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Post by thundertail on Mar 18, 2012 14:56:15 GMT -5
_ TWENTY-NINE: "Reconcilliation." The carnivores around us were covered with healing scratches and abrasions; but even though they all seemed glad to meet us, there was an air of sadness on thier faces. That's when we knew something had happened, and none of them seemed willing to be the first to tell us about it. We resolved to take off our trappings of our visit to Waterfall City once the relaxed celebration of our return wore off somewhat. When done, king Thundertail called an impromptu meeting by the feeding area; and everyone in the clan had been told to go. "Fly With A Stinger, how did your negotiations go?", he asked as soon as order was restored. "As well as could be expected.", I said. "But from your look, I would say that your negotiations would be a much more prudent tale to tell." "Very well.", Thundertail told us the whole story, from the time they entered Crevice areie to the botched negotiation to thier painful retreat. He said they were at a loss on how to salvage the attempt, and Diego's and Triphus's idea of the ruse to get them to negotiate. He described the ruse, and the success of it; but I just listened on, thumbing my chin. Before I got a chance to speak, the pair of Postal Birds spoke up, voicing my own opinion of thier escapades for me. "How vulgar!", Four-Seventeen squawked, he hopped up onto my shoulder. "No true Dinotopian would conceive such deception!" "And you claim to be civilized!", Six-Ninty-Nine chirped. "For shame!" "And who are these?", Thundertail asked. "Oh! Pardon me!", I said. "These are Postal Birds. Four-Seventeen and Six-Ninty-Nine. One stipulation of many in our treaty with the high council is that we must establish a Post Office here." "A pleasure...", Four-Seventeen bowed. "Charmed...", Six-Ninty-Nine echoed. "I see...", Thundertail said. "And I agree: what we did was underhanded.", he looked at the little ones on my shoulders. "But if you saw the demeanor of the Pteranodons, we felt justified to do this. There are times where it becomes prudent to slap a paw than to hold it." "But still, my king.", I continued. "If they ever find out what you did, they would have enough justification to destroy us! May I ask if you thought about THAT?" "Why..., no!", he said. "This is bad! Perhaps we should have been more honest..." "One thing I know. We got to apologise right away.", I told him. "It's the only way to save face - no matter the consequences." "Strafewing, thier leader, said they would return after thier eggs hatch.", Thundertail informed us. "Perhaps we could tell them then..." "Maybe so.", I said. "Time might soften things up a bit.", I looked at Diego. "And now you!... What's the big idea of making up a plan like that?!" "It wasn't all my fault!", Diego said. "Triphus thought of it too!" "Triphus, then!", Klamath cut in. "How could you devise such an underhanded plan?" "I got the idea from the battle of Varonia...", Triphus said, but Klamath remembered and cut him off. "The battle where we lost face?", he snapped. "The battle that branded us undesirables?" "I'm sorry...", Triphus said, bowing. "We were ALL to blame...", Pincushion added as Mildred Kirky and a few of her kin entered the area. "Mildred! There you are!", Harold said, drawing up to her and scowling. "What's the big ideer going along with that?! Now the Pteranodon's gonna be our enemies - and kill us all!" "Stick a tail in it!", she replied. "It seemed like a good ideer at th' time." "Oy! No wonder I'm the leader and you're not!", he shot back as she shot her tongue out at him! "Please! Stop, I command!", Thundertail told us all. "I'll admit a mistake was made, but we must not go blaming each other for it! Wouldn't it be prudent to move on, Stinger?" "I agree.",I said. "We will deal with that the next time it comes up." "So Stinger,", Thundertail said. "What else happened in Waterfall City?" "It was the most wonderful experience we all ever had!", I told them, and everyone nodded. "We were treated exceptionally well, and the court seemed most reasonable once they understood we were quite serious about living here..." I went on to describe the sights, smells and sounds of the city. I described the people there and thier hospitality; along with the civilization evident in what we saw. Rex, Whitetail, Mayday, Harold, Snapper, Ripper, Sauron and Chillet each told of thier tales there; Rex laughingly telling the episode about the bananas! I especially described the personalities of mayor Seville and our guide, Zippeau Stenoychosaurus. When I told of the goings on in thier court, I became serious. "So you see, they are quite alarmed about us living in Halcyon and Kinan Van.", I said. "They seem afraid of what we'll find there, and what we'd use these things for. They hold these places in the highest reverence; but they understand our needs to find ourselves a place to let our own civilization grow. They do not really trust us to make the right decisions about what we unearth, and fear we'd use those things to destroy the island - disrupt the way things are, at any rate." "We would never do a thing like that!", Thundertail said. "We have always proceeded with things slowly, carefully and placed a lot of thought behind each action." "We know that, but they don't.", I said. "They are under the premise that we will act like those carnivores that came before us. They still think we're uncivilized, carniverous brutes that would eat a person so much as talk with them. Before they can trust us, we must prove to them we are not like they think." "But aren't we doing enough?", Rex asked. "I mean, we didn't even so much as growl at anybody at waterfall City!" "And yet they were still quite afraid of us. Notice that?", I told him. "We can be as nice as we can be toward them, but it will take time for them to learn not to be so afraid of us.", I turned to the others. "This would no doubt be the stumbling block that will prevent us from truely interacting with them for a long time to come. I guess the only thing we can do is continue to be nice, and maybe over time thier fears of us will eventually go away." "Ahem!...", Four-Seventeen fluttered on my shoulder. "Oh yes! The rest of it.", I said. "Whitetail, could you get the treaty counter-proposal?" Whitetail nodded and scurried off, returning many moments later with the satchel we used to carry our paperwork to Waterfall City. "Here you go...", she handed me the scroll with the council's decision on it. "To the creatures of the Rainy Basin, from the high council of Waterfall City.", I read to them. "We of the council hereby rescind our previous writ concerning the habitation of temples and cities in your realm. This recindition is in effect only if the following stipulations are observed:", I heard shuffling and looked up a moment before continuing. "Cities in the Rainy Basin must be capable of the support of the population; and if not may not be inhabited." "We plan on making them livable first!", Thundertail said. "Go on." "Artifacts of unknown origins or uses are not to be tampered with unless the council is informed. Copies of current Archaeological findings must be submitted to proper authorites for verification before further documentation continues. Ancient machinery currently in use must be documented, and may be used only with extreme disgression. Current restoration projects will be supervised from this day forward, and all projects must be documented. Supervisers will be dispatched from apropriate agencies for personal observations, and no restoration procedures will take place without thier authorization.", I paused because I saw thier concern. "My! They don't leave much out!" "It seems to me that they wish to control our lives!", Rex said. "They can't do that!" "Relax. This is only thier counter-proposal.", I said. "We don't have to accept all this stuff. We'll have to give them a counter offer the next time we go there." "When are we to go?", Thundertail asked. "I suggested in another month or so.", I told him. "I indicated that you would like to come along too." "But I...", Thundertail stumbled. "Don't worry, dad!", Rex told him. "You'll just love it!" "Anyway, another stipulation is that we are supposed to establish a post office.", I continued. "And that's where I think you two come in, my fine-feathered friends!" "Yes! Well!", Four-Seventeen fluttered and hopped down on a log in front of us. "We of the Postal Guild request a Post Office be established on your lands. A prefabricated post office has been provided for you, and must be set up in a place conspicuous from the air." "It must be no less than three feet off the ground, and no more then a half stride off the ground.", Six-Ninty-Nine hopped down and continued. "To address a Postal Bird when sending a message, one must state your destination, then your message and then your name. Fees are based on care and cleaning of said Post Office, food and provision afforded the Postal Birds and demeanor of patrons toward said Postal Birds.", she got confidential. "I hear that your children are... overzealous at times. I suggest you keep the young ones away from the Post Office, and we will try to stay out of thier reach." "We will do that.", I said. "And it would also be helpful if we teach the children to treat you nice." "Excellent!", Four-Seventeen said, ruffling his feathers. "Now, does anybody know of a place to put the Post Office?", nearly everyone shrugged. "No?... Oh well, I will go see...", he took off and flew around the clearing. Four-Seventeen flew over our heads, then over the treetops and temporarilly out of sight towards the Polongo river. He was just seen towards the west for a second, then traveled back over us. His eyes looked towards the temple of Orous and the pyramid of Teeklan, then made a beeline for that area. He swooped over each monument, then gained altitude until he was but a speck in the sky. He circled around up there before heading for the temple of Orous, then he landed on it; but he wasn't satisfyed so he took off again. He flew over the pyramid of Teeklan and circled that before landing on its' roof high above. He then spread his wings and flew off toward the south before arcing around to look back at us. He then seesawed in midair and made his way back to land on the log he took off from. "That pyramid looks like it can be seen for miles!", he panted. "If I may suggest, you could place the post office at its' foot." "We could set it up right next to the entrance.", I said. "Ooh! Let me see, dear!", Six-Ninty-Nine said, and he nodded. She took off and circled the pyramid before flying off as far as the eye could see. Soon she returned, nodding and ruffling. "It looks so pretty, painted that way! Like a flower in a field of grass from the air!" "Then it's settled!", Four-Seventeen said. "You may put it there." "Very well then.", Thundertail told everyone. "Let's begin setting it up. Bring the aerie over there and we'll place it in the apropriate spot." Sauron and chillet went to the still loaded cart, and I joined them to hitch them back up to it. We trundled over to the foot of the pyramid, where many of the clan had congregated. The Postal Birds preferred to place it to the left of the main entrance, but it would need to be raised up many feet off the ground to fulfill thier specifications. A pedistal block, found in the near by jungle whose statue it once supported was broken into hundreds of shards and was considered unrepairable, was found and dragged and pulled out to be used; and once the centuries of dirt and jungle growth was removed, would put the aerie about five feet off the ground. The ornate carvings on this block would be restored and painted later, but first it would have to be positioned for use. It was deemed to set it about ten feet away from the base of the step pyramid for easy access to the the rear hatches of the aerie, which were there for cleaning and maintenence; and a ladder or steps would have to be installed for Kirkys and other small creatures to service the tiny facility. Between Sauron, Chillet and I - and the constant direction of the Postal Birds, the aerie now stood on the direct center of the pedistal facing out; but many more things would have to be added in order for it to be fully functional. Mayday and others got to work making a crude roof for the structure. Long poles were driven into the ground at the corners of the block, and roof supports were soon in place; then she began to thatch the roof while the others bonded it together with pitch into a sturdy, watertight shelter. For added shelter, two thatched side walls were also installed, and the roof was expanded to overlap the space between the pyramid itself and that roof; and once a final inspection by the Postal Birds, it was deemed fit for use. The Postal Birds also suggested the Kirkys get to work on a plaque to commemorate the post office, and within a few short days that task was done. At my suggestion, I wanted them to paint it in reds, whites and blues like what the United States Post office often uses; with a likeness of a flying Skybax as the centerpiece. The carved lettering was painted in gold, and the post office would be called 'Rainy Basin Central'; but many wanted to call it after the pyramid it was next to: 'Teeklan'. At a later meeting concerning this name, it was decided to change the name after proper postal flight routes through the region were established. "Now then...", Four-Seventeen said after we all gathered around the newly completed post office. "We are gathered here today to officially open the Rainy Basin Post Office. This Post Office will be a central nexxus in postal service throughout the Rainy Basin, and a way station for Postal Birds to rest while long flights across Dinotopia. From here postal service will be available to all clans in the Rainy Basin, and from here the majority of communication from you to us will take place.", he fluttered and hopped. "Truely a great day has begun for all Dinotopians!" We all cheered and clapped as Six-Ninty-Nine hopped up beside her cohort to speak. "So, with the power vested in us by the Postal Guild and the High Council, we declare the Rainy Basin Post Office now open!" We all cheered some more as Four-Seventeen pulled the string that held the cloth that covered the plaque next to the post office proper. I saw at the same time what was revealed, and it wasn't the plaque at all! Someone had replaced the plaque with the skull of a Pteranodon, and the sight made me gasp, Four-Seventeen squawk and flap and nearly made Six-Ninty-Nine faint! I stepped up from my place in the crowd and looked up at it disgustedly. "OK! Whose the wise guy?", I accused as quiet laughter and tittering erupted in the crowd. "What do you think you jokers are doing?!" "Why, I never saw the like!", Six-Ninty-Nine exclaimed. When no one came forward to admit it, I reached and took the skull down. "Come on guys! this is supposed to be serious!", I handed the skull to bross. "Now, where is that plaque?" Presently two Kirkys crept around the back of the stone pedistal and came back with the plaque. They set it at my feet and withdrew, bowing in shame. I turned to glare at the others because I suspected they all had a hand in it too, then turned to the Postal Birds and smiled queerly. "I'm sorry. Just carnivore humor, I guess!", I tried to explain. "Guess we're not as civilized as I thought..." "Have no fear, Stinger!", Four-Seventeen said, hopping on my shoulder. "We are not without humor ourselves! It was rather comical. Startling at first, but funny never the less!", he cackled slightly. "In many places where post offices are set up, people often put statues of flying creatures and such. If you want to, you could set that skull up near by.", he turned, then turned back. "Only paint it so it doesn't look so frightening, maybe..." "Maybe we could do that one of these days...", I said as I hung the plaque up and draped the cloth back over it. "But we should finish this ceremony first. Don't you think?" "Absolutely!", Four-Seventeen said as he flew back to his cohort's side. "Ahem!... By the power vested in us by the Postal Guild and the High Council, we now pronounce the Rainy Basin Post Office now open!", he pulled the string and revealed the plaque, and the whole clan present erupted in cheering once more. Presently other Kirkys are seen parading around in costume; dancing, tumbling and juggling to the tune that thier small band was playing. The Postal birds shook thier beaks at the fanfare, but became suddenly caught up as Mildred and Harold took them on an unexpected dance around the base of the new post office! The celebration lasted for most of the day; and by the light of the dying campfire they told of the many useful services Postal Birds have performed in the past. At length we all settled down and went to our beds, Postal Birds taking one of the two aeries in the new post office. I woke the next morning with little hamilton crawling up my chest, for to him it was time to eat. the little tyke had gotten more active of late, but I hadn't noticed since I was so busy all the time! I picked him up and brought him over to our changing station in our chambers in the pyramid of Teeklan and tended to him as his nippled flask of Mammoth milk was warm enough; and once fed, I handed him off to the just wakening Mayday after a hug and kiss for both. I checked with Wen, who was in charge of passing out the assignments today, and found that I had no real duties to perform today; so I went back inside and collected my son, planning on spending some real quality time with him. I tried carrying him outside, but he insisted to hobble there on his own; and I led him out to the Post Office, where Four-Seventeen stretched an birdlike calesthentics. "Good morning, human.", he squawked. "I was just getting ready to establish flight routes and..., Say! Isn't he cute!" "I would like you to meet my son, Hamilton Somala Decker.", I introduced as my son lost balance and squatted to the ground with a grunt. "Sorry, he's just learning to walk..." "What a fine hatchling!", he swooped down to the child's feet. "What? About six months? I'm good at guessing humans' ages!" "I guess so.", I said. "I get so busy these days I lose track!" "So I'll cover the northern sections and you handle the western sections...", Six-Ninty-Nine said as she emerged from the aerie, then saw her mate and the human hatchling down on the ground. "Ooh! Would you look at that cutie!", she flapped down and landed by her mate. I reintroduced my son to her, and after a brief touch of a feather; I picked Hamilton up and headed down toward the river as both Postal Birds flew off to thier previousely appointed rounds. On the way Rex caught up with us, and I let him hold him in his two fingered grasp the rest of the way. Hamilton hugged and nuzzled his massive arm, being so comforted by such a potentially dangerous creature - Rex was sort of his uncle, after all! When we got there we saw Zeeka, one of the many Kirkys, teaching a collection of hatchlings how to hunt for bugs. Rex and I drank as we listened to her instruction; and Hamilton crawled to the waters' edge to try bug hunting on his own. The rest of the morning went just as routinely as I took my son to many areas of the camp. We visited many of the dwellings, and chatted with many of thier occupants before moving on to the next stop. I had Ursula give hamilton a checkup as we passed by her Gypsy wagon. Through her chatting I could see that she was getting on in years as her gait was slower than usual - no wonder she had that rickshaw to get around! Her glazed over eye seemed more prominent, and her other eye seemed to be failing as well; but she got around proudly never the less, insisting she was fine like most elderly creatures have want to do. We bid our leave and made our way back to the pyramid as midday meals were being prepared. As we arrived, two Postal Birds came fluttering into view from the north, and they landed in ragged unison at the foot of the post office. One I knew was Six-Ninty-Nine, but the other was slightly darker and sported aviation goggles and a blue scarf that seemed way too big for flight. This one hopped about, taking in all the sights before ruffling and settling down to a resting stance. "So, this is it.", this one said. "Not much for decor; but one can't be too choosey when one is roughing it!" "Oh, they did the best they could, Seven-Eleven!", Six-Ninty-Nine scolded. "No need to insult them right off!" "I suppose you're right.", Seven-Eleven gave in. "They did the best they could,... for carnivores!", the last part he whispered! "Pleased to meet you.", I said, hiking Hamilton onto my shoulder. "My name is Stinger. Welcome to the Rainy Basin." "Pleasure...", Seven-Eleven squawked. "Are you in charge here?" "Why no.", I said as Hamilton gurgled. "King Thundertail runs things. I'm sort of leader of the humans here, though..." "I see.", Seven-Eleven sniffed. "Well, I'd say you've done an exceptional job here. This facility should prove a grand addition to the Postal Guild - provided things remain civil around here..." "Please! It does no good to insult them!", Six-Ninty-Nine warned. "There's no telling what they'll do if they're angered!" "Oh, please don't worry, ma'am!", I told her. "We realise that most folks around here think carnivores are less than desirable. It is no insult if he thinks thusly. Perhaps all that needs to be done is to stay and observe what we do, and soon he'll see we're nice like everyone else!" "I don't intend to stay that long.", Seven-Eleven fluttered. "I see that all is ready, and I must soon be off. My duty is to lead more Postal Birds here, and update our maps and flight patterns to include stops here.", he turned to me and said confidentially. "Truth be told, all of you did a smashing job here. You will be commended by the Postal Guild for this!", he swooped off and headed back the way he came. "Er! Wait for me!", Six-Ninty-Nine screeched and took wing, seesawing after him. "Silly birds! Right Hammy?", I said to him as I turned and walked into the pyramid entrance. Hamilton gurgled as he waved after the Postal Birds. Later on in the day Four-Seventeen returned with another Postal Bird from Canyon City named Two-Forty-One. She commented that she liked the place, in a rustic kind of way; but said that the new post office would be quite beneficial to the guild. She scanned the whole area by air, landed again to collect Four-Seventeen and they both took off the way thay came. An hour later Six-Ninty-Nine returned with a Postal Bird from bent Root named Four-Seventy. She praised the place after great scrutiny of the inside of the post office, then took off north back the way she had come with Six-Ninty-Nine in tow. In thier absence I snuck a look in the aeries through the back entrances. The two cubic foot spaces were done up like an apartment with all the amenities considered necesary for Postal Birds. Each had two nests for beds, trays for food and water, commode facilities and even paintings on the walls! Those lucky birds had all they could ever want for comfort in there! By nightfall both our Postal Birds returned tired and hungry, and decided to turn in for the night. Life went on for a few days as the Postal birds flew off to other destinations, bringing back other birds to see the post office. On one of those days I was absent because I was assigned to lead another hunting party. We soon explained to our children about the importance of the Postal Birds, and never to play with them because they might hurt them in play. Next I drew Copro duty, harrowing the farthest field and catalogueing a dozen scrolls; along with many more mundane domestic activities in the mean time. One of my favorite tasks I got was to spend a little more time with my son, Hamilton! We finally got around to examining the material Zippeau gave us to teach our young ones. The ackedemic stuff was pretty basic, bordering on what would be considered high school grade. The volumes contained many details that would definitely be added to our cirriculum, and would prove quite useful to our students. The tomes of stories and histories included in Zippeau's package were most entertaining to me, and would prove likewise for our children. After looking over all this material, we had some of the Kirkys begin copying it all; providing it didn't interfere with the reproduction of our Archaeological notes for the high council! At the end of over a week the Postal Birds had us all gather at the base of the post office. They both looked haggared and tired, Six-Ninty-Nine looking even more so. However thier demeanor was cheery despite what they had gathered us together for. Four-Seventeen cleared his throat and squawked loudly to get our attention before speaking. "Members of clan Thundertail and citizens of the Rainy Basin.", he called loudly. "It has been a grand pleasure to have been among you at this time. Word from the Postal Guild states that this facility is now a fully functional post office, and will see much use over the years to come." "We have had a wonderful time being among you, and we will miss you all,...Ooh!...", Six-Ninty-Nine hitched. "Since we have been here you have shown us nothing but unsurpassed hospitality,... Uhhh!... And you are truely creatures of outstanding merit...", she frowned then looked at us. "Therefore it is with great regret that we must bid you adeau.", Four-Seventeen continued, looking sidelong at his mate. "There will be many Postal Birds using this roost, and over time we may return for visits - hopefully not entirely of the official kind!" "Therefore we bid you goodbye,... Awk!... And we... AwwwK!!", she hitched again, grasping her middle. "Uh..., something's wrong...!" "What is it, dear?", Four-Seventeen asked, grasping her back. "Are you sick?" "Nnnn..., I don't know...OWWW!", she squawked. "I think... I think...AWK!!!", she bent over, nearly flopping on the pedistal. "My EGGS!...Ooooh!... I think..., I'm ready..., to lay them...!" "You mean now?", he said dumbly. "So soon?!" "YESSS!...Aaarrgh!", she bellowed. Selma saw this and squawked alarmedly. "Yes! Go get Ursula - and hurry!", I told her. She and several others ran to get her. "Now rest...", Four-Seventeen told the panting Six-Ninty-Nine, stroking her nearly unconcious form before him. "We should get her to bed...", I said as I gently lifted her. One of the veloceraptors scurried around back and opened the rear door of the lower aerie. I rushed after her and reached to gently place the Postal Bird on one of the nests inside, and her head lolled as my fingers let her go. Four-Seventeen hopped into the front entrance and rushed to his mate's side, stroking her panting beak with a feathered wing. Another hitch and she woke up moaning, and just about then Ursula's rickshaw rolled into the area. Mayday lifted her to the front entrance with her bag and took a peek inside. "Ok, ok! Give a person room!", Ursula told us. "Birdie-boy, scat! You too, Stinger!", she turned to examine the Postal Bird. "Will she be all right?", Four-Seventeen hovered. "Oh! Please say yes!" "I delivered hundreds of hatchlings in my day. If I can't handle this, it can't be done!", Ursula turned to him. "I thought I told you to scram!... Get!!" "Come on, Four-Seventeen.", I said, gently grasping him and drawing him out of the aerie through the back door. "Birthing hatchlings is womens' work." "I MUST stay!", he protested as I held him fast. "What if something goes wrong?" "Just relax! She's in capable hands.", I physically drew him out of the aerie and took him into the pyramid as he protested. "Say, you ever been in here?" "No, but I heard stories...", he began. "Good! Then I'll give you a little tour!", I said cheerily as I briskly walked him deeper down the corridors. Four-Seventeen didn't like being carried like that, but his worriedness about his mate soon melted in the fascination of all the glyphs and other sights he saw along the way. I sensed this and loosened my grip so he could perch on my shoulder. I soon turned into a portal and entered my quarters, which was empty save for mine and Mayday's belongings, along with the necesities for raising Hamilton. I placed him onto our bedframe as I rummaged around for what I came there for. He just hopped around on the railing, glancing at the decor'. "You know, I never thought one could actually live in a temple.", Four-Seventeen commented. "Everything is so marvelous!" "The kirkys did a great job fixing up the place.", I said offhandedly. "I can't wait until they fix up the other areas so we can live there...", I found what I was looking for. "You know, you people are just about the best on the island.", he said as I returned to him. "I would never know what to do if you weren't here helping with my mate!" "Aw! We'd do that for anyone!", I joked as I sat on the bed, flask of Tyranosaur Breath and glass in my hands. "And now I think it's time for a little celebration! A toast to commemerate your new family, and to congratulate the new father!", I poured a portion for myself and offered the filled cap to him. "Cheers!" "What is it?", Four-Seventeen asked. "Is it anything alchoholic?" "Just a little bracer.", I said, miming to toast. "It should relax you." "Well,... I could use a little of that!", he sniffed the concoction and recoiled. "Mercy!" "To your health, and that of your family!", I saluted with the glass and sipped. He dipped his bill, sputtered and squawked. "Ooohh! How terrible!", he took another dip. "What's this stuff called?" "Tyranosaur Breath.", I told him. "Bottoms up!" He sipped too. "Horrible stuff! ...Bet I have tyranosaur breath now!", he hitched. "You know, I was just thinking something..." "What's that?", I asked, filling the cap again. "I'm going to be a father!", Four-Seventeen announced. "Isn't that just glorious?", he dipped his bill again. "Fatherhood is a wonderful thing!", I raised my glass, and we both sipped. "I felt the same way when my son Hamilton was born." "Ain't it the truth!", he staggered a bit. "Say, what are you supposed to do as a daddy? It's my first time.", he sipped once more. "Well, the first thing is to stay calm.", I told him. "Folks have been having children since the beginning of time. Nearly everything has been thought of, and all you need to do is ask..." "Oh good! I was so worried...", Four-Seventeen staggered off the bedrail and onto the bed. He was asleep before he landed! I looked at the tiny, prone form laying there; then I looked at my glass. I shook my head and rose to gently lift the limp bird, trying not to jostle and injure his flailing head, and proceeded out of the pyramid of Teeklan. I reached the Post Office, climbed the ladder behind it and opened the door to the upper aerie. I reached in and gently laid him in one of the two nests there, closing the door gently on my way out. I peeked into the lower aerie, where I saw Ursula still tending to Six-Ninty-Nine. She turned with a start and crept over to me to whisper. "She finished about ten minutes ago. Seven eggs - and so quick!", she glanced up. "How's your patient?" "The bird can't seem to hold his Tyranosaur breath!", I told her. "He should be awake by morning." "How much you give him?", she wanted to know. "Two capfuls - a bird's portion.", I said. "Need a lift home?" "Naw, I think I better stay the night to make sure the both of them are ok.", Ursula said. "These nests look mighty comfy! hee, hee!" "Ok, I guess you'll be all right here.", I said. "Good night, Ursula!" "Later, sweetie.", she rushed up to give me a nuzzle before I closed the door. In the morning Four-Seventeen hitched and woke up slowly, head throbbing. He wiped his face with a wing and jerked awake, not knowing exactly where he was. He sprung out of the nest he was in, and hoped Phestus changed the water in the birdbath! He hopped to the door and stepped out - plunging four feet to the stone pedistal with a thud and a loud squawk! As his vision cleared, he looked around; and it was only then did he begin to finally realize where he was. A moment later he began to remember last night, and the fact that his mate, Six-Ninty-Nine, was in the middle of having her eggs!! "Dear. Where are you?", Four-Seventeen called. He poked his head into the aerie opening next to him. "Hello?" "Shush...!", Ursula whispered as she poked her head out, startling him. "Your mate is still sleeping!" "I must see!", he hopped onto the opening. "Out of my way!", she backed up to let him inside. "Now hush!", Ursula whispered as she stepped back, revealing Six-Ninty-Nine's sleeping form. "Ummm...", he slowly approached her and stroked her sleeping beak; and the touch roused her a little. "Ooh... Mmmmorning... dear...", Six-Ninty-Nine stretched. "What happened?" "My mate, are you better?", Four-Seventeen asked. "What?...", she looked unsure, then recognition hit. "I had my eggs, right?" "Yes! Let's see.", he cooed, helping her turn. "Oh! Look at them!", she saw the seven almost yellow eggs that were a little larger then Robin eggs. "They're so sweet!" "You know what this means?", he croaked. "We're parents!" "I think you're right!", she giggled, giving him an avain hug. As one they looked at Ursula. "Thanks for helping, ma'am." "Oh, Hadro-feathers!", Ursula drawled. "It's nothing at all, really!" "But it is!", Four-Seventeen said. "You do not know what service you have done for the postal guild!", a stricken look crossed his face. "The postal guild!!!... What are we going to do, love?" "You must continue without me.", Six-Ninty-Nine told him weakly. "I must stay until the children are ready to travel!" "I'l stay too...", he said with resolve. "NO! You must do our duty!", she stroked a wing with hers. "You have to do it, love! Don't worry about me!" "She's right.", Ursula added. "We'll take good care of her." "Well,... I guess I must.", he said. "You must tell me your schedule, dear. I'll have to tell the dispatcher at my next stop to rearrange the schedules to cover." "You're right.", Six-Ninty-Nine said, then told him her flight schedule. "My next stop is Bent Root.", Four-Seventeen told her. "I'll tell the dispatcher there!", he swooped out of the aerie, circled the area in front of the post office and came back. "Bye love!", he nuzzled. "See you!", he left for good this time. Four-Seventeen returned many times over the next few days, constantly worrying over his mate and unhatched children. One of the last times he announced that Six-Ninty-Nine had been given indefinite leave in order to tend her hatchlings; and Four-Seventeen got restricted duty to only local flights. Thier superior said that they needed to take care of thier young. Many more Postal Birds visited the aerie on an almost daily basis, and all of us got to know them briefly as thier stays permitted. All in all, the Rainy Basin Post Office was doing a booming business! One day the Kriegers were preparing to leave for Tentpole in the Sky on another trading expedition there. They had packed the usual load of fruits, vegetables, various grains, rock salt and many reams of parchment containing news they rarely get due to thier seclusion from the rest of the island. The frigid climates of the mountains in which the Mammoths and thier Hindu monk Partners lived urged the Kriegers to bring along some winter gear the residents of thier destination had given them thier first trip there. They were all packed and ready to go; however, they were a few days late with this due to helping the rest of us with other things around camp while we were away tending to our negotiations. That was why it was a complete suprise when thundering footfalls could be heard coming in from the southeastern road! With instincts born of thier carniverous ancestry, almost all of the clan scampered for the trees and waited; but the Kriegers and thier company were unaware of this and continued loading thier cart. Presently they too heard the footfalls, but they were too far out in the open to run away in time; so they just stood there helplessly and witnessed the gigantic creatures enter the clansite. They were nearly thirty feet tall, walked on four massive feet and sported heavy, tufty hair all over thier massive bodies. Each had twin tusks more than eight feet long curving back from maws that sported long appendages above them that they waved around like snakes testing for scent. Many were adorned with chain headgear, halters with streamers dyed in a kelidescope of colors or head dresses of gold, silver and jewels. All of them were pulling some kind of cart or other contrivance dragged atop wheeled skids. Humans also rode their necks, or could be seen on carts or on thier backs in boxlike saddles. The Kriegers recognized them instantly, and raised thier arms in the air to bring them down again repeatedly. As the humans riding by nodded at them, the Kriegers placed palms in praying gestures and nodded back at them reverently. We all saw this occuring, and walked out into thier presence. The herd of Mammoths and thier Partners returned the silent greetings the Kriegers gave them, then turned when they saw the rest of us emerging from the forest. "I see you told no lie, Miles Krieger.", the most bejeweled mammoth rumbled in English. "The spohistication of this campsite is most impressive." "My matriarch!", Miles replied. "It is quite a suprise that you chose to come here! We were just on our way to your realm as we speak!" "With the tales you told these past several visits, I just had to travel here and see for myself!", she replied, then turned to Thundertail and the rest of the Tyranosaurs. "I am Buttercup, matriarch of Tentpole of the Sky. This is Sia Kinnerman, my Partner and Sensay Monk leader of Tentpole of the Sky. Which of you noble creatures is one named king Thundertail?" "I am, your eminence.", Thundertail rumbled, and I translated. "No need for explanation, little one!", Buttercup told me. "In my ninty years, I have learned many dialects! What is your name, little one?" "I am Stinger, ma'am.", I said. "Well met; but acquaintence may come later, eh!", she huffed laughter. Buttercup turned her attention to Thundertail. "Now, my king. We have traveled many miles in this heat to witness your fair realm. There is no doubt that you have as many tales to tell as we have for you to hear; but first, may we make a request?" "Anything is yours, my matriarch.", Thundertail replied, bowing. "May we drink from yonder river?", she pointed with her trunk. "This climate makes us parched!" "Of course!", he smiled. "This way, if you please..." Thundertail, with a small group of Tyranosaurs, led the matriarch of Tentpole of the Sky downslope to the river. It wasn't noticed during the brief greeting, but many of the robed monks had discreetly unhitched all the Mammoths and begun to set up a camp. Their wooden dwellings that sat on sledges, called Dogons in thier native Mongolian tongue, were drawn in a circle as they quickly set up thier other tentlike dwellings, called Yurts and Gurs by them, we soon found out. The monks' female counterparts soon emerged from thier dwellings and prepared things for thier husbands' meals. Thier wheeled carts were set in a line, and fodder and other delicaces were rapidly prepared. Down by the river, the shaggy Pachyderms drank, they siphoned up great trunkfuls of water, drinking much and spraying the rest all over themselves and making a miniature rainstorm all around themselves. Soon the group of Mammoths turned and returned to thier group; and three tuskless young ones could be seen among the herd, all nearly the size of a Shetland pony and weighing several hundred pounds each. "Such refreshment!", Buttercup said as she returned. "And such hospitality you show!" "It is the least we can do for our valued allies.", Thundertail told her as Miles Krieger motioned for one of the monks to assist transferring his load of supplies into one of thier wagons. "Would there be any other thing you may need?" "Not at all! Maybe a tour later.", she fondled Thundertail's muzzle with her trunk as she spoke. "Truely you are friends of the highest order. And to think we were too afraid of you to come down from the mountains!" "It is all so wonderful that you are here!", I blurted, finding myself at thier side. "Never in ten thousand years has my species seen your species." "Ah, yes, little one.", Buttercup said. "But is it true that your kind used to kill our kind?" "Yes. Your kind gave us everything our kind needed to survive.", I said. "We looked forward to your arrival. We made everything from your kind. We even worshiped you!" "Worship, you say!", Buttercup chuffed laughter. "That's a twist!", I laughed too. Suddenly my legs were nearly knocked out from under me and I turned. "Well, hello, friend!", It was one of the Mammoth youngsters! "Buorrow! Remember your manners!", Buttercup scolded and Buorrow backed up a pace. "No harm done!", I said as my hand met Buorrow's probing proboscus. "Children will be children!" "Go play somewhere else!", Buttercup said. "Wait! Maybe he would like to meet my son!... Mayday?", I called her. She was inspecting a Dogon while she held little Hamilton. I waved her over. "Hi, Hammy! Want to meet a new friend?", he cooed confusion. "Oh! What a sweet calf!", Buttercup said. "Matriarch Buttercup, please meet my son: Hamilton Somala Decker.", I said as she curled her trunk around the lad. Hamilton nearly melted in the embrace! "A wonderful child. And you are the mother?" "Yes.", Mayday said, unsure of the huge beast before her. "Stinger mate, Hamilton son." "Say Hammy...", I whispered. "This is Buorrow. Want to play with him?" Hamilton turned and faced Buorrow, then waddled over and stumbled into this much smaller pachyderm, who grunted unsurely then trumpeted in joy! The young Mammoth then led my son off with his trunk a short distance to get to know one another. "Ah! Such is youth! But now to business.", she snaked her trunk to her shoulders and drew down her Partner. "Sia has with him a manifest of goods we have brought. If you would, dear?" "Yes, my matriarch!", he bowed to her, then to Thundertail. He drew a scroll from the sleeve of his robe. "We have twenty gallons of Mammoth milk. We have fifty skiens each of wollen thread - dyed blue, red, white and brown. Our females have knitted twenty pairs of leggings, one dozen hats of various design, ten tunics of various sizes, colors and patterns. We have four carpets of various design. Also a special gift fit for your clan." "Don't dawdle! Tell them what it is!", Buttercup scolded. He bowed and continued. "Miles Krieger tells that you have uncovered wonderful things in the World Beneath. We had been entrusted since Tentpole of the Sky was founded to hold several artifacts said to have come from the Ancients. We feel that, for your earnestness and integrity you show toward civilization, those artifacts can safely be returned to the spot where they originated at this time." "Tell them what they are, Sia!", Buttercup told him, threatening with her trunk. "We were entrusted to hold several large Sunstones with magical properties.", he said. "They are of various colors and geodesic shapes; and was rumored to give life to magical creatures in the World Beneath.", he turned and yelled a few words in Mongolian. Many other monks scurried out and bowed at thier Sensay before they scurried to one of thier Dogons. Some banging around was briefly heard before they emerged from it, carrying a long wooden ironclad box of ancient manufacture; and the box looked suspiciously like a coffin to me! They brought it over, looking like they were straining under its' weight; and set it down on the ground before thier matriarch and Master. Sia Kinnerman knealt and bowed at the box, hands clasped in a praying gesture before working the latch. In the mean time the other monks produced goggles with dark lenses and strapped them to thier faces; and one of them handed a pair to Sia, who took that precaution as well. The lid opened under his hand, and a blinding light of rainbow luminescence shone out; staggering everyone back who did not posess the goggles or Amulets of Protection. The carnivores' Amulets of Protection began glowing and scintillating with the same frequency as these Sunstones; and after a moment most of us grew used to the intense light coming from the box. I peered in, shielding my eyes from some of the glow, and saw three very large Sunstones, amber, green and blue. The larger of the three, shaped like a watermelon and seeming to weigh more than twenty pounds, glowed amber and shone with the brightest intensity. The green one resembled a diamond ready to be mounted on a ring, but clearly twice the size of my head. The blue one was slightly smaller than the amber one, but resembled a football in shape with long, pointy ends. All three oscillated with power, and I found all three extremely beautiful! "These stones, entrusted to us, were enshrined in our most holy places.", Sia continued. "The amber Sunstone was guarded in our Buddha shrine. The blue Sunstone was in our Shiva shrine, and the green Sunstone resided in our Ganesha shrine." "What wonderful things!", Thundertail squinted. "I know they will be extremely useful. We are forever in your debt!", he turned away to clear his vision and winked at Buttercup. "Wen? Come here, please.", I called and she shambled over. "What do you make of these?", I asked one of the monks for his goggles, and another offered his to Wen. "Think they could be used in the Strutters?" "I don't know...", Wen looked. "Perhaps! One looks too big, though..." "Let's see...", MacDougal came from behind. "Can I borry thot, laddy?", he asked another monk ansd squinted through the goggles he received. "Th' yeller one looks like the indent in th' pedistal atop th' pyramid!", he looked at me. "Mebbe it go thar!" "May I examine them?", Flit drew near, and was allowed. "Yes! Most definitely! The amber Sunstone goes in the pyramid of Teeklan. It is a power source that runs the Strutter chamber." "What of the others?", I asked. "They definitely belong to Strutters.", Flit said. "Though I am at a loss as to which they go to. See, all control Sunstones for the Strutters were carved differently from one another. One may have two nearly identical Sunstones, and yet have them fit only the Strutter they were made for." "I guess that's a puzzle best saved for later!", I said as Sia closed the box. "Thank you, Flit." "Any time, Stinger.", he said as we returned the goggles to thier owners. "Er,... I have not had the pleasure...?" "Very well.", Buttercup said. "I am Buttercup,matriarch of Tentpole of the Sky; and this is my Partner, Sia Kinnerman, Sensay master of Tentpole of the Sky." "The honor is mine, ma'am and sir!", Flit said. "I am Flit, mobile artificial life construct and Partner to Shetsetskafti, chief scientist to Othgar the Great." "Well met, Flit dear!", Buttercup rumbled. "I feel honored myself, meeting an entity from deep in Dinotopia's past!" "I always feel honored meeting royalty!", Flit said as he bowed his electronic head and backed away. After a brief chuckle at Flit's comment, we all turned our attention to the sight of Buorrow charging back into view with little Hamilton atop him. How my son got up there I didn't know until I saw several Kirky and Veloceraptor hatchlings quickly following after them! They bolted into the monk's encampment and was lost to view for many moments; and when they reemerged, the other two baby Mammoths had joined Buorrow and were chasing the carnivore children with Hamilton riding atop and enjoying every minute of it! This we laughed at vigorously as us adults lifted the heavy crate of Sunstones to be transported to the pyramid. At about this time Miles Krieger came by and told us that our supplies were aboard thier carts and thier cargo was being stored. It was at this time that Thundertail spoke up. "Well ma'am. I see things are well under way.", he announced. "Perhaps you would enjoy a tour of my realm as time permits?" "I would be delighted,", Buttercup said. "But first we all could do with some more water! It's awful, this heat!" "Yes, I would assume so.", Thundertail said. "You must feel just as uncomfortable here as we might visiting your cold and harsh climate." "Quite so, my king!", she said and retreated to the river. During the exchange we had with her, many of her herd were alternately visiting the river and tending to thier other duties as thier tolerance for the climate allowed. Also during this time many of our clan milled about trying to help or attempted otherwise to get to know these strange creatures from the mountains. Thundertail led the matriarch of Tentpole of the Sky toward our gardens, explaining that they were experimenting eating plants as well; of which she nodded as they passed the area. They went into the near by woods to witness the many dwellings there of our clan, then out to the clearing again to see the tents and covered wagons many of the Kirkys still used to some degree. I caught up with them as they started down the path that led to the pyramid of Teeklan. "Yes, we have done a lot with the temples up ahead.", Thundertail was explaining. "The yonder pyramid has been totally refurbished inside, and many small and medium sized clan members now live there." "On our recent diplomatic mission to Waterfall City,", I stepped beside them and said. "They asked us to establish a post office here. It was deemed that thier aerie be established next to the pyramid." "It is now a communication center for the whole Rainy Basin.", Rex said as he walked abreast of his father. "It is also a way station for Postal Birds so they can rest." "What a wonderful idea!", Buttercup said. "That means it is possible to re-establish communication for Tentpole of the sky! You know, we have been keeping our post office in good working order - just for the hope of them returning." "Well, now that's a definite possibility!", I said as we neared the post office. "Maybe Four-Seventeen can send such a message to his superior!" As we stepped up to the entrance to the pyramid and the post office kiosk, muffled activity could be heard inside the makeshift shelter. Around back, Wen emerged from down the Kirky-sized ladder there and grabbed a small wicker basket on the ground. She rushed back up with it and disappeared inside. I took a peek inside and saw Ursula take the basket handed to her and place it in a corner. Around the nest stood Four-Seventeen and Six-Ninty-Nine in a nervous twitter, staring down at thier nest of seven yellowish eggs. Cracks were evident on many of them, and all of them were jiggling slightly. Ursula went over and inspected each with her stethoscope, then backed away. "Any moment now!", she announced. "I can't sit still!", Four-Seventeen chirped to his mate, clutching her wings. "I'm so happy!", Six-Ninty-Nine replied. "What's going on?", Thundertail asked me. "The eggs are hatching!", I said in a whisper. "Shhh!" "Hatchlings?", Buttercup asked. I stepped away to explain. "Two Postal Birds came with the post office to officiate installation and christen the structure.", I told her in a hushed tone. "Six-Ninty-Nine was pregnant, and had her eggs here. They were waiting for them to hatch, and now the day has come!" "How wonderful!", she grunted. "I should congratulate the new parents; but perhaps later, eh?" We all turned away at that moment; but inside the kiosk, a miracle was taking place. The shaking grew more intense in the nest, and cracks in the shells widened. A minute later all the eggs were showing signs of distortion, and finally the one in the middle of the clutch lost a shell fragment! The two parents gasped at this, but Ursula merely smiled from a short distance away. At last enough of that shell was broken enough for a little beak to peek out, and the head soon followed; and following that, this ones' siblings began to do likewise. The first one began to chirrup, and so did the rest; and as one they staggered out of thier eggs. Both Postal Birds gently began removing the broken shells, handing them back to Ursula who placed them into the basket behind her. "Amazing!", Six-Ninty-Nine said fondly, stroking the whole brood with a feather. "My little ones..." "For once in my life, I'm speechless!", there were tears coming from Four-Seventeen's eyes. "Congrats! The both of you!", Ursula said, lifting the basket out the back door. "What are you going to do with those shells?", Six-Ninty-Nine asked. "We'll take care of that. Don't worry about it!", Ursula shrugged. "What're you gonna name them?" "Well, the Postal guild has authorized us to use designations beginning at one-thousand.", he smiled. "They will be named One-Thousand-One through One-Thousand-Seven!" "But which one will be which?", Six-Ninty-Nine asked. "Oh, I don't know!", he sniffed. "We'll figure it out!...", he hugged her as they began cleaning the new chicks. We went and continued the tour for Buttercup, showing her the temple of Orous and describing the cities of Halcyon and Kinan Van. It seems she had heard the legends of such places, and said they both sported huge entrances above ground at one time. I told her of the cave-ins we had found in certain passageways down there, and she had read stories of such; and that perhaps the main entryways were under such landslides. As we reached the boomerang shaped clearing once more, we met a sight strange yet wonderful - and extremely funny besides! It seemed that the Mammoth calfs had found the Kirky Circus, or the other way around; and many of the Kirkys there were instructing the young ones on doing some tricks! They each sported a colorful hat on thier craniums, and were walking about with thier tails being held onto by the others' trunks under the tutelage of many of the Kirkys! I could not help but laugh out loud at these antics as we drew near. "Harold!", I called, still chuckling. "What are you guys doing - corrupting these children?!" "Sorry boss, they were curious.", Harold scampered over to say. He saw the massive form of Buttercup and waved with a cheesy grin. "Er,... we were showing them some of our acts, and they wanted to join in." "Oh, let children be children!", Buttercup said. "What have you shown them so far?" "Thought you'd never ask!", Harold said, then turned to the rest of us watching. "Ladies! Gentilemen and species of all kinds! Allow me to introduce the Meandering Mammoths!..." Amid some applause, the three furry children bowed as a miniature band played a circus tune out of sight. They took ahold of each others' tails and marched around in a loose circle. After a few revolutions, Harold made a hand gesture and the baby Mammoths closed ranks, forming a tight circle with thier bodies as the band played on. They marched in a tight circle for a while, and Harold made another hand gesture. With this the children spun in place, ending up going in the other direction; and marched like this a few more revolutions. Harold raised both hands and the children faced outward in thier circle, rearing up on hind legs and trumpeting as loud as thier lungs would allow. This was followed by a cresendo from the band, and the three Mammoths took thier bows. This was followed by cheering from the grownups, and Harold walked over with his little prodege's following. "That's all we could teach 'em in such a short time.", he explained. "I tell you, they're naturals!" "Yeah, but won't that make them want to run away and join the circus?", I asked. "Well Stinger, you remember the circus ran away and joined YOU guys!", Harold replied. We laughed. "We won't - honest! But it was fun!", Buorrow said. "Yes child, but remember what Ganesha teaches?", Buttercup said. "He says: 'Greatness comes only from humble deeds.'.", Buorrow recited, echoed by the other children. "That's correct! And do you know what I teach?", she asked. "What is that, matriarch?", he asked. "I say when visiting friends, anything goes!", she pulled his hat down to his eyes with her trunk and he laughed. We all joined in with it, and soon the Kirky circus performed many of thier acts. Some of us joined in with the entertaining performances, including me on a few of them! Pretty soon the various meals were being perpared by the women of the monks and many of our clan. Buttercup didn't seem to be too offended as she sat with us munching her fodder in full view of our carniverous meals. She simply said that one had to accept the ways of others; and if that was how her friends eat, then so be it. Fairly soon the meal was over and not long after that many small conversations wafted throughout the camp; and the one Buttercup ended up having with me proved to be most profound and revealing "You seem quite comfortable around our kind, child.", Buttercup stated. _ (To be continued.)
