jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第119章

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　〃I　don't　want　to　be　in　charge；　I　just　want　you　to　take　it　easy。〃
　〃I　want　you　to　be　in　charge。　You　know；　and　I　know；　I　don't　have　any　self…control。〃
　Petra　could　see　he　was　serious…he　was　asking　for　her　help。　This　was　a　new　Colter。　She　knew　she　would　never　be　the　same　person；　but　she　had　wondered　about　Colter。　She　appreciated　his　new　self…awareness　but　hoped　some　of　the　reckless　courage　and　other　traits　remained。　She　had　fallen　in　love　with　the　old　Colter。　Then　he　opened　his　mouth　and　loosed　a　long；　loud　belch。　Yes；　some　of　the　old　Colter　remained。
　The　sun　was　nearing　the　horizon　when　they　came　to　the　turnoff　and　followed　the　road　around　a　hill　to　the　parking　area；　The　lot　sat　on　a　little　bluff　overlooking　the　ocean。　A　narrow　gray　sand　beach　separated　the　ocean　from　the　massive　piles　of　driftwood　directly　below。　There　was　one　other　car　in　the　parking　lot　but　looked　abandoned。　Colter　opened　the　door；　and　the　cool　sea　air　rushed　in；　cleansing　the　RV　of　animal　smells。　When　the　door　opened　Moose　quickly　retreated　deeper　into　the　RV　out　of　the　cool　air。　Sarah　roused　herself　from　her　blanket　and　waddled　down　the　aisle　to　the　back。　Petra　picked　up　Peaches　and　found　a　snug　corner　for　her　next　to　Sarah。　Sarah　wriggled　around　until　she　was　fortable　with　Peaches　next　to　her。
　Petra　could　hear　Colter　outside　getting　the　shovel。　She　pulled　the　blue　and　white　plastic　cooler　out　of　the　cabinet　and　checked　the　contents　again。　It　was　all　there。　Petra　closed　the　cooler　and　headed　for　the　door。　When　she　reached　it　she　turned　and　went　back　for　the　rifle；　then　joined　Colter　outside。　The　air　was　cool　and　the　sky　overcast。　When　was　the　sky　not　overcast　at　the　Oregon　coast　Petra　reminded　herself。
　〃What's　the　rifle　for？〃　Colter　asked。
　〃In　case　there's　any　deer　hunting　going　on。　Never　mind；　I'll　explain　later。〃
　Colter　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　said　impatiently；　〃Let's　get　this　over　with。〃
　Two　paths　led　from　the　parking　lot。　One　well…traveled　path　led　to　the　beach；　but　the　other　path　wound　up　the　hill　into　the　trees。　Colter　followed　the　path　uphill。　It　was　a　gentle　climb；　marked　frequently　with　signs　identifying　the　vegetation。　A　quarter　mile　up　the　trail　they　left　the　path；　turning　into　the　trees。　Soon　they　could　see　the　ocean　again　on　their　right　and　a　rocky　cliff　to　their　left。　Colter　stopped　by　a　small　fir　tree；　looking　out　to　sea；　and　then　turned　and　looked　at　the　cliff。　Then　he　walked　to　another　young　fir；　looking　again　in　all　four　directions。
　〃This　is　the　spot；　right。〃
　Petra　stepped　behind　the　fir　and　looked　out　to　sea；　lining　the　fir　up　with　a　large　rock　formation　just　offshore。　Then　she　stepped　to　the　other　side　and　lined　the　fir　up　with　a　large　crack　in　the　rocks　of　the　cliff　behind　them。　Finally　she　stood　to　one　side　and　made　sure　the　fir　lined　up　with　a　notch　in　the　distant　hills。
　〃Yeah；　this　is　the　spot。〃
　Colter　stood　with　his　back　to　the　tree　and　then　took　two　steps　toward　the　sea。
　〃About　six　feet？〃
　〃Close　enough。〃
　Colter　began　digging　with　the　shovel。　The　ground　was　moist　and　soft　but　there　were　many　rocks；'and　the　digging　wasn't　easy。　When　Colter　looked　disgusted　and　ready　to　call　it　deep　enough；　Petra　took　the　shovel　and　dug。　That　shamed　Colter　into　digging　again。　Finally；　he　buried　the　tip　of　the　shovel　in　the　ground　next　to　the　hole　and　turned　to　Petra。
　〃I　say　that's　three　feet　deep。〃
　Petra　agreed　but　held　back　the　cooler　when　Colter　reached　for　it。　Opening　it　she　checked　the　contents　one　last　time。　Inside　was　a　record　of　what　had　happened。　There　were　newspaper　clippings　about　the　disasters　and　the　sudden　appearance　of　dinosaurs　and　the　sudden　disappearance　of　people。　There　were　also　articles　about　the　bombing　of　Portland　and　the　debate　over　whether　Portland　had　been　destroyed　or　not。　There　were　many　articles　about　the　dinosaurs　and　the　problems　they　were　creating。　Of　all　the　items　in　the　cooler；　however；　the　most　important　was　a　history　Colter　and　Petra　had　written　of　all　that　had　happened　to　them　and　the　group。　