jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第79章

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　〃Petra；　behind　you；〃　he　whispered。
　Petra　turned　carefully　to　see　a　monoclonius　looking　down　its　snout　horn　at　her。　Two　smaller　monoclonius　were　behind；　both　with　their　horns　pointed　directly　at　her。　Petra　was　afraid　to　move。　She　was　pretty　sure　she　could　pull　herself　up；　but　pretty　sure　wasn't　good　enough。　She　might　not　get　that　second　chance。　The　monoclonius　weren't　moving；　or　acting　aggressively；　but　something　that　size　would　petrify　Hercules。
　The　standoff　continued　for　a　full　minute；　then　the　closest　monoclonius　walked　deliberately　forward；　keeping　its　eyes　on　Petra。　She　retreated　until　her　back　was　against　the　tree　trunk。　Petra　looked　right　and　left；　trying　to　decide　on　which　way　to　run。　The　monoclonius　was　only　twenty　feet　away　when　it　stopped。　Then　it　raised　its　massive　head；　pointing　its　three　long　horns　at　the　sky。　After　several　sniffs　the　dinosaur　dropped　its　head；　pointing　the　three　mighty　horns　at　Petra；　sniffed　again；　snorted　out　a　spray　of　mucus；　then　walked　past　Petra　and　out　into　the　clearing。　The　two　dinosaurs　behind　it　followed　suit；　each　pausing　to　sniff　at　Petra。　Petra　held　her　breath　until　they　were　well　gone　and　then　jumped　up；　grabbed　the　branch；　and　pulled　herself　onto　the　limb。　Dr。　Piltcher　managed　to　sit　up。
　〃I　told　you；　Petra；　they're　vegetarians；〃　He　smiled　weakly。
　Petra　smiled　back。　She　hated　to　see　him　like　this；　weak　and　dependent。　For　the　last　two　years　he'd　been　her　father　figure。　It　was　a　symbiotic　relationship。　He　needed　his　ego　boosted　by　a　young　admiring　female；　and　she　needed　some　older　charismatic　man　to　make　up　for　the　father　she　never　really　knew。　She　also　knew　children　eventually　bee　parents　to　their　parents；　but　she　never　expected　it　to　happen　with　a　mentor；　and　not。　in　such　a　bizarre　fashion。　Dr。　Piltcher　was　still　smiling　at　her　so　she　shook　her　head　in　disbelief　and　whispered　back　to　him。　〃So　a　vegetarian　did　that　to　the　RV？　Needed　a　little　iron　in　its　diet；　so　it　decided　to　eat　an　RV。〃
　Dr。　Piltcher　returned　her　smile；　seeming　to　have　more　energy　now。
　〃Let's　try　to　get　higher；〃　Petra　suggested。
　They　spent　the　next　half　hour　working　their　way　higher　into　the　tree。　Dr。　Piltcher　could　manage　to　climb；　but　only　if　Petra　boosted　him。　She　was　exhausted　and　Dr。　Piltcher　plained　of　chest　pains　again。　He　urged　Petra　to　continue　climbing；　but　she　refused。　Now；　they　sat　in　silence。
　Petra　planned　to　wait　in　the　tree　until　the　dinosaurs　moved　on　and　she　was　sure　the　big　carnivore　wasn't　going　to　show　up。　In　the　meadow；　she　could　see　the　monoclonius　grazing；　just　outside　their　stand　of　trees。　Smaller　monoclonius　were　mixed　into　the　herd；　obviously　much　younger…the　chest　and　hips　narrower。　Trying　to　pick　out　mothers　and　offspring；　Petra　watched　the　smaller　dinosaurs；　but　they　showed　no　preference　for　particular　adults。　Several　larger　animals　stood　off　from　the　main　herd；　distributed　around　the　outside。　Petra　decided　the　larger　monoclonius　were　males　doing　picket　duty；　and　the　dinosaurs　herding　together　were　the　females；　with　young　mixed　in。　What　she　didn't　understand　was　why　the　young　showed　no　preferences　for　a　female。　There　didn't　seem　to　be　any　evidence　of　imprinting。　She　wanted　to　discuss　the　lack　of　bonding　between　mother　and　offspring　with　Dr。　Piltcher；　but　suddenly　every　head　in　the　herd　snapped　up　and　pointed　toward　the　brush。　The　monoclonius　were　bing　the　wind　with　their　nostrils。　Something　was　happening。
　
　48。　　　BIG　BIRD
　
　Not　far　from　the　great　year；　the　old　ones　will　e　out　of　their　tomb。
　…Nostradamus
　
　The　I…5　Mountain；　Oregon
　POSTQUILT：　TUESDAY；　3：09　P。M。　PST
　
　　Chrissy　Watkins　chased　after　her　brother　through　the　rough　grass。　He　was　being　mean　and　wouldn't　play　what　she　wanted　to。　He　kept　running　off；　too　fast　for　her。　He　wasn't　supposed　to　do　that。　He　was　supposed　to　play　with　her。　Mom　said　so。　And　he　was　supposed　to　watch　her　too　while　Mom　found　out　why　they　were　stuck　in　traffic。
　Rita　Watkins　was　standing　with　a　group　talking　to　a　policeman。　Chrissy　pulled　on　her　mom's　pant　leg；　but　her　mom　shushed　her　and　pushed　her　hand　away。　Chrissy　tried　listening；　but　what　they　were　saying　didn't　make　any　sense　to　her。