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Post by thundertail on Mar 18, 2012 15:00:05 GMT -5
_ TWENTY-NINE: "Reconcilliation." (Continued) "That is because, in the outside world, creatueres of your general form still exist.", I told her. "In Africa there is the bull elephant, and in India, there is the Indian elephant. The bull elephant is slightly smaller then you, and the Indian elephant is even smaller than that; though not so hairy!" "And you are familiar with them?", she asked. "Yes, but I've only seen and touched them them in zoos - places where they are kept where humans may view them.", I told her. "The ones in zoos are well taken care of. The ones still in the wilds are still subject to the rules of survival." "The ones in the wild are free and the ones in zoos are not?", she tisked. "How barbaric!" "The ones in the wild are subject to being eaten by predators, and the ones in captivity are well protected.", I countered. "They may not be free, but they will survive better than thier wild counterparts." "And what life can there be if one is not free?", Buttercup said. "Then perhaps such places are not thier best intrests after all.", I said, stroking her trunk as she embraced me with it. Just about then a tiny winged figure flapped around the area, spying for a place to land near us. He stopped and turned in midair, found Thundertail in the crowd, but could not land near him. Four-Seventeen flew up again and perched on the tip of Buttercup's left tusk instead. "Pardon me, ma'am.", he squawked, then turned to Thundertail next to me. "King Thundertail! I came to make a joyous announcement! Today the eggs of my mate and I have hatched!", he made a nervous gesture as his applause began, and continued when it ended. "If you wish, you may all come see them!" "We know already, little one!", Buttercup said. "We thought you'd need your privacy." "That was very considerate, ma'am!", he said. "Er... Who are you?" "Postal Bird Four-Seventeen, I would like for you to meet Buttercup, matriarch of Tentpole of the Sky!", I introduced. "Miss Buttercup, please meet Postal Bird Four-Seventeen. Him and his mate, Six-Ninty-Nine are recent visitors to our realm to commemorate the installation of a post office on our land.", I looked at him. "Unfortunately, they were forced to stay longer than intended!" "Oh!... My goodness!...", he hopped off her tusk and bowed profusely at her feet. "I am so sorry! I did not know... I didn't mean to land on your person!" "Not to worry, little one!", Buttercup chuckled. "I haven't been used as a perch since before your great grandfather was hatched!" "Er... I see, your highness.", Four-Seventeen said. "Well then, would anyone like to see my children?" "Perhaps a little later, ok?", Thundertail told him. "But since you're here, we would like to ask you a question and see if it is all right with the Postal Guild." "Yes, go ahead.", Four-Seventeen said. "As you know, Tentpole of the Sky has not had postal service for a good many years.", Buttercup began. "I'd wager it's because our home had been supposed deserted. We would request that our postal service be reinstated. Not to worry, as we have kept your aerie there in pristine condition!" "I see...", the Postal Bird said. "Well, I don't think it would be too much problem to reinstate your service - pending Postal Guild approval, of course! I once read that service was suspended because of your remote location; but from what I had heard, it was suspended because it was too cold there!" "We would be glad to relay any postal messages there, if you wish.", I volunteered. "It would be no problem to include it in our shipments there. Provided my king agrees, that is!" "We'd be glad to.", Thundertail confirmed. "That would be nice. thank you!", Buttercup said. "But first we should see what the Postal Guild has to say. We can always use your offer as an alternate plan!" "A wise course of action, your highness!", Four-Seventeen said, and we all nodded. "So, now that business is over for now, would you care to join us, Four-Seventeen?", I offered as he took to my shoulder. "We are dying to hear what you've named your brood!" "Well, the postal guild has grown so much in number that we are beginning to designate ourselves in the thousands!...", the Postal Bird began. He went on to tell us of all the important messages they had to deliver over the years, and all the dangerous situations they found themselves in. Nearly an hour later, the hoarse Postal bird bid his adeau and flew back to the post office by the pyramid of Teeklan. We watched as the mammoth children pranced and played among our children, little Hamilton finding Buorrow again for another ride. Many adult Mammoths were seen frequenting the river's edge for dips or drinks, our Mosasaur neighbors eyeing the activity from thier side with shining eyes. After that we talked and joked with our guests. The former was met with enthusiasm, but the latter was met with much trepidation because most herbivores do not understand carnivore humor! We were all having such a grand time with our allies from the mountains we barely noticed the light fading from the sky. During that time many bonfires were lit, illuminating the whole group that seemed quite at home with each other. At long last Buttercup rose to her feet and trumpeted for her herd to come to attention. She said something in Mongolian, and the monks and thier families expertly began dismantling thier Yurts and thier Gurs. Thundertail was at a loss at this activity, and begged she tell them what was wrong - had we offended them somehow? "Of course you did not!", Buttercup replied. "You are the most gratious of hosts.", she paused as Sia Kinnerman came by to begin putting on her halter. "It's just that it is a lot easier to travel by night, when it is cooler.", she smiled. "Ooh! I thought we did something wrong!", he mumbled. "Nonsense! You were exceptional!", she clasped his muzzle with her trunk. "Never have we had better allies and partners, friends forever!", she nuzzled, he could have blushed if he could! "Dad? Did you know the Mammoths are leaving?", Rex walked by and said. "I know, son.", he told him as she disengaged. "It's better for them if they travel by night." "Oh, ok. I'll go help them pack.", Rex said. "See you later, matriarch Buttercup." "Same here, child!", Buttercup replied as he left. "A sweet yearling!...", then she looked at him, whispering. "You are doing a wonderful job here - this I will tell the high council. Remember this, king Thundertail: What ever goes on in your realm, you will always have my total support." "Thank you, my matriarch...", Thundertail whispered back as she stepped away to oversee her herd. The whole clansite became a controlled whirlwind of activity as we helped our neighbors from Tentpole of the Sky prepare themselves to leave for home. As we went we bid our goodbyes to every one of our guests. Little Hamilton made his teary bye-bye to Buorrow, and cried as his mother collected him. The Kirkys sang many farewell songs in barbershop quartet style as some of the monks passed around Hindu literature as well as word of How Tentpole of the Sky worked: it was a place of peace and contemplation, where religeons of any type were most welcome. Fairly soon all the carts and Dogons were hitched up and everything was packed upon them, many skins of river water went along with them as it was going to be a thirsty trip home; and when all this was done, we all stood before our friends and looked fondly upon them for the longest time. At last it was Thundertail who spoke next. "Have a safe and pleasant journey back to your home, friends from Tentploe of the Sky!", he called. "Your friendship will be treasured forever!" "Farewell, denizens of clan Thundertail!", Buttercup trumpeted back. "May your realm see nothing but prosperity!" The two groups shouted thier mutual farewells nearly all at once; and at a wink from Buttercup, both she and thundertail roared and trumpeted in unison! They held that note as first the Mannoths joined in, then the Tyranosaurs; and then the whole clan joined in the chorous, and finally the humans present added thier voices! It was a primal call of untiy between species; and for the life of them, nobody knew why they did it! Once the air from this yell subsided, both parties bowed, waved or gestured a slient good byes; and the herd of Mammoths turned for the path that would lead them to their frigid home without a further sound... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 18, 2012 17:33:11 GMT -5
_ THIRTY: "Reprive." Another matter of business that we had to do that I never bothered checking recently was the deal we had with LaSage and her band of cutthroats. It turned out that we ended up being a few days late in bringing them thier supplies too; so we hurriedly prepared a cart the morning after the Mammoths went home and rushed to get to king Adolpho's castle. LaSage would no doubt be angry that we were late, so I volunteered to handle it; and I asked the help of the usual contingency of Veloceraptor guards, and Bross and Leeter to pull the cart so there was no trouble! Deathflower was in a particularly grumpy mood for some reason, and that was why I asked her to come along too! As I drove the cart down the all too familiar trail to LaSage's castle hideout on the coast, Deathflower grumbled and cursed at every misstep and obstacle in our course. Whispered grumblings between Leeter and Bross told me there was something wrong with her other than the gastronomic distress that was common among the clan lately. Slimepool looked at her worriedly as he flanked her, and quickly backed away into his ranks as she glared at her. Finally I couldn't stand it any more and got her attention. "So, what's eating you?", I asked, but she didn't answer for the longest time. "Upset stomach?" "Yes.", Deathflower said simply, but her look told me more. "You been taking Longevus, like Ursula perscribed?", I asked with a sidelong stare. "It's not doing its' job.", she said. "Don't eat so many veggies, then!", I smiled, but she didn't return it. "Hmmmph...", she grunted. "Ok...", I breathed, then spoke so everyoine could hear. "We're close now. Everyone look alert!" "I should not be here.", Deathflower said after a moment. "And why's that?", I asked. "You nervous?" "It's not that!", she nearly roared, then lowered her head slightly. "I mean, it's something else." "Then what is it, for crying out loud!", I asked softly. "You can tell us. We're family! We'll understand, right fellas?", they all nodded. "The thing is,...", she struggled. "The thing is I'm late.", she hung her head. "What do you mean?", I asked. "I think I know.", Leeter said. "My mate was like this before she had our last egg." "You mean you're pregnant?!", I smiled. "That's wonderful!" "Grond doesn't even know.", Deathflower said. "I knew when the time did not come. I dared not tell anyone! I know I shouldn't keep it secret; but I dared not tell and that makes me angry!" "Well, see...", I admitted. "Because you are so cranky lately is why I picked you to help with LaSage's delivery. I had no idea..." "It's ok.", she said. "The time won't come for many months. I will do this duty in the mean time; and LaSage better not pull anything, let me tell you!", this time she smiled evilly! "That's a girl!", I said, then whispered so she could barely hear: "Mommy!" She chuckled at the comment, then the rest of us did as we at last made it to the clearing that surrounded LaSage's castle. As ususal, the Veloceraptors fanned out among the scrub, and the rest of us continued on our way to the main entrance. Bross and Leeter pulled the cart down the path, and the castle turrets came into view; but what told us all that there was something wrong with this was when we noticed the main gate was wide open, and all of LaSage's men were there - armed to the teeth! The Veloceraptor guards saw this too, and quietly snuck up around both sides of us as we continued on. I did not know what Torres had planned; but I knew that whatever it was, we caught her right in the middle of it! As soon as our wagon came into view, the men just inside the castle let out mean human roars; immediately brandishing thier weapons and edging closer to the gate. Soon the all too familiar figure of Quint rushed before them, halting them with swats and namecalling; and even though we were too far away to hear, I bet the namecalling was rather nasty! Several of the men retreated from the rest, off in search of someone or something; and the rest halted as they recognized who we were. As Quint saw it was us, he rushed to the gate to bar our way; then he called to us meanly. "What do you want?", he barked. "Can't you see we're busy!" "We're here to deliver your supplies!", I called from the seat of the cart. "Sorry we're late. Is LaSage around?" "Move it, oaf!", LaSage presently appeared, elbowing Quint out of the way. She walked three paces out of the castle and stopped for all the carnivores. "Ah Stinger! As I live and breathe!", she looked. "And I see you brought company!" "Yeah. We are a little late with your supplies, and thought you'd be angry.", I told her as I jumped from the cart. "My friends thought there might be some trouble because of it.", the Veloceraptors came out of hiding, but stayed where they were. "Actually, you caught us in the middle of something, but supplies are always good!", she said as I approached her. "See, we were wondering why you were late; so we were going to see.", she extended her hand. "We figured you broke the bargain, so we were going to take it out on all your hides." "Oh! You wouldn't like that!", I said as I took her hand. Instead of kissing the hand, I grasped the ruby ring on her middle finger with my teeth and slipped off her finger! She looked at me with dismay, shock and anger in one quick second; but I held a finger up to stay any comment. I reached under my armor, ring still clenched in my teeth, and brought out a tiny leather bag, then fumbled with the knot for a second. I pulled out a ring, silver with a shiny glowing stone; and it was done up in the shape of a clenched saurian fist. It was not the one Ursula used for her crystal ball routine; but one found in Kinan Van in an old jeweler's shop down there. I grasped her hand again and slipped this ring on her finger, putting the ruby one in the pouch and nearly pocketing that before giving that to her as well. The combined looks on her face was well worth the show! "But maybe you'd like this!", I finished. "What's this for?", she looked at it. "Trying to bribe me?" "No. I just thought you might like it.", I said. "Call it a birthday gift." "It ain't my birthday!", she said. "I didn't know when it was.", I shrugged. "I might be early or I might be late, but there's your gift never the less!" "How nice!", LaSage said in mock appreciation. "Say fellas! Nobody told me it was my birthday! Where's my presents?!" "We didn't know either.", Quint said. "Shut up!", she stomped and he backed away, then she looked at me. "They're too stupid to see I was being sarcastic!" "Looks like they're too stupid to know much of anything!", I nearly whispered, then louder. "Yeah, that ring is made of Sunstone. I thought it could be useful." "How?", lasage asked. "Well, if a carnivore tries to eat you, all you got to do is hold it high.", I said. "It'll glow brighter and they'll run away! I know how much you hate them!" "Again, how thoughtful!", she repeated. "WELL? Are you going to unpack that cart, or what?", when none of her men complied, she stormed over, grabbed many of thier swords and swatted them into action! "Move it, idiots!" "Yeah, we had a lot going on recently.", I explained as she returned to my side. I watched the entertainment as her men tried to near the cart, being growled at by Deathflower, Bross and Leeter! "That's why we're a few days late." "Like what?", she asked. "Well, we were formally summoned by the council in Waterfall City.", I said. "They had a lot to tell us, and we had a lot to tell them." "Such as?", LaSage was really interested now! "Well, for one, we petitioned that we will become our very own community.", I told her. "We can do anything we want in the Rainy Basin, and thier laws don't necesaerilly apply." "So, you legally own the Rainy Basin.", she said. "There's nothing they can do about it, either!" "You see, we want to maintain good relations with them: so we agreed to do a few things for them.", I told her. "We now have our own Postal Bird aerie, and we help establish relations with the other carnivores." "Anything about us?", she asked again. "We told them about our little arrangement.", I told her. "They commend us for reaching an agreement with you. They might even make a similar contract with you!" "They wouldn't dare!", LaSage said, primping. "They're too nicey-nice!" "Aw, they're just easy going.", I said. "So, how you guys been doing? Do any marauding lately?" "Oh, same old...", she said, then turned to me. "Say Stinger. You know, with my brains and your brawn, we could really take over Dinotopia! What do you say we form a different contract?" "Oh, get real!", I said, turning. "I'm sure you know that wouldn't work out!" "Why do you say that?", she returned. "You know we both have the same ambitions around here. Only trouble is I'm doing it the right way and you're doing it the wrong way!" "Why do you say that?!", I countered. "You want to run the place with tyranny, and perhaps destroy everything you're trying to get. I want to use justice and fairness, which will preserve everything for generations to come." "How noble! But let's hope you learn your lesson before it's too late.", LaSage looked sternly at me. "Noble people are weak people. Soon you'll find there are no real friends here.", she turned away. "Of course, you being a newcomer here, you don't know this." "You're crazy, LaSage!", I said, dismayed that she said that, but not suprised. "You've been here all your life, and still you don't get how to live here. You think that everyone owes you a living, and that you don't have to work to get what you want out of life. I thought, that when I talk to you, I'm talking to an adult", I really wanted to go to the cart and leave! "But I was wrong! All I'm talking to is a spoiled little child - a brat that can't handle a lick of responsability for her life!" "You know Stinger.", LaSage said. "I don't think you are very much like me at all! You'll never make it big on Dinotopia. You surround yourself with losers and bleeding hearts. Now, unload those supplies and get the heck out of here!", she turned away, then turned back. "Before I send my boys after you!" "That's the best idea you had all day!", I shot back and went to the cart. The Veloceraptor guards drew close to the cart as I climbed aboard it, shoving a stray pirate off the cart and throwing the last two crates of supplies in his general direction. I roughly led Bross and Leeter into a U-turn and whistled for Deathflower to stop harassing the pirates and to come along. I was eyeing LaSage with acid the whole time; and I saw she was doing the same to me. In passing Deathflower roared her mightiest, and sent all the pirates scurrying back into the castle. We were well out of sight before they dared open the castle door once again! Several of the pirates emerged to retrieve the crates of supplies left in thier haste. Quint came out to voice his instructions to them, and LaSage came to stand at his side. "I really hate that man!", she said to no one. "He'll have his day!" "What can we possibly do?", Quint asked. "We can do nothing when he has all those scalys on his side!" "Oh, I think I can think of something!", LaSage smiled. "What do you have in mind?", asked Quint. "Stinger is an honorable man, right?", when no rebuttal came from the large man, she prompted him. "And?!!!" "And what?", he replied. "AND we will come up with a way to discredit him!", she said with clenched teeth. "We got to soil his honor somehow! Get it, dope?" "Yes, but how do we do that?", Quint asked. "First we wait for the perfect opportunity...", she looked away, smiling. "I'm sure any Dinotopian would believe whatever we tell them. Let's start thinking up lies!", she drew him back into the castle. Many miles later, I had calmed down enough to speak. I was so angry at LaSage that even Deathflower tried to cheer me up by making silly Tyranosaur faces as she capered beside the cart! But still I remained silent, not wishing to show that LaSage really ticked me off. We traveled in silence all the way home; but through the silence I began to see that there was a terrible flaw in the way we run things. If all of us are too preoccupied with just one aspect of our society, then the other things that make it up would suffer. We needed a way to delegate the seperate jobs around camp and around our realm; but at present I was still too mad to think this idea through. We were greeted with the usual fanfare as we entered the boomerang shaped clearing that was our clansite, then we presently went to unhitch the cart and let everyone on the mission go thier seperate ways. Rex knew there was something on my mind as he greeted me, and Thundertail knew something was up with me when it was his turn. Neither of them voiced thier concern as we walked and I made my report of how my visit to LaSage's castle went; but they showed great concern as they heard what went on, and from the sound of my voice. When Deathflower confirmed many of the events there, they knew that LaSage upset me more than I would admit to them; but they didn't know that that wasn't the only reason I was upset! I was so much so that I requested a meeting that evening in the bowels of Halcyon, in the ampetheatre where I first encountered Klamath. "Well, Stinger...", Thundertail said as soon as order was achieved in the subterranean hall. "You called this meeting. What's on your mind?" "My friends, sorry for calling this meeting on such short notice.", I said. "But there is a matter that I have just noticed, and it could seriousely effect the way our civilization is run." During this time Flit was performing a diagnostic on Klamath, checking his systems and repairing any tiny malfunction he found. That was why I stood there in regular clothes, feeling naked not having him on my body! Flit tisked and whirred as he worked, and I did the human version of this as I stood looking out on all my peers from ther podium. "As you may have noticed, we were late in delivery of the supplies going to Tentpole of the Sky; and as a result, they had to travel all the way here to collect it. They really didn't mind, save for the heat that they were not used to; but they needn't have had to go through the trouble if we weren't so preoccupied with negotiations of other kinds. The same went with our committment with Torres LaSage. When we got there, they were all ready to go and raid the Rainy Basin; and cause havock all over again!", I saw the concern in my comrades' faces, so I continued. "The problem I see is that we all get so caught up in only one aspect of this civilization, that our previous committments suffer." "We see that, Stinger.", Thundertail said, and many of those present nodded. "What do you think should be done?" "I think it would be wise if we set aside departments specifically for one job or another.", I told them. "Ones for negotiations with the high council, for delivery of goods to LaSage and one for Tentpole of the Sky, one for the Archaeological aspects of the ruins and many more." "That would go well with our negotiation obligations.", Grond put in as quite a few voices of agreement were also heard in the ampetheatere. "But would this work well with more menial aspects of our society?" "yes, I think we should do this for every aspect of our society. From our hunting parties down to Copro collection.", I went on. "We should appoint supervisers for each department, and assign these jobs on a permanent basis, like what most of the governments in the outside world does; and I'm sure the civilization in the rest of Dinotopia does the same." "This would mean completely restructuring the way our society runs on.", Thundertail commented. "Do you really think we should do this?" "Well my king, you have the final say, of course.", I began. "But you must admit, we are becoming larger and larger. We have many more responsabilities now, and a lot more committments to the rest of the Rainy Basin as well as the whole island; and we're becoming larger every moment. We need a more complex form of organization in order to do all this; and examples of governments across history prove that organization as I've described proves this way works." "Very well, then.", Thundertail said after many moments' thought. "But to be fair on this, I would have everyone here vote thier minds on it. Opposed?", only a handful voted negative with hands, claws or what served. "Approved?", nearly all the rest raised thier arms, and only a few, which were mostly young ones, did not vote at all. "Does this mean I got to pull the Copro cart all the time?", Pincushion, who voted positive, blurted; and sent chuckles throughout the ampetheatre. "No...", Thundertail chuckled. "That may not be so! However, there will be the matter of assigning who gets what. I suggest we discuss this at this time. Stinger, it was your suggestion. Do you have any ideas on these assignments?" "Well, for one, since you are the king; you should oversee all aspects of the government.", I said. "All species leaders should remain species leaders. All members who are on diplomatic assignments should remain at those assignments until they're concluded. For example, since Rex and the rest of us are currently negotiating with the high council, we should remain so. Since our king and his party are currently working on the Pteranodons, they should also continue. The Kriegers have done well with Tentpole in the Sky, and that should continue too." "Sound policies.", Grond commented. "And what of LaSage?", Rex asked. "She is a tricky one, I'll admit;", I said. "But she has to be kept appeased as well. Perhaps I or someone else could handle procurement of supplies to her." "And what of th' other jobs, lad?", MacDougal asked, Flit now at his side. "Well, I think all of us should get the jobs we're best at.", I told them all. "You're good at fixing things, and you make a mean hooch!", I got chuckles! "Perhaps you could stick with those two things. Perhaps you could pair up with Flit fixing things and repairing the artifact machines in the World Beneath; find assistants and the like so those jobs go smoother and such. You could also get helpers for making your hooch; and since Ursula has you make medicines, perhaps you could corraborate with her on that." "And speakin' of me, sonny.", Ursula said atop Pincushion's head. "I'm gettin' on in years, see; and I may need apprentices to carry on the traditions. Selma knows all I know now, but the place needs more than one healer." "That's a good idea.", I said. "Maybe you could recruit a few of us so you can teach them." "I know one right off!", Ursula cackled. "Wen was real helpful after Thundertail's diplomatic mission! Plus I been teachin' her all my fortune telling tricks!", she got chuckles. "I'm nothing, really!", Wen commented. The meeting went on like this for just under two hours, discussing back and forth as to who was better qualifyed for each specific job. All of us contributed suggestions as Whitetail took notes on all our ideas. To make it official, Whitetail was appointed clan secretary along with her other matriarchial duties. She would delegate all jobs and all departments, officiate at all nonconflicting negotiations and organize any other special events. Her mate, Mosquito, was assigned to the hunting party escorts, the camp guards and any other security the clan would need. He assigned Ripper and Snapper to guard delegates and to be the head of our honor guard. Snapdragon was assigned to co-lead the hunting parties, Slimepool was in charge of the camp guards and Pondscum was to co-lead the other security assignments. The rest of the Veloceraptors, both male and female, were doled out to these three security areas as seen fit; which was above and beyond thier domestic duties. Many others in the clan got comparable duties in things they were good at. The Sereno family was in charge of all agricultural endeavors sround camp, delegating the seperate chores among many of the clan members, including the four other human families recently added to the clan and thier Partners. The Taylors, the Merryweathers, the Packards and the Davis's were all farmers in thier own right; and the fifteen extra humans and their seven saurian Partners would make a great workforce in that area. The Kirkys had three major tasks around camp; and they were already doing it anyway, so there was no need to change thier assignments. The community sure needed the cleanup tasks, thier Archaeological skills and the entertainment they provide! Near the end of the meeting, and as all the clans' new assignments began to dwindle; the clan's attention once again turned to me; but it was not of my accord that they looked at me. Thundertail was looking at me, deep in thought; and it was many moments before he looked up to me and spoke. "So, we have all decided what everyone is to do.", Thundertail rumbled. "There is only one person left, and it is you!", he grinned with all his teeth. "Fly With a Stinger, for what assignment will we place YOU into?" "Wherever you put me, I will go.", I told him. "Stinger, my most important human. You are so good at making suggestions. Good suggestions that has helped this community in so many ways and so many times. What better task than to continue to do so?", Thundertail told me. "I say that you should be clan adviser, and privy to all aspects of the clan!" "My king!", I said. "Does not Grond advise enough?" "Stinger, it is often wise to have more than one adviser!", he grinned. "It is well to have as many points of view as one can so one can make as wise a decision as possible! You can be Grond's second, if you wish." "As you command, my king.", I said. Not long after that the meeting began to break up, and many of the clan members gathered around thier new task leaders to see what thier specific jobs would be. As the day wore on we made it out of Halcyon and out to do our daily chores around camp. I was near the pyramid of Teeklan, showing my son the new hatchling Postal Birds and leading him on as he tried to walk when ursula came by in her little rickshaw, being pulled back home by Moe Kirky; shouting to him to stop. Little Hamilton reached and grasped her in a hug before she could say what she stopped to say. "Hi sweetie!", she stroked the boy's hair, then looked at me. "Well, Stinger! How do you like that?", she winked with her bad eye. "You're practically king of the Rainy Basin!" "I know.", I said, then paused a moment in thought. "Ursula. Remember the time you read my fortune?" "Now how could I remember that?", she said. "I'm so old I barely remember from day to day!" "Well, you said that I would one day have the power or Klamath in my hand, wielding the might of the Tyranosaurs.", I said, then recanted. "Or words to that effect." "How did you remember that?", Ursula asked. "Well, I just wanted you to know...", I bent to hug her. "It came true!", I pulled away, smiling at her. "I swear you're a true psychic!" "And you are a true psychotic!", she pushed me away. "Now leave me go!", she laughingly retreated to her rickshaw. "Move it, Moe!", they trundled out of sight. So at length the day ended, and we all went to our dinner. Still many of the clan members were talking about thier new assignments as they ate. There was no need to say that pretty soon things were going to be run a lot different around here! At length we ate and witnessed the Kirky's new act they had practiced for and presently went to our beds and nests for the night. In the morning things started out they way they normally do; and many of the clan members began thier new assignments, but a few were still unsure as it was only thier first full day at them. The morning did not continue to be normal as pretty soon a darkness fell over the boomerang shaped clearing. We all looked up and saw six Pteranodons circling above, in search of a place to land. Thundertail reminded us that thier leader, Strafewing, said that they would return to continue negotiations as soon as thier 'stolen' eggs were hatched. We could think nothing other than those eggs had indeed hatched, and today was the day to resume negotiations with them. I had to remind myself that I had to accompany my king and to tell Strafewing the truth about thier previous encounters! As a few clan members scurried out of the way to make room for these creatures to land, four of them swooped down and formed a small area on the ground; and the fifth landed a second later with the sixth landing a few paces before Thundertail. This one had a large pine bough clamped in his beak, and dropped it on the ground before him. Talon said that this was a gesture of a peaceful meeting, and the receiver was to grasp the branch and pull it toward him; so Thundertail did as instructed and looked directly into the shining eyes of Strafewing. "Greetings, noble hunters.", Strafewing crowed. "As I said less than a month ago, I have returned to discuss a treaty with your clan." "Welcome, great flyer.", Thundertail returned. "You are most welcome in this clan." "Thank you, king Thundertail. And much has happened since we last met!", Strafewing crowed. "Too true! And I assume your eggs hatched satisfactorilly...", Thundertail said. "Oh, yes! And more survived than usually do!", Strafewing would have smiled if his beak would let him. "Usually, less then two thirds survive. This brood only a small clawfull perished!" "Maybe the extra jostling of being stolen helped!", Thundertail offered, which made Strafewing crow laughter. "Maybe so, my friend! Maybe so!", he chortled some more, and so did Thundertail. "But more has happened than just that." "What was that, my friend?", asked Thundertail. "We have been using your philosophy of joining other species for the good of all.", Strafewing told him. "There was a local pack of Veloceraptors we had put into service. We made a small truce, where they would help us scout for game, and we would both share the food. Both Floptail and I agreed that both hunts were more successful than what any group of could do!" "That is just wonderful, friend!", Thundertail said. "And we have you to thank for the wisdom!", he cooed as he looked at me at last. "And now I believe there is an introduction to be made! I don't think I've met this human!" "Hello, sir.", I said, bowing as I stepped forward. "My name is Stinger." "Greetings, human named Stinger.", Strafewing bowed as well. "My name is Strafewing, aerial ruler of the Rainy Basin.", he stepped back. "You wear skin like the other human." "They are the armor of Othgar, ancient devices of Dinotopian lore.", I said. "My king Thundertail has told me a lot about you and his negotiations with you." "Yes, and his assistance in finding our eggs were most helpful!", Strafewing said, but didn't know our facial expressions to see our guilt. "Without that, this negotiation would not have taken place!" "Actually...", Thundertail almost said. "What was that, noble king?", Strafewing asked him. "Strafewing, noble flyer.", I stepped in, choosing my words carefully. "Allow me to tell you a story. A story from long ago about a battle fought without a fight." "Please go on.", the Pteranodon was confused. "It is about a battle fought by the armor of Othgar; so I think it is best if he tells you.", I said, and Klamath's mask formed over my face. "More than nine hundred years ago,", Klamath began, eyes glowing green with each syllable. "We were on a campaign to hold a settlement. In this settlement was items considered valuable to us. We dared not come and destroy the settlement for fear of destroying those items. We had human allies, and had them come to attack the settlement. We came in and dispatched these raiders, and won friendship with the people of the village; and as a reward we won the items we sought. Of course this rescue was a ruse, and no real harm was done as all we wanted was those items. Unfortunately, the ruse was found out, and our kind lost face with the people of Dinotopia; and this contributed to our downfall." "I still don't understand.", Strafewing said. "What it means is we were the ones that took your eggs.", Thundertail admitted, head hung low. "The Kirkys that took the eggs are full members of our clan." "See, the other human made up a plan to compell you to talk about a treaty.", I explained. "Based on this story, they had the Kirkys take the eggs; and then Thundertail and the rest would help you find the eggs. You would be so grateful that you would gladly talk about a treaty." "Yeah, boss!", Harold said at my feet. We all looked down at him. "And if I knew they were going to do it, I would have never let them!", he shuffled and looked back. "Sorry sir. My name's Harold Kirky, leader of the Kirkys. I'm really sorry the whole thing happened, honest!" "After I heard of this, I strongly told them that this could be a disaster.", I said. "Once you found out, you would be extremely angry!" "Again, I am extremely sorry to have put your flock through this.", Thundertail said, not having the courage to look Strafewing in the eye. "I should have never listened to that human!..." "Oh, do not fret, king Thundertail.", Strafewing told the grieving Tyranosaur. "That human sought advantage out of his devious plan, and it worked to some degree. You know there is an old saying that goes: 'Fair is an advantage to those who posess it.'. Your human saw that this would work, and he bested us! It taught us the lesson that everyone needs help every once in a while, and pride in oneself can lead to disaster." "And it teaches us that honesty is the best policy!", I said. "Right, my king?" "Absolutely.", Thundertail replied, and we all chuckled. "So, because we deceived you, ask us anything and we will do it." "Perhaps just one thing.", Strafewing said. "What is it?", Thundertail asked. "NEVER do that to us again!", he said, then went back to his cheerier mood. "Now, let us get to our treaty..." "And perhaps later you wouldn't mind having a little tour of our encampment.", I offered. "We would be delighted, human!", Strafewing said, then turned to Thundertail to get down to some serious negotiation... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 21, 2012 18:19:37 GMT -5
_ THIRTY-ONE: "Diplomat Thundertail." The negotiations with the Pteranodons went very smoothly from there. Strafewing would rule the sky and warn us of any dangers and prey, and we would protect from the ground. Neither side would bother the other while hunting, and would share any mutual kills. With all that going on, we nearly missed our promised time to visit Waterfall City again; and it was Thundertail's first time there. The poor beast was more nervous of going than Rex was the first time! Plus the fact that Postal Bird Six-Ninty-Nine's hatchlings were finally old enough to travel; and thier whole family would be coming with us once Four-Seventeen returned with Waterfall Citys' reply. So we got ready to leave, and we hoped they would accept our counter proposal. The things that Rex wore to Waterfall City the first time was adjustable, so Thundertail had no problem fitting into them - if only he didn't fidgit so - and we took the usual contingent with us. I went, but Mayday stayed behind; as did Harold, Sauron and Chillet. Flatbottom, the new Triceratops in our midst that was a Partner to the Taylors, volunteered to pull the Sereno's cart that we chose to use. Thier cart was slightly bigger than the copro cart, and the canvassed cover that we put back on would hide our food and supplies from sensitive eyes. Ripper and Snapper were also told to go, and Whitetail as well; and for a treat, I decided that Flit, in his armor named Proboke, could come along as well. I was sure that he could explain the goings on in the World Beneath better than the rest! We set out early that morning, and take the southwesterly road; and since the rainy season had ended many weeks ago, the going was much smoother. All along the way I coached Thundertail on the speeches he had planned to tell the council, the proper way to speak to them and what to expect in thier midst. By nightfall we had come all the way to the edge of the Rainy Basin, and then on to the outskirts of Horsetail Grove. In the morning we entered the town, and found them expecting us; and this time they were somewhat glad to see us! The leader of Bent Root, an aged woman of African descent with green, red and gold toga, told us that the high council told them to treat us with all the dignity and respect deserving of revered diplomats; which we were, in essence! They gave a grand tour of the town and a grand if meatless feast before we informed them we had to be on our way. The going was extrordinarilly smooth from then on, and fairly soon the pearly spires and rustic roofs of Waterfall city could be glimpsed through the trees in the distance. Word of our impending arrival had preceeded us, and the road to the Rainbow Bridge was lined with people and dinosaurs for miles; cheering and calling our praises, waving and clapping our timely return. At the foot of the bridge, an honor guard of fifty saurian guards waited for us; and as we began passing them they saluted in a wave; first crossing and then uncrossing thier spears and bowing in our wake. Mayor Waldo Seville and Rosemary Seville waited for us on the other side, and each placed a palm on Thundertail's muzzle before shaking all of our hands or forelimbs. They both stepped back, and the mayor spoke as he bowed. "Greetings, distinguished delegates of the Rainy Basin!", he postulated. "And a most hearty welcome, king Thundertail; for the privelage of us meeting face to face. I am sure that I speak for us all when I say this fair city is at your disposal!", a well of cheering erupted, seeming to come from every voice in Waterfall City! "Thank you one and all!", I translated for Thundertail after the crowd was silenced by his roaring reply. "I feel privelaged myself to witness your spectacular city. May this visit mark the beginning of many more!" "Dear, would it be prudent to exchange proper greeting?", Rosemary asked as soon as the cheering for Thundertail quieted down enough to be heard. "Absolutely!", Waldo said, acknowledging her and turning to us. "Revered delegates of the Rainy Basin, may I introduce my wife, Rosemary Seville; and myself, mayor Waldo Seville. We are totally at your service for your stay here!" "It is an honor to make your acquaintence.", I translated for Thundertail, then introduced everyone. "Here is Whitetail, Snapper and Ripper; whom you've met our last pilgrimage to your fair city. Our pullers' name is Flatbottom, a new addition to our clan. And this is Flit, wearing Proboke, armor of Othgar. Flit was found deep in the World Beneath, and is an artificial life construct.", I said. "And lastly, I am Stinger, speaker and translator for this group." "Excuse me.", the mayor said. "An artificial life construct, you say? I don't follow you." "Yes, sir.", Flit spoke for himself in his tinny voice. "I was constructed over ten thousand years ago, and I am the Partner to Shetsetskafti, chief scientist and engineer to Othgar the Great." "You are a machine?", Rosemary asked. "Of course.", Flit turned to Thundertail and I. "May I show them?" "Perhaps later.", I told him after consulting with my king. I turned to mayor Seville and told him in a near whisper. "It might cause a scene!" "I see. Perhaps later then?", he replied. "Oh, dear. The council is waiting...", Rosemary reminded him. "Yes, yes! Indeed!", Waldo flustered. "Perhaps we could dispense with further formalities if you wish. We have a lot of business to discuss!", the saurian guards by then had formed a cordon down the lane that led to Rosey Morning Promenade. "If you would follow us...", he led the way. Nearly an hour later we crossed the bridge that went across the Pleseosaur Canal. Much of this time was spent pausing either to greet this or that town official or for the saurian guards to perform crowd control. It seemed to me that the citizens of waterfall City were much more ready to accept us this time around; but I simply told king Thundertail that it was all in his honor! Pretty soon we reached the steps of the council chamber building, and Flatbottom was unhitched to be replaced by a Lambeosaur in the crowd who volunteered to house the cart near by. After that we all paced regally up the steps in the mayor's wake. In the reception hall beyond, many delegates had gathered, awaiting the start of this morning's meeting; and all bowed as they allowed room for us to pass, many of them showing little to no fear of us. Rosemary halted us by the door to the courtroom proper, suggesting that we may wish to mingle with the other delegates first. We saw no problem with that, and waited there for many moments as a mere handful actually wished to come up and do so. In the mean time many of the other various human and saurian delegates and thier aides entered the courtroom in groups and by ones and twos. Fairly soon after that the recption hall turned empty as the mayor at last wafted through a side door that would no doubt lead to his podium in the courtroom; and it was only then that Rosemary bowed as she escorted us in there as well. As Rosemary Seville led us down the center aisle and took her seat on the courtroom floor, we also took our usual spots in front of the table at the end. Thundertail eyed the delegates sitting there as well as the saurian delegates in thier booths in the upper tier. Flatbottom shuffled his Triceratops feet on the polished marble floor, nervous for his first time in such a revered place. Flit simply stood there as he took it all in, and Whitetail shuffled papers around in preparation for our presentation as her sons silently waved at the impassive court guards as they stood by thier sides. Presently mayor Waldo Seville emerged behind his ship's bow podium and cleared his throat before speaking. "Ladies and gentilebeings of the court of Dinotopia.", Waldo announced regally. "It is my pleasure to introduce to you king Thundertail, leader of the Rrainy Basin; and his company!", the crowd on the floor came forth with peals of polite applaud, and the saurians in the upper tier hooted and called thier congratulations as well. "My friends, it would do well if you would dispense with such adulation.", the mayor said, raising his hands to silence them all. "We have a lot to accomplish in this session, and very little time in which to do it.", he became satisfyed at the relative silence. "Now then, it would seem king Thundertail has brought a few new faces to our court. The floor recognizes thier speaker and translator, Stinger..." "Thank you, honored mayor.", I said as I stood. "I am sure I speak for my whole group when I say what an honor it is to once again be among you. Truely it has been too long!", I looked back at my group. "I am sure you all remember my aid and friend Whitetail, and her two sons, Ripper and Snapper.", they waved. "I would like to introduce one of the newest members of our clan, Flatbottom Triceratops; a strong worker and great friend.", he merely nodded his frilled head. "Now, I'm sure you have noticed another of the armor of Othgar among us. This one is named Pobroke, and the entity named Flit now occupies him. Flit is an artificial life construct, created by Shetsetskafti, master scientist and engineer for Othgar the Great.", Flit stepped forward at the sound of his name, taking his armor with him. "What is an artificial life construct?", a Chasmosaur delegate asked from an upper tier. "I suppose it is easier if you are shown.", I said, then cautioned. "Now Flit looks like nothing natural. He looks like a walking octopus, for lack of better description...", some chuckles. "Flit, if you would?" "Yes, Stinger.", Flit said, and began unfurling Pobroke from hiself. The blue armor retracted, revealing a spindly, silvery form; multi-jointed appendages began to unroll as Flit stepped out on his twin spadelike lower appendages. The whole courtroom gasped, including the mayor; and many who were seated near by cringed at the sight. Flit stepped in front of the table and bowed his metallic head at mayor Waldo before doing likewise to the rest of the court. However, seeing the court's trepidation at his appearance, he made voice to quickly apologise. "Er..., sorry for the way I look; but I assure you this form was designed for peak efficiency in the manipulation of machinery.", Flit told them. "I realize my appearance could be a bit alarming!..." "Nonsense, Flit!", Waldo said. "You are a most unique entity!" "Thank you, honored sir.", Flit replied as someone on the main floor rose from his seat. "Your honor, permission to come forward?", Zippeau Stenoychosaurus requested. "I would like to examine this device more closely." "But you are not of the scientific guild!", Waldo said. "Please sit down!" "Oh sir!", Flit said. "He may examine me, if he wishes. I find it quite a change that someone is actually curious about little old me!", nervous chuckles rose around Zippeau. "Very well, Zippeau.", Waldo eventually gave in. "But please make your examination over by the side aisle.", he pointed to the left, where an absent Brach delegate should have stood. Nodding, Zippeau gradually made his way to the indicated spot; excusing hiself as he passed in front of other delegates along the way. Flit went back to his armor and got inside it before skirting around the seating to the very same spot. The others in the room shuffled and murmured while this procedure was taking place. The mayor waited for them to get to the spot before he tapped his gavel to shush the room back into order. "Now then, shall we proceed?", he said, then looked at his notes. "Now, king Thundertail. I assume you have a counter offer to present us to the effect with our proposal given at our last meeting..." "Yes, your honor.", Thundertail said through me. "We have dissent on a few of your proposal points that need discussion." "And what are those?", he asked. "Point one is the stipulation that we must have advisors present during our Archaeological endeavors.", I translated. "We feel that our Kirky cohorts are competent enough to make professional judgements on the things we unearth; and such advisors dispatched thusly would not be necesary.", he rumbled again, so I spoke. "However, we would welcome guided expeditions into such places, and offer copies of all our findings to your Archaeological guild." "Of course we would need to vote on this proposal, but in my opinion that would be a sound compromise.", mayor Seville said, glancing over. "Things such as mister Flit here are quite amazing indeed!" I looked over to where Flit and Zippeau were quietly conversing. As Flit began telling Zippeau allabout himself, Zippeau was silently examining every aspect of the metallic creature before him. He'd prod at a metal body part as Flit articulated it for him: tenticles twirled and pincers opened and closed as the Stenoychosaur's gaspings. The smile on the dinosaur's face spoke that he was in the bliss of discovery! "I knew those two would get along!", I commented and more chuckles were heard! "Now, there are a few more points that should be discussed; and also we have more services to offer.", I continued at Thundertal's direction. "Such as?", Waldo asked. "It is well known to us that travel through the Rainy Basin is a most dangerous proposal for you.", I began. "I hear you must provision armored transport and guards to protect your convoys on the trip. The proposal we suggest is that you let us provide the protection you need on your journeys through. We have been discussing this proposal, and had decided to provide this service as a token of our goodwill. Now, we are still in the middle of organizing details concerning it; but we have agreed as to the name of the guards.", I looked to Thundertail and he nodded. "We will call this group of convoy guards the 'Rainy Basin Rangers'; and thier services will be to help guard your convoys and provide other needed services to those traveling the roads in the Rainy Basin." "A sound endeavor.", Waldo said. "We have often dreamed of travel through that region free of danger! I think we can gladly accept that service with little debate!" "Thank you. We will not let you down in that respect.", I said, then continued. "We do not feel that full time advisers would be necesary in the development of our culture. We believe it prudent that we allow our culture to develop free of undue outside influence. However, we will continue to have an open mind to new ideas", I told the court. "Such example can be found with our alliance with Tentpole of the Sky; where thier secluded culture welcomes all ways of life, and such is ours." "So you wish your sociopolitical base to grow naturally.", the mayor said. "We encourage the other towns of Dinotopia to live life as they wish to; and so may yours. You may govern yourselves as you choose - we would not restrict you so!" "Again, we thank you.", I said. "On the matter of the 'Retirement Home' idea spoken about at our last meeting. Though we have not as yet built such facilities, some of the newer members are schooled as master builders and planners; and thier insight is most helpful in that project. Flatbottom had told us that he assisted in the restoration of many buildings in towns around Bent Root, and Berty Ankylosaur is a master stonemason, he says. They have decided to utilize the foundations of some of the ruins around the area of our clan and build the facilities out of wood atop them. Once they are built we can begin to plan how to facilitate this endeavor." "Just wonderful!", Waldo said. "As strange as it may seem, word has gotten around concerning this; and more Dinotopians seem to think this is a good idea than I would have guessed. Some believe this would be a much better fate than having to dig massive graves for thier loved ones. I should say you may have quite a few patrons to that facility once it is built!" "Really? I thought most were against the idea.", I said. "But then again, it is the Dinotopian way to give of oneself. Giving ones' own body for the benefit of another it a sign of ultimate sacrifice. You people have a strong moral fiber!" "Thank you, I'm sure.", Waldo said. "Is there any more proposals you have question with?" "Perhaps the section where you would have say if we can activate some of the artifacts we have uncovered.", I translated. "As evident with the presence of Flit here, some of the things we find are most beneficial. Flit contains all the knowledge of his master; and this wisdom lets us know what we have unearthed, what it's purpose is and whether or not it is potentially dangerous.", I turned to my king to silently ask if it was all right to continue. "Now, the matriarch and master of Tentpole of the Sky has deemed that our alliance is so secure that they have given us artifacts that they have been holding since thier citadel was created." "What are they?", Rosemary asked. "They had in thier posession, three large Sunstones of various colors and purposes.", I told them. "Flit has identified each, and told us thier purpose. The largest one belongs in a recepticle at the top of the pyramid of Teeklan, and provides power to areas of the World Beneath. The other two belong in Strutters, but he could not identify exactly which Strutters they belong to as each Sunstone was created exclusively for each specific Strutter. We have as yet to install these Sunstones, but things are being prepared to do this as we speak." "And you plan to do this soon.", Waldo ststed. "Do you realize the danger this may cause?" "Lord mayor, I assure you we will proceed in a careful and well thought out manner.", I said. "Far be it for us to proceed too swiftly and cause havock! Please know that, if anything goes wrong, we will cease activities immediately." "Please see that it does, if you would.", the mayor cleared his throat. "Now, it has been brought to the court's attention that you wish to negotiate trade agreements with many of our fine citizens. Pray tell, what sort of goods do you intend to trade?" "Well, it has been brought to our attention that Dinotopia needs all sorts of plants and herbs used in making medicines and the like; many of which only grow in the Rainy Basin. With identification assistence, we could provide you with said plants. We have also developed our own types of medications for various maladies, and are willing to share those too. We also make an elixer from various grains, and this is added to enhance those