Patience.
After telling the others her plan for tomorrow, they allowed Mr. London to finally finish relating what had happened to him and his fellow hypsys while he was on his own.
Then Wu took the stand, telling his rapt audience about being trapped in the churning grip of the flash flood, how the other Iggy bull had attacked and fought him, his intense, desperate battle with the Deinonychus pack, meeting the crippled cow, and the charge by the pair of acros.
At one point, after Wu had just finished telling them about how he'd killed the pack's alpha male with such a calculated move, and then killed two more of the raptors, resulting in a score of Wu: 5 Raptors: 0, Zane simply said, (Jeez,) in amazement.
Then he turned to look right at her, declaring bluntly, (Patience, your new dad is a total badass.)
Both she and Wu had spluttered in consternation at the idea, averting their gazes from each other. But then Patience raised her head, and instead of protesting or denying, showed her teeth in a sort of smile as she looked right at Wu again, pride and relief shining through in her voice as she replied, (Yes. He sure is.)
After the geneticist finished his amazing, harrowing account, Muldoon decided to wrap things up.
(While I've always managed to stay with this Fellowship throughout this astonishing journey,) he said thoughtfully, the firelight glinting off of his spikes, (there's something about being around a good fire like this one that makes an old Africa hand like me unable to resist telling tales about my time in the bush and the adventures I've had in one of our world's last great wildernesses. I hope you folks can still spare a little time to hear a few before you need to drift off.)
(I know I would,) Zane volunteered. (Are there any that involve lions?) he eagerly inquired.
(Oh yes,) Muldoon assured him. (Plenty of those.)
(Sounds cool,) Will agreed.
(Rob's told me about many of his experiences in Africa before,) Wu said offhandedly. (Still, they never get old.)
(Well, they're new to me,) Nedry replied.
(All right then,) Muldoon began. He thought for a moment.
(Since our entire purpose in being here is evidently to rescue an assemblage of dinosaurs and get them out of harm's way,) he began, (I think it'll be appropriate to tell you about this enormous wildlife rescue I was part of for several months in 1961, when I was just twenty-two years old, called Operation Noah.)
(Operation Noah?) Will said in puzzlement. (I've never heard of it.)
(Not surprising,) Muldoon said. (It was before your time for one thing, and only during the last half or so of the business did it really get serious media attention.)
(Anyway,) the former ranger said, (first, let's set the stage. Do any of you young folks know where the Zambezi River is?)
Zane nodded. So did Will.
(I've never heard of it,) Patience replied in slight embarrassment.
(Okay, quick geography lesson then,) Muldoon said. (The Zambezi River is the fourth-longest river in Africa, which starts in the area where the borders of Angola, Zambia, and the Congo meet, then flows south, then east, finally flowing into the Indian Ocean in central Mozambique.)
(Okay. Got it.)
(It's a magnificent river,) Muldoon said. (Big and broad, even in the worst droughts. I've floated parts of it many times myself, and it has all sorts of stunning scenery, rapids, forests, grand gorges, huge numbers of wildlife and birds everywhere on the banks-and excellent fishing for sharptooth catfish, tigerfish, and yellowfish among others, if you're in for that sort of thing.)
(My dad would love to go there then,) Will commented. (He loves a good fight with a fish on the line.)
(Then I'm sure he'd get a real thrill hooking into a Zambezi tiger,) Muldoon said. (They easily get to a meter long or even bigger, hit baits like torpedoes, pull away line with the force of a motorcycle, leap like creatures possessed to toss the hook-and most impressively of all, have a set of teeth on them like a bear trap.)
(Dang. Sounds like one scary fish,) Zane commented.
(Oh yes,) Muldoon agreed. (But always an exciting quarry to hook into and land. Just watch your fingers.)
(And last but not least,) he said, (there's the wonder of the world known as Victoria Falls. But personally, I prefer its local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya-"the smoke that thunders.)
The Sauropelta shook his head in what seemed like lingering awe. (A fitting name if there even was one. Twice the height of Niagra. Five thousand, six hundred feet wide, with spray clouds you can see from a distance of thirty miles. If any of you ever get the chance to in your lives, go see it, especially when the river is in flood. You won't regret or forget it as long as you live.)
(Well I've decided,) Mr. London said, (that after having had a real dose of excitement today, as soon as we get back to our own time, I'm going to look into going on an African adventure, just like I've always dreamed of. And those falls are definitely going to be a place I'll be making a stop at.)
(I'm sure you'll enjoy them,) Muldoon replied. (I always do. But back to my tale and Operation Noah.)
(Now,) he said, (The Zambezi flows along the border of what are now known as Zambia and Zimbabwe since independence, but at that time were called North and South Rhodesia. On that border, four hundred kilometers upstream from the great falls, at a place called the Kariba Gorge, in the late 1950's construction began on a huge dam to generate power. When the last of the concrete was poured and the floodgates were shut, the waters of the Zambezi built up to form the world's biggest man-made lake, Lake Kariba-and drowning 5, 580 square kilometers of land under forty-three cubic miles of water!)
(Holy crap,) Will said in surprise. (That is one enormous lake!)
Zane whistled. (No kidding,) he agreed. (And very bad news for any people living there…or animals.)
(Yes,) Muldoon replied gravely. (The government "resettled" 57,000 local Batonga tribesmen from that part of the valley to higher ground,) he said. (All the animals they'd put in harm's way though, the sods in government didn't give a toss about,) he growled in disgusted scorn.
(That's horrible!) Patience said. (They didn't even try to help them?)
(No,) Muldoon sighed sadly. (They didn't care at all.)
(So they just left them to die,) Zane growled. (Talk about such a jerk move.)
(You'll get no argument from me,) Muldoon said. (As the waters rose, countless thousands of animals, from beetles to elephants, were threatened with death by drowning. Or they retreated to hilltops that suddenly became islands, where all the animals that were packed together would soon eat all the grass, the leaves, the insects, the seeds-and then starve to death.)
(Those poor things,) Patience said softly.
Muldoon nodded. (But other people weren't going to let that happen,) he told them. (Rhodesia's Chief Game Ranger at the time was a man by the name to Rupert Fothergill, and he resolved that he and his men were going to save as many animals as he could.)
