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n； but Ron imagined he saw sadness in its eyes。 Then he realized the baby and its mother had been churning through the ocean with nothing to drink。 Was it as thirsty as he was？ he wondered。 Surely it had to be。 Ron and his family had been riding while the dinosaurs worked； and they were very thirsty。 Ron knew some animals could go long periods without water but doubted a dinosaur was like a camel。
Later that afternoon Ron was awakened from a light doze by Rosa talking to Chris； saying something about the dinosaurs eating。 Ron sat up in time to see the mother's head dip down into the ocean and up。 Her back rolled gently when she did。 A few seconds later the baby's head dipped into the ocean and came up with seaweed hanging from its jaws。 The baby chewed the seaweed slowly； working the drooping strands into its mouth。 Ron worried about the salt content。 He suspected they would last longer if they didn't ingest the salt。 Still； he found his concern about the dinosaurs ironic。 They were all hungry； thirsty； and exhausted； but they also felt secure on the great animal's back。 In a few short hours the dinosaur had been transformed from a mere vehicle to their friend and savior。
By late afternoon they began to talk again； their fear of the animals forgotten。 They named the big apatosaurus Patty and the little one； Pat。 They all agreed Patty was a good mother。 Somehow she had managed to save Pat from the sinking island and get him to sea。 Ron speculated with Carmen and the kids about what it must have been like on the island。 There had been a noise like a sonic boom； and then the island had just started sinking…relatively slowly； fortunately； because anything faster would have created a much bigger wave。
Patty and Pat must have found themselves in a landscape quickly flooding with water。 The trees would have been pushed around or toppled by the rising sea。 The animal life would have panicked； fighting for higher ground； ground that would bee crowded with terrified animals； and then； in turn； flooded。 Big animals like Patty could have kept their heads above water longer； but eventually they would have had to swim for their lives to solid ground that was miles away。 Patty would have had a better chance of saving herself without Pat； but she stayed with him； like a good mother would。
〃Dad；〃 Chris asked。 〃Do you think there were people on that island？〃
〃I don't think so；〃 Ron said to reassure Chris； but there was no way to know。 That island shouldn't have been there at all。 It just appeared； with animals like nothing Ron had ever seen on PBS or a National Geographic Special。 If people knew about that island； it certainly would have made the news。
When Ron next passed water to the family； he noticed Carmen only wet her lips； so he did the same。 When Ron had the water bottle back in its net bag he noticed Rosa staring at Pat。
〃Hey；〃 Rosa said。 〃I think Pat is having trouble。〃
Ron watched the baby for a while； but it seemed to be moving steadily； even after more than a day of swimming。 Ron shrugged his shoulders at Rosa。
〃Listen to it；〃 Rosa ordered。
Ron listened and realized he could hear its labored breathing。 It was in trouble； and he wished there was something they could do to help it； but there wasn't。 No one talked after that； instead they spent the time watching Pat and listening to his breathing grow deeper and more ragged。 Patty regularly swung her head around to look at Pat with one eye。 At first that unnerved them； but Patty paid no attention to them； only to Pat。 Patty also slowed her pace； but it didn't seem to help。
〃I hope you make it； little one；〃 Ron whispered。 〃I really hope you make it。〃
45。 CONTRIBUTION
The Bible； and other authorities； record that God made the sun stand still in the sky； so that Joshua could defeat his enemies。 Astronomically this is impossible。 It is no more difficult to believe Joshua and his men were somehow sent back a day in time。
…William Renfro； Space； Time； and History
Honolulu； Hawaii
POSTQUILT： TUESDAY； 11：07 P。M。 AHT
Assistant Professor Emmett Puglisi was sitting in Professor Wang's executive chair brooding。 Since he and Carrollee encountered the plesiosaur； he hadn't seen the botanist again。 She had been busy organizing people to protect the buried plesiosaur eggs and with other activities she wouldn't tell him about。 Emmett had been just as busy。 At first he spent his time answering the many questions about the plesiosaur on the PresNet。 He'd gotten his fifteen minutes of fame； but then other reports of dinosaurs began to appear on the network。 Emmett wanted the attention back； but he wasn't a biologist； and he had little to offer。 He felt like a bystander once more。