medicines too.", I told them. "With previous dealings with our current allies, they have bestowed upon us much of thier wares as well. For example,Tentpole of the Sky has traded with us numerous times thier wares of Mammoth milk, Mammoth wool and products made of said materials. Things like clothing, rugs, hats and the like they make from the wool; and many products like cheese and such can be made from the milk. We have agreed to help them trade these products with the rest of the island as the warm climate around Dinotopia is not to thier liking. This and many more items we can gladly provide, including protective services like that of the 'Rainy Basin Rangers'." "I see.", Waldo said. "Well, I guess details could be worked out between you and the Waterfall City Trade guild, then. If there is no more decisions or comments to be made, then I call this meeting adjourned!" "Bye, Flit.", Zippeau called as they parted company. “You are a most interesting device!", he scrabbled toward his previous seat, sat and looked around; and then saw that the meeting was about to adjourn. "Ooh! Sorry... Did I miss anything?" "I'll fill you in later.", the female Stenoychosaurus whispered. "Thanks, Yarra...", he said and returned his attention to the podium. The gavel fell as Flit stepped to our side, and presently the room began to become vacated; leaving more and more room for us to stand alone. We did not stand alone for long, as presently first Rosemary Seville and then her husband stood at our side. Zippeau and Yarra stayed where they sat as well, looking like they were hoping for further contact with our group. Waddling up the center aisle to stand by us was a really robust Ankylosaur, lavishly jeweled cloak accentuating his ornamented back scutes and polished club; and gloden helmetlike head dress adorned his armored, boxy skull. He bowed his head and waited for the mayor to make his introduction. mayor Waldo Sevill prepared to do so as soon as he noticed the rather large beast. "Ah, Amasaur! You're here!", Waldo said, approaching the creature and placing a palm on his snout. "Now we can continue..." "I at your service!", Almasaur rumbled in English, and I smiled! "Friends from the Rainy Basin, this is Almasaur Ankylosaur.", Waldo introduced. "He is my childhood friend, and will be your guide today! He is one of our finest diplomats and negotiators. I'm sure you will soon be fast friends!" "I like him already!", I said as I sidled up to him, and the beast chuckled. "Human Stinger friend too!", Almasaur rumbled, then turned to standard saurian. "I have conferred with Zippeau Stenoychosaurus as to where he left off in his tour of Waterfall City, and I wish to begin your tour there.", he paused and looked at Rosemary seville. "But first, I think there is a little suprise for you and your group!" "Yes we do!", Rosemary took her cue. "In honor of your first official visit to our city, mighty king Thundertail; we have prepared a grand feast in your honor! We realise that you are not of the herbavore species, but we have prepared many dishes containing meat just for you and your group..." "Yes, unfortunate...", Waldo continued. "Sengara Monoclonius passed on a few days ago. She was a fine teacher and poet; and quite the philanthropist, caring for orphaned human children and all...", he paused. "Unknown to us until it was mentioned in her will, her last wish was to perform a Death March; but alas, she passed on too suddenly for that. She was always concerned about you carniverous folks, and praised you for your efforts toward civilization. We feel that she would be honored if she were served for your feast..." "No, your honor.", I translated for my king. "It is WE who will be honored by imbibing in one so noble." "Humbly put.", Almasaur said in English. "Indeed.", the mayor of waterfall City said. "Now, shall we proceed?..." He led us down the aisle after Whitetail had gathered all our paperwork and placed them in her satchel; and Zippeau waved at Flit as we passed. "Perhaps we could chat later, Zippeau my friend.", Flit said. "Your honor?", Zippeau asked. "May we join you?" "Why, of course you and Yarra can join us!", Rosemary said. "This feast is in honor of king Thundertail by ALL citizens of Waterfall City, after all!", the pair stepped out into the aisle with us. "Thank you, ma'am.", Zippeau said, holding Yarra's saurian hand. "Zippeau, I think you and miss Yarra make a fine pair!", I said as I held her hand regally. "Way to go!", this I whispered to Zippeau with a wink! "Please stop!", Yarra giggled. Mayor Waldo Seville and his wife, Rosemary led the whole group from the now empty council chamber and out into the reception area beyond. What we thought was the silence of the delegates' absence was a total misconception, for they were all out there, waiting for us to emerge so they cold greet and congratulate us all! they stood in a line at the doors, and extended far out into the waiting area and through the main doors of the building itself. As soon as we emerged they erupted in cheering; and a long round of conversation ensued. I translated for all that I could, and flit had a hard time keeping up as well! This reception turned into a precession that led us up and across the Plesiosaur Canal and across the bridge to the Communal Eating Pavillion just up the street. Here the aroma of a thousand delicacies wafted out, and made us all hungry despite ourselves! Thundertail was seated at a gigantic table with lavishly padded resting couches all around for bipedal dinosaurs - of which he needed instruction on how to use. I was seated by the mayor and his wife a short way away, and all the rest were seated at tables made for thier forms. I was expecting the caterers to seat us segregated from the vegetarians; but this was not the case. It seemed these people wished to see what it was like eating around carnivores; but it was fortunate that I had instructed them before we left on my knowledge of table etiquate! Soon the feast was served, and everyone got the type of food each was accustomed to. Thundertail marveled at the roast Monoclonius before him, but waited for the server to carve it for him; and the same thing happened when Ripper, Snapper and Whitetail's meals came along. I got a plate with just as much meat as was vegetable; and Flatbottom was satisfied with his endless servings of greens, though he ended up requesting a small slice of meat for himself. Poor Flit did not know what to do as he does not eat; so he just settled for standing in a corner of the room and observed the feast. "You will really like the city, my king.", I said at his side. "Indeed! You will!", Almasaur said from his other side. "Waterfall City is the pinacle of Dinotopian culture!" "This I see!", Thundertail replied. "From what I could see of the underground cities we posess, they were once near as grand as this one!" "And just wait until our culture is introduced to that archetecture!", I added. "It will be a splendid civilization then!" "I have talked to sir Zippeau, and have thought of a few places he did not show you.", Almasaur told us through his meal. "They're my favorite places!" "What has become of our supply cart?", Flatbottom asked himself as he chewed his meal. "I'm responsible for it..." "Not to worry, my fine saurian!", a Lambeosaur next to him said, she smiled down on him. "It has been well taken care of. I personally moved it to the paddocks of the Hall of Hadrosaurians and Ceratopsians, where you, your king and his saurian assistants wll be staying tonight. I assure you that there you will be treated with service like you have never seen!" "Stinger help with my hatchlings.", Whitetail was telling Rosemary Seville at thier table. "He take care of Ripper and Snapper, like real father!" "How sweet!", Rosemary commented. "Daddy!...", Snapper hissed as Ripper hissed laughter. Whitetail hissed to hush them. "I have not digested consumables in ten thousand years.", Flit said after walking to where Zippeau was eating, holding Yarra's hand under the table. "Oh, really?", Yarra said since Zippeau's mouth was filled with food at the time. "That was before I was incorporated into this unit, of course...", Flit continued. "What creature were you before this transformation took place?", Zippeau asked after swallowing. "I was a Compsagnathus, Shetsetskafti's beloved Partner.", he told them. "I felt it my duty to volunteer myself to his cause. Sometimes I miss being alive, you know..." "How sad...", Yarra commented. "Yes, word of your attempt at civilization has spread throughout Dinotopia.", mayor Waldo Seville was saying as he wiped his mouth. "I would say that you have the entire islands' support!" "This is wonderful news.", Thundertail rumbled and I translated. "It is a vast improvement in comparason to our previous reputation." "Quite, but of course, that is the official consensus.", Waldo continued. "Many won't say it, but I received word that many still think about the old ways..." "I guess it is hard to let go of a grudge...", I commented. "But those people will see with further proof." "I'm sure they will, given time.", Rosemary assured. Conversations like this wafted from every corner of the dining hall, and Flit with his robotic hearing took it all in, memorizing all of it without even thinking about it. Within an hour or so, with everybody full of food and victuals; many wisely decided to vacate the dining hall and go about thier next calls of business, but quite a few lagged behind to say goodbye to thier new carniverous friends from the Rainy Basin. As we lingered by our tables, a fairly sizable line of saurian and human well-wishers strolled by; and were soon dispersed by a handful of words from Waldo and Rosemary. "A wonderful repast, wouldn't you say?", the mayor said, turning to his massive cohort. Rex nodded and rumbled agreement. "But as it is, you've scarcely time for a proper tour of my city!", the dimming light coming from the skylights above betrayed the truth in his statement. "Ah well, tomorrow is another day, as they say! Perhaps Almasaur can schedule something brief, eh?" "That I can, honored mayor!", Almasaur waddled up to them. "And I have just the place! I love to relax there after a fine meal!", he chuckled. "So, if you are ready, I will show you... This way, if you please." We bid our adeau to the mayor and matriarch and presently followed our club-tailed guide out of the dining pavilion, Zippeau and Yarra Stenoychosaurs following in our wake as thier destination was in the same direction, so they said. The ruddy late afternoon sun shone an orange rainbow due to all the waterfalls in the area as we strolled north down the more inhabited side of Plesiosaur canal; where housing predominantly designed for humans lined the lane. Even though many of the occupants of this street demonstrated thier kind courtesy, still a good many displayed thier dread as we walked by; to be quelled by the sight of the few citizen representitives walking in our midst. As we turned a corner by a ramped waterway called the Dolphin Slide, we made it back nearly to the administration building before climbing a ramped bridge and ending up on a wide walkway right in front of the Aqua Stadium. Almasaur led us into this grand structure through a small, double arched portal that had a sign above them indicating it was a bath area. Inside, the marble tiled floors led to a hall with many portals large enough to accomodate the largest saurians. Water was heard gurgling everywhere, but no other indications other than that denoted its' presence - there was obviousely an extremely complex plumbing system incorporated into this facility! He led us into one portal where a pool of brownish ooze stood in an olympic sized pool with an artificial waterfall flowing along the far wall; and channels in the floor intermittently diverted both water and mud into and out of the pool. This was not the usual natural mud one would find on riverbanks or other places where the earth met water; for it was smooth as honey and sported a flowery fragrance. None of us knew why Almasaur led us into here until he excused himself for a moment, and returned later devoid of his jewelry, trappings and anything he wore for clothing. Immediately he went to one end of the pool and slid his massive form into the ooze! "Aren't you coming in?", he asked, nothing showing above the surface but his head and the tip of his clubbed tail. "The mud's nice and warm!" "You mean you were expecting us to take a mudbath?", Thundertail asked, incredulous; and so was I as I translated. "Certainly!", Almasaur said swimming near us. "It is a sign of ultimate culture to share a mudbath with friends!" "It is a strange custom...", Thundertail considered. "The last time I had one of those was when I fell in the mud by the river's edge!" "Ha, ha!... But this is different!", Almasaur waddled to the edge where he entered the pool. "See, the bottom of the pool is sloped; and it has gripping surfaces, so there will be no slipping!" "I suggest, for the sake of protocol, that you join him, my king.", Flit said. "We all could!", I suggested. "I can not!", Flit said. "My insides would not be able to process mud." "I better take my armor off too...", I said, and slipped into an alcove to do so. Soon Whitetail, Ripper and Snapper were busy removing Thundertail's acoutriments; and as a suggestion by Ripper, left his Amulet of Protection on. As I came back out in a provided swimsuit remeniscent of the 1800's, I saw that the rest were ready to go into the mudpool too; so I went over and tested the temperature with a toe before wading out. The consistency of the mud was quite unpleasant at first, but the aroma and silky texture diminished that sensation quickly. I coaxed Thundertail out a step at a time, and soon he was laying in the stuff up to his muzzle, eyes closing to slits with pleasure. Ripper and Snapper were wading through, hopping and splashing mud on each other as they played. Whitetail joined us a moment later, sinking in with a saurian sigh. "Not bad...!", I said as I slogged my way to Almasaur's eye. "It seems strange to get into mud on purpose!" "If you stay in Waterfall City, I can show you ALL our civilized ways!", he replied, chuckling. "Indeed!", I chuckled back, and I treaded my way to Thundertail's side. When I got to him I embraced his muzzle with a muddy hug, and he flipped it slightly; covering the rest of me with mud! I commenced slathering mud all over his snout, chuckling at his playful jostlings; and then Ripper and Snapper hopped over and dragged me under the mud's surface! I came up sputtering and pushed thier heads under as Whitetail gave us all muddy hugs of her own. Flatbottom had entered the mud at about the same time as the rest of us, and his frilled head rose up in our midst above the ooze like a grey iceberg - he had been resting on the bottom! We were having such a good time there we didn't see until the last moment that Almasaur was making his way out of the pool, on his way to the indoor waterfall to shower off. We ceased our playing and slowly began to follow suit. The water spilling into the room from above was as warm as bathwater; and after cleaning off, we went to seperate alcoves where our clothing and other attire had been put into by unseen assistants. We dried off and were assisted in putting our attire back on; and Almasaur stood waiting for us each to return to the mudpool area. "Time certainly flies when I'm in here!", Almasaur said when we were all there. "The sun is gone from the sky, and now I must lead you to your domiciles for the night.", he smiled. "And with that glorious mudbath, I'm sure we will all sleep like hatchlings!" He led the way out of the bath facility and back to the front of Aqua Stadium; and crossing the same sloped bridge we came over before, we went past the guest regestry building and went along the walkway that led to the pavilion of Masks and Puppets. From there he led us across the bridge that spanned the Pliosaur canal and onward to the domiciles of Headrosaurs and Ceratopsians. Flatbottom informed us the Lambeosaur who took our supply cart moved it to that facility, and they were to stay there tonight - of which Almasaur confirmed. As soon as we got to said building we were met by a human, smallish in stature and ancient looking beyond belief. Almasaur introduced him as Mr. Woolright; and that Flit and I were to spend the night at his house. Two saurian guards were with him, but only one accompanied us while the other stayed with Thundertail and the rest of the saurians in our group. Almasaur led them into the building while Mr. Woolright led us away west, toward the other end of the city. "I am so glad to make your acquaintence at last, lad!", Mr. Woolright said as soon as we were on our way. "In all my years, I have never seen so much change. First from the Scott family, and now the changes you have brought about!" "I am glad to make your acquaintence too.", I said out of courtesy. "It is so grand to meet someone with your experience of years." "Excuse me, sir.", Flit said at my side. "You seem a human of immense age. How old are you?" "Flit! Please!", I cautioned. "It is impolite to ask ones' age!" "It is no shame to me, young one.", Mr. Woolright told us. "I am 140 years old - I believe. I used to run the ferry from Waterfall City to the Time Towers in my younger day, I ran a ferry barge down Mosasaur harbor after that and owned a flower kiosk until I retired." "It sounds like a pretty fruitful life to me.", I said. "What do you do these days?" "I'm retired, boy! I'm entitled, aren't I?", the ancient human said, cackling slightly. "I used to live in an apartment down by the wharfs back there, but my building was destroyed..." "How?", Flit asked. Mr. Woolright told us about the time Frank Scott won an election for mayor, and tried to re-zone part of the city to make room for his version of the automobile. His building was blown up, much to his dismay; and when Frank Scott stepped down, he was awarded the most famous apartment in all of Waterfall City. "I now live in the very same apartment that the famous Arthur Dennison once lived in.", he said proudly. "I was but a little boy when he passed away, but I read everything he ever wrote!" "You must feel quite honored, sir.", Flit put in. "And the place is far better than my old apartment!", Mr. Woolright cackled as he turned up Steep Street and hobbled up it with great difficulty. "You know, I've heard things about your proposals.", he huffed. "You say you would prepare places for the old and dying to spend thier last days in comfort." "We have made such proposals.", I told him. "But the idea is still in the planning stages." "Do you think you would take humans in this endeavor?", he asked as he rested at a stairway landing. "I would not mind being papmered my last years of this life." "I suppose so.", I said. "But why worry about dying from someone so young?" "You flatter an old man!", he chuckled. "I live up here.", he indicated a long stairway that led to a series of hanging villas, the haze of an unseen waterfall haloed the passage. Up the several storey, extra wide stone steps we trudged; Mr. Woolright wheezing at every other step, yet he took them with youthful determination. He paused at the first landing, where doorways to the left and right denoted neighboring villas in buildings obviousely downslope from his villa; and when the guard, Flit and I caught up, he continued on. The waterfalls on the other side of these buildings increased thier thundering pitch the higher up we went, and thier mist began wetting us like we were still in the indoor waterfall in the bath facility! At the very top of the staircase, Mr. Woolright ducked into an alcove and produced umbrellas for the three of us. "When the wind's just right, you get positively soaked!", he commented through the spray. "Like now!... Follow me, please..." On the exposed side of his villa, huge windows of oval shape would give a commanding view of the falls barely fifty yards away from them; but now, with the ever dimming sky and the wet blast whipping from them, no such view would be seen tonight. He led us to the leeward side of his villa, where gardens and shrubs lined up like a paradise bordered redbricked walkways and bowered porches. Near the middle of the sprawling structure he unlocked a smallish double door and ushered us inside, taking our umbrellas as we stepped inside. The decor' of this foyer was wrought in meticulousely preserved artifacts and paintings, volumes of text and implements of exploration hanging on walls. Only the furniture betrayed signs of utility, and Mr. Woolright turned to us after he set the umbrellas in a secluded closet. "Welcome to the historic home of Sir Arthur Dennison!", he spread his arms to show. "I have been appointed curator of this villa, and give tours of the place from time to time. I feel it an honor to have personages of your caliber visit my home; and now for the night, this home is your home!" "On the contrary! We feel it an honor to spend the night in such a historical place..." I countered. "And with such a venerable host!" "Wooly? That you?", came a saurian voice from a hidden doorway around an ornate corner. "What are you doing, out like that! You're going to catch a draft!", she came out with a flask of medicine. Her spikelined, domed skull was inlayed with emeralds. "Now drink this! Dr. Forschie says so!...", her aproned torso spun as she took in her three new guests. "Oh! Didn't know you were entertaining guests!" "No you didn't, Adelade!", Mr. Woolright snapped. "And that's why I was out!" Flit and I looked at each other, shrugging. The saurian guard behind us simply shuffled. Mr. Woolright snatched the bowl from Adelade and set it on the near by mantle and turned to us. "Pardon me. This is Adelade, my caregiver.", he announced. "Adelade, this is Stinger, from the Rainy Basin; and this is Flit, his cohort. They will be staying the night, so please serve them as you would serve me,... only better!" "Please!.. Don't bother...", Flit said. "No bother at all, my fine sir!", Adelade said, bowing her dome. "I take it you will need places to sleep. I will go prepare them!", she scampered off. "A fine creature...", Mr. Woolright said softly in her wake. "But she tends to overdo things!" "She seems one to wish to do a good job, is all.", I said. "She looks to be the very hard worker.", Flit added. "She's a pest!", he whispered. "But I suppose she means well...", this he said louder. "At any rate, how would you two have a little tour of the villa, eh?" We really could not disagree with the offer, especially as Mr. Woolright was practically leading me off by the hand! The guard stood by the door as the old man led us around this room first. There was an ancient looking record player device on a hutch by a hallway, looking like the cylindrical record player invented by Thomas Edison; but presumably of saurian manufacture, brightly painted wood with curlicue designs. He showed us the sextant on the wall - original like everything else in the villa, he confirmed at every object shown. The painting over the mantle was one of Will Dennison with his friend, Bix the Protocertaops translator; painted by Arthur himself and protected behind a glass pane. Many quill pens and thier inkwells lined the mantleframe, along with small vases and baseball-sized geological samples like agate, geodes, black opal and other forms of crystalline minerals. Books and scrolls of various scientific subjects filled many a bookcase, many of which Arthur wrote himself by hand. Mr. Woolright assured us that the furnishings within the room were but reproductions, made for everyday use and we were permitted to use them; but the originals were either in the museum in the Waterfall City library or lost to time. The same went for all the other furnishings in the house, and anything original was either behind glass or preserved so it couldn't be removed. As he led us around the rest of the villa, we saw portrates of Silvia and Oriana, of Will Dennison riding his Skybax, Cirrus and shadowboxes containing pressed leaves of many of the plants indiginous to Dinotopia. A reproduction of Will's flying saddle rested in a case at the end of a hallway, and several Protoceratops-sized resting couches were featured in nearly every room. The four bedrooms were spacious and cozy; and featured items of thier former occupants, including nest beds in two of them. The two rooms no one could enter was a laboratory in one wing of the villa and an observatory dome over that wing; entry was barred by sheets of glass that was locked, but one could look inside to see all the wonders of Arthur Dennison's scientific endeavors. Mr. Woolright eventually led us back out to the drawing room, and the kitchen and utility areas beyond; passing Adelade as we went. The dining area beyond was set for five, and the smells of food coming from the kitchen we pased through wafted into it. Framing this dining area was a massive row of oval bay windows, sprayed with water as if in a monsoon; and it was a good thing these windows were extremely watertight because it looked like the whole room would have taken on a lot of water if it weren't! The old man looked out through the rivuletted windows and sighed. "Ah, the view out there is spectacular, isn't it?", he turned his attention to his guests. "In a moment, you are invited to my eveningmeal. If you would please be seated, I will go invite your guard.", he left the room. "This is a most amazing home.", Flit commented to me as we sat. "Both in the historic sense as well as the archetectural sense." "Yes, I think the old boy has it made!", I replied. Just then Adelade came in with many steaming platters of dining fare. She set them down in the center of the table, turned and went back for more things. Just then Mr. Woolright returned with the guard in tow. The former took a chair at the head of the table as the latter took a saurian seat on the other end. Adelade returned with the last of her dishes and took a seat opposite Flit. "Welcome to my eveningmeal, everyone.", Mr. Woolright announced. "It is quite an honor to have you at my table!", he proceeded to serve himself. "It is we that are honored.", I replied as I began filling my plate. The guard chose dishes tenatively, evidentally not used to the same treatment as those he was guarding; but soon began eating with less and less trepidation. Adelade began filling her plate; and when she was done, noticed Flit's plate was still empty! She tisked, reached over and began filling it. "It's all right, sir.", she said. "This is good food!" "Please, ma'am. That is not necesary!", he begged off. "I do not consume digestables." "Yes, Flit is what is known as an 'artificial life construct'.", I told her. "He doesn't eat food. I think he uses Sunstones, if I'm not mistaken." "Correct.", Flit said. "I am sure the food tastes delicious. My olfactory sensors confirms this!" "Leave him alone, Adelade.", Mr. Wollright said, blowing on his pasta. She complied and concentrated on her own meal. The dinner was extremely tasty, if not spartain in presentation; where pastas and vegetables were of the main course. It was rounded out with a simple fruit and marmalade sauce medely and ended with a variety of hot and cold teas. After many moments to rest and light chitchat, Mr. Woolright slid his chair back and motioned all of us to go into the foyer. We presently complied, and found him seated in a chair around a low setee; where other chairs and resting couches were placed. The phonograph was out, a tubelike record was selected and playing; playing a strange yet familiar tune. The tune had definite undertones of classical music, yet played in a pitch and tempo that was odd; and with musical instruments I had never heard before. Some instruments sounded oddly like chanting, yet with voices no human could ever utter; and the only instruments I could identify throughout was the violin and oboe. When it ended, Mr. Woolright said that was 'the hunt of the Raptors' by Crookedhorn the gifted; and then rose to insert another record he selected. This one was almost jazzy in tempo, punctuated by strange tingly string instruments and bold bugle-like undertones beneath snare drums and sounds like Bracheosaur footfalls. 'The hadro Swamp Shuffle', by Flapfoot and his band was replaced by another 'classical' symphony that was equally hard to follow; and then another was selected. Finally, an hour later, Adelade saw her charge was noddong off; and gently led him off to bed, saying that if we wait she would show us to our rooms. Returning moments later, Adelade led us all along the hallway, to the bedroom where the larger of two nest beds were; and the guard was offered it for the night. He said in his own language that it was the easiest guard assignment he had ever had; and I commented that his cohorts guarding the rest of my group may be having a harder time because they were more formidable looking. Flit got the room where the painting of Sylvia was prominent on the wall, but he complianed that he needed no sleep; of which I suggested he do a diagnostic on himself until morning. I was led into the room where Will Dennison used to use when visiting his father, proud portrait of him dominating one wall; and with a large bed that reminded me of home. Adelade bid me a fond goodnight as I stepped out of Klamath, then she left for her own quarters; the room where Bix used to sleep in when visiting. Fairly soon the lights were out and all of us that could were soon drifting off. The sight of Will in his dress Skybax uniform had reminded me of my days as a flyer of military jets. It would feel good to have the clouds under my feet again, going on missions and carousing with my buddies on the Line; but that life was over, never to be restored to me. Fate had turned the tides on me, and there was nothing I could do to change the situation - not that I would ever want to, mind you! I would never trade the life I have now for the one I left behind - the concerns of the carnivores and those of this island meant too much to me to ever think of abandoning them! I turned over on the bed and drifted away, looking out over my Skybax's wings... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 21, 2012 19:07:57 GMT -5
_ THIRTY-TWO: "Just another day..." In the morning I woke up and stretched, feeling well rested as I looked around the early morning light and remembered where I was. Almasaur was right about mudbaths making you sleep like a hatchling! I then rose and stepped back into Klamath, then I stepped out of Will Dennison's bedroom to the hallway beyond. The guard was just leaving the spare bedroom, and Flit walked past us; and I wondered how Mr. Woolright slept as Adelade slipped past me to check his room. The three of us found our way back to the drawing room and waited there for many moments. "Ah! Good morning, my guests!", Mr. Woolright exclaimed as he appeared in the doorway, still in his sleeping gown and tassled hat. "I trust you slept well..." "Like a baby!", I agreed, stretching. "A most restful evening.", Flit stated. The guard just scratched his crested head. "Excellent!", he returned. "And if you have the time, Adelade will prepare a wonderful breakfast!" "It's almost done, dearie...", she called from the kitchen. "Breakfasts are my specialty!", she stuck her domed head into the drawing room. "Wooly, shouldn't you get ready? You got that speech at the library this morning, you know..." "Criminy, you're right!", he turned to them. "If you would go to the dining room, I will join you there shortly.", he scrabbled off to his room. Shrugging, we all complied; and when we got there, the pure splendor of the waterfall beyond the oval bay windows displayed itself beautifully! A rainbow seemed to take up residence right outside the window, sparkling in the early morning light; and early rising saurians strolled by displaying thier many colored parasols. The sight outside the windows nearly overrode the smells coming from the kitchen, and soon Adelade began coming out with all sorts of breakfast fare. she set a stack of seaweed pancakes on the table and left for more; and it was at that time when we all remembered to take our seats. By the time Adelade came out with the last of the breakfast fare, Mr. Woolright sauntered into the dining room all decked out in tan pantaloons and vest, framing a green tunic with a crimson cumberbun and derby hat that sported a long blue Archaeopterex feather. “Smells wonderful, like usual!”, he said as he sat, Adelade nodding her domed head at the compliment. He rubbed his gnarled hands together. “Now then, since the library is on the way to where your cohorts are housed, I will escort you there.”, he saw we weren’t eating. “Please!... Indulge!” As Mr. Woolright bowed and concentrated on his food, so did I; and I noticed how Adelade ate daintily while the saurian guard ate with slightly less grace. Flit looked on, intermittently at us eating and on the waterfall scene outside the windows; and no less than twenty minutes later, we were quickly approaching the end of our breakfast. Not long after that plates were pushed away and mouths were wiped, and Adelade silently rose to collect her plate. At that cue Mr. Woolright slid his chair back and stretched a moment before getting up. Flit stepped aside so he could go into the drawing room as the guard and I rose nearly as one to follow him. "I must repeat.", Our host said as he fumbled with something in a side board. "Having representitives of the Rainy Basin in my home is an extra special treat!", he had produced a slim cigarillo and lit it. "Have one, sir?" "Thank you, no...", I said, and my look prompted his next comment. "I figure I got nothing to lose!", he exhaled. "Anyway, I will lead you to the dormatories of Ceratopsians and Hadrosaurs in a few moments." "I must say,", Flit said. "You have a most marvelous home! I am sure you do Sir Arthur Dennison proud by living here!" "It was the simple fact that I was alive when he was that allowed me the privelage.", Mr. Woolright told him. "This home went unoccupied for years before I got it, and was merely a museum until then." "Wooly, don't forget your satchel!", Adelade called from the hallway, coming out holding said item. "And this time bring your scarf! It's a chilly morning!", she looked at him smoking. "And put that cursed thing out! Dr. Forschie'll skin you alive!" "Yes, my love...", he said for her benefit; and when she left the room, whispered. "See what I mean?" I chuckled as the saurian guard picked up his weapon at Mr. Woolright's hint of moving toward the door. We took the front door going out, not the patio door that we entered from last night; and the spectacle of the waterfall presented itself with all of its' thundering beauty as we exited. We were nodded at by many humans and smaller saurians as we walked along the short promenade that led toward Steep Street below. Before Mr. Wollright led us down the long staircase, he flicked his butt into the thundering falls to his right. Skybax frolicked in the mist above while many of the windows of the buildings we were coming to opened to let in the early morning breeze. As we descended to Steep Street proper, a variety of larger saurians and thier Partners milled by; either hauling carts or bearing contrivances on thier backs for thier humans and cargo to ride upon. All of a sudden an extremely large Bracheosaur carrying a multi passenger saddle bearing many humans presumably on thier way to thier professions. As we came to the end of that street and Pliosaur canal beyond, Mr. Woolright paused and bowed. "Good morning, miss Marion, young Carl!", he said to the pair of young people before us. "I trust you're well..." "Good day, Mr. Wollright...", Marion said in kind. Carl merely waved as something mewled behind his legs. "Yeah, about your old apartment?", Carl said instead. "Again I'm sorry for what my pop did..." "Tutt, tutt! It was all for the best!", Mr. Woolright shrugged. "Your father learned an important lesson, and I received the best home in Dinotopia - besides the mayoral palace, that is!" "May we join you? We must meet with my mother at the council chambers.", Marion asked. "Well, we can't hinder where you walk, so I guess the answer is yes.", Mr. Woolright stated. "We would be delighted!", I said. "Indeed!", Flit echoed. "Beg pardon...", Marion requested, looking at Flit. "Mother has told us that you are not alive?" "She said you are a robot or something!", Carl said as he reached down and hiked 26 into his arms. "Wave hi, 26!", she just squawked slightly. "I am an artificial life construct, as a matter of fact.", Flit corrected. "But if it is easier for you to think of me that way, you may." "Carl! Manners!", Marion shoved. The expanded group at last strolled past the Musician's Inn, along the avenue by Mosasaur Harbor. They crossed the Serenade bridge over Pliosaur canal, and made it to the avenue that would lead to Commerce avenue. By midmorning they at last made it to the doors of the residences of Ceratopsians and Hadrosaurs. All during this time small bits of conversation wafted around the group. "You're not from around here, are you?", Carl Scott stated as he walked next to me. "About three years ago, my jet plane crash landed in the Rainy Basin.", I told him. "I was on a refueling mission with my team, and this wierd storm kicked up. It fried everyone with this strange lightning, and I was the only survivor." "You got a plane?!", carl saked. "Then you can get out of here!" "Like I said, it crashed!", I told him. "When I got to it, some T-rexes were using it for a soccer ball. I went back later, and all I could salvage wouldn't even make a decent radio." "Oh...", Carl responded as 26 gurgled. "What a cute hatchling!", I said as I tried to place a hand on her. She cringed away, and I looked at her concerned. "I know my friends are carnivores, sweetie; but they want to be nice now...", she snuggled further into Carl's grasp. "Can't convince everybody...", Carl shrugged. "I hear you are finding many things about Dinotopia's past.", Marion Seville cut in. "Such artifacts will be a great asset to the sciences and historians!" "The armor I wear is an artifact from the past.", I told her. "So is Flit and the armor he wears." "Those are artifacts of war!", Marion said. "One learns nothing from war!" "I have found the one thing one learns from war is its' futility.", I said. "Klamath has learned war, and knows what I mean." "It is true.", Klamath said for himself. "I was built for war, but it is proven to me that war does not procure peace." "I may have had a hand in making the devices of war, but I knew that it was a big mistake.", Flit said. "My only motivation was to proliferate my master's wishes: peace and harmony. What I see that my master did not see was one can not achieve peace through war." "That is a very important lesson to learn.", Marion said. "I am glad you learned it at last!" "What? Can't people defend themselves?", Carl blurted. "What I think they're saying is it is prudent to strive for peace, but impractical not to defend oneself.", I told him. "But with the carnivores, they hunt and do other violent things in order to survive. They would never do those things under malice, just hunger." "But aren't you afraid of being around them?", he continued. "I was at first.", I admitted. "But as I grew to know them, I found that they are as agreeable as any creature I have encountered on Dinotopia so far. I learned to care for them and love them, as they grew to care for and love me. They are all like brothers and sisters to me now: creatures of the same clan out for the good of all in the clan. It is thier goal to include every creature on Dinotopia in this clan, even you, Carl." "Hey! I ain't having no sawtooth be MY buddy!", Carl derided. "I don't know...", Marion teased. "I think it might do you some good!" "Shee-yeah... Right!", Carl balked as 26 squawked agreement. It was then that we turned a corner and came to the avenue where the domiciles for Ceratopsians and Hadrosaurs; and all along the way the streets were filled with saurians and thier human counterparts going about thier daily business. We at last made it to the sweeping entrances and columned foyers that marked the exterior of the massive apartment structure; and had to wait a hanfdful of moments before the rest of our party to emerge, escorted by a saurian guard, Almasaur Ankylosaur and the helpful Lambeosaur that pulled Flatbottom's cart for us yesterday. I bowed at my king, and he bowed back as I came near and placed a palm on his muzzle. Thundertail lifted his snout and gave me a tremendous lick; and this sent me clanking onto the pavement with an armored clatter! "And a good morning to you too, my king!", I chuckled as I got up. Most of the rest of the ever expanding group did too! "I trust you had a pleasant sleep?..." "My nest was so soft I swear I was floating on air!", he replied. "The accomodations here were unsurpassed!" "Um, sir...", I began. "I would like to introduce to you Mr. Woolright, whom we spent the night with at his home.", I indicated and the old man bowed stiffly. "This is miss Marion Seville, mayor Seville's daughter.", she bowed also. "And this is mister Carl Scott, her friend and brother to Skybax rider, captain David Scott.", he just eyed the monster before him suspiciousely as 26 tried to run away, honking, in his arms! "Ah!... Well met indeed!", Thundertail said with his 'indoor voice' so as to not frighten those around him any more than they already were, and I translated. "And please! Remain calm, for we are on a mission of peace!", we both felt sorry for 26! "On behalf of my mother and father, I greet you and welcome you to our fair city.", Marion said formally. "I am so glad to hear your stay is well." "Hello, all.", Carl said, still trying to steady the still jostling 26. "Welcome to Dinotopia!" "Carl. Don't you think 26 has had enough?", Marion reached to stroke behind the little creature's frill. "She is not used to so much company." "Uh,... yeah, I guess...", Carl said. "It's probably way past her naptime!" "I bid you all adeau for now, noble saurians.", Marion said. "I hope the rest of your visit goes well!" "Yeah, what she said.", Carl echoed, then turned to 26. "It's all right,... there, there..." "Let's go.", she said to him, then turned. "Farewell!" Goodbyes were said all around, and the pair carefully scooted around the corner of the building the group was near and out of sight. Mr. Woolright switched his closed umbrella from one hand to the other as the group collected and continued thier journey through Waterfall City. Almasaur led the way up the street in the general direction of the library, which was across Mosasaur harbor, until they came to a different bridge across Pliosaur canal. Across this and they turned north along this avenue, where many citizens were just congregating around; waiting for something, it seemed to the group. "In this area employers look and find those who want to work.", Almasaur told them. "Every so often folks want to do different work, and employers wish to seek fresh help." "Oh! Like the Unemployment Office where I come from!", I compared. "Only there the unemployed go to obtain money for the month as they are out of work; and news of work can be gotten there, where they look into any possible prospects.", then I knew I was interrupting. "Of course, that's how we do it there..." "Yes, We are aware of that. Fortunately, here the way a person lives does not necesarilly revolve around money.", Almasaur explained. "Food and shelter is provided no matter if one is working or not; and it is up to the integrity of the person to be willing to work to do thier part for the community." "I've noticed that, sir.", I said. "It is wonderful to experience a society so dedicated to helping its' people. In the outside world, it seems to be completely the opposite!... Please, lead on!" Almasaur led the group further along the avenue, many of the citizens milling about on thier way to thier destinations. Occasionally a citizen startled by our presence would balk and scoot out of the way; and others pointed among thier groups' murmurings, but other than that our journey through the streets went by without much preamble. Almasaur continued his narrative of the sights as we passed them, and paused many times to point out this landmark or that landmark. At last we made it to the head of Mosasaur harbor, where many performers were doing thier own seperate acts, trying to override the performances of the others all around. There were jugglers, reciters, singers, debaters, tumblers and mimes; some were working in troops or singly, and most did thier acts right out in the middle of the streets and courtyards. As our group passed this area, we turned and headed for the smaller footbridge that would lead to Aqua stadium and the library. It was at this point that Mr. Woolright cleared his throat to make an announcement. "Kind sirs, I think it is now time for me to take my leave of you.", he told us. "I've a speech to make at the library at midmorning, and then I shall be in attendence in the council chambers at noontime.", he bowed. "I hope to see you all there once again. I am so pleased to make your acquaintence, and wish you all the best of luck in future endeavors!", he shook all our hands, placed a palm on Almasaur's head and did likewise with Thundertail's muzzle. "Farewell, my friend.", I said formally. "You are a wonderful person and an excellent host. You have already lived up to the prestigue of the former owner of your home!" Farewells were voiced all around as Mr. Woolright bowed once again. He turned and began walking to the foot bridge, using his umbrella as a cane; and turned to wave at us as he made the crest of the bridge, and we all waved back as he retreated to the other end of the bridge and out of sight. Our group smiled at one another for a second, and turned to our guide and our helper; who were just now turning to face us once again. Without a word for many moments, Almasaur led us further down the lane. At the edge of Plesiosaur canal he had us turn and go over another bridge and steered us to the Hall of Records, where I remembered going to on our last trip to Waterfall City. "Now I would like to show you some of the beaurocracy that makes Dinotopia work so smoothly!", Almasaur said as he led us inside. "It is here where the decisions of the court are dispatched, and the records of said dispatches are processed." "This is where I regestered my name into the recods of Dinotopia.", I said. "Everyone from the last diplomatic mission had to fill out a few forms." "Yes, yes!", Almasaur said, chuckling. "And I'm afraid there is a few of this group that need to do the same thing!" "I think he means he wants you to sign in.", I explained whisperingly to Thundertail. "I assume that it means I must also.", Flit stated. "And I?", Flatbottom asked. "I suppose that if you are already a Dinotopian citizen, you may dismiss the formalities...", Almasaur told him. "Perhaps if you wish, you can state you have changed your address!" Light talk of this kind went on as aides came by, some leaving various paperwork that Almasaur coalated into the proper piles before the unregestered ones of our group. He led us into a different alcove than the one I had been in before, leaving writing implements before he trundled out of the room. I helped king Thundertail fill out his forms as Whitetail helped Flatbottom fill out his. Flit took stylus and began scrawling in perfect saurian script, freehand, faster than I could watch; and was done with his sheaf in less than a moment, which included a seven page, detailed report of all he had been through and done since the first day we found him in the World Beneath! When Almasaur returned we all were ready with the paperwork, and he had an aide sent off with them to be filed. "Now, if you would follow me...", the Ankylosaur said as he led us out of the building. "We must hurry if we are to make the noontime meeting." We followed him out of the building and down another, narrower lane - evidentally a shortcut. This led to another, wider street, and the dwelings along it looked like itwould be more apt to house humans; even though the population milling about was evenly mixed with saurians as well. Almasaur told us that this was indeed where the majority of humans lived, and Thundertail had to duck a few times to avoid the peoples' laundry hanging on lines strung from building to building. From there we crossed over to Fountain street and made our way back to Morning Glory lane; and from there it was not long before we came to the council chambers via the back way and the Mayoral quarters. Once at the front steps of the council chambers we were greeted by many of the delegates, saurian as well as human; and a small band piped up amid a small crowd of citizens, yet the mayor and his wife was not evident out front. Almasaur explained that, since we were now considered delegates of the Rainy Basin; we were to enter and leave of our own volition, just like any other delegate. He escorted us into the building and into the reception hall, where many more delegates stood milling about. It was about then that I spotted Marion Seville and Carl Scott chatting with a Misasurus aide and her robust female human delegate; and as soon as everyone there noticed our entry, they all quieted down and looked our way. We didn't know what to expect, and I suspected they were waiting for us to do something; but all we did was fidjit in the silence! All of a sudden Marion rushed to our side, Carl in her wake; and the next thing we knew the mayor and Rosemary was at our side as well. "I can see that we are all here now!", the mayor said to the crowd. "Thusly, I suggest we file into the chamber and begin today's meeting!", as his voice died down, the other delegates began to follow suit. "Sirs and ma'ams, If you would follow me...", Almasaur told us as he ushered to a side corridor and up a wide saurian stairway; to the very same booth our delegation had occupied the last time we were here. "This would be your booth any time you visit us for meetings. I was told that you need no longer address this court from the main floor as you have in the past. The next time you are visiting us, simply retire to this box as the meeting commences.", I translated this information for my group, and all nodded agreement. Almasaur left us to retire to his place on the council chamber floor, then we all noticed the activity going on down in the main chamber below us; as well as the filling booths to either side of us, as well as across the way from us. It seemed that even more delegates and thier aides had suddenly materialized, and the floor below filled to standing room capacity; and the booths all around sported more people and dinosaurs that would seem proper. As I looked around, I saw many familiar faces in the crowd; but could only name a few of them. The mayor's daughter, Marion, and Carl Scott could be seen in the crowd below; and David Scott in his Skybax uniform could be made out in the crowd as well, along with several of his cohorts. I saw Zippeau and his girlfriend there too, along with many other familiar citizens below us; like Mr. Woolright, mister Rhudolph and his wife Lenore whom I had spent my first night in Waterfall City with, Minch was at his usual place at the bailiff's table, two Stenochysauruses that could only be Merry and Sterry who visited clan Thundertail quite a while ago, I saw Shawn Branko there as well, along with Ruby Mattock and her Partner Elinore the Compsagnathus. I made a note to try to meet them all when today's meeting was over! After many moments of everyone getting situated amid thier hushed murmurings, mayor Waldo Seville took the ships' bow podium at the front of the chamber, and Rosemary Seville took her place at his side. "Delagates, ladies and gentilemen of the high council of Waterfall City; let today's meeting now commence!", Waldo began after clearing his throat. "Baliff, please read off the minutes of this meeting..." As the Stenoychosaurus baliff did as commanded, I was glad to hear that our issues were one of the last on the recited list. That meant to me that we were becoming more commonplace among them as issues go, and they were becoming used to us as regular citizens. As the bailiff concluded her list, the room swelled in soft conversation; of which the mayor gaveled them to silence once more. Mayor Waldo Seville looked down to his notes for a moment and then looked up to the people before him. "The first issue to be addressed today is one concerning miss Ruby Mattock and her Partner Elinore Compsagnathus.", Waldo announced as the pair stood up. "It has been decided, miss Mattock, that your proposal of mustering a battalion of saurian guards and confronting Torres LaSage at king Adolpho's castle has been rejected.", he gave her a stern look. "We of the court have decided that such an act would cause more harm overall than good. Force only begets force, young lady; and if we did as you suggest, Torres LaSage could inflict more mayhem than mere robbery!" "But!...", Ruby shouted, but was cut off. "However, we can not stop you from illicitng help from other sources!", Waldo continued. "A suggestion has been made to this court that another party could be asked - one whose moral background does not necesarilly follow all Dinotopian ethics." "We suggest that you ask the creatures of the Rainy Basin for the assistence you need.", Rosemary took over. "I am sure that clan Thundertail would be more than willing to help you out. Am I not right, stinger?" "Ma'am,...", I said as I stood. "Our main strategy for dealing with these pirates is treaties and trade. It is true that we sometimes have to physically enforce our treaties with them; but it is not our intention to go over there and to destroy them! If we do that, they learn nothing!", I looked at Ruby. "We can protect those who might encounter them, but please do not ask us to storm thier castle." "You will not help?", Ruby asked us. "We will help in any way we can.", I told her. "But since LaSage lives outside the Rainy Basin, it must be done within the guidelines of Dinotopian law, not ours." "We can give you territorial immunity concerning her...", Waldo suggested. "We can also authorize you to have jurisdiction in that area, if you so desire." "What exactly is the extent of LaSage's activities?", I asked. "It seems nobody wants to tell us what they do outside the Rainy Basin." "I'll tell you what they do!", Ruby Mattock said amid mayor Waldo's gavel pounding. "They rob every caravan they meet, they cheat and steal from everyone they meet and they try to kenive thier way into nearly everyone else's business!" "Ruby! you are out of line!", Waldo sputtered. "A calm mind is an intellegent mind.", Rosemary told her. "I think it is best if Stinger sees all the reports before any more outbursts occur!" "Pardon me, your honor!", Thundertail spoke up as I translated. "I do not think it is wise to pursue this line of debate! I see that it is doing nothing but upsetting the other distinguished delegates." "King Thundertail is right!", Waldo said. "This issue is quickly breaking down to unconstructive talk." "We had no idea that LaSage was so ruthless!", I said. "Perhaps we could be of assistence after all..." "Perhaps we could use this as a negotiation piece...", Thundertail whispered in Tyranosaur to me only. "Perhaps we could discuss this with miss Mattock later..." "I did not mean to disturb this court...", Ruby said meekly in the mean time. "Never the less, I will maintain the court's order rejecting any help on Ruby Mattock's end; but you may discuss this with clan Thundertail at a later date.", he lowered his gavel. This meant that those standing were to sit back down, and all of us did. The room filled with mild chatter as baliffs made mayor Seville's judgement official by writing it down; and the mayor referred to his notes to begin the next order of business. At long last he looked up from his notes and tapped his gavel. "Another issue for the court involves a mister Shawn Branko.", the mayor said and Shawn rose. "Upon gathering all the facts, it is determined that Shawn Branko was NOT responsible for the loss of his Copro cart and the murder of his Partner. We have sworn affidavits by many involved stating as such. Therefore, mister Branko, the option of rejoining the Copro Guild is returned to you.", he noticed the smile on his face. "Thank you, your honor!", Shawn said. "Furthermore,", Rosemary Seville said. "I rescind the command that you shall never again have a Partner! I have made a gross misjudgement in your integrity and honor.", she bowed, he bowed back. "The delegates of the rainy Basin has assured me that what you have told us is true. Can you ever forgive me this mistake?" "Once