(Awesome,) Zane said approvingly. (Glad at least somebody was willing to step up to the plate.)
(This mighty mission of mercy lasted for five years,) Muldoon recalled, (and was appropriately call Operation Noah. Now, where I come in is that one of my uncles, Scott, was living in that part of Rhodesia at the time. In the spring of 1961 though, he became very ill, and many members of my family naturally tried to spend as much time with him as possible.)
Muldoon paused. (I'd recently graduated from university, and really didn't have anything tying me down at that time. So I packed my things, moved to the Kariba area, and found a place to live not far from the hospital where my Uncle Scott was being looked after.)
(That was really kind of you,) Will said. (I'm sure your uncle was glad to have such a great nephew.)
(Thank you. And yes, it really meant a lot to him,) Muldoon concurred. (He hung on for fourteen months before giving up the ghost. During that time, I got a concession from the government, and made a camp in the bush, from which I either guided clients on hunts, took tourists out on safaris, or was called upon to undertake the thoroughly unpleasant tasks of putting down animals that were being rather antisocial, let's just say.)
(Like lions?) Zane guessed.
(Oh yes,) Muldoon said. (Lions aplenty.)
(He has some good ones about lions,) Wu confirmed. Turning to the Sauropelta, he said (Tell them about the time that one man-eating lion actually climbed a tree to try to grab you from the platform you were sit-)
(Wow!) Zane said in amazement. (You were attacked by a man-eating lion, Rob? An actual man-eating lion?!)
(More times than I'd have liked to be,) Muldoon confirmed.
(Or elephants?) Will chimed in. (My dad went on a vacation to Tanzania once, and went to a place called Lake Manyara National Park, where he went on a game drive-and during it, the Land Rover he was in was chased by an entire herd of elephants!)
(I'll get to those ones soon enough,) Muldoon interjected. (Just let me tackle this one first.)
(Anyway,) he went on, (as I got established and got to know people, it didn't take long for word to reach my ear about Fothergill and how he and his team were trying to rescue all the animals they could from the rising floodwaters. Well, in a situation like that, where every hour can count for a trapped animal, the more hands there are to help the better. So I made a point of assisting them whenever I could spare the time.)
(That's so awesome,) Patience grinned in pride. (Good for you Rob.)
(Yeah,) Will said. (Really nice of you. What was it like, saving the animals?)
(And how successful were you guys at it?) Zane added.
(There was never a dull moment, I can assure you,) Muldoon replied. (While the use of sedatives and tranquilizer darts to subdue animals is commonplace now, back then not many people had expertise in using them…or even much knowledge on how exactly they affected animals or what doses were required at all.)
(So that means you would've mainly had to capture and move them the old-fashioned way then,) Zane ventured. (Lassos and nets and stuff.)
(Precisely,) Muldoon nodded. (We used some pretty basic equipment, ropes, sacks, handmade nets, boxes, and people power.) The Sauropelta laughed. (As silly as it may sound, one of our most effective tools was women's nylons!)
Patience couldn't help but laugh with Will and Zane. So Nedry.
(You mean women's pantyhose?) Nedry laughed. (What did you need that for Rob? To make the animals look stylish and fabulous?)
Muldoon snorted in amusement. (Actually, we used them to make capture nets out of,) he explained. (Ropes can cut and abrade an animal's skin when it struggles in a net made of them, and they'll also often sort of bounce off a rope net when they hit it too. And if you've got a waterbuck or some other animal that has horns, if a horn gets caught in a comparatively stiff rope net, and the pressure on the horn is just right…snap, off it goes in a bloody mess.)
(I get it,) Will said. (You used nylons to make nets that would be light and not hurt the animals that got caught in them-but would also still be strong enough to hold them.)
(Yes,) Muldoon replied. (My sisters, mother, and aunts, bless them, donated some of their undergarments to the cause, I must admit.)
(As for how many animals were saved,) he went on, (despite all the odds, over that five-year period, Fothergill and the other people under him rescued an incredible 5,000 animals from certain death, floating, herding, and boating them to the safety of dry land. Another team, led by a man named Tad Edleman, rescued a thousand. An unknown number were also rescued by tourists, hunters, and local residents.)
(That is so cool,) Zane said in admiration. (That was a real labor of love.)
(Yeah. Man, talk about being heroes!) Will said. (It would be impressive enough if even six hundred animals were saved-but six thousand? Unbelievable.)
(How many do you think you personally saved Rob?) Patience asked. (Or helped save.)
Muldoon was lost in thought for a bit. (Hard to say for sure,) he replied. (I'd guess I played a role in saving the lives of around a hundred and thirty-five animals during those fourteen months.)
(Wow,) Patience said. (That's sure a lot. Nice going.)
(But I'm sure not all of those animals took kindly to being helped,) Nedry said. (Some must've made things pretty difficult for you, I imagine.)
Muldoon laughed. (Oh Christ, did they ever! From deadly puff adders to angry rhinos, I wrangled and dealt with them all. We floated drugged rhinos and buffalo out on rafts made of empty oil drums, plucked deadly cobras-including spitting cobras-, black mambas, and boomslangs out of trees with nooses, wrestled huge pythons with teeth like sawblades, hogtied kicking impala and waterbuck, dogpiled warthogs and bushpigs with slashing tusks like razors, climbed onto the slim branches of drowning trees that were just covered in long thorns, to snatch baboons and vervet monkeys, servals and chameleons and hyraxes and baby birds in their nests.)
(Aww, I like chameleons,) Zane said. (They're like living cartoon characters.)
(We lassoed and wrestled down Cape buffalo, chased lions, elephants, ostriches, and zebras into the water on foot, where we then used the boats and poles to herd the swimming animals to safety. We slipped ropes underneath the bellies of animals ranging from elephants to sable antelope that we found swimming in the open water, lost and exhausted, and then lashed them to the side of the boats to support them as we then brought them to dry land, or simply put a noose around their neck if they looked strong enough and towed them out of there.)
