按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Look！ There by the lake。 Something's moving out there。 Something big。〃 〃I don't see it； Petra。 Do you； George？〃
〃No； I'm watching the road。〃
〃I saw it； Dr。 Piltcher；〃 Colter cut in。
Dr。 Piltcher was exasperated。 〃And what did you see； Colter？〃
〃It was big； like Petra said。 I think it was a tractor。 Maybe this is an irrigated farm。〃
Dr。 Piltcher's only answer was a disgusted snort。 At the end of the ruts； they found themselves facing a small meadow against a wall of lush greenery seven to nine feet in height； concealing the lake and forest。 Dr。 Coombs slowly drove up onto the grass to park the RV。
〃Petra； try the radio again；〃 Dr。 Piltcher ordered。
As she began calling Mrs。 Wayne and Ernie； her voice was flat； devoid of hope。 She wasn't surprised that no one answered。
Now the others climbed out and walked into the meadow。 Dr。 Coombs and Dr。 Piltcher began examining the grasses and ferns。
〃Extraordinary；〃 Dr。 Piltcher muttered over and over。
〃Exactly so；〃 concurred Dr。 Coombs。
The noise of a stream distracted them and they turned to see Colter urinating into the grass。 Dr。 Piltcher began to stomp toward him； but Dr。 Coombs grabbed his arm and began pointing out more of his observations of the flora； temporarily subduing his friend。 Petra came out of the RV and shook her head before anyone could ask about contact。 Suddenly Colter yelled； 〃Hey you； e here！〃
The others turned to see Colter running in circles through the tall grass； yelling and chasing something through the meadow。 Occasionally he stopped abruptly and leaned down with his arms outstretched。 Petra began running toward him； though Dr。 Piltcher called after her to wait。 Dr。 Coombs trailed after her； his well…conditioned body carrying him like a younger man as Dr。 Piltcher stumbled along behind。 Colter bent down again； jerked up and sprinted ahead； and then he dove； disappearing in the grass as a pigtike squeal erupted。 Then Colter came up on one knee； and then stood holding a squirming animal none of them had ever seen before。
It was eighteen inches in length； its skin a bright green。 Colter held it by its thick tail…which was a third of its length…and its thick neck。 Its head was a little larger than the neck； and the face resembled a parrot； with a beak that curved over the lower jaw。 The eyes on either side of the head were covered with thick lids。 Its two oversized back legs contrasted with two thin front ones。 The animal was using its clawed front feet on Colter's hand； and from Colter's reaction the claws were sharp。
The others jogged up to Colter； staring openmouthed。
〃What is that？〃 Petra asked。
〃It's an omithopod；〃 said Dr。 Coombs； his voice bubbling with excitement。
〃Psittacosaurus； I believe；〃 Dr。 Pilteher added； just as excited。 〃But the color seems wrong。 I wouldn't have expected it to be this bright green。〃
〃Too bright by far； Chester；〃 Dr。 Coombs agreed。 〃But notice； the color is fading。 Like a chameleon perhaps？〃
〃I do believe you're right； George。 It seems to be adapting to the blue of Colter's shirt。〃
〃e on； you guys！〃 Colter hollered。 〃I can't hold this thing forever。 Do you want it or not？〃
〃Yes； of course we want to study it；〃 Dr。 Pilteher said。 〃But what do we do with it？〃
Without a better idea they led Colter to the RV； the creature struggling every step of the way。 Then they decided to put the psittacosaurus in the back； where the beds were； and block off the front。 They used the mattresses to create a wall； and then Colter leaned over and dropped the psittacosaurus on the other side。 As soon as it hit the floor it stopped squealing and came up running。 The little beast ran through the back of the RV on its two back legs； leaning forward with forelegs outstretched； looking for an escape route。 The only way out； however； was past the mattresses； and the four heads peering over them。 Still； the beast would not give up and its panic grew。
〃The poor thing's scared；〃 Petra said。 〃Maybe we better let it go。〃
〃No； not yet；〃 Dr。 Piltcher pleaded。 〃I want to study it。 Just for tonight。 We can let it go in the morning。〃
Petra's conscience pricked her because the little animal was suffering。 〃Maybe we should give it something to eat；〃 Petra suggested。
Dr。 Coombs suggested fruit or eggs； and Colter came up with a peach。 They rolled it across the floor to the psittacosaurus； but it ignored the fruit and continued to search for an escape route。
〃What did you call this thing again？〃 Colter asked。
〃Psittacosaurus；〃 Dr。 Coombs replied。
〃Let's just call it Sid；〃 Colter suggested。 〃How e I've never seen anything like Sid before？〃
