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！
mouth。 It was funny； but it didn't hurt at all。 Then he realized the swollen flesh was a leech growing fat as it sucked his lips。 It was practically in his mouth。 Shivering with nausea； Regis pulled the leech away； feeling it tear from the flesh of his lips； feeling the gush of warm blood in his mouth。 He spat； and flung it with disgust into the forest。 He saw another leech on his forearm； and pulled it off； leaving a dark bloody streak behind。 Jesus； he was probably covered with them。 That fall down the hillside。 These jungle hills were full of leeches。 So were the dark rocky crevices。 What did the workmen say？ The leeches crawled up your underwear。 They liked dark warm places。 They liked to crawl right up your…
〃Hellooo！〃
He stopped。 It was a voice； carried by the wind。
〃Helloo！ Dr。 Grant！〃
Jesus； that was the little girl。
Ed Regis listened to the tone of her voice。 She didn't sound frightened； or in pain。 She was just calling in her insistent way。 And it slowly dawned on him that something else must have happened； that the tyrannosaur must have gone away…or at least hadn't attacked…and that the other people might still be alive。 Grant and Malcolm。 Everybody might be alive。 An the realization made him pull himself together in an instant； the way you got sober in an instant when the cops pulled you over； and he felt better； because now he knew what he had to do。 And as he crawled out from the boulders he was already formulating the next step； already figuring out what he would say； how to handle things from this point。
Regis wiped the cold mud off his face and hands； the evidence that he had been hiding。 He wasn't embarrassed that he had been hiding； but now he had to take charge。 He scrambled back up toward the road； but when he emerged from the foliage he had a moment of disorientation。 He didn't see the cars at all。 He was somehow at the bottom of the hill。 The Land Cruisers must be at the top。
He started walking up the hill； back toward the Land Cruisers。 It was very quiet。 His feet splashed in the muddy puddles。 He couldn't bear the little girl any more。 Why had she stopped calling？ As he walked； he began to think that maybe something had happened to her。 In that case； he shouldn't walk back there。 Maybe the tyrannosaur was still hanging around。 Here he was； already at the bottom of the hill。 That much closer to home。
And it was so quiet。 Spooky； it was so quiet。
Ed Regis turned around； and started walking back toward the camp。
Alan Grant ran his hands over her limbs； squeezing the arms and legs briefly。 She didn't seem to have any pain。 It was amazing： aside from a cut on her head； she was fine。 〃I told you I was；〃 she said。
〃Well； I had to check。〃
The boy was not quite so fortunate。 Tim's nose was swollen and painful； Grant suspected it was broken。 His right shoulder was badly bruised and swollen。 But his legs seemed to be all right。 Both kids could walk。 That was the important thing。
Grant himself was all right except for a claw abrasion down his right chest； where the tyrannosaur had kicked him。 It burned with every breath； but it didn't seem to be serious； and it didn't limit his movement。
He wondered if he had been knocked unconscious； because he had only dim recollections of events immediately preceding the moment he had sat up； groaning； in the woods ten yards from the Land Cruiser。 At first his chest had been bleeding； so he had stuck leaves on the wound； and after a while it clotted。 Then he had started walking around； looking for Malcolm and the kids。 Grant couldn't believe he was still alive； and as scattered images began to e back to him； he tried to make sense of them。 The tyrannosaur should have killed them all easily。 Why hadn't it？
〃I'm hungry；〃 Lex said。
〃Me； too；〃 Grant said。 〃We've got to get ourselves back to civilization。 And we've got to tell them about the ship。〃
〃We're the only ones who know？〃 Tim said。
〃Yes。 We've got to get back and tell them。〃
〃Then let's walk down the road toward the hotel；〃 Tim said； pointing down the hill。 〃That way we'll meet them when they e for us。〃
Grant considered that。 And he kept thinking about one thing： the dark shape that had crossed between the Land Cruisers even before the attack started。 What animal had that been？ He could think of only one possibility…the little tyrannosaur。
〃I don't think so； Tim。 The road has high fences on both sides；〃 Grant said。 〃If one of the tyrannosaurs is farther down on the road； we'll he trapped。〃
〃Then should we wait here？〃 Tim said。
〃Yes；〃 Grant said。 〃Let's just wait here until someone es。〃
〃I'm hungry；〃 Lex said。
〃I hope it won't be very long；〃 Grant said。
〃I don't want to stay here；〃 Lex said。
Then； from the bottom of the hill； they heard the sound of a man coughing。
〃Stay here；〃 Grant said。 He ran forward； to look down the hill。
〃Stay here；〃 Tim said； and he ran forward after him。
Lex followed her brother。 〃Don't leave me； don't leave me here； you guys…〃
Grant clapped his band over her mouth。 She struggled to protest。 He shook his head； and pointed over the hill； for her to look。
At the bottom of the hill； Grant saw Ed Regis； standing rigid； unmoving。 The forest around them had bee deadly silent。 The steady background drone of cicadas and frogs had ceased abruptly。 There was only the faint rustle of leaves； and the whine of the wind；
Lex started to speak； but Grant pulled her against the trunk of the nearest tree； ducking down among the heavy gnarled roots at the base。 Tim came in right after them。 Grant put his hands to his lips； signaling them to be quiet； and then he slowly looked around the tree。
The road below was dark； and as the branches of the big trees moved in the wind； the moonlight filtering through made a dappled； shifting pattern。 Ed Regis was gone。 It took Grant a moment to locate him。 The publicist was pressed up against the trunk of a big tree； hugging it。 Regis wasn't moving at all。
The forest remained silent。
Lex tugged impatiently at Grant's shirt； she wanted to know what was happening。 Then； from somewhere very near； they heard a soft snorting exhalation； hardly louder than the wind。 Lex heard it； too； because she stopped struggling。
The sound floated toward them again； soft as a sigh。 Grant thought it was almost like the breathing of a horse。
Grant looked at Regis； and saw the moving shadows cast by the moonlight on the trunk of the tree。 And then Grant realized there was another shadow； superimposed on the others； but not moving： a strong curved neck； and a square head。
The exhalation came again。
Tim leaned forward cautiously； to look。 Lex did； too。
They heard a crack as a branch broke； and into the path stepped a tyrannosaur。 It was the juvenile： about eight feet tall； and it moved with the clumsy gait of a young animal； almost like a puppy。 The juvenile tyrannosaur shuffled down the path； stopping with every step to sniff the air before moving on。 It passed the tree where Regis was hiding； and gave no indication that it had seen him。 Grant saw Regis's body relax slightly。 Regis turned his head； trying to watch the tyrannosaur on the far side of the tree。
The tyrannosaur was now out of view down the road。 Regis started to relax； releasing his grip on the tree。 But the jungle remained silent。 Regis remained close to the tree trunk for another half a minute。 Then the sounds of the forest returned： the first tentative croak of a tree frog； the buzz of one cicada； and then the full chorus。 Regis stepped away from the tree； shaking his shoulders； releasing the tension。 He walked into the middle of the road； looking in the direction of the departed tyrannosaur。
The attack came from the left。
The juvenile roared as it swung its head forward； knocking Regis flat to the ground。 He yelled and scrambled to his feet； but the tyrannosaur pounced； and it must have pinned him with its hind leg； because suddenly Regis wasn't moving； he was sitting up in the path shouting at the dinosaur and waving his hands at it； as if he could scare it off。 The young dinosaur seemed perplexed by the sounds and movement ing from i