Emmett found himself both frightened by and drawn to the network； especially to models proposed to explain what had happened。 Hour by hour； day by day； he sat there； downloading the plex data and models； spreading them across Dr。 Wang's desk and struggling to understand them。 Slowly the equations came into focus； and Emmett began to see how the models evolved。 Still； he remained a spectator。 He longed to play in the big leagues but could see nothing original to add。 His frustration only grew as other scientists proposed new models； richer； more detailed； or unique in structure； models just out of the reach of his prehension。
Creativity came only when he stopped struggling toward it。
Emmett reconstructed the latest variation of what was being called the Gomez model using the equations provided on the PresNet。 He was looking for some variation that hadn't occurred to others； working diligently until he realized he had extended the niodel too far； projecting it into the space/time future。 He was about to quit when he noticed something about his solutions。 The time displacement varied with the distance from the mass。 Near the mass of the earth the time distortion was clearly affected in a proportional way； but； at least mathematically； the temporal displacement decreased with distance from the earth。
It was at that point Emmett had his insight。 He knew the effect was hypothesized to weaken with distance from the source； but he wondered what a significant mass besides the earth would do to the effect？ Specifically； what effect would the moon have on the space/time disruption？
Although only a sixth of the earth； he calculated that the moon was of sufficient mass to influence the time distortions。 What he hadn't anticipated was the inversion of the effect。 He knew his model was speculative； and none of the respected names was theorizing in this direction。 So he hesitated at sharing them on PresNet。
He hadn't originated the theory； or the model he had used。 He merely extended it。 He wasn't sure it was a contribution sufficient enough to put on the PresNet with his name on it。 Besides； the problem was here on earth； now； what happened to the moon paled in parison。
In the end； the insignificance of his speculation overcame his fears of charges of plagiarism。 He believed those on the network would pay scant attention to his model； so he sent it。 Emmett was soon shocked to find that not only someone had noticed it； but someone at the top。
46。 OPERATION MEND
It happened as we were boarding the coach。 Benjamin went to check the horses and never came back。 The coachman soys he never saw my husband； and we have not seen him since。 Ifs as if God lifted him off the face of the earth。
…Lucy Bathurst； November 29； 1809
Washington； D。C。
POSTQUILT： TUESDAY； 5：00 P。M。 EST
Nick had to admit that Gogh had a better grasp than he did of the mathematics that physics required； Gogh had been exchanging ideas with a physicist at the Fermi particle accelerator plex in Illinois over the PresNet…but the physicist； Dr。 Gomez； had almost immediately rejected Nick's model and substituted one of her own； which involved plex equations。 He could only follow the math to a point； but to Nick it seemed both to confirm and disconfirm his theory。
He considered another factor： Maria Gomez had somewhat of a reputation in physics。 She wasn't known for her contributions to the field as much as for her ability to show the weaknesses in the contributions of others。
Nick admitted to himself that the Oregon model； as it was now being called； was inadequate。 It had good predictive validity but it lacked proper theoretical underpinnings。 Like Zorastrus； Kenny Randall and his friends had observed peculiar phenomena； detected a pattern； and used the pattern to predict a future event。 He would receive well…deserved recognition for his acplishment。 But also like Zorastrus； Kenny； and whoever the others were； had not really understood what caused the effect。 Kenny had correctly traced it to the nuclear detonations； but that was not the same as explaining it。 Nick had been influenced by Kenny's ripples…in…a…pond idea； attracted to its predictive power and its theoretical simplicity。 Gomez； however； had shredded the idea mathematically and substituted her own。
The Oregon model assumed the time displacement occurred sequentially and was a function of time and distance from the source。 It was an assumption rooted in the human experience of linear time。 The Gomez model a