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a…shaped　thruster　flames。〃

〃The　terrain　we　landed　on　seemed　okay　at　first；　with　boulders　and　some　kind　of　fanlike　growths　ing　from　the　ground。　It　was　a　little　precarious　but　nothing　those　amazing　Robotech　scoots　couldn't　handle。　If　I　had　had　my　helmet　open；　maybe　I　would　have　noticed　the　smell；　Annie　was；　I　suppose；　too　strung　out　to。〃

〃We　were　congratulating　ourselves　on　making　it　When　the　ground　beneath　us　began　to　move。　We　had　landed　in　the　middle　of　a　bunch　of　big　sail…backed　things！　Just　before　we　thruster…jumped　the　hell　out　of　there；　I　got　a　look　down　the　maw　of　one　of　the　things　and　saw　it　had　two　quite　large　front　choppers。　I　guess　it　was　a　Dimetrodon；　but　I　wasn't　doing　much　note…taking　and　really　couldn't　tell　you　for　sure　if　you　asked　me。〃

〃Scott　was　howling　something　about　‘more　dinosaurs'　but　we　were　safe。　The　herd　had　re…settled　for　the　night。〃

〃We　were　all　watching　them　to　make　sure　that　they　weren't　thinking　about　a　bedtime　snack；　but　I　just　happened　to　be　looking　off　to　one　side　when　I　caught　the　flash　of　movement。　‘Hey；　Invid！'　I　blurted　out。　But　whatever　it　was　had　already　ducked。〃

〃Scott　thought　I　was　crazy；　and　we　got　a　little　sore　at　each　other。　Being　that　far　underground　and　in　a　situation　so　insane　had　him　kind　of　frayed。　But　then　he　backed　off　a　bit；　looking　around　thoughtfully。　‘Maybe　they　are　involved　in　all　this。　I　suppose…'〃

〃Scott　interrupted　his　thought　when　he　noticed　that　Annie　was　off　an　another　caper；　waving　to　us　from　a　few　yards　away。　She　was　balancing；　with　a　lot　of　windmilling　of　her　hat　and　shuffling　of　shoes；　on　a　big；　mottled；　offwhite　ovoid　thing　that　rolled　under　her。　She　was　giggling　and　yelling；　‘Watch　me！'〃

〃It　was　a　typical　Mint　reaction　to　what　we　had　just　been　through；　driving　it　from　her　mind　by　clowning　around。　When　I　saw　what　she　was　doing；　I　could　only　think；　Oh；　my　god！　and　I　started　to　reach　for　my　'90。　Scott　was　yelling　at　her　to　get　down　off　of　there。〃

〃Annie　laughed　right　up　until　the　second　she　realized　that　something　big　was　ing　up　behind　her…fast！　I　got　my　gun　out。　Maybe　that　Daspletosaurus　actually　wasn't　the　size　of　two　Battloids　one　on　top　of　the　other；　but　that　was　how　it　looked　to　me　at　that　moment。〃

〃Certainly　it　was　a　little　surprised　to　see　Annie　playing　around　with　its　eggs。　I　can　only　surmise　that　it　had　just　laid　them　and　hadn't　had　time　to　cover　over　its　nest。　It　was　fast　and　agile　and　brilliantly　colored。　It　was　just　like　the　oldtime　revisionist　paleontologists　said：　a　tower　of　bone　and　muscle　in　metallic　blues　and　reds　and　pinks。　Its　teeth　looked　like　sharpened　baseball　bats。〃

〃I　opened　fire　at　it；　and　then　Scott　did；　too。　I　have　to　give　the　lieutenant　credit：　he　stood　his　ground　and　just　kept　shooting　H90　rounds　at　it；　even　though　it　didn't　look　like　he　was　doing　any　damage　to　the　thing。〃

〃If　you're　sitting　someplace　safe　and　reading　this；　I'll　tell　you　something：　It　feels　a　lot　different　when　you're　there；　and　an　animal　bigger　than　any　mecha　is　bearing　down　on　you　and　you　can　smell　it；　and　the　best　shots　you　can　lay　out　don't　seem　to　be　making　any　difference。　It　takes　a　lot　not　to　bolt；　but　I　didn't　have　to　make　the　choice　because　Scott　Bernard　was　slightly　in　front　of　me；　straddle…legged；　whamming　away。　So　I　stood　my　ground；　too。〃

〃Then　you　live　from　microsecond　to　microsecond；　and　events　all　fuse　together；　because　when　you're　about　to　die　your　life　is　suddenly　an　infinitely　precious　thing；　no　matter　how　lousy　it's　been　to　you。〃

〃It　was　our　good　luck　that　the　thing　had　a　lot　of　ground　to　cover。　I　was　aiming　for　the　skull；　hoping　I　might　put　its　eyes　out　of　mission　or　even　get　its　brain　somehow。　It　roared　and　staggered　at　us。　But　H90s　were　developed　for　use　against　Invid　mecha；　and　no　living　organism；　even　one　the　size　of　that　tyrannosaurid；　could　survive　the　kind　of　punishment　we　were　giving　it。〃

〃We　chopped　away　at　its　feet；　legs；　chest　cavity；　head…all　while　it　was　shrieking　and　snapping。　Then　Annie　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　leap　clear；　as　the　Daspletosaurus　fell　across　its　own　eggs；　crushing　some；　dying　and　charred；　never　understanding　what　had　killed　it。〃

