03-02-08-化学秘密 [15]
，and a po-licewoman told him to be quiet．John went on．'Of course we put these chemicals in the river，but we don't put a lot in．Only two or three hundred litres every day．That's not much．And we check the river all the time—three times every day．There are usually only two parts per million，or less，in the water near the factory，and there is much less downstream．That's not dangerous．'
'Not dangerous，Mr Duncan？'said the lawyer slowly．'Are you sure？'
'Yes，I am，'John said．He looked up，at the hundreds of eyes watching him．David Wilson's eyes，Christine's eyes，Simon's．
'I understand'，the lawyer said slowly，'that there has been an experiment with some rats．Some mother rats were given these chemicals in their drinking water，and some of their babies were born without legs．Is that right，Mr Duncan？'
John looked at the lawyer for the first time．He was a small，uninteresting-looking man in grey clothes，with grey hair and a thin face．He looks like a rat himself，John thought．The man's eyes were small and bright，and for some strange reason he had a newspaper in his hand．John began to feel afraid of him．
'Yes，'he said．'That's right．But rats are much smaller than people，and they were given nearly five parts per million in their drinking water for ten days．That's very different．No one drinks the river water．It goes straight out to sea．'
He looked at the lawyer，and waited for the question about the seals．But it didn't come．Instead，the lawyer said：'So you won't be worried，Mr Duncan，if someone falls into the river by accident，and drinks a lot of river water．Your own daughter，for example．There's no danger in an accident like that—is that right？'
John looked at Christine across the room．How big her eyes look in that white face，he thought．It must be because of the baby．
'No，'he said．'There's no danger at all．'
There was the sound of voices in the room．The lawyer smiled a small，rat-like smile．He held his newspaper out to-wards John．
'You've been away in Scotland，Mr Duncan，'he said．'Have you seen this？'
As John read the newspaper，his hands began to shake，and he had to hold the side of the table．There was a picture of Christine，standing up in a boat near the factory，and another picture of her lying in an ambulance，with Simon beside her．The headline said：
BIOLOGIST'S DAUGHTER NEARLY
DROWNS IN RIVER
There was a long silence．He tried to read the newspaper carefully，but there was something wrong with his eyes．And his head was full of pictures of Christine in the river，drowning．And his wife，Rachel，drowning in the storm，long ago．
He shook his head quickly from side to side，then took his glasses off and cleaned them．
'No，'he said in a quiet voice．I haven't read this before． '
'It's all right，Mr Duncan，'said the lawyer softly．'Your daughter is safe．Her husband saved her，and she hasn't lost her baby．But she did drink a lot of river water．It was near the factory，too．You're not worried about that，are you？'
The lawyer's bright eyes were staring at him，like a rat that has just seen its food．Behind him，David Wilson suddenly stood up．
'That is a terrible question！'he shouted into the silence．'You can't ask a man questions like that！Of course he's wor-ried about his daughter！You must stop this Enquiry at once！'
'Just a minute，Mr Wilson，'said the lawyer．'Mr Duncan can go in a minute．He just has to answer one question．Are you worried，because your daughter has drunk so much river water，Mr Duncan？Are you worried about her baby？'
John Duncan stared at the lawyer with fear in his eyes．Sud-denly he hated him．He picked up the newspaper and threw it into the little man's rat-like face．'Yes！'he shouted wildly．'Yes！Yes！Yes！Of course I'm worried about the baby！Of course it's dangerous！Now let me go！'
He ran down the room，out of the door，into the street．A hundred staring eyes watched him go．
■ 11 公众听证会