He told them about coaxing porcupines and aardvarks out of burrows, jumping into the water to grab screaming, soaking wet baboons by the scruffs of their necks, seeing dead catfish and tigerfish littering the banks of the growing mammoth lake, having eaten so many insects and mice and spiders and frogs and other small creatures flushed out by the water that their stomachs had ruptured from gluttony, of having to leave islands where a herd of antelope were trapped, thinking it would last long enough until they could get to it in a couple days-and then returning, sometimes within twenty-four hours, to find only open water and bloated, floating corpses.
With his account of his transient time involved with Operation Noah done, Robert Muldoon then told his captive audience several more memories and firsthand accounts of wild Africa. Spellbound, Patience listened with Zane and Will as Muldoon recited hair-raising stalks of lions and leopards that had either been wounded by a client's sloppy shot or worse, had turned man-eater, relived explosive charges by wounded buffalo that had been waiting for him on their own blood trails, erupting out of the scrub like a runway train and practically as unstoppable as a tank, told them of nearly being snatched by a fifteen-foot crocodile and being charged by huge bull hippos which had wanted to use him as a chew toy, of being charged and chased both in vehicles and on foot by angry elephants, dropping man-killing and crop-raiding jumbos in their tracks seconds before it would've been too late to pull the trigger. All very exciting and compelling stuff.
But in the end, eyelids and heads began to droop. They all needed their sleep, and Ground Zero, the place where tomorrow, the machine would hopefully, finally, set them all free, was now not very far at all.
So, one by one, their group loosely broke up, and curled up or laid down on their stomachs to sleep. Runt laid done next to Zane. Nedry and Harriet curled up nearby like dogs for protection. Mr. London and the other hypsys sat down in a loose group like chickens, tails coiled around them.
And Wu, the Green Knight, and Patience all laid down too. Although she didn't think there was a predator around here that would seriously consider tangling with a group that now contained two acrocanths, she still volunteered to stay up for a time and stand guard. But her fatigue quickly caught up with her. She watched G.K. flop onto his side, settle into a deep slumber, and quickly felt herself doing the same.
Patience was then awakened by tiny touches and pressures against her huge flank. She heard chirps, rolling clicks, the odd yelp, then felt a slightly harder pressure against her calf.
Opening one eye and almost imperceptibly turning her head, she saw Mr. London and his four new hypsy pals gathered near her. London poked at her red scales with one hand, then urged his nervous new friends to do the same. They declined.
(This female Acrocanthosaurus atokensis is one of the largest theropod dinosaurs know to science, and a fine example of a mid-Cretaceous predator, don't you think?) Mr. London inquired in admiration. (Once classified as an allosaurid, acrocanths are now classified as carcharodontosaurids, meaning "great white shark toothed lizards," a family with a distinguishing characteristic of relatively more gracile, longer jaws, and more blade-like teeth than the legendary T. rex, used more for slicing flesh than clamping down and breaking bone. You can think of the differences in their styles of feeding and attack as roughly the same as those between Komodo dragons or sharks, and hyenas or heavy-jawed breeds of dogs like mastiffs or pit bulls.)
(While the top running speed of a Deinonychus, informally known as raptor, exceeds that of the Acrocanthosaurus, this theropod can still move quite quickly, and with a much, much greater stride. In a footrace, they might be evenly matched. The Deinonychus, however, has the greater agility and can turn in midstride-even in mid leap!-with practically the speed of thought.)
(So in an obstacle course or say, an extreme sporting event, you'd probably want to wager on the Deinonychus, whereas in a straight-line run or a contest of brute strength, the Acrocanthosaurus will be the winner. Not surprising, since it was a killer of sauropods and other giants.)
Patience closed her eye and pretended to sleep. The hardest part was not cracking up. She knew that if she laughed, the high-strung, diminutive herbivores wouldn't hear human chuckles. They would hear a gigantic predator growl, then a rumble and cough.
She didn't want to scare the gentle creatures. But Mr. L was talking like a museum curator! Or like he was back in a classroom. It was terrifyingly adorable. Not that she'd let him know that.
Carefully, one of the hypsy cocks strolled over to G.K.'s business end.
Patience watched in unconcern, certain that her fellow Acro was asleep. When they'd first reunited, her huge snout chambers had told her that the Green Knight had already eaten well. Somewhere down in the lowlands, under the cover of twilight, the male acrocanth had stalked and killed a Tenontosaurus bull, polishing off the entire thing before resuming tracking her. But he evidently wanted some dessert, for suddenly, G.K. sprang, using a hand to swipe the hypsy toward his mouth, his maw open wide to engulf it!
Patience growled loudly, and G.K. hesitated, looking at her in bafflement as Wu, startled awake, leapt to his feet with a cry and stood erect, thumb spikes at the ready as he turned about and demanded in agitation, (What's going on? Are raptors attacking us?)
She ignored Wu as she nodded at the bleating hypsy and firmly told G.K., (Let him go.)
So he did.
The hypsy ran like he'd seen a ghost, red eyes bulging, along with the other three, all gathering around Mr. London, who stood in front of his friends as they yelped and gave bleats of fear.
Suddenly exasperated, Patience yelled at G.K., (What do you want, anyway? Why do you keep following me? If you're hoping to get sexy time with me, you'd better look elsewhere, because that's gross and not who I am-not what I am.)
(And a major relief for me to hear,) Wu muttered.
The ridgeback stared at her in a look that seemed almost hurt, his gaze narrowing and quills rising slightly.
He turned and walked away without a sound.
Patience lay on her side, watching him in the silver moonlight until he'd gone a thousand feet and stopped, sitting down and scratching himself, then casually looking at the stars, arranged in constellations totally different than the ones she knew in 2000 A.D.
Wu and Mr. London both came and sat down beside her. Bob's new friends were clustered twenty yards behind him, huddled around the one G.K. had nearly had for a snack. Other than some skin-deep punctures and cuts, he was unhurt.
(Thanks,) he said softly. (I hadn't considered-)
(No. I guess not.)
(I'm just grateful I didn't wake up to another pack of raptors,) Wu yawned.
Mr. London picked at his leaf-shaped teeth, freeing a little chunk of greens. (Do you feel like talking about what's going on with you and G.K.?)
(Not with you.)
Mr. London flinched, as if stung by her words.
(Sorry,) she said in remorse. (It's complicated.)
(I'll leave you to it, then.) Mr. London turned and slowly walked away. Wu just stood close by, not saying anything, putting on a show of indifference. Bob stopped and looked back at them three times, as if he was expecting her to call him back.
