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！
〃I'm sorry； Dr。 Grant！〃 Lex wailed。 〃I didn't mean it！〃
Grant glanced over his shoulder。 The lagoon was no more than a hundred yards wide here； and they had almost reached the center。 If he continued； the water would bee shallow again。 The tyrannosaur would be able to walk again； and he would move faster in shallow water。 Grant swung the boat around； and began to row north。
〃What are you doing？〃
The tyrannosaur was now just a few yards away。 Grant could hear its sharp snorting breaths as it came closer。 Grant looked at the paddles in his hands； but they were light plastic…not weapons at all。
The tyrannosaur threw its head back and opened its jaws wide； showing rows of curved teeth； and then in a great muscular spasm lunged forward to the raft； just missing the rubber gunwale； the huge skull slapping down； the raft rocking away on the crest of the splash。
The tyrannosaur sank below the surface； leaving gurgling bubbles。 The lagoon was still。 Lex gripped the gunwale handles and looked back。
〃Did he drown？〃
〃No；〃 Grant said。 He saw bubbles…then a faint ripple along the surface…ing toward the boat…
〃Hang on！〃 he shouted； as the head bucked up beneath the rubber； bending the boat and lifting it into the air； spinning them crazily before it splashed down again。
〃Do something！〃 Alexis screamed。 〃Do something！〃
Grant pulled the air pistol out of his belt。 It looked pitifully small in his hands； but there was the chance that； if he shot the animal in a sensitive spot； in the eye or the nose…
The tyrannosaur surfaced beside the boat； opened its jaws； and roared。 Grant aimed； and fired。 The dart flashed in the light； and smacked into the cheek。 The tyrannosaur shook its head； and roared again。
And suddenly they heard an answering roar； floating across the water toward them。
Looking back； Grant saw the juvenile T…rex on the shore； crouched over the killed sauropod； claiming the kill as its own。 The juvenile slashed at the carcass； then raised its head high and bellowed。 The big tyrannosaur saw it； too； and the response was immediate…it turned back to protect its kill； swimming strongly toward the shore。
〃He's going away！〃 Lex squealed； clapping her hands。 〃He's going away！ Naah…naah…na…na…naah！ Stupid dinosaur！〃
From the shore； the juvenile roared defiantly。 Enraged； the big tyrannosaur burst from the lagoon at full speed； water streaming from its enormous body as it raced up the hill past the dock。 The juvenile ducked its head and fled； its jaws still filled with ragged flesh。
The big tyrannosaur chased it； racing past the dead sauropod； disappearing over the hill。 They heard its final threatening bellow； and then the raft moved to the north； around a bend in the lagoon； to the river。
Exhausted from rowing； Grant collapsed back； his chest heaving。 He couldn't catch his breath。 He lay gasping in the raft。
〃Are you okay； Dr。 Grant？〃 Lex asked。
〃From now on； will you just do what I tell you？〃
'Oh…kay； 〃 she sighed； as if he had just made the most unreasonable demand in the world。 She trailed her arm in the water for a while。 〃You stopped rowing；〃 she said。
〃I'm tired；〃 Grant said。
〃Then how e we're still moving？〃
Grant sat up。 She was right。 The raft drifted steadily north。 〃There must be a current。〃 The current was carrying them north； toward the hotel。 He looked at his watch and was astonished to see it was fifteen minutes past seven。 Only fifteen minutes had passed since he had last looked at his watch。 It seemed like two hours。
Grant lay back against the rubber gunwales； closed his eyes； and slept。
FIFTH ITERATION
〃Flaws in the system will now bee severe。〃
IAN MAL
Search
Gennaro sat in the Jeep and listened to the buzzing of the flies； and stared at the distant palm trees wavering in the heat。 He was astonished by what looked like a battleground： the grass was trampled flat for a hundred yards in every direction。 One big palm tree was uprooted from the ground。 There were great washes of blood in the grass； and on the rocky outcropping to their right。
