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〃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