She didn't.
Sighing, he trotted back anyway.
(What?) she asked, truly annoyed. Then she noticed that the hypsy was shaking. So did Wu.
(Are you cold Bob?) he asked.
He looked away, glancing at his new friends. It came to her suddenly: he was worried about them. About all of them, not just his hypsy friends. (No. I've just been thinking too much, that's all.)
Wu seemed to be thinking too, looking at the moon, the landscape around them.
(You know,) he ventured, (since it's probably-and hopefully-going to be our last night together, I-I'm thinking that as long as we're all up, we might as well practice some more of your girly-girl lessons. That all right with you?)
(Um-hum.)
(Are you any good at dancing?) Wu asked.
Patience snorted. (Why? Do you want to teach me?)
Wu nodded his beaked head. (If you're going to Will's party, and you really want that harpy Monique to buy into your act, you're going to need something more than just a makeover and a pretty dress. You need to have rhythm, sophistication, and be able to put it on display.)
(Right,) Patience said. She was no longer certain that she was going to Will's party quite frankly. So much had happened during her time here. Seeing her family, for one-
No-her host's family, this acro's family. She had to remember that.
(Here, take my hands,) Wu told her. (But just mind the thumb spikes.) He stood as far back on his hind legs as he could, arms outstretched.
Patience sighed and stood, tilting her own weight back. This was ridiculous.
But she took his mitten hands anyhow, hauling him to her roughly.
(Whoa, gently,) he told her, his chin resting on her shoulder, and her own on his, feeling the scales rubbing against her throat. (Gently. And be careful with your claws.)
(Whatever.)
(Just to let you know,) Wu said, (I'm a geneticist, far more at home in the laboratory than on a dance floor. I'm much more familiar with the dances of DNA replicating, genes being transcribed, and cells dividing to form tissues than I am with the foxtrot or ballroom. Still, I know just enough to get by and be of use to you. Hopefully.)
(You're still a lot further ahead than I am.)
(Now think of music,) Wu said. (That's the first step. Something slow.)
A rustling and crackling, the sounds of something big, came from their left. Will, Nedry, and Zane appeared-and the strains of Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" filled the night air. Zane was using his powers again. Runt and Nedry both trotted up beside him.
(Ahh,) Nedry said approvingly. (The King of Pop. Great choice.)
(I didn't know you could do that,) Will said, impressed.
(Both of you, shut up,) Zane grumbled. (You'll break my concentration.)
Patience felt uncomfortable enough to start with. Having an audience was only making it worse. And now, as if to subject her to further embarrassment, Muldoon came trotting out of the brushy conifers.
(There will always be other people around when you're at a party,) Wu told her from back by her shoulders. (That's frankly the point. And if it's any consolation, I'm having a bit of stage fright about this too.)
They didn't dance with heads on each other's massive shoulder the entire time. They also separated, so that Patience could watch Wu as she demonstrated dance steps to her. Nedry joined in too.
Clearly much more into the club scene than Wu, he had some really good ones for her, including an awesome moonwalk. Patience listened attentively to both their instructions. Soon she was moving in pretty good time to Zane's tunes, performing the steps they'd taught her.
When Zane broke into a rendition of "A Whole New World," she and Wu took each other's hands again, draping their heads over each other's shoulders. It reminded her so much of the way a parent teaches a child to dance. Or maybe, a father and teenage daughter dancing together. For some reason, the thought made her deeply happy.
And indeed, Will asked, (May I cut in to this dad-daughter dance?)
(No,) Wu and Patience said in unison, as Nedry made a sound like a plane being shot down. They both glanced at each other and then laughed.
Zane wrapped up the music, and Patience released Wu's Iggy hands, both backing away from each other. They gave their partner a simple bow, and Patience turned to see G.K. staring in wonder and amazement.
(Just wait a moment, okay?) she told Wu. (I'll be back in a bit.)
(Take your time.)
She went to G.K. and gave a chuff of greeting, then nuzzled his cheek.
(I know this is difficult for you,) she told him softly, (but I just want to spend some time with Henry, okay buddy? When I'm done, you can come join us,) she promised. (Just behave yourself, okay?)
The Green Knight raised his head and shot Wu a baleful glance, quills bristling as he gave an angry growl of envy and spite. But to his credit, he then exhaled deeply and reluctantly turned his gaze away, showing he was willing to try to get along with and tolerate the Iggy bull that had come between them, which his love had an inexplicable attachment towards.
(I'm glad you understand,) she told him simply before giving him another nuzzle and returning back to Wu, sitting down next to him.
Wu.
(Thanks for the help with the dance moves!) the acrocanth hailed Nedry as he, Zane, and the others moved off.
(Hey, any time!) Nedry replied. (Always glad to teach a novice what a pro like me has learned along the way, and cut loose with the groove while doing it too. Probably the last time I'll be enjoying getting down for a long while,) he growled, suddenly rueful.
She and Wu watched him leave.
(You know,) Patience said thoughtfully, softly, (ever since I read about Dennis in the book, and first met him back in this time, I only thought of him as a backstabbing punk and obnoxious jerk. But now…now, I think he's all right, really.)
(Yes,) Wu agreed. (He is. Like most people are, when you come down to it.)
(Yeah. We wouldn't have the amber key we needed to solve the mystery tomorrow if he hadn't found it, and then been the one to literally take a leap of faith and go get it out of the side of a sheer, dripping wet cliff.)
(No, we wouldn't,) Wu conceded. (We owe him a lot for finding the key. And when you were trapped in the swamp,) Wu said, (when Bob and I arrived on dry land, and told him you were in trouble, not only did he immediately get concerned and go get Zane to help, but came along too to help in any way he could.)
(Yeah,) she nodded. (I really appreciate that he did that for me.) Turning to Wu, she fixed her gaze right on him as she then half-pleaded, (You and Rob will go easy on him when you get back, won't you? I mean, he did find the key for us, and although I know you must be cranky at him for betraying InGen and trying to steal your dinosaur embryos, he hasn't actually done anything yet.)
