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John thought briefly； then laughed out loud。
21。 IGUANODON
The term dinosaur means 〃terrible lizard。〃 and terrible they would have seemed had mankind had the misfortune to evolve simultaneously。 The naked ape would not have survived to develop into modern man under the onslaught of the giant carnivores。
…Dr。 Robert Hampton； Kingdom of the Dinosaurs
New York City
POSTQUILT： SUNDAY； 9：37 A。M。 EST
The day Mariel spent waiting for the iguanodon to return was a day like no other…a constant parade of surprises。 The iguanodon didn't appear； but other dinosaurs did。 Mariel sat with her book identifying them as best she could； cursing her eyes and herself for giving away Phillip's binoculars。
A couple of hours after the iguanodon left； she thought the wind had e up because large sections of grass moved simultaneously。 But as the movement came closer； she began to see small heads poke up and down quickly。 Mariel never got a good count； but she estimated two dozen of the little dinosaurs。 They sprinted forward and back in the grass like seabirds running from ocean waves； but Mariel never got enough of a look to identify them。 Soon the bobbing heads vanished。
Mariel fell asleep late in the morning； exhausted from the previous night。 When she woke it was with a start； to another blast from that air horn。 She looked out the window in time tp see three big…headed dinosaurs running through the grass； leaning forward on two legs with their tails held straight out behind them。 The three ran in formation with one in the front and the other two behind on either side； in a triangle。 When they disappeared into the distance quickly； Mariel chided herself for her weakness in falling asleep。 Flipping through her dinosaur book again； now familiar with the pages； she found their picture right away。 They were deinonychus。 The book described them as hunters； probably in packs； and pictured them around the body of a much larger dinosaur； with blood on their huge jaws and with hunks of red meat hanging from their mouths。 It made Mariel glad these carnivorous dinosaurs had been chased away； and she worried the deinonychus might attack her friend。
Though she munched on crackers and drank fruit juice； she was about asleep again when she heard someone turning her doorknob。 Instantly she was awake。 She watched the knob turn back and forth； and then she heard voices in the hall。 Mariel knew friends would have knocked first； so she yelled to let them know the apartment wasn't empty。
〃Get away from my door！ I've got a gun and I know how to use it。〃 She never heard the voices again and her doorknob didn't move after that。
Later she thought she heard the sound of splintering wood somewhere。 Now； she suspected thieves were loose in her building but knew she was too old to do anything about it alone。 So she sat by the window watching for the dinosaur with the sweet tooth to e back。
A new dinosaur appeared after noon； a funny…looking； dome…headed dinosaur with small spikes sticking up on its snout and ugly green bumps along the back of its head。 It ate its way through the meadow； its rounded head ing up frequently to sniff the air and scan the horizon。 This dinosaur was nothing like the iguanodon。 It was much smaller and obviously much less intelligent。 Mariel could tell because it didn't seem surprised by the building…too dumb to know her building wasn't some big rock or cliff。 No； this Dome…head had no curiosity like her dinosaur。 Dome…head worked through the meadow along the length of Mariel's building； and shortly after it disappeared from her view she heard the sound of the air horn plus car horns。 A minute later Mariel saw Dome…head emerge and then disappear into the trees in the distance。 Flipping through the pages of her book again； Mariel saw similar dinosaurs but only one with spikes on its nose。 She had trouble pronouncing the name； pachycephalosaurus； but didn't care。 It was an ugly； dumb dinosaur anyway。
It was midaftemoon when Mariel's iguanodon reappeared。 He was grazing through the clearing again； but at a much faster rate。 Every time he stopped to eat he reared up on his hind legs and surveyed the surroundings； watchful for danger。 Mariel hoped the deinonychus were well gone。
Soon the iguanodon forgot all about the grass and fixated his eyes on the window where Mariel stood。 The dinosaur swung his head looking left and right。 When he was sure there were no lurking predators； he lifted his head and opened his mouth wide making a low 〃aaaaah〃 sound。 When the sound died； Mariel dropped a paper bag of sugar into his mouth； which immediately snapped shut。