They　wrote　of　the　group's　meeting　with　Kenny　Randall　and　his　strange　story　of　corn　falling　from　the　sky。　They　wrote　of　the　group's　research；　and　their　discovery　of　Zorastrus。　They　described　the　model　Kenny　and　Phat　had　programmed　and　their　search　for　confirming　evidence。　They　told　the　story　of　a　boy　who　nearly　drowned　in　saltwater　in　the　middle　of　a　prairie　and　of　Yellowstone　and　the　ice　falling　from　the　sky。　Then　after　recapping　the　before　events　they　told　in　even　more　detail　what　happened　next。　How　they　had　divided　into　groups　to　be　as　widely　dispersed　as　possible　when　it　happened。　They　told　of　losing　contact　with　Mrs。　Wayne　and　Ernie　Powell。　They　told　of　their　search　for　their　friends　and　the　discovery　of　the　dinosaurs。　They　told　of　their　discoveries；　especially　Sid；　Moose；　Sarah；　and　Peaches。　Then　in　painful　detail　they　talked　of　the　death　of　Dr。　Coombs　and　Dr。　Piltcher。　Colter　wrote　of　his　adventures　and　Petra　of　her　time　in　the　walking　fish's　den。　When　every　painful　detail　was　down　they　had　taken　the　record；　made　three　copies　of　it；　and　sealed　them　in　plastic。　The　first　copy　had　been　buried　in　Dr。　Piltcher's　backyard。　The　second　was　in　a　small　cave　east　of　Medford；　and　the　third　copy　would　be　buried　here；　by　the　sea。　Like　the　other　two　copies　it　would　be　buried　in　a　plastic　cooler。　Dr。　Piltcher　had　assured　everyone　the　plastic　would　last　for　centuries。
　When　Petra　was　sure　the　record　was　plete　she　put　it　in　the　cooler；　latched　the　top　securely；　and　placed　it　in　the　hole；　Colter　filled　the　hole　in　a　little　at　a　time；　pressing　the　earth　as　he　filled　by　stomping　on　it。　Soon　the　hole　was　firmly　packed　with　earth。　Colter　took　the　shovel　and　scattered　the　leftover　dirt　into　the　trees。　Then　he　spread　pine　needles　and　dried　leaves　over　the　hole。　Finally　he　pried　a　nearby　rock　out　of　the　ground　and　placed　the　rock　on　top　of　the　buried　cooler。　When　he　was　done　he　looked　to　Petra　for　affirmation。
　〃Good　enough；〃　she　said。
　Colter　picked　up　his　shovel　and　Petra　the　rifle　and　the　two　of　them　started　back　down　the　path。　The　clouds　had　broken　up；　letting　the　setting　sun　peek　through；　but　the　air　was　cool　and　evaporated　the　sweat　from　Petra's　body；　making　her　shiver　gently。　Colter　put　his　arm　around　her　shoulder　and　they　walked　together；　their　arms　around　each　other。　There　was　no　hurry；　they　had　nowhere　to　go。
　〃Petra；〃　Colter　said　softly；　not　wanting　to　break　the　feeling　they　were　sharing。　〃Do　you　really　think　anyone　will　ever　dig　that　up？〃
　〃If　Dr。　Piltcher　was　right；　then　the　others　may　be　digging　it　up　right　now。〃
　〃Right　now？　They　disappeared；　remember？〃
　〃I　mean　right　now　in　the　future。〃
　〃Now　in　the　future。　That　makes　no　sense。〃
　〃I　know。　What　I　mean　is　if　the　dinosaurs　came　here　then　the　people　and　things　that　were　here　had　to　go　somewhere。　Maybe　they　went　to　the　future。　If　so；　Ernie　and　Mrs。　Powell　would　know　where　to　go　to　find　our　message。　Maybe　Phat　and　Kenny　too。　We　don't　know　what　happened　to　them。〃
　Colter　walked　on　in　silence；　a　puzzled　look　on　his　face。　Petra　knew　what　he　was　feeling。　It　didn't　all　make　sense　to　her　either…maybe　it　never　would。　But　she　and　Colter　had　to　learn　to　live　with　what　had　happened。　They　had　lost　all　their　close　friends…the　friends　that　made　up　their　support　network。　Colter　still　had　a　family　in　northern　California。　That's　where　they　would　head　next。　Petra　still　had　her　father；　but　there　was　little　support　to　be　found　there。　Still　they　were　lucky；　they　had　each　other。　So　many　had　lost　so　much。
　〃Look；〃　Colter　shouted。
　Petra　followed　his　point　to　see　something　moving　along　the　ocean　shore。　Colter　broke　into　a　run　and　Petra　followed　down　the　path　to　the　wire　fence　along　the　edge　of　the　bluff。　To　the　north　was　a　point　of　land　that　blocked　the　view　farther　up　the　coast。　ing　around　that　point　was　the　biggest　dinosaur　they　had　seen　yet。　It　walked　on　all　four　legs　and　had　a　long　snaking　head　and　dragged　a　long　tail。　It　was　a　brontosaurus；　except　they　remembered　it　was　technically　an　apatosaurus。　Everyone　was　quickly　being　a　dinosaur　expert。
　The　apatosaurus　walked　purposefully　along　the　beach；　its　head　held　high；　its　gait　slow　but　steady。　When　it　cleared　the　point　ing　fully　into　view；　another　appeared　behind　the　first。　The　second　wa