两天后，听证会开始。来自伦敦的科学家就海豹死亡的病因提了问题。约翰在去苏格兰之前曾为听证会见了大卫·威尔逊。大卫·威尔逊要约翰代表公司说话。
“你是我们的主管生物学家，约翰，”他说。“你是一个重要人物，他们会相信你。”
约翰什么也没说。他不想在听证会上讲话，但他知道他必须讲。大卫·威尔逊笑了，至少他的嘴是在笑。但他的眼睛像冰冷的鱼眼自始至终小心地望着约翰。
“仔细想想你要说的，约翰。如果下周你说错了
'Not dangerous，Mr Duncan？'said the lawyer slowly．'Are you sure？'
'Yes，I am，'John said．He looked up，at the hundreds of eyes watching him．David Wilson's eyes，Christine's eyes，Simon's．
'I understand'，the lawyer said slowly，'that there has been an experiment with some rats．Some mother rats were given these chemicals in their drinking water，and some of their babies were born without legs．Is that right，Mr Duncan？'
John looked at the lawyer for the first time．He was a small，uninteresting-looking man in grey clothes，with grey hair and a thin face．He looks like a rat himself，John thought．The man's eyes were small and bright，and for some strange reason he had a newspaper in his hand．John began to feel afraid of him．
'Yes，'he said．'That's right．But rats are much smaller than people，and they were given nearly five parts per million in their drinking water for ten days．That's very different．No one drinks the river water．It goes straight out to sea．'
He looked at the lawyer，and waited for the question about the seals．But it didn't come．Instead，the lawyer said：'So you won't be worried，Mr Duncan，if someone falls into the river by accident，and drinks a lot of river water．Your own daughter，for example．There's no danger in an accident like that—is that right？'
John looked at Christine across the room．How big her eyes look in that white face，he thought．It must be because of the baby．
'No，'he said．'There's no danger at all．'
There was the sound of voices in the room．The lawyer smiled a small，rat-like smile．He held his newspaper out to-wards John．
'You've been away in Scotland，Mr Duncan，'he said．'Have you seen this？'
As John read the newspaper，his hands began to shake，and he had to hold the side of the table．There was a picture of Christine，standing up in a boat near the factory，and another picture of her lying in an ambulance，with Simon beside her．The headline said：
BIOLOGIST'S DAUGHTER NEARLY
DROWNS IN RIVER
There was a long silence．He tried to read the newspaper carefully，but there was something wrong with his eyes．And his head was full of pictures of Christine in the river，drowning．And his wife，Rachel，drowning in the storm，long ago．
He shook his head quickly from side to side，then took his glasses off and cleaned them．
'No，'he said in a quiet voice．I haven't read this before． '
'It's all right，Mr Duncan，'said the lawyer softly．'Your daughter is safe．Her husband saved her，and she hasn't lost her baby．But she did drink a lot of river water．It was near the factory，too．You're not worried about that，are you？'
The lawyer's bright eyes were staring at him，like a rat that has just seen its food．Behind him，David Wilson suddenly stood up．
'That is a terrible question！'he shouted into the silence．'You can't ask a man questions like that！Of course he's wor-ried about his daughter！You must stop this Enquiry at once！'
'Just a minute，Mr Wilson，'said the lawyer．'Mr Duncan can go in a minute．He just has to answer one question．Are you worried，because your daughter has drunk so much river water，Mr Duncan？Are you worried about her baby？'
John Duncan stared at the lawyer with fear in his eyes．Sud-denly he hated him．He picked up the newspaper and threw it into the little man's rat-like face．'Yes！'he shouted wildly．'Yes！Yes！Yes！Of course I'm worried about the baby！Of course it's dangerous！Now let me go！'
He ran down the room，out of the door，into the street．A hundred staring eyes watched him go．
■ 11 公众听证会
两天后，听证会开始。来自伦敦的科学家就海豹死亡的病因提了问题。约翰在去苏格兰之前曾为听证会见了大卫·威尔逊。大卫·威尔逊要约翰代表公司说话。
“你是我们的主管生物学家，约翰，”他说。“你是一个重要人物，他们会相信你。”
约翰什么也没说。他不想在听证会上讲话，但他知道他必须讲。大卫·威尔逊笑了，至少他的嘴是在笑。但他的眼睛像冰冷的鱼眼自始至终小心地望着约翰。
“仔细想想你要说的，约翰。如果下周你说错了