(Don't worry,) Wu assured her. (The worst that'll probably happen is that he'll probably get fired and get the legal equivalent of a slap on the wrist. He still needs to be held accountable for his intentions though, Patience-but Rob and I won't make the price for him too high, I promise.)
(Good to hear,) she exhaled.
They were both silent for a bit.
(So,) Patience said as she scratched her chest, (you going to go back to bed, or do you feel like just talking for a while?)
(I'm fine with talking,) Wu shrugged. (This Iguanodon body doesn't need nearly as much sleep during the course of a night as a human's.)
Patience nodded.
For a few moments, they just gazed up at the stars together.
(Just like that last song Zane sang, "A Whole New World," aren't they?) she asked, glancing at him. (Shining, shimmering, splendid,) she softly sang.
Wu nodded in agreement. (They truly are.)
(Yeah. I'm definitely not seeing any of the constellations I recognize back from our time though.)
(Which is only understandable,) Wu replied. (Many of those stars haven't even formed yet in this time, and our solar system is also currently in a far different portion of the Milky Way galaxy, circling it and slowly going up and down, up and down, as if riding an impossibly huge merry-go-round through space. It will be two hundred million years before it starts a second revolution here again.)
(Wow. I remember Tyson telling me that,) Patience said with a melancholic sigh. (He was also the person who taught me about constellations, and how to look for them in the night sky.)
(Who was Tyson, if I may ask?)
(Helen's husband,) Patience replied. (He loved everything about the outdoors Henry, and was the closest thing to a true father I've ever had.)
(Did you live with him, or was he just someone you knew?)
(Yes,) Patience said softly, remembering. (I lived with him, I mean. He was in the state's foster system.)
(Foster system. So you must not have known your actual, biological father very well then?) Wu ventured carefully, knowing he was probably treading on thin ice.
(No,) Patience said morosely. Suddenly she jerked her head up and looked him right in his right eye, saying, (Remember when you took me to task for inserting myself too deeply into the acro clan after I finally found the key? And forming a weird bond of affection with G.K. over there?)
(Yes, I do.)
(And remember the explanation I gave?) she croaked.
Wu nodded. How could he not?
It's just that-that no one's truly been there for me until now. Nobody's stayed by me, appreciated me for who and what I am like they have. Like he has.
(Well,) Patience said, hanging her head, (it's going to be difficult, but now I'm going to go into further detail about it.)
(Hey,) Wu said softly, sensing her distress. (It's okay Patience. You don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to.)
Patience gave a weird laugh, tinged with buried sadness.
(I got the ball rolling, haven't I? I might as well go for broke. And for some reason, I really do want to.)
Wu patiently listened.
(I had parents at one time,) Patience said. (And I was part of a family once, had a home and belonged somewhere. Until I was three.)
(Do you remember anything about that time at all?)
(Not much,) Patience replied, shaking her head. (I vaguely remember that the house wasn't all that fancy or much to look at, just your typical place in the suburbs or a town. A small lawn, a porch, a few shade trees. I think we had a cat or two, and a big brown dog. But it was so long ago.)
(That's still pretty good,) Wu replied. (How much do you remember about your parents, if that's all right for me to ask?)
(Not very much about my dad, I can certainly tell you that,) she said with a growl. (I don't have very many memories of him, and now I have the impression that he was really just some guy my mother had a one-night-stand with. He couldn't have cared less about me, and probably only showed up to visit me just barely enough times to satisfy my mom's requests to "be involved in my life.") Patience paused for a moment. (Fighting though-I certainly remember him and my mom fighting and yelling at each other. Her calling him a useless deadbeat, him saying that I was an accident and not his problem…) she thinly trailed off.
Wu reached out with his right foreleg and gently stroked her shoulder.
(Your mom was right,) he said softly. (He was a deadbeat indeed, and I'm very sorry he didn't want to get to know a wonderful daughter like you or take responsibility like a true father should.)
(Yeah. And I'm sorry too,) was her pained reply.
(My mother though,) she went on, (I remember her somewhat better. While I really can't remember what she looked like, I do remember that she was young, Henry. Probably just a few years older than I am.)
(So you think she might've still been a teenager?)
She nodded. (At most, my mom was no older than twenty. And she was the first to leave me,) she added, her voice becoming a wiry, wrenching thing.
(What exactly do you mean by "she left you"?) Wu asked.
(What it sounds like. She just left me Henry, brought me to a Macy's somewhere when I was three and a half and-and then just dumped me there!) she half wailed, half sobbed.
(My God,) Wu said sickly, his heart sinking at the ghastly idea. (That's terrible Patience. I can't believe she'd do such a thing.)
(Neither can I,) she choked, looking back up at the stars. (When I realized she wasn't around, I panicked, looked for her everywhere, running to any woman in the store that could be her. Then one of the security guards found me, and brought me to a police station…)
(Oh my God. That is just horrible, Patience. You have my deepest sympathies,) Wu told her, shaking his head in dismay. (I'm just glad you didn't get hurt while you were alone.) It really was an ugly world where a woman would abandon her daughter to experience such fear and loneliness-and betrayal.
(I was so confused and hurt for a long time,) Patience said, voice breaking. (I felt convinced that I had done something very wrong…and that my mom had left me forever to punish me for it.)
(It wasn't your fault Patience,) Wu told her gently. (Never was. If any sin was committed, it was by your mother, not you. Never you.)
(I guess,) she sighed miserably. (But I'll never understand. Never understand why she'd do such a cruel thing to me.)
They were both silent for a bit.
(It's hard to understand why any mother would do such a thing,) Wu agreed, (and I'm not excusing what she did to you in that Macy's for a single moment, is that clear?)
(Yep.)
(Good.) Wu paused for a bit, thinking. (But by giving explanations-well, possible ones-maybe I can help you at least come to terms. First of all Patience, it's a painful truth that sadly, some women just aren't really fit to be mothers.)
(No fucking kidding.)
(It's possible that in the past, your mother might've been neglected or even abandoned by her own mother Patience. And that's why she then did the same to you.)
The acro growled. (Which I find to be total bullshit. If I had a kid, I would never abandon them just because my own loser traitor mom decided to abandon me.)
(I know that you wouldn't Patience,) Wu said gently. (You'd never leave them. But sometimes, bad habits in families get passed down, just like genes, from parent to child, continuing to cause harm to each new generation.)