again, I thank you and this wise council.", Shawn Branko said. "It was only natural to think thusly when dealing with the denezins of the Rainy Basin at the time. Thusly, your judgement was fair.", she nodded and sat. "Will you return to the Copro guild?", the mayor asked. "I am doing a fine job with the Transportation guild, lord mayor.", shawn said. "I believe I am more useful there than with the Copro guild." "Have you any ideas for a new Partner?", Rosemary asked from where she sat. "Well, Doppo Triceratops and I work well as a team...", Shawn replied. "I will have to take the matter up with him when next we meet!" "Then let it be so!", Waldo tapped the gavel and Shawn sat back down. "Bailiff, what is the next order of business?..." There were quite a few more orders of business discussed by the court over the next hour or so. Some of them were mundane in nature, like accidents and small civil complaints and the like. There were a few that were more serious; and some of them they asked our opinions on them - of which I told them that our solutions to those problems would not exactly be according to Dinotopian laws! We told them our opinions never the less; and they judged the matters thier own way while taking our input into consideration. All in all, it was most educational for us, us being rather new at court politics; and after a moment Waldo continued the meeting with material more concerning us. "Now. Delegates of clan Thundertail.", he said and we all rose. "There are many points to your counter proposal that we have made judgement on. Matter the first: you may conduct your kingdom in your own way; only please allow us visits from time to time by our social development experts. Sterry Stenochysaurus and his company has said that your civilization is quite unique for this island; and we would like to monitor it to see how it progresses!" "I think I can say for my whole group that we would be delighted to share this phenomona with you all.", I told the court, then turned to look at Sterry. "We would be especially delighted if mister Sterry and miss Merry visit us once again!" "We would be honored, sir.", Sterry said, rising. "With the permission of the court, of course!", he sat. "Yes! We could arrange that right away, then!", Waldo said, and motioned the bailiffs to make it official. "The next matter concerns your idea of this 'Retirement Home'. How you procure sustenence is your own concern, but to have our people come to you to live the rest of thier days, and to meet the end you suggest, we feel that this would cause logistics problems. We suggest you have your clientelle fill out waivers and affidavits of assent on thier part.", Waldo paused to look at us. "Some of the old ones would no doubt be distraught, and perhaps not in thier right mind when they decide to join in this endeavor. We also suggest that psychological profiling be done with your clientelle, and make sure that this is indeed what they wish to do." "It would no doubt be a trying and emotional time for any creature when they realize they are dying, or too old to live a normal life.", I said. "Screening our clients would no doubt be a wise procedure.", Thundertail nodded. "It would also be wise to have them fill out waivers and the like. That way thier loved ones would know where they were, and they would be taken care of for the rest of thier days. I think that both those procedures could be utilized!" "Very well...", the mayor said. "The next point concerns the possibility of trade with us and the Rainy Basin. We encourage trade with everyone; but there would be some in the other towns that would not wish to." "I have been doing some investigation into this.", Rosemary spoke up. "Many Dinotopians welcome the idea of peace-loving carnivores, and applaud your attempts atcivilization. However, there are many others that will never accept the fact that carnivores wish to be civilized. These people and communities would never trade with you, no matter how civil you carry on!", she smiled. "However, we hope that they change thier tune once they hear of your success in this matter." "You may contact the Trade guild and the Transportation guild on any further arrangements in shipping your goods.", Waldo added. "Representitives of both guilds are in this court as we speak. Mister Shawn Branko represents the Transportation guild, and mister Rhudolph represents the Trade guild.", both rose. "You may discuss any details after the meeting, and at your leisure any time afterward." "We look forward to reacquainting ourselves with them both!", I said, alluding to our encounter with Branko in the rainy Basin and mister Rhudolph hosting me in his home our last visit to Waterfall City. "Now, the next order of business concerns the artifacts found in the cities of Halcyon, Kinan Van and environs.", mayor Waldo Seville stated. "The scientists and scholors at the Waterfall City Archaeological guild would like to examine these objects, and discern thier age. They made a request to send them here so they may be examined by them in person. We hold such artifacts in high esteem ourselves, and would be delighted if they were donated to our museum here in town!" "Though both ideas would seem to benefit all, I'm afraid we could not do that.", I stated after consulting everyone in our booth. "The artifacts we have found belong to the site, and we are working to restore them to thier original positions within it.", I looked at the mayor. "For example, records suggest that the walls in the temple of Teeklan used to be emblazoned with rare jewels and Sunstones. Only a few have survived intact as they have been looted over the years. We are taking great pains to restore the gems, but find that many are lacking. We have to resort to making them out of colored paste, or replace them with colored glass.", I continued. "We preferr to use the original gems, or at least ones of the right size and color; but we are coming up short. Our suggestion is that if you have any artifacts in your museums or curio shops that belong to the site, we would appreciate them back.", This did not set too well, I saw from his face. "Or at least let us borrow them so they may be copied." "Otherwise, the Waterfall City Archaeological guild may come and visit the sites, take notes and explore all they like.", I concluded. "Yes, we shall soon make arrangements on all those things by Postal bird or other means.", Waldo said. "And how are you coming along with the aforementioned records of what you have found so far?" "We have already copied down the first year of discoveries; and we have them in our cart.", I shuffled. "We should have given you those right off..., sorry." "No matter!", Waldo said. "Bailiff, would you go get them?", the bailiff got up. "Whitetail, would you escort the bailiff to the cart?", I asked, and she scrambled out of the booth. I turned back to the activity on the courtroom floor. "They should ba back momentarilly..." "Excellent!...", the mayor said. "And now, Stinger. What would be your policy on activating the ancient technology you have uncovered so far?" "Well, as I have said, we would use the greatest caution in that area.", I said. "We realize that any unknown device, once activated, could spell disaster for the island - no less ourselves. However, I strive to point out that the devices we have already uncovered is proving very beneficial so far.", I held out one of Klamath's arms. "Klamath has proven very helpful to me in my adjustment to life here. All the other armors of Othgar have been no less useful", I offered Flit. "Flit here proves to be most helpful with his knowledge and other skills. Who is to say what other marvels we could uncover?", then I changed tack. "But of course, there are hidden dangers to be considered as well; and we are not want to set them loose on us all. We shall use the greatest of caution in this realm - I assure you!" "We of the court feel that you will activate this technology no matter our decision.", the mayor told us. "Therefore we have decided that you may do so at your disgression.", then he became sterner. "But be forewarned! If any of this activity turns ill, you shall be held monumentally responsible!" "We understand...", I said. "Then let it be so!", the gavel fell. "Baliff, please prepare the next issue..." The next several issues addressed to the court seemed insignificant compared to the issues that involved us. We knew that thier court business was just as important as ours, so we sat through the next hour or so listening to the proceedings and learning how civilized Dinotopians facilitated thier business. As the last issue was resolved, mayor Waldo Seville dismissed the court, and everyone began to regally leave the courtroom. We lagged behind to allow the larger saurians in the adjacent booths to file past, and then it was our turn to leave our booth, descend the near by stairway and join the rest in the foyer beyond. Many more delegates greeted us this time, and nearly every one of them had more than kind words to say, and said thier feelings and sentiments on our efforts. Waldo Seville, Rosemary, Marion and David Scott voiced thier encouragement as they shook our hands or whatever greetings were apropriate. Even Carl Scott came up to me and wished me his best! As the reception wore on, members of the Transportation guild, the Trade guild, the Archaeological guild and library came to visit us in the reception area as time allowed. Mister Rhudolph gave us a list of all the goods the trade guild could use, as well as a list of individual traders in other communities that would also need these goods. Furthermore, he remenisced about our previous visit; and the fact that his wife and children would love to have us visit once again. Shawn Branko came by and informed us about the many shipping companies around Dinotopia that he was affiliated with, and thier offer to transport any goods we would like; saying this and many more things after he shook our hands and receiving a lick from Thundertail! Zippeau, Merry and Sterry Stenoychosauruses all came by in thier turn, encouraging our civilization coming from the latter and asking me personally if I had any more of my memoirs ready for viewing. Many more came to greet us, or simply came to see carnivores in the courtroom; and then it was time for us all to leave, so mayor waldo suggested the courtroom be exited at last. As we walked down the massive stone steps of the courthouse, Thundertail commended every soul in Waterfall City for thier hospitality and patience with us; who he said must seem very backward indeed. He promised to try to imitate this society into that of the Rainy Basin, and expressed his gratitude to all with a thunderous roar that frightened nearly everyone there! Mayor Waldo Seville, who recovered from the shock first, reached up and placed a palm on his muzzle; which brought on cheering from everyone in Waterfall City like was never heard there in a long time, and came quite close to drowning out the thunderings of the waterfalls all around them!... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 22, 2012 4:41:47 GMT -5
_ THIRTY-THREE: "Acceptance!" The trip back to the Rainy Basin went by with very little problems - that is if you don't consider getting a kingly reception in every single town you happen to pass through a little problem! It was good to know of our popularity and it's evident growth in other communities; for it showed that everyone in Dinotopia approved of our establishment of our civilization. Thundertail made several speeches along the way, thanking them for thier support and wishing them well as we prepared to leave thier company. So at long last we reached the borders of the Rainy Basin, and everyone soon began to feel more like they were at home. We entered clan Thundertail amid waves of greetings, as was our custom for returning clan members; only this was much more so, for thier king had returned from a mission of peace and negotiation! "STINGER!!", Rex bounded up and knocked me down in greeting. "Oh! I missed you so much!", then, seeing his father there, said: "Uh, sir... Nothing went amiss during your absence. I had Diego handle the delivery of the supplies to LaSage, and the Kriegers picked up another load of goods from Tentpole of the Sky." "This is good, my son!", Thundertail told him as he nuzzled. "You will be a fine leader one day." "Awww.!", Rex groaned under his father's nuzzle. "It weren't nothing!" "Stinger! You back!", Mayday rushed up to me, grabbing me in a kiss inapropriate for company. "I miss you!" "Me too!", I gasped after she was done. "Wow!", I noticed a tugging at my pantcuff and looked down at the smiling face of my son Hamilton. "Well, well!", I smiled back. "You aren't the only one who missed me!", I picked him up, tickling as I went. "How's my boy?..." "Good...!", he slurred. He was becoming quite articulate in English! "Come!", Grond said to us after Rex and Thundertail went to the feeding area to report to the rest of the clan. "Tell us of your grand adventure!" As we all went there, Flatbottom was led away and his cart stored; and it was then that he and his handlers came over to join the rest of the clan. Aftr proper greetings and other formalities, the delegation group began to tell thier tales amid a grand feast the clan had made for us. We each told of our seperate endeavors; I describing the home of Sir Arthur Dennison, and the charming Mr. Woolright who was our host. I went on to mention our encounter with Marion Seville and Carl Scott; along wiith every other person we met there - including the dashing Almasaur Ankylosaur and the mudbath he invited us to! Thundertail confirmed many of my descriptions, and the rest gave thier accounts of thier visit as well. We all related to the clan the particulars of our first meeting, and told them of the court's decisions at our second meeting. Over all, we said the meeting went over quite satisfactorily; and we would now be allowed to proceed with our endeavors almost completely unfettered by any interferance. I told them of the proposal that Ruby Mattock wished us to help her with; but cautioned that we should tread carefully where LaSage was concerned. The proposals concerning the Archaeological guild and thier need for us to deliver coipes of our findings and other concerns of their possible arrival were not exactly unknown to us; but at least we had a viable timetable to work by. They would arrive soon, and most of thier copies were requested to be ready!; even though Harold reported that this task was mostly completed already! The adobe huts made a while ago were near brimming with supplies for trade, Rex told us; and we told them of the deals we had made for them. Shawn Branko had told us of all the shipping companies in the area that were willing to help ship the goods we had to communities that needed them. Rex said that he hoped that these shipping companies would arrive soon, because the perishable goods like the Mammoth milk would soon become too spoiled to trade; but I knew that milk of any kind would sooner or later turn to cheese if the conditions were right, and that joke brought the severity of the situation to a lessened height! The meeting went on well into the night; and soon the subjects turned to our formation of the Rainy Basin Rangers. We mulled through the details and came up with a plan to set it in motion. A few days later arrangements were made, and training began for those who would be indoctrinated into the Rainy Basin Rangers. Since only four of us posessed the armor of Othgar, it was decided that we start out with only four teams: Rex and I, Mayday and Grond, Diego and Pincushion and Flit and Waterkill. "Sir?", Flit called from the back of Waterkill. "I do not think an entity such as myself was created for such an endeavor." "You'll do fine!", I assured him aboard Rex. "Besides, no one but you can operate Pobroke. The Rangers need the protection!" "Noo, ye' take good care 'o the kid, lad!", MacDougal was telling Pincushion, Diego on the Tyranosaur's back. "Oh! I will, my Partner!", Pincushion nodded. "I'll protect him!" "And I him!", Diego patted Pincushion's neck just forward of the saddle. "Let's go, boy!" "We make good team!", Mayday said to Grond. "Agreed, my Partner.", Grond replied. "We do not need training!" "So, that looks like we're the leaders, right Rex?", I asked him. "Looks that way!", Rex replied as we paced down the line. Each team would be accompanied by a pair of Veloceraptor guards as an escort; and once enough Rangers were trained, each patrol would sport two teams and no guards.We trained in riding and rescue, guarding, defense and negotiation; and continued to do this all throughout the next several months. In the mean time, some of the Kirkys thought it wise to write down notes on the subject so proper instruction could be given to those that preceeded us; compiled into books and taught as a daily cirriculum to would be future Ranger cadets. While all this was going on, many messages began flooding the camp with news of caravans that would soon be visiting our realm. Shawn Branko sure kept his word on this endeavor! No less than seven Postal birds flew into clan Thundertail; heralding the impending arrival of caravans and single carts from Treetown, Bonnabba, Backwood Flats, Volcaneum, Mollusk Town and many more towns around the island! Not long after we heard, we figured to send out the four barely trained Ranger teams and lead them back to camp, and show them that they could feel protected in the dangers of the Rainy Basin. So off we went, down the various paths that they would take to get to clan Thundertail. Rex, Snapper, Pondscum and I took the path to Mollusk Town; and we eventually met up with a small caravan consisting of one Brach, two Triceratops, an Ankylosaur and thier human tenders. This group came from the Anthro Shipping company out of Mollusk town, and were sent to pick up the Mammoth milk and products made therof. At first the poor caravaners didn't know what to make of us as we escorted them through the jungles; but some of them surely saw benefit as the caravan nearly got attacked by a couple of rogue Allosaurs, and we summarilly sent them packing! The single cart caravan pulled by a Monoclonius and manned by a human and a Compsagnathus coming from Backwood Flats that met up with Pincushuion, Diego, Ripper and Dragonfly nearly turned around when they saw them. Diego quickly explained to them that they were thier escorts, and they grudgingly followed with mistrusting eyes. Along the way the cart got stuck in Deep Swamp, and it took the combined strength of the Ranger team and the Monoclonius to pull them out! After that their trepidations lessened enough to tell that they were coming for some of the woolen garments we had. Flit had a hard time convincing the group of Brachs that came from Treetown thier intentions - he stammered through the whole explanation! At last Waterkill purred at the Brachs, and lessened thier fright while Mosquito and Stinkweed looked on as nonchalantly as possible. Once the impasse was broken, they passed by the territory led by Snaptail; who didn't take too kindly to the tresspassing until Waterkill explained things to them. The humans tending the Brachs applauded the negotiation, and said that things would be better between Treetown and clan Thundertail from now on; and loaded up on all the woolen rugs we had once they entered our clan! Mayday, Grond, Spiderweb and Rockslide met up with four Triceratops and three Hadrosaur driven carts half way to Volcaneum. They formed a defensive circle in a clearing as soon as the carnivores showed themselves; and would not let the Rangers get near until Mayday went into thier camp to explain things. Once all was well, the rest were allowed to approach. They said that sometimes carnivores patrol the roads between Volcaneum and Canyon City; and each of the saurians wore form fitted armor for protection, and carried hundreds of pounds of fish for tribute. The rangers thanked them for lunch and began to escort them th clan Thundertail. There they loaded up on herbs and unused metal trinkets that could be melted down into other, more useful things. As with each caravan we encountered, they asked if we needed anything in trade for these goods: but with each we told them that the first shipment was free of charge, and a sign of goodwill to all on Dinotopia, of which each thought a noble gesture. Also, with each caravan that came, we sent lists of things we needed that we could not get in the Rainy Basin; or things that Tentpole of the Sky did not have access to. Deals were struck and trade agreements were apportioned; and not long after that, many a cart soon came to deliver goods and came to receive our goods! Several months went by performing this service, and not long after that another Postal bird landed at clan thundertail. It turned out that the mayor had heard how successful trade was becoming between the Rainy Basin and surrounding communities. He had proposed a pact with the rest of the island to continue trade relations with the Rainy Basin, and make it a permanent institution: and, by a landslide, the proposal was passed! This pleased us to no end, for it proved that we could be a useful comodity to the rest of Dinotopia; and at last everyone else was finally beginning to accept us as regular citizens! The message we sent back with the Postal bird congratulated the council for thier wise decision, and asked if they would pass yet another decree. Though caravans into the Rainy Basin looked like they were going well, we wanted permission to conduct our own caravans outside the Rainy Basin. Since the Serenos and Kriegers were so adept at conducting our own trade contracts, we figured to expand the trade to include the neighboring towns; or even beyond if the council agreed. As the weeks of waiting for a decision wore on, another Postal bird arrived bearing thier answer. They said that since our trade with the other towns were proving to be most successful, it would not be inconceivable for us to do our own trading! So off we went, making agreements with other towns in the areas and gathering our goods for the trips we began planning. However, as soon as we traveled outside the Rainy Basin, it became aparent that the people did not think too kindly to our travel. Many times friction ensued among the people of the towns we traded with; from sidelong stares to downright confrontations. We knew of the frictions of the past, where when traders crossed the Rainy Basin and would be confronted by carnivores; but the only reason why these encounters took place was the carnivores were out hunting, were hungry and in no mood for listening to reason. The people seemed to remember those times, and think of us like we were like we used to be. We had to prove to them that the times have changed, that we had changed - and we had to do it quick! One major confrontation we had was a trade expedition I was on. I, Rex, Mayday and Grond went with the Serenos, Bross and Leeter to a spot on the Northern Coast called Azonthus. We were carrying cheeses and various medicines for trade with a counting house in town. They had an artifact found in a seaside grotto by some boys, and it was believed to belong in the World Beneath, and we went there to trade our goods for it. The trecherous trip across the Backbone Mountains and the less than welcome receptions we got by all the towns we passed through did no justice to the reception we got when we got there! At a crossroads at the edge of town, four armed saurian guards stopped us; and after extensive explanation of who we were and our purpose there, they reluctantly agreed to let us enter. We slowly made our way to the center of the seaside town, acting as inconspicuous as possible; and still many of the townsfolk met us with mistrusting glances, and scurried away at our approach. Many shop owners closed thier doors at our passing, and children would squeal and scurry out of sight; women cried and screamed a few times, and the other saurians gave us an extra wide berth. Anyone we tried to ask directions from would either run or mumble not to ask them, and the one saurian guard brave enough to accompany us was tongue tied with fear! "Can ANYONE tell us where the counting house is?", I finally yelled at the suspicious crowds staring at us. "Who would give directions to CARNIVORES!", yelled some human who chose to stay at the back of the crowd. "They can't be trusted...!", worried a woman in the crowd. "Run them out of town, I say!", shouted another concealed human. "Go away!", shouted another woman. "We don't want you!", said another, younger man in the crowd. "Your kind has wreaked havock in our land.", an ancient human with a peg leg and a cane shambled from the crowd. "Why should we trust you now?" "Because we wish to turn over a new leaf.", I replied. "The carnivores of the Rainy Basin are tired of the reputation they have, and want to make things right." "If they want to make things right, they should eat plants instead!", commented a Hadrosaur. "Instead of eating our hatchlings!" "Can't make a Dilophosaur change his stripes!", said another man. "They'll never change!" "Have you heard of the treaties we have with the high council of Waterfall City?", I told them. "At least they are willing to give us the chance!... Why can't you?" "Human...", the peglegged man said. "I suppose you do not know what carnivores have done here. Each year they raid our farms and kill our members.", he hobbled a step. "I was attacked over forty years ago, and lost my leg as a result! Do you think we would allow you to come here, willingly, and possibly do those very same things right in our midst?!" "Hey! Sawteeth!", called an extremely strong looking man from the crowd, who promptly stepped up close as he dared and glared at Rex in the face. He was bald, barechested and sported a long handlebar mustache."Want to know where th' countin' house is. It over there!", he pointed to a sign at the very end of a side street. "Thank you, sir!", I said. "Whot you got?", the man said, rudely pawing at our goods. "News don't come cheap, you know!" "Our things are meant for all...", I said lamely. "But take what you need." After he took a huge wheel of cheese, we moved our cart down the street to the indicated building. It was a wide, paddocked affair with an open barn door and a smaller, human door in the unpainted wooden structure. We halted and Mark Sereno went to knock on the door. An extremely portly woman emerged with one earring that was connnected to a ring in her nose by a chain, carrying an unlit bone pipe in her teeth; and her look made Mark retreat back to the cart! She eyed our group with two nearly glassy eyes, spat and sauntered up to the cart. "You Scalys from th' Rainy Basin?", she sounded more like a man. "I see you got th' stuff...", she stared up at me, Klamath's mask hiding my look, which was fortunate! "We are stocked with all the agreed upon items.", I confirmed. "Do you have the artifact?" "Yeah, I got it...", she said, inspecting our cart. "Say! One cheese is missin'!" "The large man over there took it.", Mark told her. "Oh?... Brady, hey?", she sneered in his direction, and he cringed. "I'll a' have a word wid him later...", she inspected further. "Name's Francina." I introduced each one of us in turn; but Francina merely grunted as she mentally inventoried everything in our cart, looking like she was figuring what the cart was worth too. She finally looked up and shuffled to the front of the counting house. Then she looked at our group and spoke. "Ok, ever thing looks in order.", she barked. "Th' artifact is inside..." Little did any of us know, but the crowd was gathering again; and we noticed this by the low grumbling eminating from everywhere. An important looking human male sauntered through the crowd and up to a respectable distance from us, a Lambeosaur equally decked out at his side. All six of Azonthas's saurian guards flanked them. He cleared his throat loudly as the Lambeosaur hooted loud to get our attention. "Pardon me!", the human called loudly. "What is going on here? I get word that there's a great commotion here; and see the town is overrun with carnivores!" "We are just conducting business...", I told him. "No harm is intended, I assure you!" "Carnivores are not allowed in Azonthas!", he told us. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave!" "But Speaker Alan!", Francina balked. "We got a contract! I caint back out o' it now!", Mark Sereno produced our copy to show him. "Never the less, I'm afraid carnivores are not allowed to do business in Azonthas.", Speaker Alan said. "I suggest you leave!" "Now wait a minute, your honor!", I said. "We did not come all this way to return empty handed! Please let us finish our business and we will be on our way without any trouble." "Your presence is upsetting my peoples' way of life!", Alan told us. "It is my duty to see that peace is maintained. For the sake of peace, I must advise you that you must leave... NOW!... Leave or you will be forced to leave!" "What can we do or say that would convince you of our earnestness?", I pleaded. "All we came here for was to trade cheeses and medicines for an artifact being held at your counting house! You would not deny this business if we were from Treetown or Volcaneum, would you?", he looked at the sea of impassive faces, and the unimpressed face of the Speaker. All of a sudden the crowd parted, and a very familiar form emerged from it. Matriarch Rosemary Seville stepped up to beside the speaker and waited for him to notice her. When he did, he let out first a gasp, and then a sigh of mutual authority. "Ah! Matriarch Rosemary!", Alan said, bowing. "What is going on here, Alan?!", Rosemary asked with force. "I am visiting your community on an inspection tour of your fishing fleet and I find myself in the middle of a conflict!... Please explain this!" "My matriarch, these... creatures... came into town to trade, they say.", Alan told her. "They are causing a great disturbance! I demand they leave!" "We have a written contract with miss Francina, trading a cart load of supplies for an artifact.", I told her. "All we ask is to conclude this business and we will be on our way." "Let me see the contract.", she demanded. She read it for several moments, then looked up at us all. "This contract is perfectly legal. A copy was no doubt sent to the trade guild at waterfall City... I suggest they be let to conclude thier business.", she then looked at the townpeople. "You should be ashamed of yourselves!", she scolded. The people around us knowingly began to bend thier heads, daring not to balk at thier matriarch's wrath! "You have here a group of creatures willing to interact with you peacefully and trade thier goods with you.", Rosemary went on. "You should welcome this gesture with open arms, not with hostility unbecoming of Dinotopians! These creatures of the Rainy Basin have proven themselves to the high court of Waterfall City that they are tired of being thought of as uncivilized savages, and are willing to change thier ways. So far they are doing a splendid job of proving this to the rest of the island. The goods they trade are beneficial to everyone.", she turned to look at the man with a peg leg and all the rest still willing to complain. "It is said that to embrace the future, one must let go of the past. Please, people of Azonthas! Please allow them into your town, for they honestly mean you no harm!" "Your eminence, your word is law. We will do as you say...", Speaker Alan said. "But what about the carnivores that attack us?" "I can arrange to have a word with them.", I told them. "We can negotiate a treaty with them for you, and you shan't be bothered by them again." "You would do this?", Alan asked. "After this injustice?" "To keep the peace, no effort is too great.", I told them. "Well said, Stinger!", Rosemary said. "And with that, I will let you resume your business!", she left for the direction of the docks. The crowd slowly dispersed, but some lingered on for curiosity's sake; and all of us blew out a sigh of relief, thanking the fates that we could now continue business. Francina had gone over to confront Brady, and she had solicited him to help unload our cart; of which he protested against most loudly! I got down from Rex, and the rest with us helped unload the cart as well; depositing the cheese wheels and jugs of medicine inside the barnlike structure. Once all this work was done, Francina called me and the other humans in our group inside the human scale door. "This way, scaly lovers!", she croakingly sang. "Some boys found thisn' a cave by a small cove up the coast.", she explained as she opened a large chest remeniscent of an old pirate treasure chest. "The thing kind of looks like the armor you wear..." The artifact at first resembled nothing more than a fifty pound chunk of stone, weatherworn and containing very little detail. It resembled the gigantic statues on Easter Island, for lack of any other type of style; but it definitely resembled Klamath's Tyranosaurlike helmet. What gave it away as something significant was the twin green Sunstone gems where the eyes of the figure should be, and how those oscillated in accordance with Klamath's green glowing optical areas! I looked the thing over, rolling it in my hands as I studied every aspect of the piece; and Klamath radiated a sense of intense excitement as he scanned the object too. "It is an icon dedicated to me!", Klamath spoke, which spooked Francina and Brady. "I know not why it was here, but I suspect one of my followers fabricated it." "Land sakes!", Francina squawked. "Yer armor's haunted!" "It's spirits!", Brady headed for the door. "Not really.", I explained. "This armor has an entity instilled into it. Klamath was once an Ankylosaur, and his essence was incorporated into the armor by Othgar the Great." "Ye' scaly lovers are too strange for us!", Francina wailed. "Take yer booty and leave me countin' house!" With that she shook my hand, and the hands of all the humans in the group; but was extremely adamant about shaking the hands of bross and Leeter! Rex and Grond she dared not get near, but she gave them an evil smile all the same. We hitched up the cart, turned around and began getting ourselves out of town; and I'm sure that every person in Azonthus was glad for that! Our journey back to the Rainy Basin had a little side trip as we went into a realm where some rogue Allosaurs took up thier homes at the Rainy Basin side of the backbone Mountains. They were alarmed to see us, but said they had heard of our strange symbiosis. They felt appalled at such an arrangement between creatures of other species, and did not recognise our authority in thier region. Never the less, we pleaded with them to relent hunting on the other side of the Bckbones; and would assist them in hunting if that was what it would take to have them do so. The half day we spent in thier camp proved most educational; for here was a place where clan Thundertail began on thier road to civilization. Still we explained to them the benefits of a combined life, but they still balked at such ideas; However, they tenatively agreed to gradually halt thier offenses if assistance in hunting were provided. This we agreed upon, and bid them adeau; following a little known path that would gradually lead to clan Snaptail - an ally of ours; and from there we knew the way home. (So Zippeau, you see that there was a lot of friction between us carnivores and the rest of Dinotopia: but the tensions were started not by us, but by the other people. I guess it could be blamed on the rotten way carnivores have been treating everyone since... Well, since time began! I just wish that people would learn to forget the past and be glad we are trying to act civilized. The court is giving us a chance; so why can't the rest of the people?) For the next few months we went on trade expeditions, and in nearly every trip we met with friction and animosity. We had to utilize patience and wisdom in many cases, and hoped on the kind nature of those we met to do the right thing and not give us trouble. Many said it was the carnivores' fearsome appearnce that caused such trepidation; our retort saying that all creatures were designed to do a specific job: carnivores have sharp teeth and claws to procure prey and herbavores have flat teeth and defensive equipment to eat foliage and defend themselves against carnivores. We said that it was genetically impossible to change the way we look; but it was possible to change the way we act. Over the months, and with many visits to certain cities; our presence ever so slowly became more commonplace among those towns. Some of thier citizens actually recognized many of our trading parties, and actually took time to greet us properly! It was a small start; and a start we hoped would have happened sooner; but at least it was a start!... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 22, 2012 17:30:33 GMT -5
_ THIRTY-FOUR: "Expecting Royalty!" Two months after we started delivering our own cargo, life around clan Thundertail slowly began to get down to a normal routine; even though it was a vastly more complex routine than before. All the while new humans and saurians began to inhabit the clan; and our population soared more from immigration than reproduction. With all the new humans and saurians coming in willing to do work, the tasks at hand began to get completed at an accellerated rate. The paddocks, barns and domiciles needed to open the 'Retirement Home' were finished one by one; and soon we would have the facility ready for our future clients. The Kirkys in charge of the exploration, deciphering and restoration of the temples, Kinan Van, Halcyon and areas of the World Beneath sported many new recruits in those areas of people who claimed to know the business. Things were moving so quickly in Kinan Van that we had changed our schedule on habitation of the place. So, instead of figuring to use the city by the end of the decade, we moved the schecdule up to only one year! Our committments never wavered and our clan never stopped growing all during this time; and things were humming along at such a pace that it came as quite a suprise one day when a lone Postal bird landed at our Post Office and made one very special announcement: "Creatures of the Rainy Basin and citizens of clan Thundertail...!", she squawked loudly once enough of us had gathered. "It is my pleasure to announce that in a one weeks' time, his eminence, mayor Waldo Seville, will visit your noble clan!", our murmurings during the announcement suddenly stopped. "He will arrive with entourage and squadron of saurian guards; and a group of dignitaries and others will accompany him. He makes this forewarned announcemrnt so you may prepare to greet him with the respect he deems fit... End of message." "Well! This is wonderful news!", I said once the import of the message struck us all. "We should make preparations at once!", Thundertail said. "Do you have a return message?", the Postal bird asked. "Free of charge, of course!" "Yes we do!", Thundertail said. "Stinger, you say it - you seem to be good at these matters." "Of course, my king!", I said and turned to the bird. "Tell the mayor this:", I cleared my throat. "To mayor waldo seville. We look forward to your presence in clan Thundertail. All preparations are being made as we speak. We would be honored to escort you through the Rainy Basin as an extra security precaution", I paused. "With all of our best; king Thundertail, clan Thundertail, Rainy Basin." "Very well, kind sir.", the Postal bird paused. "But before I go, may I refresh myself? It is a long way to Waterfall City!" "Of course, little one! You must be exhausted from your flight.", I told her. "The Post Office yonder has all the amenities!" While the Postal bird went to refresh herself, all of us rushed around to tell the rest of the clan the good news. It was decided later in the day to prepare grand feasts in the mayor's honor, and choriograph wonderful entertainments for his entourage. Many in the clan would handle the cooking and serving; and naturally, the Kirky Circus would be in charge of the entertainment! Our best suites would be used for the royalty that would soon occupy them; and that meant the rooms currently occupied by myself, the rest of the humans and Kirkys in the temple of Teeklan would need to be vacated. They were our best rooms, after all; and palacelike in nature, the best we had for ones kingly like them! It was also decided to invite our allies to join us in welcoming the mayor of Waterfall City; so a message a day later by Postal bird arrived at Crevice aerie, inviting Strafewing and escorts to attend. A similar message was to go to Tentpole of the Sky and invite Buttercup and her kingly Partner; but we knew it was so cold there and bedecked the Postal bird that volunteered in a nice and warm bright orange scarf of his size to help ward off the chill. Even though the environs of Tentpole of the Sky was in mid summer up there, in the Rainy Basin it was in the throes of fall; but even so, the Postal bird had quite a tale to tell once he got back! Soo had seen the activity from the river, and inquired what was going on; and we told her the mayor was coming. She told us from rumblings and water agitations from her back that she would love to meet him too. Now, with all the important creatures in the Rainy Basin and beyond invited; all we had to do was prepare clan Thundertail for the first and biggest reception it had ever had! The days whizzed by as the clan got itself prepared, and then we decked king Thundertail and his son Rex in thier best attire and saddelry in preparation for intercepting the mayor's caravan near the edge of the Rainy Basin. Along with Mayday and I; Ripper, Snapper, Mosquito and Dragonfly were to come as escort guards; and all four of them went in the best guard uniforms Whitetail and the other female Veloceraptors could make. We made our way out of camp, and took the road that would lead to Mollusk Town; which was the mayor's intended route. We met up with thier caravan in a small clearing that the road passed through, stopping many yards away and pausing for a moment. Rex and Thundertail bowed at the group, and Mayday and I did likewise as we dismounted. "Esteemed mayor!", I said. "It is truely an honor to meet once again!" "Stinger, old boy!", Waldo said atop the bejeweled cart, Rosemary at her side and pulled by none other than Almasaur. "It is always a pleasure to meet you - no matter where!" "Your highness!", Thundertail said, me translating. "It would be an honor for me to carry you to my realm!" "And likewise for me, esteemed matriarch, if you would ride me.", Rex said. "Oh! Do you think we should?", Waldo said, getting down and palming Thundertail's muzzle. "That would be so undignifyed for you!" "Please, lets!", Rosemary told him. "After all, this might be the start of another one of thier traditions!", she got down as well. "All you do is climb ladder...", Mayday was instructing. "I hear it's like riding an Overlander.", I told Waldo. "Only it's several feet further from the ground!", I gave him a foot up. We made sure both were seated right, and then prepared to walk all the way back; relying on Klamath's and Zandra's stamina to do the job. The rest of the mayor's entourage, consisting of several more ornate carts and various pullers including a Brach, occupied with many human and smart looking saurians plus plenty of helpers. The saurian guards were all Corythosaurs, bedecked in Waterfall City honor guard uniforms and carrying jeweled spears. I turned at the grunting Almasaur and saw him smiling. "And now it's MY turn for the honors!", he said. "If you both would get on the cart, I will carry you both!" "Once again you show us true civilization!", I chuckled, patting him on the head as I passed and mounted his cart. Mayday got aboard and the clubtailed beast grunted as he got the cart moving once again. Mayor Waldo Seville was quite agitated to be on the shoulders of the most powerful land carnivore in history, and sat in the saddle jerkilly; gasping in alarm as Thundertail made his first steps. Rosemary was having a slightly better time aboard Rex, her fluid motions soon making themselves apparent as Rex sped up to a slow walk. The gurads flanked out and encircled the mayoral cart, thinning out to flank the rest of the caravan; but they would not get near Thundertail or Rex, nor would they get too near our Veloceraptor guards, who flanked Rex and Thundertail with an air of brotherly protection. The whole group traveled the road, skirting Deep Swamp; and finally coming out into familiar ground, the ground of the home of king Thundertail and his clan. As we neared the clearing, we saw every member standing at the edge of it, waiting for the entourage to emerge from the forest. the ranks closed around the carts as they entered, and the Kirky's band struck up the Dinotopian national anthem amid cheers and roars; and then all of the remaining Tyranosaurs formed a line flanking the precession. At an unseen signal, all of them bowed as one as the line of carts passed; then in a wave they rose thier heads and let off a thunderous roar loud enough to shake the trees in the forest beyond! Mayday and I went to regally assist the mayor and matriarch down from thier mounts, and fairly soon a line of well wishers began to form next to them. Buttercup, who had arrived that morning with her contingency, paced up and waved her trunk in greeting before allowing Waldo and Rosemary to approach and touch her trunk; and though chuffing words were spoken by her, neither could grasp what Buttercup was saying until I translated! Strafewing and company flew from the crowd, made a squawking bow and stepped back, still too nervous to have them touch him; and Soo waddled up and hissed her greetings before turning and heading back to the river to refresh herself. Lastly I came up to formally shake thier hands, Mayday following; and all the other humans came and followed suit. What happened next really made them feel right at home! Suddenly, springing from under everyones' feet, came hundreds of Kirkys dressed in clown suits and Cossack uniforms, Ballerina dresses and all sorts of finery; tumbling, juggling, goofing around with clownlike antics and singing to the tunes of several bands playing different tunes all at once. Harold strutted out in his Ringmaster suit, and Mildred came by wearing her Ringmistress dress; carrying bullhorns and waving and bowing to the crowd. They came up to the mayor and matriarch, bowed once again and Harold began to speak. "Ladies, gentilemen, saurians of all kinds, honored mayor and charming matriarch - children of all ages!", Harold began with a smile. "I feel it an honor to bring to you the island-famous 'KIRKY CIRCUS'!!", and with that the circuslike mayhem continued. A circle of knife-juggling performers in Cossack uniforms came out and performed amid shouts and screams from them, band playing some kind of Gypsey tune, and bowed to thier aopplause when done. Next Came balancers in Ballerina dresses, balancing on poles and performing acrobatics on them; with another band playing another tune, they took thier bows as well. Next came Ursula's miniscule Gypsey cart, pulled by twin Veloceraptors dressed in clown attire; and it stopped right in front of Waldo and Rosemary before spilling out dozens of Kirky clowns, who juggled and capered drunkenly before being slapped back into the crowd by Harold. Four other Kirkys came from the crowd after that, dressed in straw hats and orange striped suits with fake Handlebar mustaches on the tips of their snouts; whom cleared thier throats and started singing barbershop quartet style: "We can not tell you... how glad we are to see you!" "But all we can say is... we're pleased to greet you!" "Your presence here is an honor, we never knew you wann-er, come over here and see us, rather that than be us!" "Welcome, welcome, welcome! Your honor and your highness!" "To the Rainy Basin... and to clan Thunder ta-yil!" The quartet stopped and bowed amid cheering both from thier clan and the visitors. Then they got into a huddle and whispered to each other for a moment before getting back into thier positions. "We...! Just...! Made...! This...! UP-P-P-P...!" They each took turns on a word, ending all together on a loud cresendo on the last word. Then they bowed deeply amid rousing applaud before scattering in every direction into the crowd. Mayor Waldo seville and matriarch Rosemary Seville were the loudest clappers; and when it died down enough for him so speak, the mayor did so. "Most enjoyable indeed! Don't you agree?", he chuckled, looking at his wife. "Noble king Thundertail, you surely have surpassed even my own hospitality!" "That isn't the last of it!", I told him confidentially. "Yeah, boss!", Harold cut in. "There will literally be all kinds of entertainment all during your stay here. We have highwire acts, musical dramatizations and the like; and I even got some of the others to help out!... You'll be amazed and amused!..." "This is all well and good,", Thundertail said. "But wouldn't it be best if we allow you to settle in first?" "Ooh! That's right!... Where are our manners!", I said. "We'll need you and your group get prepared for your stay, you know!", I looked around. "I guess you could park your carts over there, by the river... You should have your saurian guards ally themselves with our own guards... Since there are a lot of you, we will show you to your accomodations, but perhaps later...", Whitetail stepped up to us and chirruped a few sentances, bowing as she left. "And a feast in your honor has been prepared! It will be served in a few moments..." "That would be excellent!... But first things first!", Waldo said. "Almasaur, the carts go over there!", he turned until he spotted the captain of his guards. "Wollo! Front and center!", the guard rushed over and Waldo gave him his instructions. I called Mosquito over and told him the same thing; and both saurians faced each other while Mosquito said his greetings and a small briefing in standard Saurian. They both went to a clear spot and summoned the guards of both species, Wollo giving a grunt and Mosquito giving a whistle. Both regements formed a line and were given instructions. I watched as each of our guards got paired with one of the saurian guards, getting themselves acquainted as they walked to thier posts. I could see on the faces of the Corythosaurs that they did not much like thier current assignment; and the look on the Veloceraptors' faces showed that they weren't too thrilled at the arrangement, either! "They should get along fine.", I told the mayor instead. As we continued making introductions of the clan, Almasaur had taken his cart to the river and had himself unhitched. The Bracheosaur, named Pantro waited there too as all his passengers debarked down the rope ladders down his flanks. His passengers were mostly Stenoychosaur in nature, and three of them I recognized almost immediately! There was Zippeau helping his human companiopns organize his belongings, Sterry was there gathering his scrolls like he did on his first visit to our clan and his mate, Merry, was there helping him. Of the other Stymolgoch and Strutheomimus saurians and most of the others, I had no clue; but I was informed they were there to catalogue all of our Archaeological findings. I milled around the controlled chaos of thier emerging camp, staying to the fringes so I would not get in the way. My concentration moved to where mayor Waldo and Buttercup were having an earnest conversation; her mastery of the English language nearly equal to that of the Tyranosaur language. As I got near I heard them talking about restored contact between Tentpole of the Sky and the rest of Dinotopia; a suggestion they were just now working over the particulars thereof, so I left them to thier discussion. Rosemary was trying to talk with Strafewing, translation provided by Mayday's assistence; and she was discussing the possible assistence of him for negotiations with the Pteranodons of the Anu canyon, of which Canyon City sat on the brink of. I heard indications of him commenting that each flock of Pteranodons were at war with the other, and negotiations would be iffy at best; but he would give it a try one of these days - if Thundertail directed him to. As these conversations wafted around the clansite, the Archaeological team met up with Wen Kirky, curator of clan antiquities for the week; and she briefed them on what we found before leading them to the pyramid of Teeklan and the small library of documented findings contained therein. The saurian guards with thier Veloceraptor counterparts patrolled the area all the while, and stood off to the side for many moments when they found nothing amiss. I went over to Mosquito and had him tell them that they could imbibe in the foodstuffs and niceties if they wanted to - duty allowing, of course; and that they were guests of clan Thundertail as well. Once this word was given, the saurian guards sauntered to the food tables scattered about by ones and twos and nibbled occasionally; only to return to thier posts if they thought they had been spotted by thier superiors. As the attendants preparing the mayorial carts finished thier chores, many of our clan volunteered to take them on tours of the place in small groups; and many of the more important members of thier number we personally escorted around the place. We explained that tours of the temples and other places took a lot more time to show, and we would perform full tours of them later. Waldo informed us that they might need to stay indefinitely in order to observe everything; and king Thundertail told him that they were welcome to stay as long as they wanted. Not much longer than a few hours later, everyone in mayor Waldo Seville's party had had a tour of the immediate area; noting where everyones' quarters were, the gardens and outbuildings, seeing the 'Retirement Home' and all the ruins in the area around the pyramid of Teeklan - a structure of which they marveled at with awe. Just about then Whitetail rushed around announcing that the feast was now being served, and everyone soon congregated aroud the feeding area. Many tables constructed for the occasion were placed, everyone was seated or placed as was suited for each species; and a grand line of Rainy Basin fare was served to all. Though the herbiverous creatures there as well as the humans who chose to eat vegetables got what they were accustomed to eating, many dishes with meat as the main ingredient were also served them; the choice of eating it would be thier own decision. As the midafternoon meal turned into the evening meal, all were made satisfyed and none seemed offended at the fare served to them. Mayor Waldo seville even ventured a try at a small slab of gourmet-cooked Ankylosaur - much to the chagrin of his wife, Rosemary and his friend, Almasaur! All in all everyone marveled at the fare they were enjoying; and even the guest guards seemed satisfyed with the feast, of which they imbibed in as thier guard duties allowed. As everyone became too full to eat another bite, many conversations wafted around the feeding area as clanmember servers began to clear away the remnants of the meal. Compliments of the meal were more than abundant, along with the complaiments of what clan Thundertail had accomplished in the time they were established. Many of the Archaeologists among us complimented the extensiveness of our findings and the meticulous nature of our records, and those that went on Wen's preliminary tour of the pyramid of Teeklan marveled at the expert restoration of the place. Compliments included the use of agriculture evident in our many garden plots, the humane way we treated the Struthie herd that agreed to have them be used as livestock. This they agreed upon for protection from other carnivores, and these Struthies figured it was a fair price to pay for being taken care of like we were doing; so thier leader told Waldo when he came over. Buttercup praised clan Thundertail many times for thier efforts in striving for civilization, and Rosemary could not disagree with her praise, saying that this was the very thing all Dinotopians had been hoping for. A while later, as the sun began to set upon the Rainy Basin, bonfires were lit all over the clansite, and many congregated around them. At the one occupied by the mayor, matriarch leaders of Tentpole of the Sky, Cravice aerie and all species leaders of clan Thundertail; Harold Kirky emerged in his ringmaster's outfit once again. While he was preparing, a huge log was rolled into place by two Tyranosaur helpers; dragged to a position so it was framed by the setting sun. Once Harold noticed this was done, he began his spiel: "Ladies! Gentiemen! Creatures of all ages!... Let the evenings' entertainment begin!...", he said through his bullhorn. "This first act depicts the struggles of survival in the Rainy Basin, and the eventual peace that is achieved when mutual co-operation is used... I give you Mario the Merciless and the Perturbed Pincushion...!" Mario stepped out onto the thick log in fancy explorer attire, miniature bullwhip in one hand and spyglass in the other. He looked through the glass all around as he began to cross the log; and then a loud roar sounded from directly behind him! He spun, put away his spyglass and looked to see the terror that was Pincushion dressed in savage attire, snapping and roaring the glee at finding prey! Mario unfurled his whip and stood his ground as he snapped it in the monster's direction; and to add effect he yelled and 'hee-yaw! ed' as he did so. Pincushion feined dodging the lashes as he advanced onto the log, balancing as he was taught; and adding chuffing snaps in the process as he went. This went on amid gasps and cries from the crowd, and lasted many moments as the band played a tune akin to those old fashioned movies where a damsel in distress was tied to a train track. One close whipcrack so near Pincushions muzzle that he felt the shockwave and he knew that was his cue. He yelped and recoiled his head, shook it from side to side and began play-crying and blubbering all over the place! Mario saw this and feigned concern, coming closer and rubbing the beast's muzzle, adding many 'there, there's' for effect. Soon Pincushion stopped crying and gave Mario a tremendous lick that sent him sprawling on his butt right atop the log! Mario seemed to take offense at this and began with his bullwhip again; and Pincushion, pretending to get angry once more, chased Mario right off the log, him following to both disappear into the crowd. They re-emerged a moment later to take thier bows amid a rousing applause! "And now, ladies and gentilemen! The next act comes all the way from Tentpole of the Sky, in a return engagement just for you!", Harold announced as soon as cheering ebbed a bit. "I bring to you the Rainy Basin favorite, THE MEANDERING MAMMOTHS!" Burrow and his two counterparts, dressed in the funny hats they wore the last time, came out of the crowd, trunks holding tails, marching around the bonfire that was now lit. The Kirky band started playing a calliope-like tune, circuslike in nature; and the trio released the tails they were holding to proudly lift thier trunks in the air. They stopped right in front of the mayor, trumpeted and bowed; then raced around the fire twice more before stopping and spinning in places one. They switched over and grabbed thier tails once more, performing a tight circle with thier bodies; then they pirouetted once again in one direction, then went in the other direction. In a circle they sat, facing outward; then began clapping gestures with thier forefeet before landing on them and performing pachyderm headstands. Suddenly Kirkys dressed as clowns entered the circle of light and got in line between the three tykes as they performed another circling maneuver, dodging in and out of them in a capering way. They had practiced this earlier in the day, and all three lowered thier trunks and scooped up all three Kirkys; giving them a ride around the bonfire many times. The Kirkys did handstands on thier backs as they marched around, falling off as one to be dragged around by the Mammoths' tails! These antics went by with many a guffaw; and as the Kirkys got up, all three children grabbed one with thier trunks and began swinging them around so they were all but airborne! The Kirkys ran to a stop as they were let down, and scurried back into the crowd; then the Mammoth children made thier way once again before the mayor and trumpeted as the band ended with a cresendo. The crowd gave the pachydernm performers more applaud than they did with Pincushion and Mario! All through the night Harold announced act after act. There were tumblers and jugglers and clowns, one troupe did a wonderful trampoline act and a rope was strung taut between two neighboring trees for the tightrope troupe. Many more acts of lessening spectacularity presented themselves through the rest of the evening, and many ofthe guests began tiring of this; preferring to occupy themselves with casual conversation as the night wore on. The human, saurian and mamailian children took to playing among themselves by firelight as all the adults gathered around for more intimate conversation. I found myself sitting and chatting with Rosemary for the longest time, and mayor Waldo found himself flanked by Thundertail and Buttercup; and we were all carrying on about the future of clan Thundertail and tentpole of the Sky and what it all meant for Dinotopia. "Please, ma'am!", Zippeau Stenoychosaurus moved from place to place, trying to get away from Ursula. "I do not want my fortune told!" "Aw, C'mon, dearie!", Ursula said, sitting next to him once again. "It's on th' house!" "Madam! I am too intelectually advanced to be influenced by mere parlor tricks!", Zippeau wrenched his hands away and sauntered out of the bonfire light. The look on Ursula's face told me of her offense, so I spoke. "You can't force them to, you know!" "Something bad's gonna happen to him!", her eyes went wide, both the glassy one and the good one. "Don't take it out on him!", I warned. "This is a diplomatic mission, you know!" "It's not that!", she told me. "I felt something..., like a shadow passing over him!... Something bad's going to happen to him,... I just know it!" "She is clairvoyant?", Rosemary asked as Ursula went back to her wagon. "Sometimes she seems so.", I said, chuckling a bit. "Other times it's all an act.", then I looked at her. "You know, she said I'd achieve greatness being in clan thundertail. Said I would command millions, or something!" "Well, don't you think it came true?...", Rosemary said. In the mean time, the children slowly became tired, and many of them had thier moms or others escort them back to thier nests. A trio of Veloceraptor chicks took it upon themselves to snuggle up in our laps; and they were there, sound asleep, for a long time now. That was why we were speaking so softly so we wouldn't wake them. Presently thier mother, who was looking for them, stopped in front of us and chirruped to gain our attention. I knew right away what she wanted, and nodded for Rosemary to follow us to thier nest. We walked as quietly and carefully as we could through the dark; little heads dangling in sleep. We dared not even speak for fear of waking them up; but child slumber is the deepest thing in the world, and onward they slept all through the jostling trip! I crouched at the nest, mother watching; and gently placed each chick inside, arranging them in thier slumber and lovingly placing a hand on each one. Rosemary carefully handed me hers, and I repeated the procedure with this one. I smiled at Fernfrond, thier mother and nodded good night; and Rosemary did likewise before we both rose as one and headed back out into the clearing. "You know, Stinger.", Rosemary told me softly as we made our way toward the temple of Teeklan. "What you are doing here is a true miracle! We have been waiting for hundreds of years for the carnivores to live in a civilized manner - and you did it in but a few years!" "Well, as you know, I would not have been able to do anything if the carnivores didn't want to.", I replied. "I did not force them to do this. I merely suggested things. It was THEY who chose to take the road to civilization." "But YOU were the one that showed them that road!", she insisted. "Stinger, do you know the Dinotopian code that says 'One raindrop raises the sea'?" "Yes.", I replied. "Well, by comparason, you are a tidal wave!", with that she gave me a suprise kiss on the cheek! Neither of us knew this, but amber eyes were looking out into the night. These amber eyes saw what went on, and the wearer of those eyes purposefully came closer. As Mayday came to within our torchlight, Zandra's mask unfurled from her face, revealing her ebony features that was full of anger. She mumbled greetings to the matriarch, turned to me and swiftly grabbed me painfully by the ear! Mayday dragged me off, yelping and complaining, toward the area where grond, Rex, Thundertail and others had made thier temporary nests; leaving Rosemary to stare at our backs in complete shock! A moment later she looked around and summoned a Veloceraptor guard to lead her to the pyramid of Teeklan... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 22, 2012 19:04:54 GMT -5
_ THIRTY-FIVE: "Unwanted Company!" I awoke the next morning, qutie perplexed. There was something soft and fuzzy stroking my face, so I turned and tried to bat it away; but it returned once again and I opened an eye. Staring at me was a largish tan shape with a trunk, and I sat up in Rex's sleeping nest, ready to defend myself! Buorrow took a pace back, not knowing what to do but sorry he woke me. "Oh! Buorrow! It's you...", I whispered as I rubbed my eyes. "What are you doing here?" "I wanted to see Hammy...", he said, unsure if he was in trouble or not. "I wanted to see if he wanted to play..." "Well, he's still asleep.", I said, looking towards Grond's nest a few yards away. Hamilton was sound asleep in Mayday's arms over there. "Maybe he'll play later..." It was at that time that many of the guards began to shout and spit near the main path into camp. Shouting and namecalling immediately followed this, along with the sounds of other guards rushing over to investigate. I was deeper into the woods, so I could not tell what was going on; but Klamath told me that there were several dozen humans intruding onto clan territory. The shouting got louder as many more of the clan woke to the commotion, rushing over to see what was the matter. Rex, Grond, Thundertail and all the rest of the Tyranosaurs in the area sprung awake; growling at what thier keener sense of smell was telling them before rushing out of the nest area. Mayday woke with a start, jostling Hamilton awake as both looked around questioningly. "What go on?", Mayday asked. "I don't know!", I said. "Klamath tells me there are a bunch of humans intruding in camp.", I looked at my son, then the baby Mammoth. "Hammy, you go with Buorrow..." I set him down on the pre-yearling's back. "Buorrow, you go back to aunty Buttercup's camp and the both of you hide! Us grownups will take care of this..." The pachyderm and child waddled down the well worn path through the forest that would lead to the eastern garden, of which Buttercup and her entourage had set up thier camp. Mayday and I sprinted through the woods in the other direction toward the site of the disturbance; and soon saw a loose ring of guards, spears pointing inwards, yelling and snarling at a quivering knot of humans brandishing thier own weapons. As I got near I saw many familiar faces, and I didn't like them one bit! I stepped to the female in the group and spun her around. "LASAGE! What in the name of the council of reason are YOU people doing here?!", I yelled. "Stinger!... Darling!", she smiled. "What's the big idea of having this big party and not inviting us?" "You must be aware that you are tresspassing on clan territory...", I said. "You are in direct violation of our treaty! You are also in grave danger..." "Oh! Put a lid on all that legal copro!", LaSage said, directing a spear away with a finger. "I hear you are entertaining bigwig guests, making nicey nice; and trying to earn points around here.", she saw the mayor approach, along with every other important person currently thier guest. "I just came to have my fair say, is all...", she shuffled. By now the whole clan was in the area, members as well as guests; and they all bore an outraged look, like discovering something nasty on ones' boot. Thundertail came up and looked them over evilly while many of the lesser guests shuffled around behind the crowd. The grumblings from them and cries of outrage was heard all around; and soon the clan looked to me for the solution to this problem. "Why is La Sage in my camp?!", Thundertail rumbled in her face. "They want to join in.", I spat through clenched teeth. "They want to see the camp and mingle with our guests." "This is uncalled for!", Grond roared. "Let's throw them out!", Rex shouted. "Yeah!", added Pincushion. "What is the meaning of this?!", Waldo asked, still in sleeping attire. "Why don't we see what they want...", Rosemary suggested. "Stinger, you are more apt to handle this caliber of people.", Thundertail said. "What say you?" I let out a breath; thinking 'this-is-not-happening!', 'this-is-not-happening!', 'this-is-not-happening!' over and over in my mind. It was hard to make snap decisions like this - especially since I hadn't had breakfast yet! At last I looked up at my king and spoke. "Ok, I say we should have a little meeting. Could all clan members meet me over by the feeding area a moment?", then added. "Guards. Please keep our new guests entertained until we get back." Mosquito nodded and redoubled his efforts with his spear, the other guards following suit. A few moments later we were all congregated around the feeding area, moods more that of going to war than finding peace. Our murmurings ceased as Thundertail roared us to silence, and then all looked at me once again. I thought a good long moment before Thundertail broke the silence. "Well, Stinger?...", he said. "Look, I know they're not supposed to be here; but we can't just make them leave by force.", I said. "That would go bad with our other guests." "Then what?", Grond asked. "We should still run them off!", Rex put in. "Silence!", Thundertail commanded. "We don't want them here, and yet we can't get rid of them. What now?" "Why don't you ask them to stay.", Rosemary came over, her husband close at hand. "That way they can see how civilized people behave." "That's preposterous!", Waldo said. "To have humans of that ilk!..." "They are up to something...", Pincushion added. "I know that!", I told him. "And we don't even know what that is!" "Why don't you find out?", Rosemary said. "Let them stay and you'll find out soon enough..." "But what if they try to pull something?", Rex asked. "They might hurt or insult the guests. There's no telling what they might do!" "How about this:", I said, thinking as I went. "Why don't you let me handle this the way they do in the outside world? Out there is just full of people like them! They have been dealing with thier kind since the beginning of civilization..." "Doing what?", the mayor wanted to know. "Well, out there there's laws.", I said. "If someone breaks one of the laws, they get punished quickly. All we do is say they can stay - provided they don't break any laws. If they do, they get punished." "But what kind of punishment?", Rosemary asked. "I don't want any of them getting hurt!" "Leave that to me!", I told her, then turned to Thundertail. "With your permission, of course, my king!" "Very well, Stinger...", Thundertail replied. "Proceed..." I led our precession back where the mixed group of guards were holding LaSage and her men, which were grumbling and moaning at being detained thusly. Mosquito noticed us and had the guards part, forming a 'C' formation around the offending humans. I stepped up to LaSage as she turned and made what I had to say to her official sounding. "Torres Lasage...", I said. "By the wise council...", I was cut off! "Enough of that!", she shouted. "Do we stay or go? I'm getting bored!" "By the wise council of king Thundertail,", I said louder, teeth clenched in exasperation. "It has been decided that you and your group can stay and visit." Muted shouts and cheers welled from the pirates. LaSage smiled and proceeded forward; but I held her back and whistled to get the pirates' attention. "You may stay on one condition!", I yelled over the din. "What's that?", Torres stepped back. "The duration of your stay will hinge upon how well you obey the rules we set. These rules must be followed TO THE LETTER! If any of you break any of thees rules, you will be immediately imprisoned for the duration of your stay.", I told them loudly. "Do you agree to follow our rules?" "Yeah, why not?", LaSage sighed. "What are the rules?" "First thing. As matriarch Rosemary Seville would say, 'Weapons are enemies, even to thier owners.'.", I began. "If you would, please drop all your weapons and give them to the guards. They will be stored and given back to you when you leave." "You heard 'em, fools!", LaSage addressed her men. "Cough 'em up!... ALL of 'em; and make it snappy!" Slowly each man stepped forward, shuffling and grumbling as they loosened sword scabbard, crossbow quiver, hidden bludgeon and knives of every description. Some of them tried to get away with only giving one weapon and keeping the ones hidden in thier boots or inside jackets, but the Veloceraptors' acute sense of smell and movement detected these weapons; and presently forced them to give them up. Once the guards were satisfyed that all the pirates were free of thier weapons, Mayday and I took it to personally frisk LaSage and Quint. I took Quint's crossbow, quiver and Bowie knife; and found he had an array of smaller knives girdling around his belt, of which he grudgingly sacrificed. Mayday took LaSage's cane, which hid a small sword; and patted every piece of her clothing to find a pretty assortment of dirks of various lengths and ornamentation. All the weapons were put into a cart and trucked to a small storage shed within the jungle before LaSage turned to me, straightening her hair. "So, was that the only rule?", she sneered. "Not by a long shot, my sweet!", I told her with a smile. "The next rule is there will be absolutely NO stealing! Food and drink will be provided free of charge; but if any of you take anything else, you will be punished!" "What if we do?", Quint asked. "The punishment for breaking ANY of our rules will be imprisonment for the rest of your stay here!", I repeated, getting close to him. "I got a nice, cozy little cabin all fixed up just for you!" "Yeah, yeah... No weapons, no stealing; and we'll get locked up for any offense...", LaSage crowed. "Anything else, your highness?" "But of course, m'lady!", I shot back. "The following rules depict ediquate and decorum in a social setting...", I noticed the look of incomprehension on the pirates' faces, so I sighed and made it simpler. "That means how to act among civilized people!" "Hey! We act civil!", LaSage balked. "No fighting!... No starting arguments!... No insults!", I nearly shouted. "You may chat with the guests in a civil manner. You may mingle and get acquainted. You may browse around and look at anything you want within clan grounds. Anything you need to know, do not be afraid to ask any of us, and you may voice your opinions any time you wish; but if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it.", I told them like a child. "Any questions or comments?" "That doesn't sound like fun!...", one pirate said, but chose to remain hidden within the crowd. "Sounds like a kiddy party to me!", said another. Guffawing and laughter chased these comments, and many more unspeakible things were said. "Never the less!", I continued. "You WILL follow these rules or you WILL be punished!", another thought hit me. "And to make sure you do, each and every one of you will be awarded a Partner for the day!" "WHAT?!...", LaSage balked. "I ain't havin' no Scaly shadowing me!" "Now, I can't ask our ESTEEMED guests to participate, as it would be improper a task for them.", I told the clan. "I can't order any of my clan and my friends to do this vile chore, either; but I do request any who will volunteer..." Nearly immediately many of the clan voiced thier willingness to take a pirate, much to the horror of the captive group. It was decided to let the bulk of the Veloceraptor guards take the pirates, leaving the saurian guards to perform the regular guard work. Besides them, Whitetail had want to volunteer, as well as a few more; and soon each pirate was singled out and stood, unwillingly at best, with the saurian chosen for them. The only ones who complained the most were Quint and LaSage; and they stood apart from thier crew, seething bitterly at the situation which was now completely out of thier control! "Well, Well!", I turned to them and sneered. "Nobody left but you!" "I take Quint.", Mayday volunteered. "You're a doll!", I said and turned to LaSage. "I guess you come with me!" "My heart's all a'quiver...", LaSage mumbled. "Wonderful!", I announced. "Now, I suggest we let the day commence as planned. What were we going to do today?", I asked the clan. "We were going to continue the tours of the pyramid of Teeklan and Kinan Van.", Thundertail told me, then came up to my ear and rumbled in Tyranosaur. "But do you think it's wise to let these awful creatures know what we're doing here?" "Not to worry, my king.", I whispered back. "We are too strong for them to make any mischief here. They have the right to know, anyway!" "Very well...", Thundertail turned to tend to our other guests. "But you're right!", I said for the rest. "We can't conduct a tour on an empty stomach!... Let's all have our morningmeal, and we can start the day afresh!" That suggestion was taken to heart, and soon the smells of breakfast fare wafted through the area. LaSage's men nervousely milled through the campsites, staring at the activity and testing this and that object in each small area; not really knowing what to do as they occasionally noticed the dinosaur at thier side, interestingly watching every move they made. Rosemary turned to mayor Seville and smiled at him of my ingenuity in containing LaSage and her band of pirates. He smiled back sheepishly, indicating to her that he was almost unsure that this tactic would work, let alone the possiblity of this situation making these men turn over a new leaf. They momentarilly left to receive thier own breakfast, discussing this subject as they went. I took it upon myself to lead LaSage, Mayday and Quint in my wake, towards where matriarch Buttercup had had her people set up thier camp; Mission being to collect my son and see if they could spare some breakfast for us. We found him sitting beside Sia Kinnerman, Hindu Monk leader of Tentpole of the Sky, squatted in a Lotus position with eyes closed. Buorro was there too, squatted with forefeet pressed together as if in prayer; and matriarch Buttercup was likewise poised. Buttercup noticed us and came out of her trance, then commented at the crudeness of our new guests; a thing of which LaSage didn't take kindly to at all! We presently asked if we could have morningmeal with them and collected Hamilton and went on our way. Hammy's reaction to LaSage was like the reaction one would have when encountering a dangerous animal, and I didn't blame him one bit! After that we took him to Fernfrond for more of his lessons; and then Mayday and I took our charges seperate ways for the rest of the day. Suprisingly, there were only a few instances of trouble with these evil humans; but everyone in the clan handled them with diplomacy and disgression in every case. Sure the pirates tried to steal things, like a spoon or cup from sampling the various foods being served; but thier saurian counterparts for the day spotted the thefts right off and immediately made them give the stolen items back. Only a few touchy encounters were reported, and those dealt mostly with our clan; and they made rude comments to some of our guests, but our guests had the foresight to handle the insults thier own way. The pirate called Martino, led by Whitetail, browsed around the campsite; him sampling this or that tidbit of food at this or that campfire, she trailing behind or urging him on when he lagged. Soon they meandered into a more utilitarian section of camp. A half dozen Kirkys were hanging laundry, thier agility on the ropes stretched between the cluster of trees told of them being in the tightrope act. A little girl stood by a washtub, up to her arms in suds and grinding away at a washboard. Holly Sereno got picked for laundry duty, and she hated it; but she heard thet bad men had come into camp, and wanted to do her part by proving even menial tasks were helpful. She was so busy with this task that she barely noticed the scruffy man walking up and watching her; and when she looked up at him she winced, but went back to concentrating on her task. "Hello, little girl...", Martino said, no response. "You look like a hard worker..." Holly just grunted as she wrung out the clothing she had been working on and slung it over the nearest line. A Kirky tiptoed over on the line and dragged the dripping cloth further out to be pinned by two more Kirkys. Martino watched the procedure and tried to restart the conversation. "Little girl, could you do me a favor?", Martino pulled a pair of ages old and holey socks from a vest pocket and displayed them. "Could you wash these?" Holly pointed to where several whicker baskets full of other laundry to be done stood on the grass with a soapy finger. She would get to the disgustuing things when she got to them! Martino saw the pile and went over, placing the socks neatly on top. He spied what was sitting on the ground that was propped up by the baskets and lifted it. The ragdoll, weatheworn and even more ragged, was the most precious thing in the world to Holly; and now this good for nothing pirate was touching it! Holly looked at him with a nervous look. "This your dolly?", Martino asked, and Holly shook her head yes. "Do you want it back?", again a headshake. "Then say please!..." Whitetail, who was talking to one of the Kirkys a second, finally noticed what was going on, and rushed over to intervene! "Give... back!...", she hissed in English. When no response came, she posed in a most threatening manner and hissed all the louder, poising to spring! Martino's mouth froze in a mou of suprise as he extended the arm holding the doll. Holly dropped her next article of laundry and rushed out to grab it from the pirate's loosening grasp. She ripped it from his hand and hugged it like it may be injured; then she turned and promptly kicked Martino right in the shins! "Please!", Holly spat as she put her dolly in the crook of a tree behind her where it would be safe. Whitetail snickered at the whole incident as she casually led the now hobbling Martino out of the area and toward the shack they had set up as a temporary prison. He didn't know where he was being led until the door of the shack closed tight behind him. Another pirate was strolling past the Kirky wagons on the other side of the clearing, chuckling at the little runts doing this or that, scurrying this way and that. At the edge of the woods on that side he saw woodsmoke coming from a ways down the path he found, and decided to follow the path, Slimepool hot on his heels. He reached a small, cleared out area with piles of metal machinery poised on several low fires in the area; and there was a balding old man tending one of the contraptions. He cleared his throat and the old man rose and turned to the noise with a start. "Aye? Whot can I doo for 'ye?", MacDougal asked until he squinted, recognizing him. "Clancy! Ya' old goof! Hows 'Sargy' treatin' ye'?" "MacDougal?", Clancy said, shocked. "Why ain't you dead?!" "Stinger lied, whot can I say!", said MacDougal. "Say you still makin' that hooch?", asked Clancy. "Me specialty!", he replied. "But th' batch isna ready..." "What's all this?", Clancy noticed all the bottles and jugs; and testing them, noticed many of them full. "You holdin' out?" "Nay! Tis' medicine, is all!", MacDougal told him. "I make medicine, too." "I'm feeling kind of sick at that!", Clancy said, uncorking a jug. "Mus' be th' heat..." "Ye' nit!", MacDougal pulled it away. "Thot's fer indigestion!..." "MacDougal!... Let me have the jug!...", Clancy warned, squaring for a fight. Slimepool was getting ready to spring between them and stop the fight when a crashing through the forest made the pirate stop and cringe. He saw the hulking form of a Tyranosaur hauling a part of a huge tree toward the tiny clearing, and made motions to flee. Pincushion stopped when he got near, turned and started speaking to MacDougal before he spied the intruder into thier little realm. "You think this is enough firewood?...", Pincushion scowled. "Who's he?" "Ah, lad! That's just dandy!", MacDougal smiled, then announced. "This be Clancy, a buddy 'o mine when I was wid LaSage..." "You talk to it?!", Clancy said, for MacDougal spoke in Tyranosaur. "What did they do to you?..." "Awk! This be me Partner, Pincushion.", MacDougal said in English, patting Pincushion's muzzle. "He helps wid me' stills an' things..." "That MONSTER?!", Clancy still couldn't believe it. "Aye, lad!", MacDougal smiled. "Come see! He's real friendly...", he had Pincushion come near. "No sir!", Clancy backed away. "You can have that monster,... and your poison, too!", he made to leave, but slimepool grabbed hold of him. "Leave me go, scaly!" "I think he broke the rules...", Pincushion commented. "Thot he did, laddy...", MacDougal switched from Tyranosaur to English. "There be noo fightin' in clan Thundertail territory. I'm afraid ye' got to be locked up." "But I...!", Clancy protested as he was led away. Diego and Triphus may not have been assigned the most prestigeous jobs of the clan today, but helping out preparing the food for the guests was just as important as any other. They had gone into the temple to fetch the big cast iron cauldron that was found in the World beneath for Bross; who was in the middle of preparing a big stew to feed those pirates that intruded in camp this morning. Diego was a little apprehensive of them finding out he was here, but the months under Triphus's tutelage had shown him the meaning of bravery; and allowed him to find courage under unspeakable odds. Triphus was proud of how far along Diego had come these past months; and for him, Diego would certainly try to be brave in this situation. Let LaSage find out he still lived! What did he have to lose?! The cauldron weighed many hundreds of pounds, but Triphus's strength made easy work of it as they manhandled it through the main door of the temple, clattering it against the doorframe and scraping some of the paint off; Triphus making a note to tell the Kirkys about that later. They put it down and got ready to roll it the rest of the way when a pair of humans made thier way up the path; and as the cauldron got out of control, Diego yelled for them to get out of the way. Triphus shot past the pair and stopped the miniature juggernaut with a foot before Diego noticed who they had almost run over. "Say,... Don't I know you?", the tall man with the long hair and bandanna asked. "Let's go, Quint...", Mayday urged. "Leave workers alone." "Wait!... Diego!", Quint turned to him. "I thought they ate you." "Long time, no see, Quint.", Diego said bravely. "What are you doing with them?", Quint asked. "I got a new life.", said Diego. "I'm doing much better than I could have hoped here." "What? By still doing the gruntwork?", he snickered. "I find it well worth it when I know I'm doing it for me too.", Diego told him. "I'd be lucky to just get scraps if I still worked for LaSage.", he commenced picking up the cauldron. "Yeah? But you won't get rich this way!", Quint decided to follow him back into the campsite; and Mayday had no choice but to follow. "By comparason, I'm richer than you'll ever know...", Diego strained around a corner of the path. "I get my own place to stay, everything I'd need and all the friends I could ever want." "Like these scalys.", Quint chuckled, more for Diego's straining than him thinking the concept funny. "I could name hundreds of friends better than that! Gold, Drachs, gems and pearls to name a few!" "There is better wealth than mere money, my friend!", Diego said as he reached his destination. "Well, you're not my friend!", Quint said as he noticed the Dilophosaur standing there, preparing meat with his claws over a wide slab of log upended and used as a cutting board. Bross helped Diego st the cauldron on stones atop a blazing fire while Leeter came by with a pair of buckets filled with water. She filled the cauldron and went back for more while Bross dumped the Struthie meat into the pot to start it cooking; then he began to chop up a variety of vegetables in like manner to add to it, all three humans watching the procedure. Diego then went to help Leeter with the water; and Mayday thought it her cue to lead Quint on the rest of his tour. "Come...", she said. "Oh, Diego!", Quint yelled and Diego turned around. "Don't you dare think that LaSage won't hear of this!" "Have a nice stay, Quint!", Diego called back instead, and rushed to catch up with Leeter. Almasaur returned to the area to be occupied by the 'Retirement home', wistfully testing paddock rails and stall cleanliness; humming a tune and thinking. The concept of donating ones' body to the carnivores seemed the noble thing to do considering all he saw and heard the carnivores were doing to change thier ways; and he had half a mind to do so himself when the time was right. Pantro decided to join him, and he inspected the structural integrity of the first barn built on the site with his gargantuan stature; but his thoughts were on that and not whether or not he wished to be interred here. Both saurians were so intent on this they didn't notice the pirate looking at a section of paddock a dozen yards away; nor Snapper, the pirates' bodyguard for the day. The pirate studied his feet as he skimmed the paddock railing with his hand; and bumped into Almasaur's clubbed tail! "Oh, gosh!", the pirate exclaimed. "Ah! Good morning!", Almasaur said in English. "Lovely day for a stroll, eh?" "Out of my way, scaly!", the pirate said. "You're blockin' the road!" "There is no road here...", said Almasaur, then got it. "Say, you are one of those ruffians, aren't you?" "What's it to you?", he asked gruffly. "Nothing in particular, sir.", Almasaur bowed. "Just giving a friendly greeting!" "We ain't friends!", the pirate said. "Know what this place is?" "Well, I heard that this is a place where old dinosaurs and people will eventually stay.", almamsur explained. "When they are too old to take care of themselves, they come here; and these wonderful carnivores will take care of them." "Take care of 'em, like eat them, I bet!", said the pirate. "Maybe in the end,", the Ankylosaur told him. "But until they expire, they are treated like royalty, I hear!" "When I die, it'll be at the end of a sword!", said he. "I ain't gonna be food for no sawtooth!" "Almasaur! Did you see this area?", Pantro's gigantic head loomed over the barn to look his friend in the eye. "They have a pit dug; and I heard one of them say they will put in a mudbath!", this Pantro said in saurian, so the pirate didn't understand. "These creatures are civilized after all!", Almasaur purred. "I will definitely make arrangements to stay here my last days!" Finding nothing interesting in that saurian gibberish, the pirate skulked out from under Pantro's neck and out of the paddock to continue his tour. Snapper bowed at Almasaur and Pantro, then scampered off to catch up with his charge. Mayday led Quint back into the area where the pyramid of Teeklan stood. Only then did the second in command of the pirates look at the archetecture of the place; and though he seemed impressed at the structure, he hardly showed it. Mayday was explaining how the Kirkys restored the place, as well as everything else; but Quint wasn't really listening. Finally they made it to the entrance to the pyramid of Teeklan and the Post Office right outside the doorway, and Mayday changed to explaining thier part in the Postal service of the area; however, Quint was growing tired of the tour, and finally asked her a question. "Do you really think all this is worth it?", he asked. "I mean, nothing lasts forever, you know..." "Me think that anything that bring civilization worth it.", she said. "Anything against civilization not worth it." "And I take it YOU like it here...", he added. "Yes. More than anything.", she said. "More than life I had before." "What was that?", he asked. "Me in transportation guild.", she said. "Me carry cargo from Treetown, Backwood Flats and other places across Rainy Basin." "Do you miss it?", he asked. "Sometimes.", she replied. "But helping carnivores live more like Dinotopians better fate than just delivering cargo." "It must be a much harder job than just hauling stuff.", Quint turned to her as they entered the structure. "I mean, you are asked to do all this stuff, and you don't get much credit for it." "It is hard, but I think it worth doing.", Mayday led the way deeper into the complex. "We all do our part, and together we make great thing happen." "It's pretty hard keeping those jokers in line.", Quint divulged. "And do you think LaSage gives me credit for it? No sir!", he paused at a pillar at an intersection that was brightly painted and laced with solid gold. "I have great ideas to help her out, but it always has to be HER way!" "Being second in command hard job.", Mayday commented. "No easy time organizing pirates, especially if you get no respect." "Tell me about it!", Quint told her. "But what would LaSage do without me? She could never keep order around there like I can!" "Do you like her?", Mayday asked. "In the world of piracy, there are no friends. Only business ascociates...", Quint told her. "But with her, and if things were different; I could grow to like her." "I tell you my opinion, Quint.", she told him. "You could do much better with someone else!" "No one likes the likes of me.", Quint said. "I'm too uncouth for any other Dinotopian." "If you work on it, someone might like you.", Mayday told him. "If you quit your pirate ways, you not so bad." "Really?", Quint smiled, not a sneer like usual. "Yes!", Mayday smiled too, grasping his hand as they descended down the stairway that led to Kinan Van. In the mean time, we were already deep in the bowels of Kinan Van; and the tour was going very well indeed. Zippeau, Merry, Sterry and many of the Archaeological team were off in other parts of the city complex; exploring and inventorying everything they saw and escorted by a few of our clan, accessorized with thier own torches or Sunstone lamps and enough supplies for the day long expedition. I was with LaSage, Rosemary and Waldo Seville; strolling along the streets like it was still alive with the bustle of several centurys' past, sightseeing and sticking our heads into this or that interesting building while I tried to explain what these buildings' purposes were. The mayor and Rosemary followed the tour with intrest and awe at the ancient site; but LaSage trooped along, sighing like she was bored or something. After nearly an hour of this, she sidled up to the mayor and matriarch and spoke out loud. "Would you look at this place!", she started. "A whole city right under thier feet!", this did nothing to disturb thier wonder. "It kind of makes you stop and think, don't it?" "What are you talking about, Torres?", Rosemary asked at last. "Well, you got to figure.", she said. "Today they have all this; but tomorrow, who knows what they may want." "What do you mean?", Waldo asked. "These scalys are ruthless and sneaky, right?", she licked her lips. "All I'm saying is you got to watch out for them. Today the Rainy Basin, tomorrow the whole island!" "I think you're a bit confused.", Rosemary told her. "These creatures are making every effort to co-operate with all Dinotopians. You have no right to make judgements like that of them - especially with the rapport you have with Dinotopia!" "No, my matriarch.", I turned to say. "She has every right to have those concerns. It shows that she truely cares about the well-being of Dinotopia!" "But she's a pirate!", Waldo said. "She doesn't know what we're doing here.", I said. "One can't blame her for her concern, you know. She doesn't know how we have helped others; nor the efforts we have gone through to show our goodwill." "I'm only saying that these carnivores are a violent species.", LaSage told them. "They are stronger than you, and have no reservations to use that power to get what they want!" "True, we may have the power to take what we want by force; but there's that old question of whether or not we SHOULD.", I told her. "We could have come and conquered Dinotopia, and it would have been fairly easy; but that would have left the rest of the people resenting us, and a revolt would have certainly been the result sooner or later. The way we have done it, we have left the decision of our acceptance in the hands of all the people. We left it up to them, and they have accepted us for the most part.", I looked LaSage straight in the eye. "A group becomes more popular if thier acceptance is left up to the ones they are trying to become popular with. One can't force acceptance!" "Very well put!", Waldo said. "And because of thier efforts, the creatures of the Rainy Basin have truely been accepted all over the island.", Rosemary said. "Much like what you could achieve if you would do the same thing!" "If you really want to know what we're doing, all you have to do is ask.", I offered. "There's no need to have you all come here and look around, you know!", I smiled because we were coming up on the building I was thinking on living in one day. "That way there you won't be making comments based on your fears!" "I wasn't afraid, Stinger!", LaSage spat. "Can we get on with the tour? I'm getting bored!" "Certainly!", I bowed. "Now, this building once had a curiosity shop in it. There is several apartments in the upper floors; and one of them I was thinking of living in when my life becomes less..., hectic. Perhaps in a few years or so..." I continued the tour for another half hour before Quint and Mayday caught up with us; and by the time eveningmeal was to be served, the Archaeological team and Stenoychosaurs all met up with us at the stairway leading to the surface. As I led the way out, more of the clan was seen going here and there within the pyramid of Teeklan; who were on thier way to and from thier various tasks. We made it to the surface as the sun was just beginning its' eternal march toward the horizon; and when we made it back to the campsite, LaSage informed us that they had to go. We all naturally didn't protest to her decision, and helped them on thier way. Only four of the pirates had to be imprisoned, and they were let go to join the rest of thier comrades. Many of the others whose sleight of hand in pilfering goods wasnn't up to snuff were caught before they could actually steal the goods, so they weren't incarcerated. As we went to return the weapons these guys had brought with them, many of the saurians noticed that many were carrying things different on them; and upon frisking, found plates and lamps and other smallish objects, and thier comrades snickered at them being caught! "Well Stinger, I can't say that today has been fun...", LaSage said before they left. "Maybe later, huh?", she pointed a finger at me before turning to leave. Just then Quint spun, loaded crossbow in hand, and shot it directly at mayor Waldo Seville! Instantly, Klamath's speed came into play without my volition; and my sense of time slowed so I could see the crossbow bolt in flight. Klamath vaulted the sixty feet in a split second to sprawl on the fly directly in the path of the arrow. The arrow hit the armor near the lower chest with a clatter as Klamath rebounded with the ground twice with a clang. I got up and poised to tackle Quint, but the whole group of pirates had bolted into the forest and down the path! "Quint! I told you, NO killing!", LaSage's yelling voice could be heard in thier wake. The guards, both saurian and Veloceraptor, took off after them; but a combination of my whistle and Rosemary's order to stop halted them. I turned to the target of the aborted assination, bowed as I got near and looked at him. "Are you all right, mister mayor?", I asked. "I would ask the same of you!", was Waldo's reply. "That was the most remarkable feat of bravery I have ever seen!" "Klamath acted before I could react, but I agreed with the action...", I panted. "Such nerve!", Rosemary could finally speak. "Here you offer them your best hospitality, and then they stoop to murder!..." "My love! No one got hurt!", Waldo told her. "Now let's go. We've had enough excitement for one day...", He led her to the center of the campsite... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 23, 2012 4:42:00 GMT -5
_ THIRTY-SIX: "Extended Stay..." Pretty soon the excitement of today's activities died down among the clan and thier guests, and everyone was called to the evenings' feast. The main topic among the clan members as well as the guests was the recent visitation of Torres Lasage and her vulgor human pirates; of which everyone were glad they were gone. We pondered the reason why they showed up, and what they would do with the information they must have compiled during thier stay. It was certainly most unnerving thier presence and thier unseemly manners, and thier outlook towards everyone and everything that Dinotopia stands for gave everyone pause. We in the clan vowed to never willingly let them into clan territory again! "My hat's off to you, Stinger!", mayor Waldo Seville said. "You handled LaSage with cunning and diplomacy; and thanks to that, nobody got hurt!" "You had them disarmed, and you controlled the situation with wisdom!", Rosemary added. "The coordination of this clan in handling them proves beyond any doubt that it can work as a team to lessen an otherwise distasteful situation!" "We did what we had to do in order to keep you all safe.", I explained. "It was our responsability to protect you while you are in our realm; and fates forbid any of you should get hurt by them!" "I still think they were up to something!", Pincushion commented. "What do you suppose they wanted?", asked Rex. "Besides a free meal and a chance to get under everyone's hides?", some chuckled at the comment. "They were here because they were after something, pure and simple!", Miles Krieger was saying. "They never show up anywhere just for a social visit!" "But what have they learned, really?", Rosemary asked. "Well, for one thing, they now know where we are in the Rainy Basin.", I said. "They can show up when we least expect it and do who knows what!" "I suggest we post extra guards from now on.", Rex said. "A sound suggestion.", Thundertail said. "They know what we produce, and what we do.", Diego said. "They could find a way to exploit us, and demand ransom - so they could get all we make." "But we do nothing bad.", Mayday said. "All we do is trade and restore the Rainy Basin. How bad could that be that they could extort us?" "They could spread thier lies and tarnish the reputation we're trying to create.", I said. "Things like that happen all the time in the outside world." "But not here!", Waldo said. "I can tell the people not to believe LaSage, and they'll do it. Why, nobody really believes her anyway!" "An' just think o' all the things they could steal!", MacDougal added. "All th' anteeks we got in th' World Beneath they caan take an' sell someplace!" "I can tell all trading houses not to deal with them if they have these objects.", Waldo said. "We can pass a writ in court posting an embargo on any goods LaSage is connected with." "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that!", Rosemary said. "I think it would be wise to wait and see what she will or will not do." Conversations like this wafted around the campsite nearly all night as the Kirkys once again prepared to perform. I looked out at the scene in wonder: Look how far we had come! In all the places in the world, I had to crash land right in the middle of paradise! Pretty soon jokes and the patter of capering children died down; and when it did, Zippeau rose to make an announcement. "Members of clan Thundertail, esteemed members of the court of Dinotopia and friends one and all...", he began. "It has come to my attention that the team of Archaeologists will need more time here to compile thier notes and make further observations. It is for this that I humbly request they stay indefinitely in order for them to complete thier research...", he paused to continue confidentially. "And I hope this does nothing to wear out our welcome!" "Never fear, Zippeau my friend!", Thundertail rumbled. "Your stay, no matter how long, would not even begin to wear out the welcome of any of you!" "Thank you, kind sir!", he replied. "And if you don't mind, old boy....", Waldo added. "I would also like to remain here a while. I find this setting a refreshing change to the bustle of the city!" "But of course, my king!", Thundertail said. "I should not get in the way of where you wish to spend holiday!", this got chuckles as well! At length the evening wore on, and by ones and twos all of the clan as well as thier guests decided to retire for the night. In the morning the usual activities commenced, including the ones involved with serving the clans' guests; and everyone was relieved that the morning did not start the way it did yesterday! The usual morning events soon came about, and before long the morning round of Postal birds came fluttering into the area. One of those birds posessed a message for king Thundertail, so I allowed him to take shoulder while I went to locate the presently busy Tyranosaur. I found him at a boulder field near the mountain range that Halcyon was under, directing the removal of debris because old maps told that the original entrance was there. He was so intent on directing his kind and the other large dinosaurs that came to help that I had to tap violently on the tip of his tail! The Postal bird nearly fainted at the manner in which Thundetrtail addressed me, his fangs bared in a growl at being so rudely disturbed. I looked, agast at his expression, and then bowed submissively until he recognized me and bowed back with an apologetic look. "Oh!... Stinger!", he said. "I'm sorry,...busy busy around here!", then tilted his head at the bird. "What's going on?" "My king, this Postal bird says he has a message for you.", I told him. "He said it's from the high council of Waterfall City!" "Hello, little one!", Thundertail smiled, and the bird didn't like it one bit. "Please fear me not, I won't hurt you...!", his eyes softened. "What message do you bring?" The bird sputtered and cleared his throat nervousely before he spoke. "To king Thundertail, from the high council of Waterfall City. We beg to ask permission for a Skybax to land in your territory. The Skybax will bear special correspondance for mayor Waldo Seville and company. Your co-operation in this matter is most appreciated. Signed, temporary administrator Minch." "Why, of course he can land here!", Thundertail told him. "Who am I to get in the way of the mayor's business?!" "Do you think we can make an alteration to that rule we made?", I said. "Like any time there is something important enough to warrant it, they may land here." "A wonderful suggestion!", Thundertail said, then turned to the bird. "My reply is yes, little one! Also, could you inform them that we would allow this for similar situations in the future?" "Y...yes, my lord.", the bird stammered and flew off. "Wonder what it could be?", I asked once the Postal bird was out of sight. "The mayor's business is his own.", Thundertail said. "Speaking of business, how is excavation going?", I asked. "Going to take a while.", Thundertail told me. "The cave-in goes on for nearly a mile..." I watched the progress the other workers there were making for a short while, then continued on to my own duties after that. I wanted to make sure the other guests were properly entertained, and many of the other clan members were busy escorting them on other small tours of the place; and I was to escort the mayor and Rosemary Seville on a small expedition to Halcyon, along with a small group of Archaeologists. The tour was as brief as my knowledge of the place allowed; but still many of the Archaeologists wished to linger on to study the place, and I had some of the other clan members with me accompany them as I left with the mayor and his wife. I arrived to see many Mammoths and thier counterparts taking down thier Yurts and Guris, packing up thier camp equipment and stowing them aboard thier sledges in preparation for leaving! Wondering if we did anything to offend them, I located Buttercup and made every indication that they could stay; but she was silent for many minutes while Sia Kinnerman rushed about, assembling the pieces to her hauling harness. When at last she spoke, her explanation told all. "We are not leaving because of some offense, my child!", she told me. "It is just that we had left a small contingent behind at our citadel, and only a limited supply of provisions. We also came here to resupply our home, you see; and we must be off to complete that mission." "Won't you at least stay so you can be seen off properly?", I asked meekly. "I am sure I speak for my clan as well as my guests and myself when I say they will wish to say good bye to you!", I rubbed the furry trunk that was extended to me. "Of course, my child!", Buttercup said. "Our caravan will not be ready for many hours yet, and I am sure there will be plenty of time for farewells!" I bid my leave and began telling everyone in the clan as well as our remaining guests the news of the Tentpole of the Sky's emmisaries leave-taking. I also told them the news of the imenent arrival of a Skybax rider coming soon. Many of the clan members that did not have tasks at the moment went over to bid farewell to them right away, and those who were busy came by at a later time. Our other guests came by ones and twos as thier attentions were turned to the exodus, and by the time they were ready to leave, matriarch Buttercup called as many of us together that would come; and made a rather long good bye speech before final farewells were said. "It has been a true honor to have met you!", mayor Seville told her as she grasped hand with trunk. "I look forward to many years of friendship, and I will certainly miss you and your people." "Indeed, honord mayor! The same is true for us.", Buttercup told him with a twinkle. "I also look forward to another visit from you! We will surely talk further on opening relations with the rest of Dinotopia!" "That would be beneficial to both parties!", the mayor backed away fondly. "My matriarch! Have a safe trip home, and we would love to visit your fair city one day!", Rosemary told Buttercup when it was her turn. "You are most welcome to do so, honored ma'am!", buttercup replied, returning the hug with her own. "Only please dress warmly! It is cold there!" Both chuckled as Rosemary and Waldo waved and retreated, then more well-wishers came up to say thier good byes. Many farewells were teary, and the one between Buorrow and Hamilton was even more so. I looked on at the budding friendship going on between my son and the young pachyderm and sighed. Buttercup saw this as I came near for my turn and grunted for my attention. "Such a fine thing, friendship like that.", she commented. "Do you wonder if they have been discussing Partnership?" "I don't know.", I said turning into her embrace. "But I would suppose they are too young." "I have seen Partnerships begin at birth.", she told me. "But for everyone, that time comes at different times..." "I was hoping that Hamilton would choose a member of this clan for a Partner.", I said offhand. "I hear Deathflower has a fine clutch of hatchlings that would need a friend..." "We usually let the ones choosing decide this.", she told me. "But I agree that they may be too young." "Guess it's best to let them decide...", I told her as I let go. "It would be an honor for one of your group and one of mine share such a thing!" "I agree, my friend!", Buttercup backed up. "Adeau' for now, mighty Stinger!", she turned to her next group of well-wishers. In less than twenty minutes, all farewells were said, and the Mammoths were lined up to be hitched to thier wheeled sledges by thier human Mongolian counterparts. All of us waved final times at these, our friends and comrades of the mountains; and they all trumpted back, which seemed to echo ghostly through the surrounding jungle. Without further preamble, Buttercup turned her contrivance around and led her band east, toward the hazy mountain foothills beyond. The last thing they would have seen if they turned to look was the waving forms of everyone in clan Thundertail and all those guests who still remained! Fairly soon after that the clan gradually got around to thier own business, and volunteers were asked to tidy up the crop field that Buttercup's group had occupied these past