〃Because；〃 Dr。 Piltcher began with forced slowness； 〃they've been extinct since the Cretaceous age；〃
〃Wasn't that prehistoric times？〃 Colter asked Dr。 Piltcher。 〃Then what's it doing here？〃
With that one question Colter cut right through the fog of excitement that had clouded their thinking。 What was it doing here？
Dr。 Coombs and Dr。 Piltcher retreated to the front of the RV and sat in the bucket seats。 Colter and Petra followed； Colter a little put out that they hadn't answered his question directly。 Despite his naivete； however； he had learned how to fit into the group； and knew it was time for him to fade into the background。
The others assumed their reflective poses and took turns looking at each other； waiting for someone to say what they were all thinking。 All except Colter； who stood impatiently waiting。 As usual Dr。 Piltcher finger…bed his hair； and then spoke first。
〃Well； we knew something was going to happen； but I admit I hadn't considered this。〃
〃What has happened？〃 Petra asked。
Dr。 Piltcher turned and smiled at Petra。 In Dr。 Piltcher's eyes she could do no wrong； and he treated even her simplest questions with the same consideration that he gave to scholarly discussions。
〃We must investigate further； of course。 But from the primitive nature of the flowering plants in the meadow； and of course our friend the psittacosaurus； we seem to be sitting in a piece of the Cretaceous period。 We anticipated some temporal dislocation； that fits with the theory； but I rather expected massive amounts of material falling out of the sky。 Instead； we seem to have sitting all around us a piece of the past somehow transported to the present。〃
〃There is another possibility；〃 Dr。 Coombs added。 〃We could be in a section of our present that has been transported to the past。〃
Dr。 Piltcher raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything for a full minute。 Then he spoke with thoughtful deliberation。
〃If we were transported； then a huge portion of land was transported with us。 We drove through miles of it； not to mention the radio reports from afar。 If that much has heen transported to the past； then it makes little difference to us practically。 The same would be true if this piece of the Cretaceous period is extensive； but again the radio reports suggest otherwise。〃
〃True enough； Chester； but it raises other interesting questions。 If we are sitting on a piece of the Cretaceous period； plete with wildlife； then where is the land that it replaced？ In the Cretaceous period？ And more important； where are Mrs。 Wayne and Ernie Powell？〃
Dr。 Piltcher was about to respond when a loud crunching sound broke up the conversation。 Petra immediately turned and ran to the mattress barrier； motioning for the others to join her。 They crowded together just in time to see the psittacosau…rus bite down again on the peach pit。 Nothing else of the peach remained。 The pit broke in two。
〃Sid's got quite a bite；〃 Colter noted。
〃Good thing he didn't get hold of one of your fingers；〃 Petra said and then retrieved another peach from the refrigerator。 〃Here； Sid； knock yourself out；〃 she said； and tossed it to him。
Sid ran from the peach； trying to hide in a corner。 He looked around fearfully； then defecated； leaving a wet gray pile of solids on the floor； then ran over to the peach。 Sid sank his jaws into it and then carried it to a clean corner and began systematically biting off chunks while leaning back on his tail and holding the peach with his forearms。 Deftly he rotated it between bites； working efficiently to pick the pit clean。 Then； as before； used his jaws to break the pit in two。 After breaking the pit into smaller pieces Sid tasted two； then ignored them。 Though he remained in his corner he seemed less fearful now and watched his captors with his black eyes。 Colter pulled a piece of bread from the bag； tore off the crust； and threw it to Sid； but the animal hesitated； looking around fearfully。 Seeing no sudden movement in his captors he snatched up the crust； opened his beak and snapped it up。 He didn't hesitate to snatch up the second piece Colter gave him。
〃See there； Chester；〃 Dr。 Coombs said； 〃he's blending into the brown of the background。〃
〃I do believe you're right； George。 I wonder how many species of the Cretaceous period had this ability？〃
〃Man； those turds stink；〃 Colter plained。 〃We should've put some paper down。〃
Flinching； Dr。 Piltcher opened his mouth to speak； but Petra cut him off。
〃Outside！ Something just ran by。〃
They all piled out of the RV； scanning the meadow。
〃There； that way！〃 Dr。 Coomb