　〃Clear　the　road？　Are　you　kidding？〃　the　cop　asked。　〃That's　a　mountain。　It　would　take　a　year　to　dynamite　a　level　grade　through　that。　I'm　telling　you　they'll　have　to　build　around　it。　They'll　take　I…5　right　out　there　into　the　valley。　Just　go　around　this　damn　thing。〃
　Some　man　with　a　big　stomach　and　no　hair　did　most　of　the　talking。
　〃You　can't　tell　me　there's　no　way　through？　I've　got　to　get　to　Eugene；　and　I　mean　today。　Now　are　you　going　to　get　me　through　or　aren't　you？　Don't　make　me　go　over　your　head。〃
　〃I'll　say　it　again；　but　this　is　the　last　time。　You've　got　to　head　back　down　the　other　side　of　the　interstate。　Go　on　back　to　Medford　and　wait。　We're　checking　on　the　roads　to　find　a　way　around。　You　might　have　to　head　over　to　the　coast。〃
　Another　man；　with　a　big　mustache；　came　running　up。
　〃Hey；　look　up　there。　Everybody　look　up　there。〃
　Chrissy　looked　'up　too。　The　big　people　all　started　talking　about　how　neat　it　was；　but　at　first　Chrissy　couldn't　see　anything。　Then　she　saw　a　big　bird　flying　in　the　sky。　At　least　she　thought　it　was　a　bird。　It　was　really　just　a　shadow　in　the　sky。
　〃Is　that　a　bird；　Mommy？　Is　it？　Huh？〃
　〃Yes；　honey。　It's　a　big　bird。　Probably　an　eagle。〃
　〃That's　no　eagle；〃　the　policeman　said。　〃It's　too　big。　Funny　shape　to　the　wings　too。〃
　〃I'll　say　it's　big；〃　the　fat　man　said。　〃That's　got　to　be　a　condor。　Must　be　one　of　them　California　condors　they　released　in　the　wild。　Wonder　what　it's　doing　up　here？〃
　〃Are　you　sure　that's　a　condor？〃　the　mustache　man　asked。　〃I've　never　seen　a　silhouette　like　that。〃
　Chrissy's　neck　hurt　from　looking　up　at　the　bird。　All　it　was　doing　was　flying　around　in　circles　at　the　top　of　the　mountain。　She　was　bored　and　wanted　Matt　to　play　with　her。
　〃Mommy；　mommy；　mommy！〃
　〃What？〃　her　mom　said　impatiently。
　〃Matt　won't　play　with　me。　And　he's　not　watching　me　like　you　told　him。〃
　〃Honey；　I'm　trying　to　find　out　what's　going　on。　You　go　tell　Matt　I　said　he　has　to　play　with　you　or　he　won't　get　his　M&Ms；〃
　Chrissy　was　satisfied。　Matt　wanted　his　M&Ms。　The　grownups　were　still　talking　when　she　ran　off。　The　last　voice　she　heard　was　from　the　man　with　the　mustache。
　〃I　think　that　condor　is　circling　down。〃
　She　couldn't　see　Matt　but　knew　he　was　somewhere　in　the　rocks　hiding。　She　ran　along　the　edge　of　the　boulders；　peeking　around　the　big　ones　and　looking　in　cracks。　She　worked　her　way　along　the　edge　of　the　rocks　and　away　from　the　crowd。　〃Matty；〃　she　called。　〃Matthew　Broderick　Watkins；　where　are　you？〃　she　yelled。　〃Mom　says　you　have　to　play　with　me。　Play　with　me　or　you　don't　get　your　M&Ms。〃　Matt　still　wouldn't　e　out。
　Then　she　heard　the　grown…ups　yelling。　She　turned　to　see　them　pointing　up　at　the　sky。
　〃Look　at　that。　It's　huge！〃　someone　yelled。
　The　only　thing　Chrissy　could　see　was　the　big　bird。　It　was　ing　closer　and　closer。　Chrissy　was　good　at　picking　out　shapes。　The　bird　had　a　long　skinny　triangle　for　its　head；　and　two　big　triangles　for　its　wjngs。　It　didn't　have　a　body；　the　wings　just　seemed　to　e　together。　As　it　circled　closer　Chrissy　could　see　long　feet　hanging　down；　with　sharp　claws。
　Rita　Watkins　watched　the　condor　circling　down。　As　it　got　closer　she　realized　she　had　badly　underestimated　its　size。　She　estimated　the　bird　had　a　wingspan　longer　than　her　living　room。　She　watched　it　riding　the　air　currents　down；　never　flapping　its　huge　wings；　just　riding　the　breeze　and　the　updrafts。
　〃Geez；　will　ya　look　at　the　size　of　that　thing？〃　the　fat　man　said。　〃It　could　pick　up　a　calf。〃
　With　that；　Rita's　emotion　changed　from　admiration　to　panic。
　〃Where　are　Matt　and　Chrissy？〃　she　asked　the　strangers　around　her。　Then　directly　to　the　policeman　she　said；　〃Where　are　my　kids？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　lady；　but　maybe　we　better　get　all　the　kids　out　of　the　clearing。　Birds　don't　attack　people；　but　just　in　case　。　。　。〃
　The　group　broke　up　and　began　rounding　up　children　and　shouting　for　others　to　do　the　same。　Rita　ran　toward　the　boulders　looking　for　her　own。　When　the　shadow　of　the　bird　passed　over　her　she　broke　into　a　run；　screaming　for　Matt　and　Chrissy。　Matt　popped　out　behind　a　rock　and　yelled；　〃Boo。