few days. The Archaeologists were led back to the ruins and the rest of the guests, having had thier mutual tours already, chose to wander around and offer thier help with menial clan chores; a thing of which Thundertail protested strongly of them doing as they were guests! It was at this time that I at last remembered to tell mayor Seville of the Skybax coming, bearing correspondance from the high court of Waterfall City - of which I begged forgiveness for forgetting! He did not mind, though; and it was right on time as a winged shape larger than any Pteranodon came looming over our heads less than a half hour later! The grey bodied Skybax turned and circled the campsite twice, screeching his arrival before landing in the center of the clearing that had just been evacuated for him. As Freefall settled and slightly folded his wings, David Scott dismounted and retrieved a large saddle bag just brimming with scrolls. He patted Freefall on the beak in passing and trotted up to mayor Seville and the cluster of humans consisting of me and others in the clan; then he gave the mayor a snappy salute before speaking. "David Scott reporting on behalf of the high council, your honor!", he said crisply. "I bear correspondance from said council, and my own greeting as well!" "And well met indeed, lad!", Waldo said as he produced his hand, which was shook. "You may stand at ease, if you wish." Thank you, sir.", David said, becoming somewhat relaxed. "Um,... this bag contains paperwork the council wishes you to go over, and some require your signature...", he handed out the bag. "That Minch!", Waldo said, opening the bag and inspecting the contents. "He can't even arrange a tea party!..." "He seemed pretty competent to me last time I met him.", I commented. "Waldo, he does so much for Dinotopia already...", Rosemary told him. "You shouldn't expect him to facilitate the court and his other duties too!" "Court orders, diplomatic writs, material sanctions...", Waldo recited as he was looking over the documents. "Seems he could have expedited them himself - these are easy proceedings!" "Sir, if you need a quiet place to do this paperwork, we could set up a table in the pyramid of Teeklan...", I offered. "I will have writing implements provided too." "Thank you, Stinger...", Waldo said, still examining a document. I turned and saw Whitetail behind us, and told her in Veloceraptor to prepare the required items; and then I turned back to the mayor, David Scott and the rest. "It will be ready in a moment...", I said. "Excellent!", Waldo said. "In the mean time, David; you and your steed must be tired after your flight!", he turned to Thundertail. "With your permission, may they seek refreshment?" "Of course!", Thundertail rumbled. "Thank you, sir...", David said. "Right this way.", Miles Krieger ushered David to a campfire where greens were being prepared into a soup by his wife, Melissa. In the mean time, Talon had seen Freefall land, and slowly edged closer until he noticed her. He squawked questioningly and she replied in kind, saying greetings and beginning a proposal she and Strafewing had been discussing ever since the Skybax landed. Just about half way through with her speech, Strafewing flew a short hop to land beside her; asking in his own tongue how things were going. In short, they wanted to know if the Skybax were having trouble with the Pteranodons in the Amu River canyon; and asked if there was anything they could do to help. The idea was to arrange a meeting with the Canyon aerie, and work out details of a new treaty. This treaty would enable these Pteranodons and the Skybax to live together in peace, eliminating the need of the Sentinels and forming an alliance beneficial for both. Freefall listened, and agreed that it would be a good thing; but the rest of his tribe may not go for it because they were too steeped in the traditional treaty, and so were the Amu river canyon Pteranodons, he was told. He said that he would bring up the subject at the next Gathering, but warned that the proposal might not take very well. Talon and Strafewing said that this would suffice for now, and agreed that it would not do to rush things too swiftly; so this business ended, and other conversations soon commenced. After an hour of thier shrill squawking going around all three creatures, new friendships were made between the three; and before long Freefall agreed to go to Crevice aerie a few miles away and observe the way they lived. Freefall spent over an hour there, observing everyday life among the Pteranodons and being reminded of his aerie back at canyon City; and he even saw how the small pack of Veloceraptors there lived among those who would be thier mortal enemies, and he was amazed. All too soon Freefall sensed he had to be getting back to David Scott, and Talon escorted him back to her home among the clan; leaving Strafewing behind to tend to his own flock. "You've made a lot of progress since the last time I've been here...", David Scott was telling me as we walked back to the clearing after a brief tour of the outside of the pyramid of Teeklan. "You have the beginnings of a fine community!" "We wouldn't have been nearly this far along if the council didn't approve of us being here.", I said. "They said that these ruins were historical landmarks, and wanted them left alone; but one look at what we're doing and they seem to actually want us here!" "My dad's going to freak when he sees this!", David chuckled. "When he sees all this gold here, he'll druel!" I laughed, then said: "Say, I think I met your brother a few months ago...", I looked at him. "He was the one with Marion Seville while we were at Waterfall City." "Those two are seldom apart!", David confirmed. "He seems unsure of this place.", I told him. "His mind seems to be everywhere at once - a 'rolled up scroll', as the native lingo says..." "Yeah, he's always been that way...", David said. "Did you know that he didn't even want the responsability of taking care of 26?" "That baby Chasmosaur?", I exclaimed. "She was so cute!" "Some people can't seem to get used to this place.", he shook his head. "I, for one, have; but him and my pops hasn't!" "What I think is he needs some more responsability.", I told him. "Responsability he can't walk away from." "What do you mean?", he asked. I began telling him about our idea concerning the 'Rainy Basin rangers', and the good they were beginning to do here; helping travelers and warding off pirates and rogue carnivores, rescuing people in distress and the like. He nodded and agreed at several points, then I told him my idea: "The thing is, we need more human recruits if we are to cover the entire Basin. We have enough Tyranosaurs and Veloceraptor escorts, but few people want to settle here - let alone volunteer to be a Ranger." "You want him to be a Ranger cadet?!", David almost laughed out loud. "He'll NEVER go for it!" "It can't hurt to ask him!", I said. "Even if he says no." "That would definitely be his answer!", David told me. "Not only that, my father would not let him do it." "Maybe if you play on his sense of cowardess...", I suggested. "Tell him that if he doesn't do it, he's chicken or something - anything to get him to come. I can have Rosemary Seville talk to your father and convince him to let him come." "It's not going to work!", David said, then noticed his Partner flying toward him. "Freefall, there you are!... Where you been, boy?...", he stroked his beak in greeting. Whitetail came by a moment later with a large bowl of greens for the Skybax, and Leeter came to fill his bowl from the waterskin she was carrying after he was done. I watched this with David and saw how Talon kept on trying to sidle up to the much larger Pterosaur as he ate. I smiled as he finally responded, touching her beak with his; and David commented with his eyes that another friendship was born. A moment after that, Talon related to me what was said between Strafewing Freefall and her; and Frefall related on how impossible the attempt would be. I told him in Skybaxian that it was a first step of many, and might take years to fully come up with such a treaty; then I told David what was said, and he thought it a good idea to at least try. Just about then mayor Seville, Rosemary, Thundertail Rex, a few Archaeologists, thier assistants and many of the guards came into the clearing from the path leading from the pyramid. The mayor's hands were full of the saddle bag that contained all his correspondance, a look of tired accomplishment on his face. "Well, my boy...", Waldo announced. "I think that's about it." "Minch had forty writs to be approved.", Rosemary told us. "Things must be very busy back home." "I'm sure he can handle it.", Waldo told her. "Minch needn't have sent this letter too!", he handed it to me. "Your presence is required post haste...", I recited the gist of it as I scanned the letter. "Caucus for official review, and gubernotorial election of Treetown, Thermalia and Volcaneum under way...", I looked to him. "Looks like you're needed!" "Rubbish! Those towns hold local elections all the time!", waldo told me. "I'm sure they can decide who thier leaders would be on thier own." "With all due respect, lord mayor...", David Scott cut in. "I was asked by Minch, personally, on your intended date of return..." "Tell him I shall return when the Archaeological team has all the information they came here for!", said Waldo. "I will return no sooner." "Yes, lord mayor.", David said, taking a step back. "Er,...", I interrupted. "Why don't you tell him about the other things!" "Yes! sure!", David said, then began telling his mayor about the offer the Pteranodons made concerning the discussion of a new peace treaty with the Pteranodons of the Amu canyon. He said that Freefall, Talon and Strafewing could facilitate the attempt as soon as it is accepted by the Skybaxes, and approved by the council; and if all is acceptible, then the proposal can be presented to the Pteranodons of the Amu canyon. "It would depend on the type of proposal; but if a negotiation can be made like the one we have here, then I am sure the high council would endorse it.", Waldo said. "Talon assures me that all will go well.", I told him. "And what is the other thing?", mayor Waldo Seville asked. "Oh, yes! We finally figured out a good profession for my brother!", David said. "Stinger says they are looking for recruits for the 'Rainy Basin Rangers'..." "And you think he would be perfect for the job?!...", Waldo tittered. "Him?... But Stinger. Why in the world would you think that?" "Carl is a person who avoids responsability, right? He doesn't seem to know what he wants out of life. Am I correct?", I asked, and he eventually nodded. "Well, training with the 'Rainy Basin Rangers' will help him become mature enough to take any responsability that comes his way like a man. With the training involved - which is much like that of Skybax training, I hear - he could go far in the Rangers, as well as life. We will certainly be able to straighten him out!" "It sounds all well and good,", Waldo said. "But do you think he'll go along with it?" "Leave that to me!", David told him. "I'll have a talk with him." "What will Frank say?", Rosemary asked. "You know how he is with Tyranosaurs!" "We can always convince him when the time comes...", Waldo suggested. "You could talk to him. He will listen to you." "That's just great!", I said. "I look forward to training him!" "Then it's settled!", Waldo said, looking around. "...And in the mean time, I suppose we all have our duties to perform!", he offered his hand to David. "Farewell, Skybax rider!... Seek peace!" "Fly high!", David said, changing the shake into a Dinotopian salute. He turned to Freefall, who turned to accept his rider; and they took to the air as soon as he was aboard. We all watched as they gained altitude and wheeled around to the direction of waterfall City as many of the clan members and guests not involved with the exchange were noticed by us going about thier business. We all decided as we looked at each other to continue our own business as well, and pretty soon things were going on like the visit never happened. About a week passed, and the Archaeologist team came to mayor Waldo Seville, saying that they have gathered all the information on the ruins and the World beneath as they could. They told him that is was a marvelous addition to the information on the island, and a boon to historical science. They told him that the Kirkys and others have kept remarkable records of thier progress, and trust them on any further discoveries they might make. They said that the restorations made to the ruins are a marvel, and like a museum in stature - truely Halcyon, Kinan Van and all areas of the World Beneath would soon be restored to thier pristine glory if left to these creatures! Mayor seville could not help but agree from what he had seen of it, and commended our kirky teams on thier expertise. So, with that the mayor and his entourage begin to pack up their things and start saying good bye to us; and the farewells are truely heartfelt. The very next day a grand precession formed around thier carts, and we all commenced giving them a grand sendoff! "Stinger old boy!", Waldo said to me as he took my hand. "You have performed an immense miracle here! You have turned savage beasts into dynamic Dinotopian citizens!" "It was not I that turned them, but themselves.", I said. "If they did not contain the will to change, a person as puny as I could never have made them!" "It is the Dinotopian way to be humble,", Rosemary said. "But you have a knack of carrying it too far!" "He has always been this way!", Thundertail told her. "I can not change his ways, either!", many chuckled. "Farewell, lord mayor, my matriarch.", Mayday said next, Hamilton in her arms. "Both presence make whole clan sing!" "It has been a charming experience for us as well!", Rosemary told her. "And it was a pleasure to make your acquaintence, little sir!", Waldo told Hamilton. "He will make a fine leader one day!", he smiled at me. "Bye, bye...", Hamilton said, then pointed to me. "Borodoon tosch-peux!" "Stinger, how is he doing with his languages?", Waldo asked. "His English is pretty bad!" "But his other languages are excellent!", I said, grasping my son. "He said that I was his father!", I tickled his chin. "He said it in Tyranosaur, but he said it!", I looked at him. "Who taught you that?" "Rex!", Hamilton pointed at Rex, who bowed knowingly. The combined guards came into the clearing next. They marched into formation, then split contingencies so the saurian guards were on the right and the Veloceraptors were on the left. Both Doppo and Mosquito stepped out of ranks and faced each other, saluting; then both stepped up and shook hands before getting back into thier ranks and giving an order. All guards then faced each other and saluted; then they shook hands of the one adjacent to them, nodding knowingly at the friendships they had obviousely made during thier stay. When all this was done, Mosquito led his troops back to guarding the perimeter while Doppo led his guards toward the mayoral coaches. "And don't worry, boys.", Wen was telling Sperry Stenoychosaurus in the Archaeological teams' cart. "We'll keep you informed if we make any more discoveries!" "Fear not, my dear!", Sperry replied. "With the information we have gathered this trip, we have all we need to occupy ourselves for many years to come!" Presently, mayor Waldo Seville gave a signal to Almasaur, who was pulling thier cart this time; and the cart began its' movement back home. Pincushion hastilly formed an honor guard to escort them out of clan Thundertail territory; and stayed with them all the way to the borders of the Rainy Basin... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 23, 2012 16:49:50 GMT -5
_ THIRTY-SEVEN: "Awakening..." For the next several months work went on in the ruins, and much progress was seen there. Flit had been extremely busy in the chamber of the Strutters and in his master's workshop lately, and seldom came to the surface these days. When asked what he was up to, he would say very little; but progress on the Strutters was very far along indeed. The only thing needed to activate them was the control Sunstones; a comodity we had very little of. He was at a loss for the longest time, for the Bracheosaurus Strutter had been completed for months, but the green Sunstone reported to be for the metallic beast was not of the correct configuration! He was seen for days, rummaging through the other Strutter parts for the things he needed to correct the problem! At a loss, Flit took the power transfer machinery out of the beast and began fabricating a new one out of spare parts and forging new pieces of it in the futuristic forge found in Shetsetskafti's now operational laboratory. At long last the power transfer machinery was fabricated, and he commenced installing it into the Bracheosaur Strutter; and as he put the Sunstone into the new recepticle, the beast slowly came to life! It rose and took its' first steps in millennia, turning of its' own accord as its' eyes glowed green. It let out a metallic moan reminiscent of a real one and scanned its' surroundings. Up in the control compartment at the base of the neck, Flit sat; checking out the controls up there, and decided that the Strutter worked perfectly. The only thing preventing us from using it was the fact that there was no passageway big enough to allow it to come to the surface! The Strutter that the blue Sunstone went to was nowhere to be found. Of the hundreds of Strutter pieces laying around, there was not enough Skybax Strutter pieces to put together even one; and if Flit could complete said strutter, there were no Sunstone recepticle compatable for the stone. Even so, nearly every Strutter in the chamber had been rebuilt and repaired, and summarilly disarmed of all thier weaponry; and there were at least a hundred metallic beasts down there, waiting for thier Sunstones. His work completed for the moment, Flit was no creature to rest; for immediately after that, he began on yet another project and would not come out for the longest time. In the mean time, the clan did not stand idle; for we all were busy doing the things we needed to do, and all the things we were committed to do. In our travels around the island, we had made connections; and word was passed as to what we may need. Pretty soon items began flooding our clan as word of our desire to have any artifact belonging to the Rainy Basin. Jewels and Sunstones began coming our way, and even though many of them were not a part of Kinan Van, Halcyon or any other ruin that was in our realm; we gladly traded them back for the staples we needed to make our lives more enjoyable. Some of the other artifacts were very interesting indeed, for pretty soon we got stone likenesses of Zandra, Triphus and Proboke to match the likeness of Klamath we already had, Sunstone eyes glowing amber, red and blue respectively. Flit informed us in his rush that these likenesses belonged at the top temple in the pyramid of Teeklan; that these likenesses were made in honor of the four armors of Othgar that were generals in the war for peace so long ago. They were made as protectorates of Kinan Van and Halcyon, and had a place of honor there. Flit told us the configuration of how they were to be placed; and this gave us reason for the construction of the four niches in each corner of the interior of the temple. The Klamath and Zandra likenesses would be placed in the far niches, left and right respectively; and the Triphus and Proboke likenesses were placed in the near left and right niches close to the yawning entrance. Each were to be facing the center, Sunstone eyes looking at the stone pedistal in the center; at the egg-shaped depression and the narrow shaft leading down into the bowels of the pyramid. The Kirkys did a marvelous job of restoring what they could up there, for the interior was painted and guilded as how it must have looked when it was first created! Many other statues and other items of gold and having great worth came our way, deemed to go in certain niches inside the lower chambers of the pyramid of Teeklan; and many larger ones designed to go in certain spots around both cities. The Kirkys got to work restoring them, and they were soon back in thier original positions within the ruins; but one could hardly call them 'ruins' anymore as they were becoming as pristine as the day they were created! The reason why we had previousely upgraded our occupation schedule for Kinan Van was the availability of water to the complex. Even though the wells, cisterns and other water sources were near by and available; the ancient stone plumbing that transported water around the city were clogged with silt or other debris, and needed to be completely rebuilt in many places. With the direction of Berty Ankylosaur and his expertise with building and specifications, he had the Kirkys ream out the piping and rework the damaged areas. The results were most satisfactory; and even though the water did not come out with enough pressure to, for example, operate the many fountains in the city; the water better than trickled to those spots in a manner acceptable to us all! One day while all this was going on, and the clan went about thier usual business; the day brightened into what looked like a dull dreary one, and rain threatened to engulf the sky. Flit, who had not been seen for days again, ran out of the pyramid of Teeklan; but it was not known until later that he had run all the way from the chamber of the Strutters! His mechanical motions and jerky posture told of his urgency, and he bade all us who wore the armor of Othgar to listen. "I have completed the power transfer cradle for the amber Sunstone!", he told us. "I will need your assistence to transport it to the top of the pyramid, and assist in the installation of the amber Sunstone." "Tell us again what it will do when installed?", Diego asked, still unsure though Flit told us what might happen several times in as many months. "It will restore power in Kinan Van and Halcyon, of course.", Flit told him. "That Sunstone controls all other Sunstones hidden in the area. I compute that there should be several; and once activated, the subterranean chambers will have power and light!" "You want help?", Mayday asked. "Y-yes! Of course!", Flit nearly dragged me along. "I have been waiting ten thousand years for this moment!...", the others laughingly followed us. It took us the better part of two hours at a near run to make it to the chamber of the Strutters, but only ten or so minutes to make it to the workshop of Shetsetskafti. The item Flit had been working on lay on a bench in the center of the room, pieces of equipment and various tools strewn about on other tables and discarded on the rough cut stone floor. The Sunstone 'cradle' resembled a robotic nest with many protrusions and nodes dotting a metallic latticework of silver, brass and gold colored tubes and wires formed in decorative yet purposeful formations. The large amber Sunstone lay on another bench in the center of the room, and Flit grabbed a chest to put it in; then he gathered up all the tools and parts he would need and tossed them one by one into another chest. Flit picked up his toolbox and had Triphus lift the case containing the Sunstone; then had Zandra and Klamath lift the 'cradle' as it was so massive, and we all trooped the equipment to the surface. It took much longer to reach the pyramid of Teeklan with our loads, and the sun was well past noon before we emerged into the sunlight; but all of us knew that the work was far from over! Without instruction from Flit, we carefully made our way up the steep stone steps that girdled the outside of the pyramid with our loads; and was in the smallish temple at its' apex a half hour later. "Place the cradle on the pedistal.", Flit instructed. "Make sure the lower orifice is flush with the stone shaft...", he disengaged with Proboke and carefully watched our lowering. "Steady,... a little left..., and down. Good!", his eyelights flashed. "Now just a moment to hook everything up...", he went to his toolbox, shooing us to the entrance. Several moments later, he was done; and the cradle looked like it had been there all along. It was custom made for the Sunstone it would hold, so there was no worries whether or not it would work. Fairly soon Flit rose and looked at us. "You may now place the Sunstone into it.", he told us. Mayday opened the chest containing the stone, and I lifted the softly yellow glowing gem out. I turned and gently settled the sunstone in place, and nothing happened for a full minute. However, the same was not the case with the next minute as the stone gradually brightened; and the cradle it was on began to glow as well, only with multicolored arrays of color. The brightness was becoming so intense that all of our masks went into place so we could watch the process through filtered optics. A moment later and even this protection was not enough to combat the glare, and we had to shield ourselves with raised arms and retreat to the steps of the temple. The four icons at each corner of the temple began to glow as well, changing to the dirty grey stone they were made from to an almost molten hue; and thier Sunstone eyes glowed to a blinding intensity. As this reached a critical level, all four icons shot beams from thier eyes in the hue of the Sunstones they were made of; intersecting on the amber Sunstone, which was now the same intensity as the sun! All of a sudden many amber beams shot from the stone, exiting the temple from the yawning doorway and carved slits hidden from view to strike the pinacle of the temple of Orous a mile away. The temple of Orous began to quake as machinery inside that spire began thier motion. At the top of the structure the peak of the tower began to roll back like a four shelled clam; and inside that space was a huge red Sunstone that sparkled in the light of the amber one. This one began to glow profusely as well, and a crimson beam shot down within the temple to go someplace deep underground; which was later discovered to have activated lights and machinery in the World Beneath, namely the Strutter chamber and cleared many passageways leading to other areas of that underground world. The ruby Sunstone then shot out two more beams in different directions across the jungle. One landed on the side of a mountain, close to the courtyard entrance of Halcyon; and this beam caused a rockslide that blasted back some rock to reveal the ruined main entrance to that fortified city. The other beam shot through the jungle in another direction, and landed on a small knoll of broken rock in the dense foliage. This was the rocks that the Kirkys had hid in after stealing the Pteranodon eggs in that ruse thought up by Diego and Triphus; but in reality, it ended up being the completely demolished main entrance to Kinan Van! All of these areas would need many months of excavation to make those entrances usable again, and many months more to get them looking like they once did. Of course, none of us knew the extent of the effect of what we did at the moment we did it; nor did we know the action would have an effect on the rest of the island! Many days after we descended the stone steps that girdled the pyramid of Teeklan, we got a message from a Postal Bird saying that the Sunstones all over the island momentarilly fluctuated in frequency, and thier power output seemed to have been diminished somewhat. Mayor Waldo Seville was sending this general alert to every community across Dinotopia; and was asking if similar events had taken place here. Naturally, we had to admit that we might have been the cause of it; for there was no telling what would happen when we activated that Sunstone! We sent the Postal Bird off with that message, and less than a week later we got a reply by special Skybax courier. "Skybax rider Elana Dennison reporting.", she said as she dismounted from her steed and saluted me and Thundertail. "I bear a message from mayor Waldo Seville copncerning your reply to his Postal Bird message." "Greetings, miss...", I said, returning it. "What is his message?" "Message reads thus...", Elana paused to unroll the scroll in her hands. "From mayor Waldo seville to members of clan Thundertail. As per your last message, the phenomona disturbed us greatly. The Sunstones which protect every outpost and city was effected by your actions; but other than this, no real damage has been done. It is said that everything on Dinotopia is connected to every other thing, and the activation of your Sunstone had evidentally linked up with ours. Since you have been so honest in admitting what you have done, no real repremand has been sanctioned in this case.", she rolled the scroll back up and handed it to me. "Well! That's good news, considering!", I said, accepting the scroll. "I thought we'd be in BIG trouble!" "No, you're not!", Elana smiled. "We do not hold it against people for making mistakes. Just so long as something was learned from this and it will not happen again, I suppose it is all right." "Thanks for being so understanding...", I said. "Both you and everyone else involved.", then I changed tactics. "Perhaps you would like some refreshment before you have to leave?..." "Perhaps some water...", Elana turned to her Skybax. "For my steed, of course!..." In less than twenty minutes the Skybax and rider flapped and took off, heading west toward Waterfall City... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 23, 2012 19:40:57 GMT -5
_ * THIRTY-EIGHT: "Dr, Jeckyl!" In Waterfall City, a lone Stenoychosaurus was seen swiftly moving from street to street; small note in his saurian hand and a look of extreme concern on his face. He was so preoccupied with this he ignores all pedestrians, and nearly gets stepped on several times in his haste. He stops to ask many people and saurians in his path questions, and they tell him to slow down and think about things. But Zippeau will not hear of this, for the note told him that his beloved Yarra had gone and left him! The note was not too specific, saying that she had to leave in a hurry, and saying not to worry without saying where she was going or why; and Zippeau feared the worst! Had he done something wrong to upset her, and was that the reason why she left? What's worse, was she in trouble, and had to leave to protect someone or some thing; or was it something else?! He was thinking so frantically about this that he stumbled into a human female pushing a flower cart, and went sprawling! "Oh! Sir!", this lady said as she scrambled over and helped him to his feet. "Are you all right? I didn't see you!" "Yes... I'm fine, ma'am.", Zippeau brushed himself off and reset his spectacles on his face. "I apologise for running into you. I'm just...", he scanned the street up and down. "What is it, deary?", she looked concerned. "You look all in a dither!" "Oh! It's my fiance'. See, she's missing, and...", Zippeau could not go on. "She left me a note." "Missing, you say?", the lady said. "Well, I'm sure that happens all the time..." "Read this.", he handed her the note. "This IS a mystery!", she said after reading the saurian script. "But don't you fret any. I'm sure she'll be back - they always come back!" "No! I fear this is serious!", Zippeau nearly shouted to the sky. "She would never run off without telling why she left! What if she's in trouble, or worse! What if it's MY fault?!" "Now breathe deep, my friend!", she went to right her cart. "Everything has a way of working out. So seek peace!", with that the flower vendor started pushing her cart down the street. This did nothing to diminish the way Zippeau was feeling at the moment; so he took off at a tangent from his previous course and began looking and calling all over again! He searched every part of the city, both in places he knew she might have gone as well as more obscure places; just in case she was there against her will - there were huligans around, after all. He knew she wasn't at the library, for it was the first place he looked; and not in the council chamber secretatial pool, for that was the second place he looked. In his haste he looked all over, then began scouring the city anew. He looked in Market Square, Fountain square and even the fishermans warehouse district; but still no sign of her could he find. He went to the Rosy Morning Promenade because they used to take long walks there, the square in front of Aqua Stadium for all the picknicks they shared there - and even inside the stadium for all the shows they watched there, But not a trace of her could he find. The only reasonable lead he got was when he asked a guard by the main gate; and he said that he saw a Stenoychosaurus leaving the city on his last watch. He thanked him profusely and proceeded over the rainbow Bridge; leaving the guard to scratch his crested saurian head. Zippeau Stenoychosaurus wasn't seen in Waterfall City ever since then; and soon his cohorts in the library began to wonder where he went off to. They asked all over, and finally had to tell the authorities that Zippeau was missing; and they sent guards all over the city to search for him. When that course of action produced no results, they began searching the outlying areas surrounding Waterfall City. The guard that saw Zippeau last confirmed he left the city, and soon the search was expanded to cover every region of Dinotopia! In the mean time, an exhausted and hungry Zippeau trudged into the outpost that Frank Scott had his trading post and bar. His haggard and disheveled looks went unnoticed as he looked like any other member of his kind that passed through the outpost, and he walked through completely unrecognised. Finally, at the end of his strength and reserve, Zippeau dragged himself up the steps to Frank Scott's trading post. No one knew who he was as he stepped up to the bar and sat at a stool in front of Frank, who had his back turned. "Zippeau!", Frank Scott said as he turned and saw him, but took a double take at his condition! "Zippeau, what happened to you?! You look like death warmed over!" "Oh! It's just terrible!", Zippeau nearly shouted. "I don't know what to do!!" "What is it?", Frank set the glass he was drying on the bar. "For crying out loud, tell me!" "It's Yarra!... I can't find her!...", Zippeau deflated. "I looked everywhere... EVERYWHERE, I tell you!...", tears fell. "Wait. You mean to tell me it's about your girlfriend?", Frank asked, he nodded. "She left this note...", Zippeau's voice could barely be heard, his shaky saurian hand gave Frank the note. He read. "Boy! For being in the secretarial pool, she didn't give a lot of details!", Frank said, then instantly regretted it for Zippeau's looks. "Look, it's probably something minor. I bet she'll be back real soon!" "No! She has been gone for two days now!", Zippeau's voice cracked. "And it's all my fault!", he produced a handkerchief. "What if she's in trouble somewhere? She might be hurt!" "No it's not! It's probably something else.", Frank tried to soothe. "It's me - I'm sure of it!", Zippeau confided. "Do you realise I hadn't taken her on a Gathering since last Equinox Eve? I barely see her while working, and haven't spoken to her other than things concerning work for weeks! She thinks I don't love her any more - and now she left me!!...", this time he cried unashamedly. "Look Zip..., please...", Frank placed a hand on his. "Don't worry so...", but this would do no good! Suddenly Frank Scott snapped his fingers, and Zippeau snapped out of his revery momentarilly. "I got it! You need something to calm you down.", he turned and drew a bottle off the shelf behind him, pouring amber liquid into the glass. "Here. Drink this.", he pushed the glass to him. "What is that?", Zippeau asked, looking through bleary eyes. "Just a bracer.", Frank assured. "Drink up!" Zippeau complied, and instantly sputtered most of it out! " Ugh!... What on earth is that vile liquid!" "It's something somebody makes who lives in the Rainy Basin.", Frank explained, spinning the bottle so the label showed. "It helps me to sleep sometimes..." "Tyranosaur Breath?", Zippeau read. "If the label fits...", he was careful taking his next sip. "Absolute dross!" "Some like it...", Frank Scott said as Zippeau silently asked for a refill. Later - many hours later, a lone Stenoychosaurus staggered out of Frank Scott's trading post; and he looked way worse than when he first entered. No longer a sad creature like when he entered; but one with wild determination pasted on his reddened eyes. He peered back and forth out into the night, seeing all that his enhanced vision could see. At a noise to his rear, he turned with a start and darted out into the night; running into the shadows as fast as his saurian legs would carry him. The figure that followed him to the entrance paused and yelled. "ZIPPEAU!! Come back!...", but Frank Scott saw that Zippeau was long gone! "Oh, Zippeau...", he mumbled to himself. Even though Frank sent an alarm out for Zippeau the very next morning, nothing further was heard of him after that night. A shop owner across the outpost said that someone had stolen something from his shop, and strange footprints were detected around his place; but other than that, the best trackers they had searched futilely. Soon Skybax patrols were sent to scan the whole area, but also came up empty. Pretty soon all the towns and outposts in the area was notified to be on the lookout for Zippeau, and try to find out what happened. Word had gotten to the council from the community of Sweetwater Lake that a strange creature was spotted; and thier trackers followed it to the edge of the Rainy Basin. This spurred the high council to contact us and help investigate this strange occurance - it was our territory, after all! Along with this incodent, we heard about the disapearance of Zippeau Stenoychosaurus; so we got a search party together and went to where Zippeau was last seen. Frank Scott was suprised and terrorized to see us there: a trio of Tyranosaurs and two dozen Veloceraptors with me leading the group, so I shook his hand and explained why we were there. "It all seemed so wierd.", Frank was saying as he led me inside his tavern. "He was going on and on about his girlfriend, we got to talking; then after a while he got this... 'wild' look about him..." "Did he have anything while he was here?", I asked as I scanned the emptied space, Veloceraptors entering and testing for scent. "He had some drink.", Frank replied, showing the still unwashed glass the dinosaur used. "You know that 'Tyranosaur Breath' you make? He was crying in it, mostly..." "You got him drunk?!", I accused. "No, I don't think he had enough to be drunk...", Frank said. "He was too upset to get drunk. In his haste, he left this:", he poffered a handkerchief, still slightly moist with saurian tears. "That might be a help...", I grabbed the handkerchief and bent to the nearest veloceraptor. "Dragonfly, what do you make of this?..." Dragonfly took it and sniffed it, calling some of the others over to sample it as well. They grumbled and spat among thenmselves; and when they all memorized the scent, they yipped and sniffed until they caught the scent elsewhere in the tavern. Catching more of the scent leading out of the tavern, they took off at a stooping trot out and down the street. "What was that all about?", Frank scott asked. "They'll find him.", I said, turning. "Thanks for all your help. Perhaps I could stop back later for a social visit..." I trotted off after them before they shrunk from view.The Veloceraptors led us all on a merry chase throughout the outpost, the citizens there giving us a wide berth; females of all species screeching and running for cover. Even though Zippeau's scent trail went all over the outpost, keeping to shadows and secluded alcoves and other forms of cover; it led inevitably to the curio shop of this ragged man of indescriminate age, his unsure movements and faltering voice betraying his opinion of the carnivores now poking around his shop. Again I introdued myself and why we were here, my cohorts looking around and trying not to break anything. "It was a strange night, that one...", this human said. "All the bumping around in the night,... Everyone was too afraid to be out of doors!", he looked around. "I counted everything in my shop in the morning, and something was missing!" "What was it?", I asked. "Weapons are enemies, right?", he nearly whispered. "A month ago I had acquired a crossbow and some arrows. People rig them so they can be used for mountain climbing, and I was about to do that; but now it is missing - arrows and all!" "I see...", I said, considering. "Where abouts did you see it last?" "Over here, on this table back here...", he led the way to his workshop in the back area. "I was about to dismantle and convert it. I laid it down here, and the arrows were in thier quiver on the lower shelf..." "Dragonfly, sniff there..., and there...", I instructed, then after he complied. "Find anything?" He yipped and sniffed around further, then jabbered excitedly as he pointed under the workbench. The human had obviousely swept the place up, but didn't do under the bench too well. In the dust under there was a print of a saurian toe, the rest irradicated by the shop owner's broom; but at least it was something, for Dragionfly confirmed vigorously that it was indeed the print of Zippeau! I got up from examining it and turned to the human. "This is bad!", I told him. "Not only is Zippeau missing and out of his mind, he is also armed! There's no telling what he will do!" "Indeed!", he replied. "But what in the world could possibly make him do such a thing?" "Females and bad booze!...", I said and turned to the Veloceraptors now around me. "You guys go and track him down. We'll catch up later!", Dragonfly nodded and led his comrades out into the streets. I left too, leaving the shop owner to scratch his head before he commenced straightening out his shop. Pincushion, Thistlesnarl and Rex saw us emerge, and I went straight toward them as the Veloceraptors scurried off on the trail. I briefly explained to them what happened and what I suspected, and all three agreed we had to find Zippeau fast lest he hurt himself or others. First there was one thing I had to do, so I searched the whole outpost for their Post Office. Finding none, I made it back to Frank Scott's tavern; and he noticed my worried look the moment I stepped in. "How's it going?", Frank asked me as I sat. "Not so good...", I said. "A shop owner had a crossbow stolen from his shop. Zippeau's scent was all over the place." "Anything I can do?", Frank asked, placing orange juice in front of me. "I need to get word to Waterfall City and tell them what I found.", I said. "Zippeau, in his condition, should be considered armed and dangerous." "I can call a Postal Bird...", Frank produced a tiny whistle from behind the counter and blew several times; and within five minutes one flapped in and landed on the bar on his face! "Agh!...”, he squawked and ruffled. “Postal Bird Four-Seventeen at your service...”, then he recognized me. “Stinger! How have you been doing?!” “Hey! It’s Four-Seventeen!”, I said. “Long time no see!” “Oh, it’s been an age!”, he said, then saw my face. “Anything I can do for you?” “You know mister Zippeau Stenoychosaurus...”, I said and he nodded. “He’s gone missing, and we are out to find him.” “What happened?”, Four-Seventeen asked. “Later. What I need is for you to take a message to Waterfall City, to the mayor or anyone involved in finding him.”, I told him. “Tell them that Zippeau was seen at the outpost, and is not himself. He has in his posession, a crossbow and ammunition. He is to be considered armed and very dangerous. I would request that the creatures of the Rainy Basin locate him, as we are better suited to handle this situation...”, I had him repeat it. “Got all that?” “You know it, Stinger!”, Four-Seventeen said. “I sure hope the old boy is all right...” “Me too...”, I said. “Now scoot!”, he lost a feather taking off, and spilled my orange juice in the bargain! “They mean well...”, Frank said as he rushed over to staunch the spill. “That bird is the best they got.”, I said as I got up. "I'm sure the message will get through..." I shook Frank Scott's hand and hurried out of his tavern, in search of my Tyranosaur friends who I told to wait for me. Pincushion was staring at the forest down beyond two buildings at the end of a side street, Thistlesnarl was near the head of the street looking our way and Rex rushed over to greet me as I came within sight. All three juveniles were now adults, and strong enough to carry the armor of Othgar; so I mounted Rex and followed his two friends down the road and between the buildings, into the forest beyond. "The Veloceraptors went this way.", Rex explained. "They said that Zippeau wandered all around town before bolting into the woods. They're about a quarter mile ahead of us by now...", he ran after his two friends, who were taking the point. Well, needless to say that Zippeau led us on quite a merry chase! When someone doesn't want to be found, they usually stayed hidden; and Zippeau certainly seemed good at doing that! He would hardly use the roads that crisscrossed the countryside, preferring to keep to the woods, where low lying hollows and the occasional rock cluster gave added concealment besides the ever present tree trunk to hide behind. Even though he was a quick one and hid from prying eyes, his scent was no less diminished by this; and we continued to track him, but he always managed to keep well ahead of us. You really couldn't blame the kid for doing this. After all, he seemed frightened and confused; and whatever was eating him, his flight proved he didn't want anybody to help him with it. Even so, there were many people all over the island that was wondering about him; his friends and loved ones were probably worried sick! The thing that worried me the most was the fact that he now had in his posession a crossbow, and there was no telling what he was capable of doing with it! Why did he take it, and what posessed him to take off like that in the first place? I knew he had a problem with his girlfriend, and the typical human thing to do was to drink and drown ones' sorrows; but an upstanding tea-totaler like him? Impossible! We tracked and followed him for several days, him always keeping just out of our grasp. It seemed to us that he was aware he was being chased, and made great efforts to evade us. We had also found out that he was eating as best he could, but what he had been eating was quite a suprise to us. In several instances, we found the remains of many small saurian corpses as well as those of birds, and this led us to the question: Was Zippeau actually eating meat?! At one point we caught up with him, and what he was doing confirmed our suspicions. Zippeau, who looked like he had been rolling around in mud and looked like a rabid Tyranosaur, growled and uluated at out approach. He dropped the young Struthie and took off as fast as he could, spraying crossbow fire at us as he left. We ducked the bolts easy enough, then took off after him; catching up with him nearly an hour later. We ended up cornering him at a knoll of rock; and he put up quite a fight, let me tell you! He threw Dragonfly aside as the Veloceraptor lunged for him and struggled as two more tried to pin him down. He broke loose from thier hold, and there was only one thing I could do; so I fired Klamath's stunner and he went down quivering. We slowly approached the prone form and I tested to see if he was still alive, which he was. "Oh, Zippeau!...", I said as I drew away. "What are you doing?..." We fashioned a sling so four of the Veloceraptors could carry him and proceeded to bring himm back home. His chase led us deep into the Rainy Basin, and it took most of the afternoon to get him there. As soon as we entered camp, we sent for Ursula and Selma to check him out to see if he was all right, and they could see no reason for him running off like that. Once I explained to them all I had heard, they examined him more thouroughly; but they still couldn't find anything conclusive. Many tests later and Zippeau tried to wake up; but as soon as he did, he tried to escape, nearly biting Selma in the process! From then on it was decided to take him to my quarters in the pyramid of Teeklan, where it would be easy to bind him to my bed. All in all, it was thought that it was something he drank that made him that way; and certain medicine conmbinations were force fed to him to see if it could be counteracted. As he drifted in and out of conciouseness, his rants and growling became less and less incoherent; but the times he was unconcious grew longer and longer. As the days passed, we sent word of Zippeau's progress to Waterfall City; and before long his girlfriend Yarra found out about it. She presently made every effort to get to Zippeau, and arrived in camp along with Zippeau's physician, Dr. Forschie, a few days later; along with a compliment of saurian guards to protect the pair on the trip. He administered to him with the assistance of our healers and she tended him with loving hands for the rest of his infirmary. Many, many days later, while Selma was preparing another dose of medicine; she heard moaning coming from his bed, and rushed by his side to see. Zippeau opened his eyes and gasped at her beaked form; and he tried to get away again, but his restraints prevented him from rising. He kicked and struggled with all his strength, screaming and pleading; but his strength was minimal due to lack of proper food and he slumped back on the bed, exhausted. I heard the commotion too, and rushed into the room to see Zippeau's eyes open, looking warilly this way and that and whimpering tiny exclamations. "Ah! you're awake.", I stated as I moved to his side. "How are you feeling, buddy?" "Oh... Stinger, it's you...", Zippeau moaned as soon as recognition hit. "Where am I? Some kind of palace?...", his head thumped back down. "You are in the Pyramid of Teeklan - in my bedroom, as a matter of fact!", I smiled. "You're in the middle of the Rainy Basin. When we found you, you were in a lot worse shape. You have a lot of people worried sick about you, you know!" "What happened?", he asked. "Why am I tied up?", he struggled an arm. "Well, for the last question, you were becoming quite violent.", I told him. "On the first question, we were hoping you could tell us!" "That's strange...", Zippeau said. "I'm usually as mild mannered as they come..." "Well, I guess you don't need these any more...", I commenced untying him. "Selma, see if there's any food for him.", she squawked and scurried to look. "Now, let's figure out just what happened.", I said, looking at his sallow face. "Do you remember anything?" "It's all such a blur... Let me think...", Zippeau wrinkled his thin brow in thought as he tried unsuccessfully to sit up. "Let's see,... I had gotten this note. It was from Yarra...! Sweet Yarra...!", he looked like he wanted to swoon, but recovered just as quickly. "It said she was leaving, but it didn't say why or where she was going.", he gasped. "I thought it was because of me that she left!... Oh! Have you seen her? I have to know!" "Relax, will you! She's fine.", I said. "What else do you remember?" "I looked all over waterfall City, but I couldn't find her.", he continued, wide eyed. "I looked in her usual haunts, and asked everyone I met; but no one knew where she was. I had to find her! I had to apologise; or at least know she was all right...!", he gulped. "Then I found out she had left the city, and nobody knew where she went. I searched every town and outpost in the area, but she wasn't in any of them!", his next look seemed to me that he was struggling with an unpleasant memory. "Go on...", I prodded softly. "Many days passed, and I found myself at Frank Scott's tavern.", he continued, then drank from the waterskin I offered. "Frank was real sympathetic, and offered me this horrible stuff. Do you know a drink known as 'Tyranosaur Breath'?" "One of our people makes it.", I informed him. "It's pretty strong stuff. Mister Scott said you had quite a lot of it, if I remember correctly." "Quite...", Zippeau replied. "And from there things got extremely strange! I grew very angry at nothing at all - and I almost never get angry! In the back of my mind I began thinking of those around me as enemies; and much worse than that, as FOOD! I grew frustrated at everything, and the talk wafting around the pub became increasingly irritating to me. I had to leave, but I knew social protocol; and tried to resist, but I could not fight the feelings I was feeling. It was like another person was leading me out of the pub and into the night, and I could not stop it!" "Frank said you were acting strangely.", I told him. "He tried to stop you, but you left too fast." "But it got worse from there!", Zippeau continued. "I grew hungry, but for meat. I figured my claws and teeth were no match for hunting, so I looked around and found a weapon.", he recanted. "I mean, it was that... MONSTER that was using me!" "The shop owner said you had stolen a crossbow.", I told him. "You still had it when we found you.", I looked at him softly. "And don't worry, it's all over now... What happened next?" "He took to the forest. I have never been in the deep forest, but I couldn't stop.", Zippeau said. "Then he got the scent of game, and got really hungry.", he gasped. "I HUNTED!!... I ATE MEAT!!!...", he cried, burying his face in his saurian hands. "Oh! Stinger, it was horrible!", he hitched. "He thought it tasted good, and became satisfied; but onward we went, deeper into the forest.", he took more water. "All of a sudden he sensed danger, so he fled. We hid, and we eluded them for a time. Then all of a sudden we were attacked by carnivores, and we fought for our lives!" "That was us.", I said. "And I must say, you led us on a merry chase!" "We got away, but they found us again.", he was calming down somewhat. "We fought again, and then I remember nothing until I woke up a few moments ago..." "That's very good, Zippeau.", I said. "It matches pretty much what happened. Now maybe I can clue you in on a few other things." "Such as?", Zippeau asked as Selma came in with a bowl of greens. "Well, first of all, Yarra is all right.", I told him. "She was notified about what happened, and is on her way.", I didn't want to tell him she was already here - I wanted that to be a suprise! "Yarra is coming?", he cheered up instantly, stuffing leaves into his mouth. "The next thing is we think we know why you acted like that.", I continued. "It was that Tyranosaur Breath, we think... Zippeau, who were your ancesters? What creature were your kind before they evolved?" "Why, everyone knows that Stenoychosaurs are direct descendants of the Troodonts.", he said, alternately munching. "Part of that tribe became civilized early, and our teeth and claws shortened as a result." "And Troodonts were carnivores.", I told him. "We think that there was something in the Tyranosaur Breath that made you revert to your Troodont ancesters. We don't know if it would happen to all of your kind, or it might be just you; but we're going to distribute the stuff more wisely, or at least put a warning label on the stuff." "What could be in it to do that?", he asked. "Well, there is one ingredient that is not in normal liquor.", I said, then whispered the secret ingredient into his earslit. "Tyranosaur WHAT?!", he balked. "Well sir, That wouldn't do it!..." "It might.", I insisted. "See, one of the Tyranosaurs who contributed might have been sick; and that could have altered it somehow. It could explain a lot of things; but we're going to put a warning label on the stuff anyway - don't want this happening again, you know!" "That's right!", he smiled for the first time in days. "But you know, once the high council hears of this, they will want more drastic changes than that." "I know, but I guess we'll deal with that later.", I heard a light rapping on the doorway, and saw Yarra standing there. "You feel up to having another visitor?" "Who is it?...", but then he saw her! "Yarra! Oh my Yarra!...", she rushed over as I stepped out of the way. "Well, you're alive!", Yarra quipped as she bent to give him a nuzzle. I backed out to the doorway, and nodded for Selma to follow. They needed to be alone for a while! We retreated to the hallway, but I lingered there just out of sight; secretly eavesdropping on them. Maybe there are things Zippeau didn't tell us that he would tell her! So I leaned against the wall and listened on. "You gave me quite a fright!", Yarra went on. "Galavanting off across Dinotopia without telling me!" "I'm sorry. I read your note and feared the worst!", Zippeau weakly said, not realizing she was joking. "I thought something terrible happened to you; and worst of all, I thought you were leaving me!" "Oh! You jollyhead!", Yarra giggled. "I would never leave you! It was just my cousin in Volcanium. Japies was hurt at the forges, and I had to go and see if he was all right." "I'm sorry to hear that...", Zippeau said. "He is, is he?" "He's getting better, but it didn't look good at the beginning.", Yarra told him. "That was why I had to leave in a hurry: They thought he was dying!", she looked him over. "I guess I didn't have time to leave proper notes...", she got close to his muzzle. "Ooh! And all because of that, I got you all worried and you end up doing this!...", she nuzzled him. "That was rather silly of me, wasn't it?", Zippeau smiled slightly. "But what counts is you were silly for ME!", Yarra giggled as she held his saurian hands. That was when I turned away and stopped my eavesdropping. So that was why Yarra disappeared! I resumed my usual business for the rest of the day, and our healers tended to Zippeau with the aid of Dr. Forschie and Yarra , who practically spoon fed him until he was strong enough to walk around one day later. After a week or so Zippeau was strong enough to be taken on a limited tour of the pyramid of Teeklan, gasping in wonder at all the painted etchings on the walls; and as he grew more active, his curiosity about our culture increrased. Pretty soon he was deemed well enough to travel, and the cart Yarra and company apportioned to take them here was readied for travel. We all gathered to see them off, for we grew fond of them all, including the saurian guards. They were still a little nervous being around us all, but this fact was overlooked both by seeing we were so friendly as well as the knowledge of thier eminent departure! "Well Zip.", I said as I shook his hand. "Any time you want to visit, just let us know!" "You bet I will, Stinger!", Zippeau said as he hugged Yarra. "Oh! And thank you for everything!" "Oh! And if you want any meat, let us know!", I joked as thier cart turned around. "Very funny!", he called as the cart headed for the road and was lost to sight. Many weeks later, Zippeau is at home. He spent most of the day preparing for a dinner party, and invited Frank Carl and David Scott, along with Yarra, Marion, Rosemary Seville and Waldo Seville. Everything went smashingly, and everyone had a grand time. He whistled a happy tune as he cleared the dishes and ushered his guests into his sunken living area. Coming back out, he was confronted with a question from his mayor. "So Zippeau, do you really think the people in the Rainy Basin are really civilized?", Waldo said as he sat on a divan. "Well sir, I was pretty much under the weather at the time.", replied Zippeau. "They certainly meant well..." "And those maneaters never touched you?", Frank asked. "Not in the hostile sense.", he replied. "They had to subdue me at first, but that was due to my violent condition. After that they nursed me back to health and showed me the best of thier hospitality." "I just can't get used to the idea that they want to be friendly!", Frank said. "That Stinger guy is ok, but his friends give me the creeps!" "I think they look too ferocious to be civilized.", Carl commented, and got elbowed by Marion. "It's unfair to judge someone on what they look like.", David said. "I mean, all the other dinosaurs look rather unusual, but they are as friendly as can be!" "He's right. Thier intentions seem earnest, even though they're meat eaters.", Rosemary told them. "We have been waiting a long time for the carnivores to approach us as allies. I think it's just what this island needs!" "They showed me nothing but courtesy my stay there, too.", Yarra said. "Dr. Forschie and the rest can testify to that!" "Well then, Zippeau.", Waldo announced. "I'm sure we all have to be to our duties early tomorrow. So I suppose we all must be going.", he rose. "Come, my wife..." "It is getting late at that...", Frank said. "Let's go, boys!", they all got up too. "I'll see you tomorrow?", Marion asked Carl. "Sure.", Carl replied softly. "Hon, they're planning an inventory in the Fishery warehouse tomorrow...", Yarra rose as well. "I understand...", Zippeau whispered, giving her a secret peck; then said so all could here. "Well, it's been a pleasure to have you here this evening!", he escorted the group to the door. "Perhaps we could schedule another get together soon!..." Presently mutual farewells were said all around, and all of them left in ones and in groups to thier destinations for the night. Zippeau smiled at the memory of the meal, the funny stories and the gourmet meal served by his own hands. He began whistling a tune as he went to the kitchen and began cleaning up. He scoured the food preparation area, then worked on the dishes for almost an hour. After he mopped the floor, he lifted the basket of trash and headed for the back door. This door led to the back street below, and he nudged the door open with his tail. Stepping down, he walked a few paces to where his trash recepticle sat by the building. Still whistling a tune, he dumped the garbage into his can. Setting the basket on his step, he looked both up and down the street; and when he is sure the coast is clear, gets this sinister look about him. The moon hid behind clouds high above, masking the activity that was about to take place. He turned and slunk off his doorstep, toward the trashcan he had just made his contribution to. He slid the can aside, and up against the wall is a tiny device; spring loaded and lethal to anything the size of a mouse. Something of that general description was caught in that trap, and Zippeau lifted it trap and all to remove the tiny, furry creature. Instead of tossing the creature into his can like any decent Dinotopian would, Zippeau took it out and reset the trap; placing it back behind his can the way it was. he then took the creature and his basket into his home, eating the poor creature as he went... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 24, 2012 4:31:50 GMT -5
