross had an idea。
〃These sounds taped；〃 she said； 〃as electrical signals。〃
〃Yes 。 。
〃Well； the linkup transmitter has a 256K memory。〃
〃But we can't link up to the Houston puter。〃
〃I don't mean that；〃 Ross said。 She explained that the satellite linkup was made by having the 256K puter on…site match an internally generated signal…like a video test pattern…to a transmitted