(That's really creepy to think about. Almost like some family curse.)
(And also,) Wu went on, (if your mother really was quite young when she had you-and again, I'm not defending her awful actions for a minute-she just might've been confused Patience, not been prepared or known how to cope with having a child. Especially if your father wouldn't lift a finger to help, and she had no support from relatives.)
Patience snarled in fury, not looking at anything. (Maybe. But if I was such a burden to that heartless witch, why didn't she just dump me someplace for some other family to take care of me, while I was still a baby?) she choked. (Why did she have to wait until I was already three years old, and realize what it meant to be cut off and betrayed, scared and alone?)
(I don't know,) Wu said simply, reaching out with his right arm and comfortingly hugging her, feeling the bristly quills and pebbly scales against his inner skin. (Perhaps it's better to simply imagine that it means that at least she tried, Patience. Cared about you enough to at least try.)
Closing her eyes, Patience nodded. (I suppose that's something. And that does make me feel a bit better, to think that my mom, young and alone as she was, at least tried to do right by me for a little while-but she still left me Henry,) she amended forcefully, miserably, temper rising.
Wu sighed. (Well, I think we've talked about that incident enough now. Is there anything you want to tell me about Tyson? Or Helen?)
Patience softly nodded. (Sure. I spent several months in a group home run by the state of Montana. Then I went to live with a family who was enrolled in the foster system, wanted to take care of a kid who had no parents.)
(Tyson and Helen Sonnenfield,) she said thickly, looking back up at the sky. (Those were their names. They were an older couple, in their early forties, and had never been able to have children of their own. So they turned to the foster system to do something good for others and also satisfy that wish.)
(Sounds like they were very caring people,) Wu said.
She nodded in nostalgic fondness. (They sure were Henry. They officially adopted me a year later, and I lived at their house for over four wonderful years. They were the happiest years I've ever known in my entire life.)
Wu inwardly smiled. (That's great to hear. I'm glad you had happiness.)
(But it didn't last,) Patience said morosely. (Like everybody in my life has, they went away from me too.)
(Tyson was the first,) she said, voice breaking again. (Two and a half years after adopting me, Tyson, the man who was the best father figure I've ever had, went elk hunting.) She paused, and hung her head with a pained shudder. (While walking on a trail along a mountainside, part of it suddenly collapsed under his weight. He fell a hundred and sixty feet to the ground. Dead on impact.)
(Jesus Christ,) Wu replied. (What a horrible thing to have happen Patience. I can only imagine how devastating that must've been for both you and Helen.)
(It was terrible,) she confirmed. (It hurt both of us so bad Henry. He was the third person to leave me in my life, and it was all because of some goddamn freak accident! I've mourned and done the whole awful "If only" game more times than I want to tell.)
(Hmm.)
(But worse was yet to come,) Patience went on. (After Tyson's death, Helen managed to keep strong, and coped by giving me even more affection and care. It was just the two of us, and a very good time for me. Helen promised me we'd always be together, and I thought I could believe it. Until she got sick-and then had to go to the hospital,) she added, turning away from him, eyes shut in anguish.
(What did she get sick with, Patience?)
(Leukemia,) she said thinly.
Wu felt his heart sink again. He knew what that awful cancer of the blood and marrow did to a person, how it devastated and killed them. And Patience had to see that, all when she would've only been seven or eight years old and already lost her foster father…
(Oh,) he said simply. (I got it. I got it,) he repeated, nodding morosely.
(It wasn't fair,) Patience said bitterly. (My own parents turned their backs on me, I lose the closest thing to a dad I'd ever known, and then that shit has to happen to her and me, right when I'd thought I'd found my home forever.)
(I am so sorry Patience,) Wu replied. (Cancer really is such an evil and cruel thing.)
(No shit it is. And just like when my real mom abandoned me in a department store, I was convinced that Helen's leukemia was all my fault, that I'd done something really bad again, and was being taught a lesson to punish me. Or Helen had done something bad to deserve it. Sometimes I still feel that way.)
(Don't Patience,) Wu told her. (What happened with Helen getting leukemia was just a twist of fate. It wasn't your fault either. And it wasn't Helen's fault. It was nobody's fault, you understand?)
(I know,) she replied, sighing. (But it still really, really sucked Henry. And I don't think I'll ever get over it-especially after when she became sick enough that she couldn't take care of me, her relatives just stepped in and gave custody of me to an orphanage. They never let me see her again in the hospital, and never even let me know when she finally died Henry! Can you believe that?)
(No,) Wu said sincerely, disgusted. (No I can't.) He took a deep breath, then comfortingly hugged her again. (But back to Helen for now.)
(I miss her terribly Henry. Every time I think about her, there's this sick, painful twist in my chest.)
(That's what's known as a heartache. I know them too well from when my grandmother Fung died when I was twelve. But they go away in time, Patience.)
(I wish I'd stop having them right now.)
Looking thoughtfully at the stars, Wu then said, (You know Patience, scientists like me really aren't the type to wax mystical about things. But even I agree that life is a journey, one on which you've only just begun.)
(Yeah, but a journey to where?) Patience said dubiously. (To death? If so, that's a seriously creepy thought.)
(No, it's not that,) Wu said, shaking his head. (At least, I don't think so. I suppose it's to whatever you want it to be. To be successful, to have a family, to be popular and liked, to have a good job, to make a difference in the world, to live your dreams…the goal is however you interpret it, I'd say,) he shrugged. (Truth is though, I don't think anyone can say for certain what the point of it is, where it leads-or even if there is a point at all. I'd like to think there is though,) he added. ("And the world's great story is left untold,") he said meditatively. ("And the message is still unsaid.")
(So what's the point you're getting at?)
(That you're on a journey too Patience,) Wu replied. (And like on every journey, we meet a lot of people along the way, some whose company we enjoy-and some who we end up wishing lived on a different planet.)
She laughed. (Tell me about it!)
(It's just a tragic and bitter fact though,) he went on, (that not all of the people we meet end up staying with us nearly as long as we'd like them to, no matter how hard we try or wish it. We can only move on, and maybe try to make the best of it.)