Sitting beside him； Muldoon said； 〃No doubt about it。 Rexy's been among the hadrosaurs。〃 He took another drink of whiskey； and capped the bottle。 〃Damn lot of flies；〃 he said。
They waited； and watched。
Gennaro drummed his fingers on the dashboard。 〃What are we waiting for？〃
Muldoon didn't answer immediately。 〃The rex is out there somewhere；〃 he said； squinting at the landscape in the morning sun。 〃And we don't have any weapons worth a damn。〃
〃We're in a Jeep。〃
〃Oh； he can outrun the Jeep； Mr。 Gennaro；〃 Muldoon said； shaking his head。 〃Once we leave this road and go onto open terrain； the best we can do in a four…wheel drive is thirty； forty miles an hour。 He'll run us right down。 No problem for him。〃 Muldoon sighed。 〃But I don't see much moving out there now。 You ready to live dangerously？〃
〃Sure；〃 Gennaro said。
Muldoon started the engine； and at the sudden sound； two small othnielians leapt up from the matted grass directly ahead。 Muldoon put the car in gear。 He drove in a wide circle around the trampled site； and then moved inward； driving in decreasing concentric circles until he finally came to the place in the field where the little othnielians had been。 Then he got out and walked forward in the grass； away from the Jeep。 He stopped as a dense cloud of flies lifted into the air。
〃What is it？〃 Gennaro called。
〃Bring the radio；〃 Muldoon said。
Gennaro climbed out of the Jeep and hurried forward。 Even from a distance he could smell the sour…sweet odor of early decay。 He saw a dark shape in the grass； crusted with blood； legs askew。
〃Young hadrosaur；〃 Muldoon said； staring down at the carcass。 〃The whole herd stampeded； and the young one got separated； and the T…rex brought it down。〃
〃How do you know？〃 Gennaro said。 The flesh was ragged from many bites。
〃You can tell from the excreta；〃 Muldoon said。 〃See those chalky white bits there in the grass？ That's hadro spoor。 Uric acid makes it white。 But you look there〃…he pointed to a large mound； rising knee…high in the grass…〃that's tyrannosaur spoor。〃
〃How do you know the tyrannosaur didn't e later？〃
〃The bite pattern；〃 Muldoon said。 〃See those little ones there？〃 He pointed along the belly。 〃Those are from the othys。 Those bites haven't bled。 They're postmortem； from scavengers。 Othys did that。 But the hadro was brought down by a bite on the neck…you see the big slash there； above the shoulder blades…and that's the T…rex； no question。〃
Gennaro bent over the carcass； staring at the awkward； trampled limbs with a sense of unreality。 Beside him； Muldoon flicked on his radio。 〃Control。 〃
〃Yes；〃 John Arnold said； over the radio。
〃We got another hadro dead。 Juvenile。〃 Muldoon bent down among the flies and checked the skin on the sole of the right foot。 A number was tattooed there； 〃Specimen is number HD/09。〃
The radio crackled。 〃I've got something for you；〃 Arnold said。
〃Oh？ What's that？〃
〃I found Nedry。〃
The Jeep burst through the line of palm trees along the east road and came out into a narrower service road； leading toward the jungle river。 It was hot in this area of the park； the jungle close and fetid around them。 Muldoon was fiddling with the puter monitor in the Jeep； which now showed a map of the resort with overlaid grid lines。 〃They found him up on remote video；〃 he said。 〃Sector 1104 is just ahead。〃
Farther up the road； Gennaro saw a concrete barrier； and the Jeep parked alongside it。 〃He must have taken the wrong turnoff；〃 Muldoon said。 〃The little bastard。〃
〃What'd he take？〃 Gennaro asked。
〃Wu says fifteen embryos。 Know what that's worth？〃
Gennaro shook his head。
〃Somewhere between two and ten million；〃 Muldoon said。 He shook his head。 〃Big stakes。〃
As they came closer； Gennaro saw the body lying beside the car。 The body was indistinct and green…but then green shapes scattered away； as the Jeep pulled to a stop。
〃pys；〃 Muldoon said。 〃The pys found him；〃
A dozen propsognathids； delicate little predators no larger than ducks； stood at the edge of the jungle； ch