〃I　was　yelling　at　Annie；　who　was　white　faced　and　contrite　and　promising　not　to　go　running　off　ever　again；　when　I　spotted　familiar　shapes：　‘Hey；　Scott！　I　told　you　I　saw　Invid！'〃

〃But　they　had　drawn　back　out　of　sight　before　Scott　turned　from　Annie　or　she　could　spin　around。　And　right　away　Scott　and　I　were　arguing　again。　How　could　he　have　seen　them　up　above　and　yet　not　believe　I　had　done　the　same　down　below？　Either　you　trust　your　teammates　or　you　don't。〃

〃Of　course；　Mint　put　in　her　two…cents　worth；　as　the　ancients　say。　She　was　scared　enough　as　it　was　and　wished　I　wouldn't　see　Invids　behind　every　tree。〃

〃For　maybe　the　fourth　time　that　day　I　bit　back　what　I　had　been　about　to　say。　I　knew　Scott's　military　training　revolved　around　reports　and　evaluations　and　source…dependability　ratings　and　all　that　garbage；　but　either　I　was　a　teammate　or　I　wasn't。　I　dropped　the　subject；　though。〃

〃‘I　can't　help　it　if　you're　scared；　kid；'　I　told　Annie；　turning　away　from　Scott　to　kind　of　defuse　things。　‘I'm　scared；　too。　But　they　were　there；　they're　still　there；　and　they're　waiting　for　us。'〃

〃I　just　couldn't　get　a　handle　on　any　of　it。　Prehistoric　biota；　and　Invid　who　didn't　attack。　It　just　didn't　make　sense。〃

〃But　I　could　see　that　at　least　I　had　given　Scott　something　to　ponder。〃


〃The　fire　we　built　on　the　beach　of　a　tepid　lake　made　Annie　feel　a　lot　safer。　But　I　was　still　looking　in　every　direction；　waiting　for　Godzilla　and　the　gang　to　show　up　expecting　hot　hors　d'oeuvres。　Scott　coughed　at　the　smoke　but　agreed　with　Annie　that　the　fire　was　cheery。〃

〃I　stripped　off　my　armor　and　put　together　a　survival…type　circle　trident；　to　try　to　catch　some　supper。　Up　on　the　surface　we　could　have　just　thrown　some　explosives　in　the　water　and　waited　for　the　catch　of　the　day　to　e　floating　to　us　belly…up。　But　around　here　those　tactics　might　just　make　something　mad。〃

〃So　I　crouched　nervously　on　a　rock　on　the　beach；　waiting；　checking　the　deeper　water　every　half　second　or　so；　I　guess。　Still；　I'm　a　country　kid；　a　Forager；　and　I　had　done　that　kind　of　thing　a　hundred　times　before。　Pretty　soon　I　had　a　hit。〃

〃What　I　pulled　up　was　all　needle　snout　and　kinked　tail；　some　sort　of　freshwater；　pygmy　Ichthyosaurus　whose　grandmother　had　too　many　X…rays；　I　guess。　I　threw　it　down　on　the　sand。　Scott　and　Annie　came　over　to　find　out　what　was　wrong。〃

〃Everything　just　got　to　me；　because　I　started　waving　my　arms　around　and　babbling。　The　whole　time　scale　had　me　going　nuts。〃

〃‘This　fish　should've　been　dead；　I　dunno；　sixty…five　million　years　ago。　Those　pterosaurs　and　all　the　rest　of　these　critters；　same　thing！'〃

〃Annie　was　looking　at　me　with　eyes　as　round　as　full　moons。　‘S…so　how　can　they　still　be　alive？'〃

〃Scott　was　shaking　his　head　slowly。　‘This　is…it's　beyond　me。'〃

〃I　told　them；　‘Well　I'm　just　wondering　what　else　might　be　floating　around　out　there。'　Somewhere　far　off；　we　heard　something　very　heavy　break　the　water　in　a　dive。　It　reminded　me　of　the　sound　whales　made　in　those　prewar　nature　shows。　Only；　we　knew　it　wasn't　a　whale；　because　it　honked　like　a　horny　tractor…trailer。〃


〃‘At　least　Annie　can　sleep；'　Scott　said　tiredly　awhile　later；　as　we　sat　in　the　firelight。　We　planned　to　take　turns　standing　guard　all　night；　and　it　was　time　for　him　to　turn　in。〃

〃We　had　managed　to　talk　Annie　out　of　taking　a　watch　with　some　excuse　about　needing　her　to　help　with　the　scouting　the　next　day。　Actually　we　didn't　want　her　up　alone　and　didn't　really　trust　her　with　a　gun。　Even　Scott　saw　the　sense　in　letting　her　sleep。　She　snored　softly；　cap　bill　pulled　down；　hands　clasped　across　her　middle　as　she　lay　on　her　back。　I　shrugged。　‘Kids：　nothing　bothers　'em。'〃

〃We　were　finishing　up　the　last　of　my　impossible　fish；　and　Scott　grinned；　‘Your　appetite　hasn't　been　bothered　much；　either。'　I　kept　on　chewing；　looking　into　the　fire；　trying　to　think。　‘Hey；　Rand！　Anybody　home？'〃

〃‘I　hear　ya　perfectly　well；　Scott。　I'm　just　trying　to　piece　a　few　things　together；　all　right？'〃

〃He　took　an　unspoken　offense　and　went　to　curl　up　by　the　other　side　of　the　fire。　He　probably　thought　that　I　was　still　upset　that　he　didn't