(Make the best of it,) she said morosely. (Story of my life right now.) She shook her head helplessly. (And tomorrow, if things go according to plan, you're going to be the latest person in my life to leave me too.)
Wu felt his heart break a little when she said that.
(You told me, back at the acro clan's den,) she said suddenly, (that if you could, you'd bring me-the real, human me-back to Jurassic Park, where I'd always have a home with you and the others, and you'd all care for me-care about me. Did you honestly mean that, Henry? Would you really do that, if you had that power?)
Wu hesitated. But only for a moment or two.
(Yes,) he said with feeling. (Yes, Patience. I would bring you to the island if I could-maybe even adopt you as my own new daughter. If you were okay with that.)
(Oh God…) she said, close to losing it. (Of course I would be! Thank you. Just when I'd thought I'd never encounter someone like Tyson ever again…) And now, she hugged him, clearly filled with gratitude over such a sentiment.
But then she drew back, giving a thin whine. (But you can't, can you Henry? You can't make the machine send my body into another universe.)
(No,) Wu replied, sighing. (I can't. If only I could.)
(That really sucks,) she said. (It's all right though. Because after tomorrow-I'll still remember you, at least. I remember everybody who goes away,) she said shakily.
It reduced him to silence, and Wu could only nuzzle her gently.
They were quiet once more for a while, just listening to the sounds of their last night in the Mesozoic.
Then Patience spoke again.
(You know,) she said reflectively, (when I first ended up in this time and this body, I was just majorly pissed at Mr. London for being such a fricking imbecile and turning on the M.I.N.D. Machine on a second time. I wanted to kick him into the next zip code for dragging me into this.)
Wu lightly chuckled. (That's understandable. I wasn't very delighted with him either, as I'm sure you know.)
She nodded. (But although I know he didn't know or intend for his science fair project to go all wonky in the way that it did, a part of me was also kind of furious at Bertram Phillips too, for making the damn machine to begin with.)
(Bertram? You mean the kid who spoke to us in that strange storm of blue lightning and told us what we had to do?)
(The very same.)
(What's he like, if I may ask?)
(He's actually a lot like you, Henry. He's average height, has black hair, wears dark-rimmed glasses. He lives alone with his dad, who's actually a professional paleontologist. And Bertram is very smart,) she added. (Computers, dinosaurs, genetics, astronomy, geology-he's a walking encyclopedia really, full of knowledge. I honestly think he could even give you a run for your money in the smarts department Henry,) she said.
Wu laughed lightly, more out of approval than anything else. (So he's the school's polymath-in-residence, I take it?)
(A poly-what now?)
(Polymath,) Wu repeated. (It means someone who's a master in multiple subjects.)
(Oh. That's Bertram then.)
(Anyway,) Patience said, (the point is, I was sort of ticked off at him too for building the machine responsible for this. But you know what?) she commented softly. (Now, I'm actually kind of glad that he did-and not just because of this adventure I've been on or all the knowledge I've gained.)
(Why are you glad?)
(Because,) she said sincerely as she leaned her body into his side, (if Bertram had never made the machine, and Mr. London had never turned it on, I would never have met G.K. over there. And I would've never met you either.)
Patience sighed and rumbled in pleasure. (I've always wanted a dad Henry. And you've been like one.)
(I appreciate hearing that Patience. Thank you. And you want to know something?) he asked. (There's always been a small part of me that's wanted a daughter.)
(I don't remember reading anything in the book about you having kids or a family.)
(No,) Wu confirmed, shaking his head. (I'm a consummate bachelor, married only to my work as a geneticist and cellular biologist. Life in the lab is more my style than the domestic option.)
(Do you have any girlfriends?)
(In the past, yes,) he said. (And I've made love with some of them too. But I don't have any ladies in a relationship with me at the moment. I'm just much too busy cloning dinosaurs and directing teams of other researchers on the island,) he shrugged.
(If you like that sort of thing, that's fine, I guess,) Patience replied in what seemed like pity. (But I think that's really sad, that you don't have anybody.)
(Oh, don't feel sorry for me,) Wu told her. (It doesn't bother me Patience. And personally, I've never bought into the idea that every man's ultimate goal in life should be to find a lovely young woman, marry her, and then sire two or three kids, which you then raise in some nice house in the suburbs somewhere-or even better yet, out in the country,) he snorted.
(Yeah, me neither,) she agreed. (As a chick's role, I mean. In fact, I really don't think I ever want to get married either. And having a kid? No thanks,) she shuddered.
(Well,) Wu said softly. (You never know. You might feel differently a few years down the road Patience.)
(Still nope. Ain't gonna happen.)
(Which is just fine,) Wu said. (There's nothing wrong with choosing the type of life I have, to just be single and unattached, believe me.)
(Still,) he went on reflectively, sighing as he moved his left hand about in the dirt, (there are times, once in a while, when I wonder, what if? What if I'd chosen to live my life a little differently, and bring a woman into my home? Proposed to her and tied the knot? Started a family with her? Would it make me feel as satisfied and fulfilled as the media always tells you it will? Or would it just be a burden and an annoyance?)
Suddenly, an image came to Henry Wu's mind then. It was the image of an hourglass, filled with sand pouring down from the top chamber, the level steadily dropping… And he'd just come so close so many times to losing his life today…
(I think you'd make a great husband and dad myself,) Patience supplied. (Really Henry. You're smart, have a great job, lots of degrees. You're brave and you treat people fairly, do what's right. You stuck up for Zane whenever I said that he was dumb or was a jerk to him, and comfort me when I'm lonely or sad, get worried about me when I'm in danger. You should really think about it when you get back.)
Wu shook his head. (That's nice, but I'm already thirty-three Patience. I'm too old now.)
She snorted. (Oh, come on. Thirty-three is not too old for a grownup like you. You still have time.)
Wu inwardly smiled, charmed by her insistence. (If you say so. And maybe I'll act on your suggestion when I get sent back. Yes, maybe I will.)
(Good. I hope you do. You deserve it, I think.)
They were silent again. Patience yawned, and they looked at the fire together.
(Amazing, isn't it?) Wu said. (The first deliberately made campfire in all of history.)
(Well, not technically the first,) she pointed out. (Will made at least one already before we came along, remember him telling us that? So more like the second or third.)