Now the beast made loud smacking sounds and licked his lips。 Opening his mouth he started 〃aaaahing〃 again。 Once more she dropped a bag of sugar into his mouth。 When the explosion of sweet faded； the dinosaur raised his head and opened his mouth a third time； Mariel scolded him。
〃Two is all you get。 Now you get back out there and eat some more of that grass。 You'll get sick if you eat nothing but sugar。〃 She had raised three children and knew better than to give in。 This dinosaur had to learn that two treats was all and that was final。
The dinosaur stood outside her window 〃aaaahing〃 over and over again。 But Mariel held firm； and finally the dinosaur dropped his head and walked back into the meadow toward the distant treeline。 Smiling； Mariel prepared two more bags of sugar and put them by the window； then picked up her crocheting and waited。
Toward dusk； her iguanodon came back。
This time he wasn't wasting any time eating grass。 He walked through the meadow on his two rear legs； headed straight for Mrs。 Weatherby's window； lifting his head and 〃aaahing。〃 Mariel waited again for quiet and then dropped the sugar bomb into the dinosaur's gaping mouth。 After a second helping the dinosaur put his head down； turned away； and walked out into the meadow。
〃I knew you were smart； Mr。 Iguanodon。〃
Mariel beamed。 Back in the kitchen she filled two more paper bags with sugar。 She was running low； but it wouldn't be safe to go to a store for more。 If her neighbors were home she could borrow some sugar。 Then Mariel remembered the splintering wood。 〃Well； I guess it wouldn't exactly be stealing；〃 she said to herself； and then started down the hall to do her shopping。
22。 LITTLE ONES
Near Yorkshire； England； eighty feet above the valley floor； we found a cave。 If the remains in that cave were to be believed； then reindeer； hippopotamus； lions； and grizzly bear all lived together once in England。 What a strange England that would have been。
…WilliamBuckland；1823
North of Bend； Oregon
POSTQUILT： SUNDAY； 9：45 A。M。 PST
Petra and Colter met the rest of the group in Bend and they traveled north in Dr。 Coombs's RV； toward Warm Springs。 Petra tried to contact Mrs。 Wayne and Ernie； but the airwaves were filled with the curious and the panicky。 In the back； Colter drifted in and out of sleep； still hung over from the night before。
The road to Warm Springs was clogged with confused travelers； so Dr。 Coombs backtracked and found a dirt road angling across the Indian reservation。 They drove through arid lands； treeless and covered with sagebrush。 Small houses in poor repair sprinkled the low hills。 Barbed wire lined the road； the fence held up by a variety of wooden posts。 Most posts were well…weathered split rails； but a bewildering variety of replacement posts mingled with the originals。 Metal posts were most mon； but also axe handles； an oar； a two…by…four； some four…by…fours； and what looked to be the legs of chairs could be seen。 Horses gazed near some fences； but there were no cows or sheep。
The dirt road ended in a branch。 Dr。 Piltcher pointed left and they followed the ruts that led north。 Shortly； the road declined sharply； leading to a valley。 Dr。 Coombs braked to a jolting stop as their mouths fell open in surprise。
They had expected something to happen。 They had predicted it…Zorastrus had predicted it； but even he wasn't specific about what would happen。 The road zigzagged down the hill and then straight into the valley below； which was bisected by a green line。 On one side was the arid land they had been driving through。 On the other side was a lush green landscape； thick with bushes and undergrowth。 In the distance they could see a lake； and behind that a forest。 They sat in silence； trying to understand what they were seeing。 Only Colter seemed unimpressed。
〃Let's get going； it looks cool down there；〃 Colter said impatiently。
Dr。 Piltcher； sitting in the front passenger seat； turned to look at Colter； irritation in his voice。
〃Colter； doesn't it strike you as strange that this。 。 。 this tropical forest is sitting here in the middle of this desert？〃
〃I dunno。 Maybe they irrigate。〃
Dr。 Piltcher rolled his eyes and then turned back to face the front； speaking over his shoulder as he did。 〃They irrigate crops； not jungle。 Let's get closer； George。〃
Dr。 Coombs drove down the zigzag road toward the scene below； Petra and Colter bouncing from side to side in the back of the RV。 Suddenly Petra cried out。
〃Look！ There by the lake。 Something's moving out there。 Something big。〃 〃I don't see it；