_ THIRTY-NINE: "The Strutters Emerge!" The full extent of our action of placing the amber Sunstone at the top of the pyramid of Teeklan was not made clear to us until we undertook a full exploration of all ruins in our realm. Not only was the interior of the pyramid fully lighted now, but the chambers beneath; and all corridors and accessways leading to Kinan Van shone just like day! The grandeur of the city of Kinan Van was made clear as we walked the streets and avenues now fully lighted. There were huge Sunstones imbedded in the roof of the yawning cavern that housed the city, and the true archetecture of the place made all who saw feel small by comparason. The temple of Orous had machinery inside that rotated the structure for perfect allignment of all Sunstones below and above; and rarely did any of them suffer for lack of power. The problem with the sunstones all over the island lasted only a short time as they seemed to automatically compensate for the extra drain our Sunstones put on them. It was true that this drain was considerable, but it seems Sunstones can draw off each other and recharge themselves by the power of the sun. The Sunstones that laced the armors of Othgar we four wore also benefited, for Klamath kept on indicating that he was stronger and quicker these days, as with the wearers of the other suits! Upon further exploration of Halcyon, we found the same thing as in Kinan Van; the cavernous chamber it was built in had become illuminated just like day. It was especially well lit in the chamber where I first found Klamath; the spaces' gold gilt walls sparkled and shone like a ballroom in full regailia. With the addition of added power to Halcyon, sounds were heard through the ground; and when the sounds' source was located deep below it, we found machinery laboriousely trying to work. Flit informed us that these machines were originally used to pump water from the forty all but dry cisterns previousely located, and plumbed through stone piping all through the complex. He had to shut the machinery down for lack of sufficient water to cool the machines; for it would do us no good if they wore out from friction! More teams of the clan were at work on other aspects of the ruins, both below ground as well as above. Two teams were sent to the spots the red Sunstone at the top of the temple of Orous indicated to dig; and massive excavation projects were under way in those spots. On the site just over the underground metropolis of Halcyon, a stone portal many times wider and taller than any kind of dinosaur was quickly emerging; and the rock and rubble in that doorway was slowly being dredged away, making a gigantic square shaft into the mountainside. The huge rocky knoll that was the former entrance to Kinan Van was being removed boulder by boulder to reveal a similar shaft leading at an angle deep underground; and the entryway would need to be rebuilt once this shaft was complete. At the portal crossroads deep in the bowels of Kinan Van, many clan members were at work removing rubble from both blocked shafts; and both teams hoped that thier shaft would be the one to lead to the surface. In Halcyon a recent rockslide, caused by the placement of the amber Sunstone, revealed many passageways not previousely discovered; and it was anybodys' guess as to which one would eventually lead to the surface! While all this was going on, further exploration of the World Beneath was under way; several well provisioned teams fanned out in the miles long tunnels, exploring for as far as thier supplies would last. In the mean time, the exploration team I was on did not stand idle either. Flit, MacDougal, Pincushion, Wen and I were down in the chamber of the Strutters in the now daybright space; and we were checking out the other revelations the activation of the amber Sunstone chose to reveal. The assembled and partially assembled Strutters were as they were left during assembly, but the many with heads now sported glowing eyes; and many of them moved slightly, twitching and such on thier own. The arched reliefs along the walls were not reliefs like we first thought, for many of them had many odd shaped glowing depressions; which revealed that they were doorways to other chambers not yet explored. Several of these were open, revealing thier contents; and some had other forgeries and workshops while one contained ten Artificial Life Constructs in pieces, and the more intact ones looked exactly like Flit! We traveled deeper into the chamber, gaping at the detail on the walls and pillars until we came upon another yawning passageway that went a short distance to end at a yawning sealed archway; and at the center of that portal stood a glowing blue indent in the exact football shape and the same size as the blue Sunstone given to us by Tentpole of the Sky! A gasp and Flit knew exactly what to do: he perambulated out of the area as fast as he could on all six of his appendages, caroming off walls and Strutters on his way to Shetsetskafti's workshop on the other side of the complex. He returned many moments later holding the blue Sunstone in his upper tenticles, twitching in excitement! "Where did you go?", Pincushion asked. "Do you know what this means?!", he stammered instead. "Within lies a Strutter, and this Sunstone powers it!... What a miraculous find!", he tried to lift the stone to the indent, but could not because it was set too high up in the door. "I'll do it!...", Pincushion offered as he took it in his short, two fingered forelimbs. he hefted it and placed it into the slot, and the stone gateway slowly rose on its' own mechanics, kicking up a cloud of centurys' old dust. Pincushion sneezed and the stone slipped from his grasp. I was under it in a flash, and caught it before it could shatter on the stone floor. I looked from my crouch into the chamber beyond, which was slowly beginning to brighten as the effects of the Sunstones outside the chamber began to take hold. The mechanical object being revealed was covered with dust and dirt, but clearly completely intact; and it was something better than any of us hoped for! The winged shape was more than four times larger than an organic Skybax, and had a wingspan that must have been more than sixty foot per wing had the wings not been folded in rest. The body was forty feet long, ending in a sixteen foot beak and a six foot head spike; and the Strutter looked more like a Pteranodon than a Quetzilcoatalus. The wings were an irridescent blue/green, and the body was painted a dark brown with a deep blue stripe down the belly; and upon further inspection, that stripe extended along the back of the creature, too. "What a perfect specimen!", Flit said. "Scanners indicate all systems fully functional. Wiring and tether configurations read intact. Electrical and hydraulic systems nominal.", he paused to look at us. "I think we better go over this personally!" "It's all dirty!", Pincushion stated. "Look at this dust!...", his claw scooped up a gob of it as he ran it along a wing edge. "Whot do it run on?", MacDougal asked, running a hand along the underbelly. "Bet me hooch'll make a fine fuel!" "These runes on the control panel indicates it was made twelve thousand years ago...", Wen said. "This language is common for the ancient city of Posideon!" "Yes, it is that old.", Flit told us. "But with a little work, it will fly again. Let's activate it!" Flit went to the tail section of the Strutter and pried open a small hatch; then he clambered down and retrieved the blue Sunstone I had left by the door. He scampered back up and fitted the Sunstone into its' recepticle, and a moment later the eyes of the metallic Skybax began to glow blue as well. The creature turned its' head, trying to see through the dust over it's eyes; and seeing me, lowered its' head to see better. I stroked the metal beak that met my armored hand, then slid it up until I first wiped the left eye and then the right. The Skybax cawed in thanks, which sounded more like rusty machinery; and then it tried to nuzzle my hand in thanks. "I think he likes you, boss!", Wen said. "I guess so!", I chuckled. "Flit, would you know if this Strutter has an entity inside it?" "Scanning...", Flit said. "There is definitely something sentient in its' memory banks... It's a very dim intellegence. Quite primal and driven on emotion for the most part.", as he said this, the Skybax Strutter turned its' head toward him. "It also seems to react to outside stimulus...!" "Aye! The beastie hears us...", the head turned to MacDougal with a questioning look. "An' it recognises us as more than as jes' things!... Awk! Hello, laddy!", he patted the offered metallic beak. "He seems pretty friendly...", the Skybax turned to look at Pincushion. "Really friendly!", the metal bird nuzzled his snout. "Hey there, big fella!", Wen cooed as I lifted her so the metallic creature could see her. "Let us shut him down so we can tell the others, ok?", Flit said, who had scrambled up the metal Skybax's back again. The Artificial Life Construct removed the blue Sunstone and clambered down off the giant flying beast, then set the stone down on the floor beside the door. The green Sunstone that powered the Brach Strutter had also been removed; as it was found that it also posessed a rudimentary intellegence, and would shuffle around and accidentally crush another Strutter or otherwise cause damage. We learned from that one to never leave an activated Strutter unattended, and deactivate the metallic creatures before leaving! We left the Strutter chamber and made our way to the surface. News spread quickly of our discovery, and pretty soon many others went down to view the new creature. MacDougal, Flit and Wen were assigned to clean the Skybax Strutter; and presently went down with those supplies. I got to thinking of what to do with this creature, and ways to put it to good use. I figured it could be used to carry corespondance from place to place, it could be used to carry a passenger with speed to any destination in Dinotopia since it had a pilot's seat and another seat up front near the base of the neck, presumably used for a gunner; and it could be used for speedy rescue of persons trapped in the mountains or canyons and it could scan the coast quickly to help find persons washed up on shore. I explained that I might be able to fly this creature as I was an experienced pilot, and familiar with the sophisticated controls and used to the high stresses ascociated with flight. One doesn't spend a decade in the United States Air Force without knowing how to fly, I explained! King Thundertail agreed that I was the only creature we had capable enough to operate such a contrivance, and permission was given to me to fly the mechanical Skybax once it was deemed fit to fly. This excited me to no end, for this would be my first time flying since my jet crashed in the Rainy Basin better than three years ago! I ran to my quarters in the pyramid of Teeklan and rummaged around my things until I found my old Air Force helmet. In reality, it took many weeks to actually fly the metallic skybax; but that was only because the main entrances leading to the surface was still blocked with debris. We all pitched in and cleared the blockage from the entrance to Kinan Van as that seemed the most direct route from the chamber of the Strutters to the surface. We all laboriousely worked on that while I intermittently learned everything needed to know about flying a Skybax Strutter; and let me tell you, it seemed a lot harder than running a simple F-17 jet! The first thing to take into consideration is the configuration of the wings. The wing is made up of many joints like the corporial counterpart; and like a human hand, it has just as many moving parts. The control sticks and levers were multi-jointed and sported many levers that moved different parts of the Skybax body and wings. There were even controls to move the head as well as a tiny tail section used for stability, and one wrong move while flying and the Skybax would spiral in a death dive I would not be able to get out of! Flit worked with me in training as he was the only one with schematics on the Strutter in his memory banks; and with that and Klamath's storage of this knowledge - easy for me to access since Klamath and I were linked - by the time the entrance to Kinan Van was opened, I was all but ready for my first flight. The entity within the Skybax was simple to say the least. It told us through a Dinotopian version of Binary and Klamath's deciphering of it that its' name was Kiawa, and it had been waiting for a long time to fly once more. It thanked us for awakening it, and told us that it recognised Klamath - the greatest warrior armor on Dinotopia. As we told it what had been going on since it was interred here, it nodded and digested all it could; having the need to be told many times that the warfare of so long ago was not acceptible in this time. It would seem that this Strutter was a bit more intellegent than the Bracheosaur Strutter, as it eventually grasped what we were trying to teach it while the Brach still lumbered around like it had no intellegence at all! When the day came to move the Skybax to the surface, one problem became apparent right off. Though seemingly graceful in the air, the lumbering gait a terrestrial flyer has is cumbersome and slow to say the least! We discussed how to bring this flyer to the surface, and one became apparent right off. We had the flyer step aboard a pair of wheeled sledges hastily put together out of wood and metal hardware found about the chamber. Then we activated the Brach Strutter, Flit operating the great beast; and we attatched chains to it as well as the sledges and began to pull. The going was rough over the uneven stone floors as they rolled, but Kiawa had balance enough to compensate these abnormalities with relative but shaky ease. Four hours later both Brach and Skybax met the sunshine, a thing they hadn't experienced in over ten thousand years! The trip through the jungle and the path from the entrance to Kinan Van went by pretty smoothly, Flit manipulating the giant Strutter that was pulling the sledges carrying the giant Skybax as I coaxed the bird along with soothing coos and words of encouragement; and soon we had made our way into our clansite. As the Skybax Strutter, named Kiawa, stepped off the sledges; it took the liberty of spreading its' wings and flapping, even though that unnerved us no end! What if it decided to take off? What damage would it do to the rest of the island? But instead, it stopped and looked at everyone now looking at this new sight of a metallic flying creature and a metallic sauropod in thier midst. The Bracheosaur strutter boomed and looked around noncomittally as its' green eyes winked on and off as if blinking, seeming to wonder what was going on! "So, these are the Strutters!", Thundertail stepped up and inspected them. "They appear even more marvelous here than down in the chamber!", he chuckled. "I think they are still wondering what is going on.", I said as Kiawa looked at me nervousely. "There, there!... Everything is going to be all right...!", I soothed the metallic beast. "Though we have removed the weaponry from the Bracheosaurus Strutter,...", Flit said from above, then scampered down through the beast to emerge from a hatch just inside the beast's right front leg and scrabble down the rungs placed there. "We have yet to remove the weapons from the Skybax." "You know, you're right!", I said. "We were so excited on finding Kiawa that we didn't have the time!", I looked at the bird. "A saying goes: 'Weapons are enemies, even to thier owners.'; so that means we'll have to take your weapons away.", the Skybax croaked in concern. "It will be all right...", I cooed again. In the mean time, Flit had scrambled upon the Skybax and pulled out the blue Sunstone. "I'll get to work right away...", said he. "Um,... laddy...!", MacDougal got the robot's attention. "Ye say th' birdie flies on me hooch?" "The engine can utilize a number of fuels.", Flit informed him as he opened the Skybax's beak; and that revealed a tiny cannon. "But the more combustible, the better...", it continued its' work. MacDougal nodded and smiled in evil expectancy, gathered a few clan members and off they went to where his stills were. I took it to myself to lead the Bracheosaur Strutter to a corner of the clearing, where I catwalked across its' back and removed the green Sunstone within the small hatch back there. I placed the stone on the driver's seat and climbed down to the ground. Along with the cannon in the Skybax's mouth, there was a breach loading gatlin gun of a unique design typical to Dinotopian manufacture under a hatch in it's chest; and these were removed too. There were two more types of weapons within the Strutter, but they were connected to intergral functions of the Strutter and had to be left alone. One was a laser generator behind the eyes that would shoot blue laserfire from there; and this was connected to the bird's higher functions such as flight, and might even effect his limited intellegence. Another weapon, which was directly linked to the Sunstone power cradle, was a set of pusher beams that would eminate from the underside of it's wings, which were not unlike the kind of ray that Klamath could produce. We would need to keep a close eye on this Strutter lest he hurt someone with those weapons! At great length the Strutter, who insisted be called Kiawa, was finished and disarmed as much as we could make him; and with that my real training on flying him would soon commence. MacDougal came around with almost fifty gallons of his hooch, unflavored and in almost raw form; and he commenced a bucket bregade of sorts filling the internal tanks via an inlet located by Flit at the top center of the back. The Skybax Strutters' main means of propulsion was just like any other corporial Skybax: he would take off using thermals and his own wing power for mobility. The fuel was for a strange type of fan jet propulsion designed exclusively by Dinotopian technology. The device that spun to produce thrust once the fuel was combusted on it was a series of augerlike disks within the engine proper, and each worked as a clutch-and-bering against one another as each former disk spun faster – a design more akin to something Leonardo DaVinci might have want to design. When I ignited this engine, the bird made a deafening, chirring clatter as each disk synchronized; then became almost silent as the engine reached synchronicity. Flit warned me not to engage the engine unless top Skybax flight speed was achieved as it was cooled by rushing air; so I shut it down as Flit replaced the blue Sunstone. "All done!", I told Kiawa. "That wasn't bad, was it?", Kiawa still chirped like rusty machinery! "What are you going to do with it now, Stinger?", Rex asked, coming over to inspect the creature for himself. "I'm going to learn how to fly it, of course!", I told him. "But aren't you a pilot already?", he asked. "I can fly planes and jets from the outside world,", I said, climbing up into the pilot seat, just to the rear of the gunner seat. "I have no idea how to fly this!" "If that's the case...", Flit scurried up as well and took the forward seat. "Then let me show you how!" "Can you fly this thing?", I asked as the faring came up on either side of us and pressuring shut seamlessly in the middle. "No, but I know all the internal mechanics.", said Flit, head turreting around to look at me with his multicolored eyelights. "Besides, you may need someone who can talk to him!" As the rest of the clan allowed us room in the clearing, Flit gave pointers on how to manually maneuver the Skybax Strutter; which seemed like trying to make a centepede's legs move joint by joint! The intricate controls had two modes controlled by a lever at my side, and one made the legs and wingtips perambulate in unison as I tried to get Kiawa to get up the slight rise in the clearing so we could practice taking off. Many times through Flit's translation, Kiawa requested that he get us there by himself; but I thought it better if I try this on my own. After many a stumble and clumsey step, I finally maneuvered Kiawa to the highest altitude the clearing had to offer; and there I was sure that there might be breeze enough to help us take off. Kiawa screeched like a train stopping on the tracks as I unfurled the metallic creatures' wings, trying to get them to flap in unison without making them flop on the ground. I tried the legs, making them hop in place to gain height; and lastly I tried to make Kiawa run slightly to gain speed for flight, but all of this was to little avail as I could not seem to make this Skybax Strutter get off the ground! I felt silly! It was like my first time flying as I vainly tried to achieve the air in a contraption I was illequipped to handle. I stopped, bowing my head and thinking; and Kiawa sensed this hesitation and tried to help. "Kiawa says that he can help you if you let him.", Flit translated. "All you do is give controls to him and he will show you how it's done. Just release that short red lever at your feet." "Well, ok...", I said dejectedly and complied. Of his own volition, Kiawa screeched once again and flapped several times. The wings tilted slightly, and I could see through the multijointed control sticks how they bent and twisted in accordance to his movements as he paced out further into the field. I rested my hands on the controls so I could feel the movements and know what they meant as Kiawa hopped as he flapped, twisting his body to find a wind. With his last hop, his metallic feet left the ground and retreated against his belly, wings circling tightly to get altitude. In a moment we were above treetop level and still climbing, Kiawa relaying instructions to me via Flit all the way; and the sensations I was getting through the control sticks told me volumes on how all this was done too. As we made it to what my guess was a thousand feet, we leveled off and began performing a lazy figure-8 maneuver, my hands now firmly on the controls but letting the great metallic flyer do the flying. As Klamath listened to the squeaky metallic chatter coming from Kiawa, he slowly began forming a translation; and pretty soon I was hearing bits and pieces of his words. I cought shards of tales of his heroic antics during the war hosted by Othgar; and also tales of his ultimate defeat and the humiliation of his interrment. At long last I felt confident enough to take the controls for a while, and sloppily made slight maneuvers within our figure-8 pattern. The three of us was up for what seemed to me like minutes, but was in reality over an hour; and as Kiawa feighned weariness, it was agreed that we make our landing for the day. I insisted that I could handle the procedure, but Flit reminded me of my failed takeoff; and Kiawa had to agree as he cackled softly! I went up in Kiawa every day for more then a week, becoming more and more used to this strange form of aircraft. After only a few days, Flit deemed that he was no longer needed in training me on how to operate Kiawa; and he gratiousely bowed out of any further flights, and saying he had quite a lot to finish up in the World Beneath. My training flights became longer and longer, eventually encompassing the entire Rainy Basin; and those who lived in that realm soon recognized us as friendly flyers, and eventually stood down thier defensive postures as we flew overhead. I had sent a Postal bird out, telling the council of the activation of both Strutters many days ago; and knew it was only a matter of time before Kiawa would be allowed to fly over the entire island!... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 24, 2012 16:10:20 GMT -5
_ FORTY: "Steel wings." The new metallic additions to the clan turned out to be quite useful to us in the things we needed to do. The Bracheosaur Strutter, of which we named Tunneau, was super strong; and helped us do a lot of the heavy lifting as well as hauling. Our idea of having him help transport goods to and from the Rainy Basin and other places could not have worked out better! There was a cavernous space within the torso that once held a whole battery of cannon; but now that it was emptied, the space could hold nearly three full cart loads of cargo. Tunneau proved most helpful when one time we delivered the supplied to Torres LaSage and her friends. They tried to take the Strutter by force, but we had figured they would; and thusly we placed two garrisons of Veloceraptor guards along with thier supplies inside. It was much like the fable of the Trojan Horse when they entered and found themselves surrounded by claws and teeth! The people in the towns surrounding the Rainy Basin gradually became used to seeing this metallic beast trundling into thier towns; and even though he wasn't alive, many started to begin talking to him like he was a real live Brach. I operated him when it was my turn to deliver supplies to Tentpole of the Sky, and matriarch Buttercup marveled at the massive machine before her; praising on how well one of thier gifts was being put to use. She gave our expedition a complete tour of thier citadel before beginning the long, frigid trip back home. Kiawa proved most helpful in spotting travelers and helped out on rescues by going for help when a Ranger team met with a situation calling for backup. In leiu of being the lead Rainy Basin Ranger, my task more often then not was to fly the giant metallic Skybax on missions of reconisence throughout the Rainy Basin. Both Kiawa and I were the eyes in the sky, and grew expert in finding problems before they would become problems! We had sent a Postal bird many weeks ago concerning permission to fly to other parts of Dinotopia from the council at Waterfall City, but so far we had gotten no word either way. In the mean time our lives became steeped in routine to such a degree that it was a suprise to us one day when a Postal bird returned to us and divulged her news. "On behalf of the high council of Waterfall City...", the bird announced loudly after fluttering to a stop and ruffling her feathers. "I bear to you thier decision of your request made two fortnights ago.", she eyed the carnivores among us suspiciousely. "Permission to fly the Skybax Strutter over environs not within Rainy Basin territory is hereby granted. Permission is granted under the condition that said Strutter is not used for purposes of which it was originally designed for.", she looked at me. "There is more..." "Please, what is it?", I asked. "Mayor Waldo Seville congratulates all of you on your injenuity of restoring the Strutter, as well as the Bracheosaur Strutter; and looks forward to personally witnessing them in action.", the bird continued. "He also is curious to see the good they can do. He is visiting Canyon City in one week, and invites the Skybax Strutter and pilot to attend him there." "We would be most delighted to attend!", I said. "Would you like to pause in your flight and rest? Our Post Office has all the amenities..." "Thank you, human.", she said, shaking her bill. "This stop is a long way from the main routes!" "We would also like to invite you to see the Strutters for yourself.", I told her as I offered my arm as a perch. "I think one should be showing up soon..." My first stop was to take her to the Post office, where she hopped into the upper aerie and refreshed herself; then, coming out, she complimented us on the decor'. I then led her to the clearing, and Kiawa had just landed bearing flit; whom volunteered to fly a reconisence mission along the route to Crevice aerie. The Postal bird nearly flapped off my shoulder when she saw it; but Kiawa took a look at the tinier flyer and warbled like an out of round wheel, which made the Postal bird chuckle nervousely despite herself. A little while later the Bracheosaur Strutter came back from a trade mission, and she almost fell onto her back at the size of the construct! As Tunneau boomed greeting, the bird calmed down somewhat. At length the Postal bird bid her leave, and circled both metallic beasts in her lofty exit from our territory. The very next day I had the Skybax Strutter made ready, for I wanted to take it out and have Kiawa go through his paces. In my training on the bird and my many missions with him, I had not taken the time to see what he could really do! Once they were done, I looked the metallic bird over, running gauntletted hands over the underside of wings, inspecting the feetlike landing gear and examining the exit point of the Dinojet engine directly under the tail section (A name I coined for a Dinotopian fan-jet engine.). I had stowed my old Air Force helmet under the gunner's seat, and made sure its' internal radio was set for a frequency that Klamath could pick up; and I put it there in case the mayor would like to have a ride. I then grabbed the blue Sunstone laying in the pilot seat, walked down the back of the bird and placed it into its' recepticle; then I sat into the pilot's seat and waited for Kiawa to wake up. "Hello, Stinger.", I heard his translated thoughts. "What are we going to do today?" "I thought we could do a little test.", I thought back. "I want to test you on your abilities. Do you want to do this?" "Of course!", Kiawa told me. "I have not had my abilities tested in a very long time!" "Excellent, Kiawa.", I replied. "Let us proceed, then!" The Strutter crouched and leapt for the sky, flapping until it leveled off well above treetop level. I hung onto the controls, gasping at Kiawa's sudden turns and ascents; and hoping real hard he knew what he was doing! Once I had gotten used to the maneuvering the Strutter was making, I had him fly over clan Thundertail and try to buzz them; but by this time they were so used to Kiawa flying overhead, they barely gave us pause. As I waved from my spot behind the controls, Kiawa banked around and hit the jets; and we screeched away from the area in a flash. I twisted the lever and took over for a spell, leveling off at a thousand feet. I banked right before detail in the Forbidden mountains made themselves clear and made another sweep up the Basin. I told Kiawa to give it all the power he had, and suddenly the Dinojet engine rose in pitch and volume; and just as we flew over clan Thundertail once again, a sonic boom like thunder blasted down on them! Kiawa apologized for this, but I told him it was only natural when a craft flies faster than sound travels; and he told me that he could fly a little bit faster than that, then poured on even more speed! My estimate on our speed before we had to slow to avoid the Backbone mountains was about mach one-point five! "You're pretty fast!", I told the mechanical Skybax. "Now, how high can you fly?" "I can fly so high that natural life forms can not take in oxygen.", Kiawa told me. "But do not fear, Stinger! My pilot compartment is fully self contained and pressurized. There will be plenty of oxygen for you to breathe!" "That's comforting to know...", I hadn't thought of that! "You may proceed..." Kiawa dipped tail and rose like a rocket, high above the clouds we soared; and soon the dimming light told me that we were reaching the very edge of Earth's atmosphere! As stars began becoming apparent, a jolting shudder ratcheted through the Skybax; and all of a sudden Klamath told me he had lost contact with Kiawa! I switched to manuel, and the controls would not respond; and just when I realized this, the Dinojet engine flamed out! I utilized all of Klamath's speed and strength to try and get at least a little control from the metallic beast; but we then began to fall like a stone! It was fortunate that Kiawa was built as aerodynamically as possible, for his body dipped nose first; and his frozen wings caught the thin air, affording me the thinnest margin of control. We must have been like that for many minutes, falling and spinning in a yaw-roll as the Earth began looking less like a planet and more like our home - but we were falling toward it now faster than a bullet! At what I guessed to be one mile altitude, the controls slowly began to respond, and Klamath could now just barely hear Kiawa. As soon as the Skybax Strutter saw what was going on, he banked and spiraled counter to our fall; and for the most part, got himself under control enough to make level flight. As soon as he did this, he had me take the controls while he figured out what just happened. "I can not explain it...", Kiawa told us. "I was flying my highest, and suddenly it was like when you remove my power Sunstone!" "I don't know what happened either...", I said. "But you nearly killed us!" “I'm sorry...”, crowed Kiawa. "I think I may have the solution.", Klamath said. "Perhaps it is because Kiawa has a limited range." "What do you mean?", I asked my suit. "Do you remember when Pincushion got too close to the Sunstones when we were bringing Shawn Branko back home?", he told us, and I nodded. "He could go no further because the Sunstones were giving him pain. My theory is Kiawa can not go beyond the influence of the Sunstones or he shuts down. Sunstones have a range of influence of only a handfull of miles." "Well, I don't care what it is!", I said, turning the Skybax Strutter toward home. "I'm having Flit do a full overhaul on him soon as we land! Looks like practice is cancelled for the day, Kiawa!" "AW!", Kiawa replied. Many moments later, Kiawa landed in the clearing that was in the middle of clan Thundertail; and I hopped down and ran to find Flit. When I did, I told him what happened; and he immediately went over to examine the great metal bird. I had forgotten to remove the blue Sunstone in my haste, and Kiawa was slowly capering about, looking at the activity all around him. He squawked rustilly as he saw Flit, and the Artificial Life Construct clambered onto him and removed the Sunstone; rendering Kiawa inert. Two hours later and Flit decreed that Kiawa was in perfect condition, that his lapse in the air did nothing to damage any of his systems. The only thing wrong at this time was the fact that nearly all of his alchohol fuel was used up, so MacDougal and his helpers got to work refueling him. Flit said that Klamath's hypotheses on why Kiawa became inert was a sound one; that it would be possible that he had a limited flying range due to the Sunstones, and it would be unwise to fly him beyond thier influence. That meant that, even though I now had a means to go to every corner of Dinotopia in a matter of hours, I could not actually leave Dinotopia. But why would I want to leave Dinotopia, I asked myself as I dreamed that night. I loved it here, for crying out loud! I had a family and a life like no other human I knew in the outside world. I helped the Tyranosaurs and other carnivores here into a peaceful existence with the others on the island; and there was nothing I could name that could compare to that! I woke in the morning, refreshed and fully confident on what I had to do today. I suited up in my armor of Othgar, said good bye to everyone I met along the way and activated Kiawa still 'asleep' in the clearing. I know that the mayor will visit Waterfall City in a few more days, but I wanted to begin my journey there and see as much of the island as I could in the mean time. The sun was barely glinting in the campsite as Kiawa leapt into the air and circled a still sleeping clan; and the only ones up to witness our departure were the ones on guard duty. Kiawa and I flew roughly southwestward, across Deep Swamp and the western edges of the Rainy Basin; and there was not much activity down below save for campfire smoke from a caravan near the very edge of carnivore territory. While I pulled out a strip of jerky and nibbled it for breakfast, washing it down with water from a skin on the fly; I entertained myself by looking out over the vast Dinotopian landscape. We made our way over Gorgonia, then headed south toward Slugmire; and from there we veered toward the Whitestone Quarries, viewing the marble bluffs that most of the cities on Dinotopia were made from. From there we headed west, and made it to the majestic spires of Sauropolis; where the first flights of the Skybax there were just taking off. As they came around, they saw Kiawa's metallic form glinting in the sky; and made great haste to form around us to investigate. It was clear that word had gotten around of our discovery of the Skybax in the World Beneath, for they escorted us out of thier airspace, but never once attacked us! As these escorts trailed off, another squadron took thier place; and these were of a more ornate squadron. The Waterfall City Skybax squadron led us up the Polongo river and over the city; and they had us roost atop the Aqua Stadium, where thier aerie and landing area was. Many pilots wandered out to greet us and marvel at the metal flyer in thier midst as I ate fruit offered to me; and thier steeds did likewise, only from a more discreet distance. They informed me that mayor Seville had already departed for Canyon City yesterday; and it was too late to come pick him up, if that was what I had in mind. I told them I was merely testing the Strutter to find out how far its' range was, and to view the places in Dinotopia from the air. At length they allowed us to be on our way, and Kiawa caught a thermal off the Great Falls and headed further north up the Polongo River. Jungles and forests went by beneath his wings, and soon the mangroves of Hadro swamp made thier appearance in the distance. The greyish purple mountains of the Obnubian Range became apparent after that, punctuated by the smoking cone of the volcano that denoted the metalworking city of Volcaneum; and as we circled that cauldron, many of thier own Skybax rose to greet us in the sooty air. They alloowed us to land in thier aerie at the base of the volcano, and we both got many moments of scruitny; but Kiawa did not take kindly to the metalworkers there touching him and trying to find out how he was put together! They marveled at the technology present in him, and praised the enginuity of thier forebearers in making a craft as Kiawa. I met Yarra's cousin in passing, and Japies was doing fairly well after all this time; even though he had a permanent limp, and the whole left side of his body was one big scar. I ate dinner with him at his home in the village near the base of the volcano. By the end of the day we had to bid our farewell, and we took off with a three-Skybax escort to the borders of thier realm. We flew all that night, me taking short naps in flight and Kiawa flying in my stead because he did not require sleep; and the Backbone mountains passed without a sound under his steel wings. By morning we came into view of Treetown, and I cursed myself for sleeping through all the towns in between! Thier Skybax patrols were already up and scouring the thick forest below for hostiles; but then they spotted us in the sky and presently gave chase! I indicated through hand signals that we were friendly and all, but they were having none of it; and immediately gave chase, trying to strafe us with thier steeds' talons. They tried to leave us no avenue of escape; and as thier maneuvers attempted to block us in, Kiawa had to kick in the Finojet engine and zoom out of thier grasp! They chased us and strafed us all the way out of thier airspace; and it was then that I remembered that Treetown was one of the handful of towns that were dead set against having carnivores in thier midst! As Deep Lake came into view, I decided to turn south again and fly over the Forbidden mountains, hoping to catch the Amu canyon through Rocky Pass. It would ba a shame to go that way, for I had never seen Tentpole of the Sky from the air and bet it was an awesome sight! I ate a light breakfast of jerky and water as I watched the landscape present itself below me. I figured that, since the mayor of Waterfall City had left for Canyon City already, he would be well on his way there by now; and it would do us no good if I were late! The pass was narrow and long, almost like a canyon in its' own right; and we saw a long caravan of Brachs pass through going the other way after we flew through the narrowest part of the pass. As the pass opened up to reveal a plain of scrub and rock, Kiawa informed me that the outside temperature had risen three percent, and was continuing to climb. To our left, the small outpost of Brumala passed us; thier small fields of scruffy looking crop and thier even scruffier looking windmill thier only prominent features. As a raging stream emerged from the other side of the Forbiddens, the town of Probosca was seen below; thier main form of trade being transportation, and many caravans were seen being formed in the streets below. We continued following the stream, which widened out to a full-fledged river, and was assumed to be the headwaters of the Amu river; and made it to the Coramir Wastes, a sea of silt and sand dunes amid the rivulets of the widening river. We found the outlet, and it seemed to be turning south; and the Amu began cascading down a series of short falls, carving a narrow channel as it went. Kiawa told me that it was becoming increasingly hotter the further south we flew, and followed the deepening canyon to the trading post of Farak. All along the way the river carved the canyon, and soon was nearly a mile deep and just as wide; so we followed the western side of the canyon all the way to Pteros. It was perhaps the biggest mistake in the world to come near Pteros with a Skybax Strutter, as we almost immediately found out! All of a sudden many individual Skybaxes nesting along the canyonside let out shrill cries of alarm, and many took wing to warn the others. All of a sudden the morning sky grew dark with thier number, and quickly began to give chase! The crowing and squawking became deafening, even through the canopy; and Kiawa presently became buffeted with many Skybax strikes! He asked if he should use his remaining weapons on them, and I told him absolutely NO! I instead told him to kick in his engines and speed across the now three mile wide canyon, and maybe we could outrun them. Evidentally, the Skybax were more interested in defending thier territory than giving chase, and they lost the swarm of flyers less than half way across. I later found out that the Skybax females were roosting and tending young at the time, and even the Skybax riders do not disturb them when they were like this! Kiawa and I flew on the other side of the canyon from there, occasionally dipping to just above the canyon rim to greater altitudes to get our bearings. I took another stick of jerky as I looked to find a way to get across the gorge to our right. At the cruix of three fingers of the Amu canyon, where the canyon was six miles wide, the squarish dorms and boxlike dwellings of canyon City was seen; ruddy reds and oranges that blended in perfectly with the scenic wonders of the canyon. We crossed the miles deep gorge amid stone pillars and arches, arroyos and knolls toward the growing expanse far ahead. Other Skybax were gliding in the air currents below, and some flew to our altitude to investigate the strange phenomona that we were. We wheeled about to match a Skybax trainee performong maneuvers; and that's when I noticed four huge stone statues hanging off the far rim of the canyon we had just flew over, thier sunstone eyes glaring at us accusingly. As the trainee tore off toward thier training camp, evidentally to warn the others; we passed directly over Canyon City proper, and sent humans and small saurians there scurrying! So as not to cause any more panic, I decided to land on the ruddy plain directly behind Canyon City near the rim at the top of the canyon. I had Kiawa shut down as I hopped out of the pilot seat and waited at his side. It didn't take long for word to get around, for all of a sudden ten Skybaxes flew into view to land all around us. Thier riders dismounted and stood at thier sides. One, presumably the leader of the group, stepped out and walked right up to within twenty yards of the Skybax Strutter. He reached into his bag and unfurled a scroll. "By the power of the magistrate of Canyon City, I order you to stand down and surrender.", he said loudly. "My name is Stinger, and I am on a mission of peace and goodwill.", I told him. "I meant no harm by flying over your city, and apologise for any disturbance I have caused." "Stinger, hey?", he commented. "From the Rainy Basin, right?" "I have full permission to come here.", I said, nodding. "I am meeting with mayor Seville to show him this Skybax Strutter...", I patted Kiawa's metallic beak. "Well, I wasn't informed...", he replied. "Maybe we should let sub-commander Scott decide this.", he turned and one of his squad mounted his steed and flew off into the canyon. I waited there beside the metallic flyer, nervousely looking at the group of tan uniformed humans of various backgrounds and nationalities as well as thier flying steeds of evidentally the same nationality; wondering if we would be attacked, yet knowing these were peaceful creatures by nature. They were only doing thier job of defending Canyon City from any interlopers - and for the moment those interlopers were us! Many moments later, the Skybax and rider returned with another, lighter colored Skybax in tow; and the rider of this one wore a darker brown uniform. As they landed, one among his ranks and the other slightly ahead of the group, both got down from thier steeds and looked at me. David Scott gave a smirk and a half salute before speaking, of which I returned. "Ah Stinger! We meet again!", he looked me over, then the giant metallic skybax by my side. "So, this is a Strutter!... Boy! what a big flyer!" "You know, we activated two Strutters.", I informed him. "This one and a Brach Strutter.", Kiawa lowered his head to get his beak rubbed again. "The Brach is real strong, and helps out a lot with the heavy lifting and dragging..." "I bet this one flies fast!", David commented. "It can do almost mach 1.5!", I told him. "Not as powerful as my old jet, but it does have a jet engine - Dinotopian design, of course!" "How far does it fly?", he asked. "Well, about two days ago, I tried to see.", I said. "We headed down near Sauropolis, past waterfall City and Volcaneum; and then followed the Backbones around to the headwaters of the Amu River, and then past Pteros to here." "All in one flight?", David asked. "Wow!" "I'm here because the mayor wanted to see the Strutter...", I reminded. "Oh, yeah!", he looked bewildered for a second. "The mayor will not arrive until noontime tomorrow. Our Skybax scouts have seen his caravan on the road from Backwood Falts.", he shuffled. "In the mean time, we could accomodate you in one of the dorms; but the Strutter..." "Kiawa could stay right here, if you wish.", I offered. "He doesn't really need shelter, but might appreciate some..." "Kiawa?", Scott asked. "That's his name.", I said. "This Strutter has a rudimentary intellegence, and the entity of a living creature resides inside." "Strange...,", David considered. "Like he's haunted or something!..." "Come...", I beckoned. "Want to get more acquainted with him?" It was evident that David Scott could not wait to do so, and stepped right up to the great flyer to touch Kiawa's beak as the Strutter reguarded him with glowing blue eyes. Once his brief trepidations were over, I led him around to view every aspect of Kiawa; from the hundred foot wingspan to the metallic feet, and I invited him up to examine the superstructure up there with a boost and a shove. He looked at the Skybax from this perspective, then I gave him a tour of the pilot's compartment. "Want to go for a ride?", I asked him as he looked. "I'll go real gentile, I promise!" "You think I should?", David whispered. "Why not?", I whispered back, then loud so all could hear. "And I would be honored to have Freefall escort us on a demonstration flight!", Freefall crowed agreement. With a smile, David Scott clambered into the gunner seat, me giving pointers on how to strap the harnesses around him. I reached down and offered him my old Air Force helmet, but he poffered his Skybax helmet instead. I told him that the radio in the helmet is linked to Klamath's communicator, and it would be wise to use that instead. He tossed his helmet to the nearest Skybax pilot and placed my helmet on his head; and I had to help him adjust the straps. As he set in the seat properly, I tapped his helmet as I sat in the pilot's seat to ready the controls for flight. With a rusty metallic squawk, Kiawa trundled awkwardly over to the cliff edge to spread his wings. Kiawa bounded up on his feet and dove off the edge, David gasping at the suddenness of it; and Freefall hopped and leapt off as well. The other skybax and thier riders watched as both flyers caught a thermal and rose up past them. Kiawa leveled off and spiraled about, Freefall giving chase and matching the metal birds' every move. Out over the canyon they flew, ever faster and ever more complex aerobatics. Freefall dodged left around an arroyo as Kiawa ducked left; and they both converged; nearly colliding on the other side of it. First Freefall would tag Kiawa , and then Kiawa would chase Freefall all around the knolls, under the stone bridges and past the nests of other flyers; and those all cawed in alarm and scorn at the antics! At last both flyers leveled off, and circled around to skim past the Sentinel Statues, thier eyes glowing brighter as Kiawa and his Sunstone passed them. Finally David Scott had breath enough to speak. "That was amazing!", and he saw Freefall float past, cawing as he went. "Such speed and power...!" "I let Kiawa indulge himself.", I told him. "I'm sorry if he alarmed you any..." "Are you kidding?!", david said. "It was the most thrilling thing I've been through short of flying Freefall!" "I'm glad you liked it, then.", I noticed Freefall's delighted twinkle in his eye. "I think Freefall enjoyed it too!" "It's been a long time since he flew with someone as skilled as he...", David said, then had a thought. "Say Stinger. Now that you have this fantastic machine, you now have a way off the island!" "Not really.", I told him. "Even though Kiawa is fast, strong and can fly far; he has one drawback. See, his internal power comes mainly from his Sunstone; but the power of the Sunstone only lasts if he's close to the others.", I let my voice trail. "Kiawa has a set range, and if I go beyond that range, I could crash and get killed." "So you can't leave this way...", he digested. "Well, I don't want to leave anyway!", I said. "I like it here, and I have a home here. Why would I walk away from all this?" "Well, that makes two of us!", David Scott replied. I laughed. "Say, want to play a little joke on those guys down there?" "Doing what?", he asked, and I told him. David made a shooing