(You're right,) Wu said. (I forgot about that. All the same though, it's an awe-inspiring concept to contemplate.)
(No kidding.) Patience laughed. (I wonder if there's any chance paleontologists will find the remains of this campfire in the future. That'll really freak them out!)
Wu chuckled. (The chance of our fire ring being preserved in that way is pretty slim under these conditions, unfortunately. For one thing, structures associated with the activities of living creatures-also known as trace fossils-need to be buried relatively quickly by mud, sand, volcanic ash, or other particulate matter-and none of that is to be found here at the moment. And besides, this upland country is subject to blowing winds, to earthquakes and landslides, rain falling on the peaks-all of which are highly likely to disperse the ash and coals, as well as the rocks placed around it in time.)
(Still, what do you think scientists would do if they found it in our time?)
(They'd probably think of it and explain it away as either a hoax or an anomaly,) Wu replied. (A fluke of nature that just happened by chance. Some of the more open-minded scientists might wonder and suspect, but they'd hardly go public and say out loud that they believed this was a deliberately made and lit fire…at least, not if they valued their reputations. Only the most far-out crackpot would ever believe that dinosaurs were capable of making fires for warmth,) he laughed. (Minus us.)
She laughed too. (Yeah. No sane scientist would take this at face value. Too much of a monkey wrench.)
Wu nodded. (And if by some slim chance they did…well, knowledge can be shocking at times, and hard to accept, but it's always preferable to ignorance,) he said meaningfully.
(Agreed.)
(But even better than that is wisdom,) Wu added. (And as much as I hate to say it, that's a quality that's been somewhat lacking on Isla Nublar lately, I've realized.)
Patience chuckled again, with warmth and pride. (I think your time in a dinosaur has been good for you Henry.)
(I think so too. Hell, I know it has. So did having a certain sauropod and acrocanth reveal to me what would've been in my future, giving me a warning in the nick of time,) he added gratefully. (I owe my life and the park's success to you and Zane telling us what would've happened, and I won't forget that anytime soon,) he said thickly.
(Hey, no problem.)
(And speaking of forgetting,) he said, (although I know they must be painful for you sometimes Patience, I'm glad to know you remember everyone who's vanished from your life. In fact, I'd be concerned if you didn't.)
(What do you mean?)
(Because it means that you care about and value people,) Wu told her simply. (That they were important to you. And besides, if you forgot about other people that quickly, then you'd forget about me that quickly too.)
(Oh, Henry,) Patience said as she leant against him once more and hugged him. (Believe me, I'd never forget you quickly. Or even slowly. But yeah, I'll miss you.)
Suddenly, she yawned. (Oof, I'm getting tired again,) she said as she pulled away. (We've still got an important task ahead of us tomorrow, and I've had enough of the touchy-feely stuff. How about some shut-eye now, so that we're well-rested?)
(That's fine,) Wu said, stretching out, then relaxing again.
(I'd better call G.K. over,) Patience muttered, turning to look in his direction. (Poor dude, left out in the cold while we chat on and on. You're okay with him bedding down with us, I hope?)
Wu hesitated. He knew that the male acro was possessive towards Patience, and was jealous of the fact that she had a close relationship with him too, a plant-eating dinosaur that any normal ridge-back would either ignore or kill on the spot if they could.
(I suppose,) he replied warily. (But the idea makes me more than a little nervous.)
(Don't worry, he had a good dinner already,) she assured him. (I could smell it when we first met.)
(That's a relief to hear,) Wu sighed. (Still though, I know from the dens that he doesn't like having me around you.)
(I know. But maybe things will be okay if you sleep on one side of me, and he sleeps on the other. That way, if he gets aggressive, I can easily block him, while you get away.)
(That might work,) Wu agreed.
So Patience raised her head, got to her feet, and gave a friendly chuff in G.K.'s direction, softly calling, (Ok G.K.! We're ready to have you come join us for bed.)
The male acro immediately got to his feet with an excited rumble, and strode in their direction. As he got closer, Wu could see that he was both excited to be at Patience's side, yet also irritated at the idea that the same Iguanodon bull was going to be impinging on their private time.
Wu felt his body tense. He knew that he was in a very vulnerable position if the other acrocanth decided he wasn't welcome and attacked, lying down like this. But he didn't dare get up, didn't dare rise onto his four feet or do anything that could be interpreted as defiance or aggression. And indeed, when G.K. snarled at the geneticist as he came close, Wu actually shut his eyes and turned his head away, behaving as submissively as possible.
(Easy,) Patience told the acro as she sat down. (He's all right G. K. Everything's all right. Just ignore him and sit down by me. Just relax. He means no harm.)
Wu heard a rumble again. Carefully opening an eye, he saw the male acro sitting down on his pubic boot, regarding Patience with affection as she laid down, but refusing to look at him, his quills half-erect as he gave the odd growl of irritation. He supposed that was what could be called a display of petulant tolerance.
(He's okay,) Wu heard her reassure the other acro again. (Just a friend. Now let's all go to sleep.)
And so they did, Wu on her left side, the Green Knight on her right.
As Patience drifted off, feeling just oddly affectionate and protective, Wu decided to sing to her before he nodded off too. Tapping into his memories, he gently filled the air with a Cantonese lullaby from his own childhood, "Moonlight Bright."
(Moon's bright, shining over a fish pond. Oh little one, better be good and sleep soundly on your bed,) he sang.
When he'd finished, he closed his eyes, and began to enter into dreamland. But then he felt a thick, scaly tail caressing his own.
That's Patience, he thought, touched as he inwardly smiled and slightly raised his head, partly opening his right eye.
But the tail wasn't hers. To his surprise and delight, it was the Green Knight who was doing it, tail curved to stroke his Iguanodon one in evident affection and acceptance, very softly.
The quote Wu says in this chapter in regards to the purpose of life is taken from The Animals Noah Forgot, a poem by the famous Australian poet Banjo Peterson.
Operation Noah is of course, a real event that Muldoon's character was just begging to be inserted into. With at least 6,000 individual wild animals saved from starvation or drowning-impala made up the greatest number of captures, with 1,866 saved at the end of the day-it is the largest wildlife rescue in history, and a display of heroism and commitment that deserves far more awareness and attention than it has received to date.