CHAPTER 2

AT THE HOTEL

It had been two hours after the game ended. Luc was back in his hotel room, just relaxing and watching TV. Then there was a knock at the door.

Luc sprang into action! He grabbed a pillow off of the bed and walked over to the door. He placed it in front of his face as he opened it.

"Hey, Kark!" said the familiar voice of SJ Sharkie! "What's with the pillow?" he asked.

"What? No silly spray?" Luc asked apprehensively as he peaked from behind the pillow.

Sharkie laughed. "Don't worry! I don't bring that kind of stuff outside of the Tank..." he said in reassurance.

Luc breathed an inward sigh of relief. "Good! Come on in..." he said as he invited Sharkie into his room, dumping the pillow onto the bed.

"So, I take it you've enjoyed the game?" Sharkie asked.

"Yes! Very much so!"

"Man! I can't believe your team won it in overtime, and it's all thanks to your flukey goalie!"

"Flukey? Hey! Jaro's our star goaltender, shark boy! Believe it!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Sharkie said dismissively. "I'll admit he made some pretty big saves during the game. Anyway, you ready for the trip to Dinosaur Land?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" Luc said with an enthusiastic grin.

"All right!" Sharkie said as he searched for something on himself. "Oh, dear! I seemed to have forgotten my key. You wouldn't have brought yours, by any chance?"

"I think I did!" Luc said as she fished around in his suitcase lying on a nearby lounge chair. "Ah! Here it is!" He smiled as he brought out the key that Sparky gave him only two months ago.

"Let me take a look at that." Sharkie said as he took the key from Luc's hand. He saw that the handle bore the same colours as Sparky's hide, and it had a small imprint of his face on each side. "Yep! That's Sparky's key, all right!" Sharkie said flatly. "I tell you, that dragon likes himself too much for my tastes!" He then handed the key back to Luc

"Have you ever met Sparky?" Luc asked casually as he took back the key.

Sharkie nodded. "Oh, yeah! I've known him for years. Every fall, just before the season starts, there's a big convention in Toronto where all of the team managers and coaches meet to talk about the changes that are to take place in the upcoming season. At the same time, every team mascot is invited to attend where we always do all sorts of things for kids and fans alike. Games, public outings, contests... Seems that me and Sparky are always fighting it out for top spot!"

"Sounds like fun." Luc said with a smile.

Sharkie smiled back and nodded. "It is! It goes on for a whole week. It's ALWAYS a blast! Maybe you should think about becoming a mascot for the Canadiens next season. Your dragon self is as red as their uniform; and you and Youppi can maybe work as a team..."

"But I don't like kids!" Luc admitted.

"Hey! You don't have to like kids to be a mascot! You just gotta endure a few snapshots from parents and reporters while you pose with the young ones, make a few public appearances, and that's it! It's a tough job, sometimes; but it's also the BEST job you can have!"

Luc let it all sink in.

"Something to think about." Sharkie said with a smile as he patted Luc on the shoulder. "Anyway, time's a wastin'! Let's get to Dinosaur Land and see all there is to see before nightfall! I'm sure my stygimoloch friend Jake's gonna like you! Have you ever used that key Sparky gave you?"

Luc shook his head. "No."

"It's supposed to work with any type of lock... Why don't you try it on the bathroom door?" Sharkie suggested.

Luc did as Sharkie said. He closed the bathroom door and inserted the key inside the lock. He was amazed at how easily it fit inside. He turned it about a quarter of the way clockwise, and held his breath as he opened the door.

Luc was astonished to see the familiar sight of the two large double doors that led to the dimly lit cave that emerged onto the path that led to the Cenozoic train station. Luc and Sharkie looked at each other and smiled knowingly. They walked through the threshold of what used to be the hotel room's bathroom door into the hallway that not only had the two wide double doors leading to Dinosaur Land, but there were other doors all up and down as far as the eye could see.

"I wonder where all those other doors lead to..." Luc mused as he shut the bathroom door behind him.

"Who knows?" Sharkie answered. "I was told not to go through those other doors..."

"By whom?"

"Mr. Conductor...He knows a LOT of things!" Sharkie smiled.

Luc chuckled. "No doubt!"

"Oh! You better... uhh..." Sharkie hinted as he stopped Luc at the foot of the double doors.

"Oh! Right..." Luc said as he realized he was still in his human guise. He slowly turned himself into his natural dragon form. Luc thus became Kark once again!

Once his transformation was completed, both male creatures walked through the double doors and into Dinosaur Land!