gesture to Freefall, telling him he should fall back; and as the great Pterosaur did so, I peeled left to get a clear shot of the canyon. I looped up and around, leaving miles between us and Canyon City proper. I then had Kiawa kick in the Dinojet engine, and David whooped at the speed produced! Just as we came within a quarter mile of canyon city, we hit mach 1; and a loud boom thundered off the canyon walls, shuddering everyone and everything in the city, breaking glass in some instances and nearly rattling everything not nailed down. We laughed as we slowed, and I had Kiawa fly to the cliff edge to land where he landed previousely. Freefall landed at his side, and crowed his admiration of his flying skills; and Kiawa croaked back in his rusty-machinery way! Many moments later, after we dismounted from Kiawa, a Skybax landed, and his rider dismounted. The look on Romana Dennison's face told us she did not have good news to say to us! "Sub-commander Scott, mister Stinger. Your presence is required at the magistrate's office right away.", she bowed and returned to her steed. "I guess we're in trouble...", David told me. "Oops! I guess our little joke backfired!", I then laughed. "Literally!" As Freefall flew back to his rookeries for the night, David led me to a sloping path that led deep into the canyon. It connected to other paths and through short tunnels along the canyon; and we eventually made it to a lower set of cliffs, where many of the smaller barracks buildings were perched. Instead of going in that direction, I was led to a rope bridge that led across a wide crack in the rocky topography; and here I saw was many more buildings and homes bored into the cliffside out of solid rock. Inside this cavelike space, many offices of departments were alive with activity; and David Scott led me into one of those. Behind a desk sat a semi bald older man, busy with paperwork and not bothering to look up as he spoke. "Sub-Commander Scott! Why did you let this stranger cause so much trouble?", he looked up. "Mister Stinger, do you know your stunt nearly made us think we were having an earthquake?!" "I'm truely sorry for any trouble, magistrate.", I said. "Sub-commander Scott wanted to know how fast the Skybax Strutter could fly. Unfortunately, Kiawa can fly faster than the speed of sound..." "I'm sorry I allowed him.", David told him. "It will never happen again!" "At any rate, evertything is being put back in order...", the magistrate said. "Can this Strutter fly without causing such destruction?" "Yes, sir.", I said. "Then from now on, the Strutter may only fly like THAT over Canyon City airspace.", he told me. "That is for the record!", he turned to his papaerwork. "But off the record, that was the most extrordinary feat of aerial prowess I have ever seen!" "Thank you sir...", I said. "Would you like a ride, too?" "I'm afraid that my days in the air are over...", he told me as he dismissed us with his quill pen. David Scott then led me out of the office complex, back across the rope bridge and into another set of portals in the cliff face. He asked if I wanted any food, apologising that they had no meat; and summoned a human to serve us dinner. After that and a small round of chat, he led me to the row of dorms perched on the cliffside. At one doorway several buildings down the row, he stopped and ushered me inside. At length he left me, telling me the usual itinerary before he left; and once things quieted down somewhat outside, I unfurled myself from Klamath, settled into the cot and fell asleep less than an hour later. In the morning I was awake when I heard the scuffling of many feet rushing by my portal. The Skybax riders and cadets were very busy getting ready for thier morning flights and training excercises. I got up and watched them go by as I stood at the portal, then I went to get into my armor of Othgar as the bulk of the rush passed by. By the time I was through, Romana Dennison stood at the portal and told me I was to come with her. I did so, and she led me to another part of the cliffside complex; to a place where a great ledge jutted out over the canyon. Here many cadets and riders waited in line to climb a stone scaffold to a tiny platform above it. There riders would stand and wait, raising an arm to summon thier steeds; who would land on the platform and wait to be saddled. Then the pair would fly off into the ruddy morning light, on thier way to thier preassigned destinations. I looked at this sight in silent wonder for many moments. I thought there was nothing else on Dinotopia that could amaze me, but I was wrong! "What a sight, eh?", David Scott commented, suddenly at my side. I turned to him with a start and nodded. "Our morning patrols say that the mayor will be arriving in the plain above the city by midmorning meal. I think it would be prudent to ready the Strutter..." "Yes, I guess you're right.", I tore my eyes away. David Scott led me through the city, coming out to other ways I hadn't traveled yet in the city; and up the rocky path to the desert plain where I left Kiawa. David still marveled at the metalic beast, wings still folded in repose, as I walked up to it and climbed to insert the blue Sunstone back into its' recepticle. As Kiawa woke up, the first person he saw was David; and he lowered his beak so the Skybax rider could touch it. In the mean time I got down and visually inspected the creature, and a few moments later returned to David's side. "Good as the day it was made twelve thousand years ago!", I announced. "Just wait until the mayor sees this!" "He will be amazed, as I was.", sub-commander David Scott told me. "Now I must go and prepare my squadrons for his arrival.", he smiled up at the Strutter, whose blue eyes twinkled smilingly. "The mayor should be arriving by the western pass, down by the southwestern finger canyon over there...", he pointed to a small ridge at the near horizon that denoted the pass. "I guess I'll see you later...", he turned and returned to the city. He never told us what to do in the mean time, so after brief discussion between me, Klamath and Kiawa; we agreed to wait near the edge of the cliff, only over near the finger canyon to the south of us. The less than a mile hop by Kiawa lasted only a moment, but as a result, we had a commanding view of that end of Canyon City, the yawning canyon beyond and the path at the base of the finger canyon. We waited there for what seemed like hours, me nibbling on the last of the jerky I brought with me as we all scanned the terrain all around us; and then a small cloud of dust was seen coming from the far end of the finger canyon. The pall grew until figures bagan taking shape out of it, saurian shapes of the large sauropod variety; and the rest of the caravan became apparent immediately thereafter. The caravan soon passed by our position below us, and it was not apparent if they saw us or not; but we both bowed and waved at them anyway. It was not indicated whether or not we should meet the mayor's party right away, so we hung back where we were and let the administrators of Canyon City receive the mayor first; of which we had a commanding view of the whole proceedings. As the magistrate shook mayor Waldo Seville's hand, he looked up to our position, for he had noticed us in passing after all; and nodded for us to fly down and make our own entrance! I boarded Kiawa, and he leapt off the cliff; screching metallically and wheeling to catch a thermal. We flew over thier heads and out into the Amu canyon amid cheers from the other citizens down below, performing a victory roll before making a wide turn to return to them. We lifted up and dropped on the lower ledge with a thud that shuddered everyone in the area. I hopped down as the mayor and magistrate slowly came near with thier entourage in tow, then bowed regally as they came face to face with me; then Kiawa bowed in his own way, squawking greetings mechanically. I looked up as mayor Seville cleared his throat, Rosemary looking the metal beast up and down with a frightened yet fascunated look. "Well, well!", mayor Waldo Seville exclaimed. "So this is the technology of our ancestors!... Such an amazing thing!" "My mayor, matriarch Rosemary.", I began as I rose. "I would like you to meet Kiawa, the only known fully functional Skybax Strutter!" "Pleased to meet you...", mumbled Waldo as Kiawa chortled grindingly. "Uh,... Is he tame?" "Of course!", I told him, chuckling. "Kiawa may have been constructed for war; but we are teaching him the ways of peace." I then went on to describe the missions he had gone on, along with my testing of his abilities. "He can fly really fast - faster than sound travels; and I haven't fully tested his range, but I briefly toured many cities arounf Dinotopia.", In the mean time I gave them a brief tour around the Skybax, pointing out certain features on the Strutter. "It has a range of the outer limits of the Sunstones influence, so it can not be used to get off the island. Not that I want to leave, mind you!", I then told him how his weapons have been stripped from him, omitting for the moment the fact of the two weapon systems that still remained. "But Stinger! What if someone else tries to leave the island using it?", the matriarch asked worriedly. "They could get killed!" "Since the beginning of Dinotopia, or so I've heard; the carnivores have been entrusted to guard the secrets of the World Beneath.", I told them both. "We will continue to guard these things, and make sure nobody uses this Strutter for those purposes." "Well, see that you do!", Waldo told me tersely, then changed his tack. "So, what could be the use for a Strutter like this?" I made a short speech out of the things I thought Kiawa could do for Dinotopia. I did not leave out his flying ability, and the services Skybaxes and thier riders have been doing for hundreds of years; and I told them that Kiawa could do very much the same thing. I told them that the Strutter could fly much faster than his corporial counterparts, and thusly do those tasks in a much quicker way. I didn't leave out that he could spot trouble a long way off, and could warn others of that danger in a much more efficient way. Since the passenger compartment could seat two easily, a person could be transported from one side of the island to the other in a matter of hours instead of days on foot. I told them there were many other services this metallic Skybax could do, and only time would tell of the full extent of his usefullness. Both mayor and matriarch nodded as I told them, and at last they turned to each other before Waldo spoke. "Well, Stinger...", he said at last. "It sounds like you have this all planned out. I do hope you're able to pull it off!" "I can train some of the others to fly the Strutter, if you like.", I offered. "Back home I used to train Air Force cadets amid some of my other duties..." "I will leave that option to you.", Waldo said. "Er,... I hear you have more Strutters activated now." "Only one.", I said. "It's a Bracheosaurus. Super strong. We use it to help rebuild the ruins.", I told them briefly. "It is also useful in transporting cargo - or even passengers." "Again, peaceful uses...", Rosemary said. "Waldo, I think Stinger has this Strutter business well in hand!" "Yes, he certainly has the good of Dinotopia at heart!...", Waldo shook my hand. “Um, sir...”, I said as he turned. “I would be honored to have you take a short flight aboard Kiawa.”, The Skybax Strutter creaked assuredly. “Kiawa wants you to as well!” “Unfortunately, I must gratiousely beg off.”, Waldo said. “I have urgent business here in Canyon City, and it can not wait.”, then more confidentially. “I was in the Skybax in my younger day, and afraid I am too old for such antics!” “Very well, sir.”, I said, then offered a ride to Maryanne, of which she declined as well. “It has been a privelage to see you all once again.” “And it has been an equal privelage to witness crreations from our revered ancesters.”, The Matriarch returned. “May Kiawa serve you and your clan well, Stinger!”, I shook her hand as they both turned to their group. At length we parted from canyon City, and the presence of the mayor of waterfall City and the matriarch; and I took the Skybax Strutter and headed back for home. I wanted to leave with plenty of daylight left for the rather short trip home. It was a hard thing to do for me, for the farewells were extremely heartfelt to me. We circled Canyon City once and headed roughly west, toward the forbidden mountains. Our Skybax escort led us out of thier territory and had to turn back at the ruins of the Trilobite Towers. By sunset we ended up flying over Tentpole of the Sky at last; and what a shining jewel that citadel was! I thought of flying low over the place, but thought better of it as there was no one outside in the mountain tundra to witness it. As the foothills on the other side of the Forbiddens came into videw, I set a course northward until I crossed into the familiar territory of the Rainy Basin... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 24, 2012 18:55:28 GMT -5
_ FORTY-ONE: "New recruits." Many more weeks passed, and we found it prudent for more of our clan to learn how to operate the Strutters. Flit could handle Kiawa fairly easily, and was often the pilot when need arose and I was too preoccupied with other things; so I began to train Diego on the basics of it, him gaining extra tutelage by Flit. The Brach Strutter named Tunneau was a little easier to handle, and before long many of the humans and smaller saurians in the clan were taking turns using him on construction projects or on trade missions to other towns and the like. One of the reasons why I could not fly Kiawa all the time was because I had been put in charge of finding new recruits for the 'Rainy Basin Rangers', and that took up a lot of my time. I first had many of the clan help out by printing up flyers and posters, which would be distributed throughout the towns we traveled to on our trade missions. (That's right, Zippeau! I used the outside world ploy of advertising!) I had tried this for many weeks now, along with asking any able bodied person in the clan who wanted to join up; but only a small few from the clan wished to. Those streaked through the first wave of training with flying colors, but there was still a lot of ground to cover in the Rainy Basin, and more help was needed. Our drive to obtain new Rainy Basin Rangers finally began to pay off as many applicants began to arrive to try out for the position several weeks later. It was strange having strangers in camp, ones who were leary at every step the carnivores made, and jumped at every helpful gesture; but to calm them down somewhat, we generally let them stay in camp a while before the indoctrination process began. To house all these new recrutis, it was decided to utilize the row of adobe huts, the ones we were working on when Mayday went into labor, as dorms for the Rainy Basin Ranger recruits. I decided to have the whole area denoted for Ranger training; all except for the Hamilton Somala Decker house, which I would use as my recruiting office. I was in that office after the last batch of cadets hed graduated, going over the applications for the next batch and smiled. Though I had never met most of these applicants before in my life, two of them I definitely had! I went over the forms for the others first. Mae Ling came from Baz, and from her name I deduced she was of Oriental origin; and by her background, it said she worked in the hatchery there as a girl and later on at the farms. Geoffrey Cramer apprenticed at the forges at Volcaneum, but his background said he really wasn't cut out for the drudgery involved in the craft. Jennie Vanse worked in the hotel trade in Waterfall City with her mother, but desired a more exciting mode of work. Then there was Franco Halpurn from Gorgonia, who was an apprentice in herbal medicines; and actually hated the field, wanting a more rustic life as well. Greg Krieger wanted to become a Ranger ever since I came up with the idea, but there were two things stopping him from doing so back then. One was his parents, Miles Krieger and Melissa Krieger wanted hin to tend the fields around our camp like they did most of the time. The other reason was he was several years too young at the time. But a month ago was his eighteenth birthday, and since it was the year he came of age; and he could finally decide for himself what he wanted to do with his life. He was skilled in many forms of combat already, and knew all the carnivores as if they were family. With that much going for him, how could I refuse his application? On the other hand, when I saw Carl Scott's application before me, I knew that his family and friends must have worked hard to get him to do it! I had suggested the prospect repeatedly with his brother, father and girlfriend in passing; and at last the boy finally did it! I figured that it would probably take a lot of work to get him to become a noble Rider and all; but if he had it in him, he might just make one of the best Rainy Basin Rangers there ever was! So, after approving all these cadets, I went to greet them as they arrived one or two at a time as they showed up. I already knew Greg, so I just showed him to his dorm and left to greet the others. Mae and Geoffrey came in on the same caravan as both thier home towns were close to each other. They got seperate quarters about three adobe huts apart after I got to know them a bit. Jennie came in on foot, and was there before them all; and she proved to be an apt woodsman in her own right. Franco was one you'd never know to have courage as his scrawny and bookish looks; but his demeanor was deceiving. They all got quarters in the area and I let them all have one or two weeks time to acclamate themselves to our lifestyle. Carl Scott, on the other hand, came in with his own miniature entourage! He was riding an Overlander, but he had hired a small cart to transport his things. His partner, 26, was with him; and Marion Seville came along as well. It turned out he wanted larger quarters than provided, but I had to order him to take what was given; and gave Marion and 26 other quarters! Those two had a hard time adjusting to being here, them not being used to being among carnivores. Marion gradually accepted being here, knowing from her matriarchal training to accept anything; but 26's instinctual aversion to carnivores made her cower at the smallest of us! It started when Ursula wanted to give her a checkup, a thing she felt compelled to do to everyone from time to time - and you better not say no! 26 cowered behind Marion's legs, not letting the Kirky get near; afraid more of her glassy-eyed gaze than her demeanor. Ursula acted as nice as can be, coaxing and pleading with the baby dinosaur until she finally came out to Ursula's gentle touches, Marion's verbal coaxings and 26's childlike curiosity doing the rest. While all this was going on, Carl was having difficulty of his own adjusting to our way of life. In his adobe cabin, he studied the scrolls given to him; which were meant to teach cadets all about the Rainy Basin Rangers. There was literature on hand to hand fighting, weapon usage, speaking and understanding Tyranosaur language as well as other carnivore languages, the care of Tyranosaurs and the saddling and uniforms worn. Since he was behind on speaking saurian and writing the Footprint language, other scrolls on those subjects were given to him too. I found him deep in study as he walked around camp one day, and he nearly ran into me as he studied. "Hello there!...", I said as I stepped aside. "How's things going?" "Oh! It's this language!", Carl said, showing me the scroll of Tyranosaur language he was pouring over. "I can say the words, but they don't sound right." "Tyranosaur is said best if it is growled.", I told him. "It's hard on the throat, but that's the only way the Tyranosaurs know what you're saying!... 'fiphet pha, haspi skafti.' means what?", I growled the phrase. "I don't know.", Carl said, trying to find the words in the scroll. "It means: 'Breathe deep, seek peace.'...", I told him. "All you have to do is breathe deep and seek peace, and anything you are striving for will come to you sooner or later!" "I don't understand.", he said. "It means that, in anything you do in life, you should put yourself in the right perspective.", I led him further into the clearing. "Only then can you concentrate on the things that really matter." "Like this matters, right?", Carl spread his arms. "To have all these sawteeth be like this. It ain't natural!" "It matters VERY much - to them!", I told him. "Since time began, all the other dinosaurs hated and feared the carnivores. Now they are trying to change thier ways, and befriend those who once feared them. I commend these creatures for trying, and support them fully in thier cause.", I looked him in the eye. "But I could never do that until I put myself in the right perspective!" "What was that?", Carl asked. "The day I realised that I could not get off the island, I decided to make the best of things.", I told him. "The armor of Othgar taught me many things about Dinotopia, and showed me how to survive here. The day I found Rex alone in the jungle, I decided to make a difference in his life; so I took care of him. It was by pure luck that he turned out to be the son of the leader of all Tyranosaurs. I found that I could make a difference in the lives of his clan, too; and through hard work and good council, I helped them to become what they always dreamed of being.", I continued confidentially. "You know, YOU can make a difference here, too." "How?", he asked. "By taking the responsability to make a difference.", I said. "Here you will be trained in the disciplines necesary to be able to take responsability on your own. You know, you can't go through life shirking responsability; quitting when things get too tough, or trying to get out of things because they require committment..." "I do not!...", he defended. "Then why aren't you adjusting to this place?", I asked. "Why aren't you fitting in like you should?" He had no answer. Instead he feighned looking at the scroll again. When he finally decided to speak, it was barely a whisper. "I guess it's because I still have hope of getting off the island..." "Don't worry about it!", I clapped his back. "We'll talk about this later.", I began to walk away. "Just continue studying. You'll get the hang of it!" I talked to each cadet in turn, just like I did with the last batch; and now those new Rangers are doing a great job! Soon the physical part of the training began; and even though Greg Krieger was a better fighter than the rest of them by experience, all of them seemed to have the skill buried within them. Just like the last batch, I got 'Weapons are enemies, even to thier owners'; but I explained that around here weapons were tools to carnivores, and to use weapons in case all else fails. Even Carl Scott had some of the tendancy in him, so I let Greg and he spar with staffs for practice one day; and Greg beat him three falls out of four, even though Carl was about four years his senior! By the end of the first month, the whole class of cadets had become so used to the carnivores in camp that they barely noticed them; except if the larger ones came too close, which was often due to the dinosaurs' native curiosity. Even 26 was used to the smaller members of the clan by now, and became quite attatched to the children; and looked forward to the times when the Kirky Circus decided to perform! She was soon indoctrinated into our school system, and learned many of the things she would learn in any other school on the island; but one thing they did not teach in those schools that she became good at was stalking, and many was the time she snuck up on Carl and startled him! The cadets were doing so well that I decided to start the next phase of thier training a week or so early. While I was doing all this with the cadets, Rex was training thier Tyranosaur steeds; a group gleaned out of both our clan and saurians borrowed from other clans. These would be the cadets' training steeds only; and only time would tell if it would become permanent. The day I decided to do it, I had the human cadets all march out into the clearing, where wooden planks were set on the ground twenty yards apart. I told them to stand on those planks at attention; and not to move no matter what. "Cadets, you have come a long way so far...", I announced after going down the line, giving them a thourough military scrutiny. "You have studied hand to hand combat, learned the Tyranosaur language and are well on your way in other skills necesary to become Rainy Basin Rangers.", I looked at each of them with a scowl before continuing. "There is only one thing missing for you to become true Rangers..." At this time Rex came out of the woods to join me, sneaking up from behind and standing there silently. The cadets saw this, but dared not speak for my previous order to them. Just then Rex roared loudly inches from my head! When the echo died down, I turned to face him and smiled! "Oh! Hi buddy!", I said as I patted his snout like that happens every day, then I whispered in Tyranosaur. "Everything all set?", he confirmed with a wink. "Today is the day you will begin to learn to ride a Tyranosaur!", I said, and this was echoed by shouts of cheer or revulsion - I could not tell! "ATTENTION!... I did not give you permission to speak!... Back in line!... Do not move or even breathe!...", this was said as I rushed to them and got them back on thier wooden planks. "I want you to stand at attention, do not move no matter what happens!... Is that clear?", thier still forms told me that it was, so I returned to Rex's side. I nodded to Rex and he let out a huge bellow; but during the time I was dressing down the cadets, thier training steeds had snuck out into the clearing. They now stood several feet behind each cadet, looking them over like a new meal; waiting silently for thier leaders' roar. They echoed that roar - all of them at once - and the cadets spun around, or was knocked down in fright! The only one uneffected was Greg; and by some miracle Carl just stood there too, but the look on his face told me he was paralyzed in a state of shock! I rushed out to help the fallen ones to thier feet. Rex chuckled to himself where he stood; and a few of the Tyranosaurs moaned concern for thier chosen riders. "You should learn to be prepared for the unexpected!", I yelled at them when done. "Now, these Tyranosaurs have gratiousely volunteered to help train you in this next phase of your training. Here you will be put to the test in your Tyranosaur grooming, saddlrey and language skills.", I looked the group over. "You will also learn how to ride them, but that will be a little later.", I smiled at Rex. "But for right now, you have the rest of the day to get acquainted with your new steeds... You may proceed!" I watched as the comedic scene unfolded, tenative motions and downright refusal; and tension among the Tyranosaurs as to whether or not thier assigned cadet would like them, or would they be better as food. Greg Krieger had gotten Waterkill, and were already fast friends; so I ignored him for the moment and concentrated on the others. I stepped up to Mae Ling and introduced her to her steed, whose name was Atutaki, from Snaptail's clan, and saw the first tenative touches she made to her snout; and knew there might not be any trouble from them, either. Jennie Vanse got the yearling from the backwood Flats tribe named Stonehammer; and even though he was brash and violent when I was introduced to him before his training, he took the meeting of this timid female with calm patience - not much trouble there, either. Geoffrey Cramer got Veloxia, an older male of clan Snaptail; and still thought the idea of the Rainy Basin Rangers as stupid. He looked like he would tolerate it, though; but It looked like I'd still have to keep an eye on that pair. Franko Halpurn smiled nervousely at Mudfoot, from the backeood Flats tribe; but still wouldn't come near the much larger beast, and it looked to me like that pair might not work out. Carl Scott was still trying to make up his mind whether or not to touch Thistlesnarl, even though she was in as much of a submission posture as possible. She had heard of him, and knew it would take a lot of convincing to get him to not be afraid; but try as she might, Carl would not get within arms' length of her! This impasse I stopped as soon as I got to them, smiling and drawing Carl closer; then I placed his hand on her muzzle, much to his squirming! "Carl, I gave you Thistlesnarl because she is the sweetest Tyranosaur in the clan!", I told him. "You'd never meet one with a better temperment! She agrees to be gentile and patient; and she wants to be your friend." "She won't eat me?", Carl asked, quickly withdrawing his hand as soon as I let go. "I mean,... no offense. But the last time I mat a T-Rex, he tried to eat me!" "You wouldn't eat Carl, now would you?", I asked Thistlesnarl jokingly, who hooted no. "See? She's friendly as can be!... So why don't you two go and get acquainted?", Thistlesnarl came to within inches of Carl and purringly rumbled in friendship, right in Carl's frightened face! I turned away just then. "You two have fun!", I said and made my way to Rex. "What do you think of this batch?", Rex whispered in Tyranosaur. "I believe that luncheon is served!", I whispered back in kind, and laughed! By the end of the day, the cadets began to get used to thier new training steeds; with various measures of success. Never the less, both riders and steeds knew that they must at least get along well enough to work together! The pair that worked the best together were Greg and Waterkill, and they ended up being one of the first to advance far enough to actually ride. Mae and Atutaki were almost equally adept, Mae being expert riding Ceratopsians on her parents' farm. Even though Geoffrey and Veloxia weren't on the best of terms, they made truce enough to work together; and the human gradually achieved riding status many weeks later, with the proviso that Veloxia was boss of the pair! Franko tried and tried to get on the good side of Mudfoot for many weeks, but it looked like they might never get along at all; however, things worked out well enough in the end for the human to ride him. Likewise with Mae and atutaki, Jennie and Stonehammer ended up becoming quite symbiotic together; for Jennie learned to like him right off, and he gradually grew to like her as well! Carl, on the other hand, continued to be very leary of Thistlesnarl; no matter how hard she tried to be friendly. Every move he made around her was full of fear and uncertainty that it almost drove her crazy! Many was the time that Thistlesnarl would ask one of the clan to talk to him, and make him understand that him and her had a job to do; that they were there to train him in the ways of the Rainy Basin Rangers, and being afraid of someone that was trying to help you out was just plain stupid! Many clan members did, both human and non-carniverous saurian, and said it in many diverse ways; but only gradually did Carl lose his fear of the hulking monster that was trying to be a help to him. Thistlesnarl knew the day he lost his fear of her when, while slathering her off after a tenative riding lesson; he began to talk to himself about his situation, and of course Thistlesnarl knew English well enough to know what he was saying. She only hoped he knew Tyranosaur well enough to listen to her thoughts of his situation! "Man!... this is bogus!", he mumbled as he toweled down one of her legs. "Here I am, stuck in the middle of nowhere surrounded by sawteeth;... and now I got to play nursemaid to an overgrown alligator!...", he finished up, burnishing her heelspike like it said in the manuel. "Watch the toes, human!", Thistlesnarl told him. "I'm chaffing there!" "Sorry, your majesty...!", Carl rose. He knew Tyranosaur at last! Good, she thought. "Thank you...", she said. "You know, I have been more than patient with you; but you do not seem to have your heart in this." "Well, to tell you the truth; I was taunted into joining.", Carl told her. "My girlfriend loves a person in uniform, and always preferrs my brother than me. He's in the Skybax patrol, you know.", he looked over the nails on her forelimbs. "And don't get me started with my father! He thinks that a military school would whip me into shape; but David's superior told us he never wants to see me a Skybax rider for what I did!" "What did you do?", Thistlesnarl asked. "I stole a saddle, commandiered a Skybax and flew it.", he told her. "The bird dumped me in the Rainy Basin, and I got injured. They sent out a search party, and one of them got eaten.", he grabbed a bucket. "They have been blaming me for his death ever since!" "A shame...", Thistlesnarl said. "And you had no choice but to join the Rangers..." "It was either that, or become a loser in everyone else's eyes.", he told her. "But now that I'm here, I'm not too sure... There are a lot of things to get used to around here!" "Like me?", she asked. "You, your whole clan and this whole bogus situation!", he threw up his hands. "I think that if you apply yourself to the situation, things will not seem so... bo-Gusss, as you say.", she replied. "If you let me, I could help you apply yourself." "Promise you won't eat me?", Carl asked. "I promise!", Thistlesnarl rumbled chortlingly. "Well this looks like it's a deal!", Carl went to place his five fingered hand over her two fingered one. Carl tried over the next hundred days or so; and with the help of everyone in the clan and Thistlesnarl's guidance, he became very good at riding, self defense and began to work with everyone around camp. We even staged mock rescues, caravans to guard and robberies as part of the training, and all of the cadets in the group did very well. As a part of the graduation rites made up for the first batch of cadets, we had both rider and steed choose who they wanted to be paired with, and usually the ones that trained together picked thier training mate; and with this group, it was no exception. During training, a bond is generally created between the pair; and such friendship is usually vital for the rider/steed pair. As I went to review these new Rainy Basin Rangers, dressed in full uniforms and ornamental riding saddles; I saw a look of determination and drive in thier faces, a thing that was all but absent thier first day in this line. As I saw that all was acceptible about each pair, I passed them quickly for the next ones in line; and finally made my way to stand out in front of them. As Rex formed up at my side, I had him roar to gain thier attention - which they snapped to it immediately - and it was then that I began my speech. "Ladies, gentilemen and saurians of honor this day...", I began. "This day marks the first day you are truely Rainy Basin Rangers. Our goal is to enforce peace throughout the Rainy Basin, and protect others from harm. With the skills now instilled into you, you will be able to do this with pride and the knowledge of being true heroes. It will not be an easy job, nor a permanent one; but it is one that I can safely say you will do to the best of your abilities.", he looked over to a table set at the corner of the clearing. "Whitetail. If you would..." Whitetail, helped by Ripper and Snapper, and each dressed in thier finest sash or guard uniform, carried over an ornate box. Inside were more ornate sashes than the ones the graduates already wore, decorated with the Rainy Basin insignia and bordered in gold. They placed the box at my feet, and bowed as they backed away regally. "You all have passed Rainy Basin Ranger cadet training, and have made me proud in the bargain!... So for this, it is my privelage to award you with full Rainy Basin Ranger rank!", I bent into the box. "When I call your names, please step forward..." They all shifted nervously as I took my time in choosing the accolades. "Cadet Greg Krieger, mistress Waterkill, please step forward.", both did so in thier own way. "I hereby move you both to the rank of corporal, and place you in temporary charge of this group.", I placed the sash around Waterkills neck, and pinned the medal on Greg, adding rank insignia to his sash as well. "Lead well and you both might make squad commander!", this I said confidentially as I shook both thier hands. "Cadet Jennie vanse, sir Stonehammer, please step forward.", I said next once they went back to thier places. "For meticulous completion of Rainy Basin Ranger cadet training, I hereby make you Ranger First class.", again I shook thier hands as I awarded thier epelets. I awarded each cadet and steed thier medals of honor in turn, and at last only had one more pair left. "Cadet Carl Scott, mistress Thistlesnarl, please step forward.", they did so. "For unsurpassed completion of your Rainy Basin Ranger cadet training, I give you the title of Rider first class.", I grasped both thier hands after awarding them thier sashes and pins. "I am proud of you both.", I said this softly. "You not only proved that you could both get along, but you actually work well together! Good luck to you both!" "Funny, I thought I was going to be corporal...", Carl murmured. "Don't press your luck!", I mumbled back, smiling. They both stood back in line, and then I shouted: "Attention!... Salute for the Dinotopian anthem, and the Rainy Basin anthem..." All cadets and riders did so, along with the full fledged Rangers and every witness present in the area. The kirky band first played the haunting melody that was the Dinotopian national anthem, ending the orchestrial piece many moments later. Then, after somber applause, began the less regal piece conjured up by them many months ago; and was agreed that that should be our song. This ended with slightly more robust applaud, and right after that; all eyes looked upon me once again. "Cadets,... I mean, Rangers!", I corrected. "Much as I am not one for making long speeches at a time like this; I would like to congratulate you all on a job well done.", I shuffled and cleared my throat. "I don't know what else to say, so... Dismissed!" With that they all yelled out cheers, roars and other forms of celebration. Carl and Thistlesnarl were met halfway by Marion with 26 in her arms, David and his father; who came all the way from his tavern for the occasion. Both the Kriegers and the Serenos came to congratulate Greg on his rank of corporal, along with all thier Partners and saurian friends. The friends made by the other cadets came to show thier wishes, as well as the few family members that could make the trip. Pretty soon the clearing was becoming a sea of celebration as nearly every member of the clan, both new and old, joined in. I joined in as well, and personally talked to each member in turn; but only had few words to say to each except Carl. "Well kid!", I slapped his shoulder. "You made it!" "Never thought I'd be chilling with carnivores...", he replied. "His uniform is snappier than David's!", Marion said, giving him a squeeze. "Thanks a lot!", David said, taking 26 from her, and she honked. "Now both my boys're in the military!", Frank Scott said. "One in the Air Force, and the other in the Army!" "He will make a fine Ranger!", Thistlesnarl purred in Carl's ear. "I'll do my best...", Carl patted her snout, then drew Maron's hand to it. Thistlesnarl completed the maneuver and nuzzled the hand. "Well, don't worry about him, mister Scott.", I said. "We'll take good care of him." "I know...", he replied. "Just never thought I'd be this close to a T-Rex!" "Carl's father is nice, too!", Thistlesnarl purred. "Well, guess I better mingle!", I begged my leave. Just then I noticed Rex sidle up to Thistlesnarl - they were becoming quite an item around camp lately! They cooed and nuzzled as the Scotts went on talking, nearly oblivious of that. I turned back and placed my hands on my hips. "No flirting, you two!", I scolded as they bowed at being caught. Rex presently caught up to me as I made my way to king Thundertail. He had walked out into the middle of the clearing, and looked like he was just about to make an announcement. As he roared, we paused next to and behind him; not knowing what he was going to say. "Members of my clan, friends and visitors!", he said. "The time has come for yet another change to my clan's policies! It has been brought to my attention that the human population is expanding at an increasing rate. From observations of other communities where humans are the dominent population; a leader is named among them, one who facilitates everything pertaining to humans.", he looked around at the crowd that had just gathered. "The most common title for this position is mayor, and one is usually elected from your number." "But sir!", I whispered. "Am I not the leader of the humans? But if you wish to choose another..." "Relax, Stinger!", he grumbled to me, then turned once again. "Now, since the founding of this combined clan, Stinger has been the one to help found it. He has done more for this clan than many of the humans combined; and his wisdom exceeds everything, even up to this day.", Thundertail paused. "Thusly, I appoint Stinger as mayor of the Rainy Basin, authority only superceeded by my own. Is the whole clan in agreement?" The opinion could not have been more unanimous, for every hand or forelimb rose nearly as one; and rousing cheer emerged from nearly everyones' lips! I stepped forward and bowed, took the adulation and presently backed to just behind Thundertail. Smiling, Thundertail shoved me forward, and placed both two fingered hands on my shoulders. "Now, Stinger's duties to the clan will not change very much.", he told everyone. "This promotion is only one of title, and everything that goes on will ultimately go through me, just like it was done before. But in my absence, Stinger will speak for me; and he will facilitate things with the council of Grond and my son.", he let me go just then, pushing me out even further. "Now, humans of clan Thundertail!... Come greet your new mayor!" An hour or so later, my arm was sore for the number of times it was shaken; and my back ached from the number of times it was slapped!... _
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Post by thundertail on Mar 25, 2012 5:52:56 GMT -5
_ FORTY-TWO: "On Holiday!" It turned out that king Thundertail was right when he said that my duties around the clan would not change much. The only bits of difference I found was that I had a choice of what deed I wanted to do from day to day. Another difference was I had to listen to more of the clans' smaller problems; and have them set to writing if the problem set a new precidence in our growing laws. Another difference was I was required to attain a more social way of life, and many of my needed private moments were slowly denied me. Other than these mild inconveniences, life for me went on just like normal! Since my duties were becoming more complex, I was allowed to delegate certain departments among the other higher ranking clan members. Diego was summarilly given charge of the Rainy Basin Rangers, and his second in command was to be Greg Krieger. All the other, smaller duties I was required to do were given over to departments already within the budding beaurocracy within the infrastructure of clan Thundertail; and even though I was ultimately in charge of those, I did not need to do a lot of the actual work! Despite my newfound status in the clan, I managed to go on a few expeditions of trade, and flew Kiawa on many a reconnasence mission. In fact, the clan was being run so well that king Thundertail made a special request of the high council; and because of our integrity in the deeds we have done and were doing, permission was eventually given. Thundertail, who had spent nearly all his life in the Rainy Basin, wished to venture out and see the rest of Dinotopia. It seemed that his trip to Waterfall City so long ago sparked great curiosity in him about the rest of the island! As soon as he heard that permission was given, he arranged a great expedition to be held; and of course, all of the higher ranking clan members were invited to go along too! By this time we had collected many dozens of carts - plenty to run the clan in all its' endeavors; and he requisitioned four of them to haul all our supplies. The members that would join him on this expedition was Rex, Grond, Pincushion, Talon, Mayday, Hamilton, Diego, Sauron, Chillet, Flatbottom, Skipper, Selma, Ursula, Harold, Mildred, MacDougal, Miles Krieger, Mark Sereno, two whole squads of Veloceraptor guards and of course, myself. We delegated those who would run clan Thundertail in our stead, and found many that would prove quite capable of doing it; for these days the clan practically ran itself! After a weeks' preparation, our gigantic caravan set out and left clan Thundertail. We planned to start out taking the northern road that would invariably lead us to Treetown. We already knew what our greeting would be at Treetown, so we decided to head eastward and cross out of the Rainy basin via Rocky Pass instead! After passing the territory of clan Snaptail, we skirted around Crevice aerie and found Strafewing wanting to join us; but we requested they help out while we were away by patrolling the Rainy Basin in our stead from the air, a task they said they would gladly help out with. So, within a day our caravan headed out of the Rainy Basin, through the foothills seperating the Backbone Mountains and the Forbidden mountains; toward the well used road that would lead us to Rocky Pass. The road through Rocky Pass was relatively unpopulated, spires and peaks rising up on either side; and the only creatures we saw that scurried out of the way at our feet were the indiginous creatures that made the place thier home. Less than a day later we made it through, and witnessed the fields belonging to Brumalia that was in the middle of being harvested. The workers in the distance waved and bellowed to us, not knowing we were really carnivores and not just another caravan. Once past there we let a small caravan of Ceratopsian driven carts go past us, on thier way in the other direction; and these gave us wary room as they passed us by. Even though we greeted them with all due respect, it seemed that every person we passed did not trust us! Our day ended when we made it to Gorgonia, where we intended to spend the night. Word was given to citizens of the town before we departed, and stables in certain barns and rooms in private dwellings and hotels were provided for us. Due to our trade caravans coming and going through this town, nearly all of the citizens welcomed us; and let us wander about freely as our schedule allowed. We only spent the better part of a night and half the day there before we needed to move on once again; but the Gorgonians told us we would be welcome there any time we happened to come this way again. Once we topped off our supplies, we left Gorgonia and headed eastward once more. The Corimar Wastes looked passable to me from the air, but the caravan had the most dreadful time slogging through the waterlogged bogs and collapsing sand rills; and through a brief grumbling debate, we decided to double back and find a safer way east. We made our way out of the Corimer Wastes and headed north again, and many miles later came to the village of Pogonip; an almost primative society with primative means to gather thier crops. Thier saurian counterparts, normally more worldly than thier human counterparts, did not posess the caliper wisdom that was present in thier counterparts elsewhere; and the whole tribe sent us off. they chased us roughly west from there, out of thier territory and into a rough forest of gnarled and mutated trees, little water and less food. This bleak landscape gave way to lusher lands the further east we traveled, and soon came upon a gigantic natural stone bridge. mark Sereno told us that this was the Haemal Arch, and travelers feared the Pteranodon hordes that roosted at its' bases. As we paused, Talon flew ahead and negotiated for our passage; and it was agreed that we cross, but only at night when they do not fly. So we made our passage across, and came out to a landscape of blasted rock and trecherous gullies that lined the road for many miles ahead. Gradually the gullies widened, and the road we were taking delved deep into one of them. This gully soon closed over the road, and Diego told us that this area is called the Troglodon Caves. He told us of many times when he and the pirates used to ambush caravans in here. This was when he was younger, he said; and it was when Quattrone used to lead the pirates, and LaSage was just another pirate. He told us that one had to be very careful in here or else they would get robbed; and that there still might be other bands of pirates using the caves for thier hideout. It turned out we had nothing to fear in here, for it was us that were the most formidable creatures here now! By nightfall we left the caves, the ravines and rills to be met by fair forests and rolling fields; and here was where we spent the night. The town of Alidade met us by midmorning, and these people welcomed us with open arms. They made thier living mostly on trade coming from the sea, and many loads of fish bound for the Rainy Basin caravans as tribute passed thier doors. They had also heard of our recent reformation, and applauded it most heartily; and offered us thier best accomodations, though we gently protested due to our schedule. It turned out that they insisted we stock up on our supplies, and spoiled us rotten with a feast of all the fish we could eat! We reluctantly bid our leave, mounted up and continued on our way; but due to news of rockslides, we took the southern road instead. Through a deep green valley the going was easy because most of the way was downhill; but more jagged wooded hills soon made things a little more trecherous. By noontime the next day we came into the highly farmed area that was on the outskirts of Snickerton. Besides the rich crops they grew, a good proportion of thier income came from trade; and it was found out that most of the cargos that passed through Alidade went through Snickerton first. Even though they had heard we changed our ways, many of them were still quite leary of us, and only a small handful of the inhabitants would have anything to do with us! Most of the carnivores' keen noses told them that the ocean was not too far away, and we followed them for many miles until we reached the coastal city of Grindstone. Here in Grindstone they were used to all sorts of dinosaurs, and many of the fishers here were formally of the carnivore persuasion. At the shore they had the help of many dolphins and Cryptoclydus that herded the fish, and many boats and barges to haul the catch, ultimately, to market. The smell of fish was everywhere, and many of our clan wondered if it were possible to fish for ourselves; so we bought nets and harpoon and other fishing paraphanalia at thier market, and asked many seasoned fishers there tips on the trade. We ended up staying for two days there, getting acclimated to the sea and palavering with every human and saurian that cared to talk with us. Being by the seaside reminded me of my youth, swimming and playing in the surf; and later on taking up more ambitious nautical sports. I asked around where might be a good place to go swimming around these parts; but the rough, rocky shore here told me that this would not be the place. I had heard that there wasn't any places at all like that all along the eastern coast of Dinotopia, but there were small beaches in coves all along the northern coast, they said. So at length we left Grindstone and followed the coastline all the way up the tip of Crackshell Point. Almost two days later we came to the small, portable village of Beakhead. It was a fishing village, nomadic in nature as everyone lived on a collection of boats, barges and rafts all lashed together to form the community; and made thier living fishing just inside the razor Reef, beachcombing for washed up items both natural and man-made and rescuing the occasional sailor washed up on shore - lifeguards, for lack of any other description! They met us with extreme trepidation at first, and almost decided to cast thier little community off from where they were moored for safer shores; but we convinced them we were only visiting and passing through, and would leave soon if they so chose. The elder three there were want to send us off right away, but some of the younger fishers and apprentice children applauded the changes we were making; and thier opinions turned the decisions of the elders. We only stayed for half the day, gaining word on where there might be beaches to make camp for a while; and they told us there were many coves with beaches on the other side of the isthemus, through a small path over the rill, and those places should be secluded enough for our use. We thanked them, giving them sunstone trinkets and other baubles for thier trouble and went overland toward the areas indicated. Not long after that we crested the rise to see the shimmering ocean at our feet. The pristine bay we witnessed crashed with gentle waves, and a pair of coral islands were seen in the distance off shore. The beach below us was wide and appearing to be two miles long, seaweed and driftwood jostling about on the surf. We found a passage down to the rippled sand and moved the caravan many hundreds of yards to an alcove by the cliff face, where we decided to unpack and set up camp. We saw that the weather was fair and warm; but the perpetual storm that surrounds Dinotopia was seen far out to sea, and this indicated that the Razor Reef was much closer here than any other point on the island. "Ok everyone!", I said, smiling as all the human families settling in. "Time for a little fun!" "We will go and form a perimeter.", Snapper saluted, then gathered the rest of the guards to reconmoiter the beach. "Hamilton! Stop squirming!", Mayday said as she tried to get him into his little swimsuit. "Stinger, I can't swim...", Rex said as he found me. "I'll teach you!", I promised him. "We'll need food soon...", Thundertail told me. "We got nets, and we were told how to fish.", I said. "Now stop worrying and have some fun!", I rubbed his muzzle. In not too much time at all, we all ended up having fun. Running up and down the beach was a common sight, along with members wading in the surf by the dozens. Some chased one another, playing keep-away with pieces of driftwood, and many frolicked among a small pod of dolphin that were in the neighborhood. We asked them through Klamath if they would help us hunt fish, and they gladly volunteered to help. Using thier sonar, they would herd schools of them into our nets; producing so many that our nets could bearly hold it all! I led Rex out into the surf, coaxing him to wade out to his neck, allowing him to float and eventually learn how to swim using feet and tail; and then I performed the same procedure with Thundertail and many of the other Tyranosaurs that cared to learn, even though I was less then an expert swimmer. Children of all our species played among the rocks or in tidepools, catching the small crustacians living in those environs. The dolphins actually let us swim among them, giving some of us rides on thier dorsal fins, bringing us down deep to really experience thier world. Klamath told them about our exploits on land, and thier leader indicated that it was becoming a better world for it. He promised that the dolphins would forever be friends to us, thier brothers from the land; and wondered why they had never heard of me before. I told them that I came from the air, describing how my jet crashed; and he just cackled as dolphins usually do and indicated that no one was perfect! The day soon began turning out just like the days at tha various beaches I had visited over the years. Bonfires were lit and general comeraderie reigned the day; and it was too bad that our aquatic comrades could not come out of the water and enjoy this; but they all took turns leaping out of the water and observing the goings on. As the day wore on and the sun slowly began setting, an ominous booming came from offshore. The perpetual storm in the distance doubled and redoubled in intensity, giving off waves of multicolored lightning and earsplitting thunder. We all instinctively began packing up or hunkering for cover as this phenomona grew and slowly overtook our beach. Then, as if the wraith that this uprising storm was precursor for; a looming, massive shape floated into view, bobbing and twisting in the fury of the storm, metallically grinding to a halt a mere two hundred yards out to sea... _
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