Chapter 10
(-I am a Protoceratops)
Kado and Croco made their way down the street and to a large building, although not as large as the library. Croco looked up at it.
"What is it?" he asked. Kado craned his neck to look up at it.
"Oh, it's just the Aqua Stadium, but it's not important right now," he told him and continued on. They got to a bridge where they crossed over and were at the foot of another large building.
"Now here...here is our destination," Kado said. "The Haven of Muses...so what do you think?" Croco thought about it shortly.
"It sure is nice...but is this where I'm gonna stay?" Kado nodded and led him inside where a number of people and saurians were waiting to greet him. If there was one thing the young man enjoyed, it was the hospitality of the Dinotopians. Everywhere he had been, they have treated him like royalty yet Croco remained humble as he accepted the greetings. They led him to his dormitory, where a smallish dinosaur was waiting inside. When it saw Croco, it bounded to the door.
"So if it isn't Croco Hallaway," it said. Croco bent down to greet the saur, a Protoceratops.
"That would be me," he said with a smile. The protoceratops then introduced herself as Castra, decendant of the great saurian ambassador Bix. Castra, or "Cassie" as she preferred to be called, took Croco on a tour of the Haven, showing him where he would be taking his classes and where the great poets stayed and worked. About halfway through, a bell rang loudly and the reddish-yellow Cassie nudged Croco hard in the leg.
"Dinner bell!" she announced and charged towards the door, circling to make sure Croco caught up to her, then led him down a corridor to the dining room. Croco had barely sat down when Kado got up and made an announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen and saurians..." he said, "...the dolphinback has arrived." There was applause as Cassie motioned Croco to join Kado at the head of the table. He introduced him to everyone and told them about how he ended up on the island and his stay with Brock and his family. Then he went on, at the request of one of the older men, to tell them about the happenings in the outside world. Most of them were astonished by the hate and violence that was going on, but Kado was there to remind him of what Nobby told him. He was now free from that world and ready to start over as a Dinotopian.
After they had all eaten and dispersed, Croco stepped outside and climbed on a rock overlooking Gateway Falls. When Cassie had found him, it was dark and he was in a state of deep thought. But being as she couldn't climb the rock he was sitting on, she called Croco down to where she was.
"What troubles you?" she asked.
"Everything," he told her. Croco went on about the crash and his brother and the first days he spent on the island. Cassie had him bend down so she could give him a hug. Once at her level, Croco got on a knee and asked her where she lived.
"Oh, I live right here in Waterfall City," she told him, "Not too far from where we are as a matter of fact. Why is that?" She knew just by the look on his face what he wanted. "I see...you want to spend the night, don't you?" Croco nodded and Cassie went inside. A few minutes later, she came out and told him that it was okay. They left the Haven and walked down the promenade and crossed over a bridge. The first house they came upon was her house and she led him inside, where two protoceratopses, one being a baby, were waiting. The larger one, a male, sat down in a chair very similar to the one Nobby had.
-So what took you so long Castra?- he asked. Cassie walked up beside him and nuzzled.
-Kal, they assigned me to a new dolphinback, whom I've brought with me.- She had Croco step to the middle of the room, where the young one rammed its head into the side of him.
"Kalrix...Nalypta, this is Croco Hallaway, the new dolphinback. Croco, this is my mate Kalrix, and the little guy is Nalypta, or 'Lippy.' He's my first-born son...just six months out of his egg." Croco greeted them and thanked Cassie for letting him stay, and showed him to his room where he was surprised to see a bed for humans set up for him. She told him that they get a lot of human visitors from all over the island. Croco was all ready to go to sleep when Cassie climbed up into the bed beside him. He rolled aside to make room for her.
"After all these years, I've never really slept beside a human. But then again, I've never welcomed a dolphinback into my home either. Breathe deep, seek peace Croco."
"Breathe deep, seek peace Cassie. Good night." Shortly after that, they were both asleep, arm over neck and tail wrapped around a leg.
The next morning, everyone was up with the morning sun. After a short breakfast, Cassie and Croco were off. The first thing Croco noticed was the loud roar of the falls.
"How can you guys sleep over the falls?" he asked, "I don't think I'd make it one night!" Cassie explained that the buildings were made from thick stones to keep the sound out. Then they made their way back to the Haven to start Croco's first day of his education. He was really looking forward to it, as he had already told her how bad he wanted to be a skybax rider. Cassie led him into a room full of ten eleven and twelve-year old children. She had them circle around Croco after introducing him to them.
"OK, your first lesson will be about the Code of Dinotopia. Could you children please recite the Code to Croco?" One by one, Cassie pointed and they took turns reading off a part of the Code.
"Survival of all or none.....One raindrop raises the sea.....Weapons are enemies even to their owners.....Give more, take less.....Others first, self last.....Observe, listen, and learn.....Do on thing at a time.....Sing every day.....Exercise imagination.....Eat to live, don't live to eat.....Don't p, but the remaining text is missing." Cassie had the children break the circle.
"Now, does anyone have an idea on what that last part of the Code means?" she asked. A larger boy, about eleven, raised his hand.
"Yeah," he said with a smile, "don't pee in the bath." The children broke out in high-pitched laughter. Croco thought that the boy's answer was ridiculous, but didn't bother to say as he didn't want to hurt his feelings. However, he did have a response for him and bent down to meet him eye-to-eye.
"Surely that couldn't be it," he said, "After all, I don't think that the dinosaurs would pee in the bath." Cassie poked her head in between them. She explained that it was probably meant for humans but it was entirely untrue and that it was something else. A bell rang and Cassie dismissed the kids.
"Say good-bye to Croco, the new dolphinback," she told them. They took turns saying goodbye to Croco, followed by a "Good-bye Castra." After the children had all left, Cassie led him into a different room and had him sit down.
"Now, we shall start to teach you the alphabet of Dinotopia," she said, and they immediately went to work. Another man, an African man named Timbo, also came to tutor Croco. They all became instant friends, and that proved to be valuable to his learning.
(-I am a Protoceratops)
Kado and Croco made their way down the street and to a large building, although not as large as the library. Croco looked up at it.
"What is it?" he asked. Kado craned his neck to look up at it.
"Oh, it's just the Aqua Stadium, but it's not important right now," he told him and continued on. They got to a bridge where they crossed over and were at the foot of another large building.
"Now here...here is our destination," Kado said. "The Haven of Muses...so what do you think?" Croco thought about it shortly.
"It sure is nice...but is this where I'm gonna stay?" Kado nodded and led him inside where a number of people and saurians were waiting to greet him. If there was one thing the young man enjoyed, it was the hospitality of the Dinotopians. Everywhere he had been, they have treated him like royalty yet Croco remained humble as he accepted the greetings. They led him to his dormitory, where a smallish dinosaur was waiting inside. When it saw Croco, it bounded to the door.
"So if it isn't Croco Hallaway," it said. Croco bent down to greet the saur, a Protoceratops.
"That would be me," he said with a smile. The protoceratops then introduced herself as Castra, decendant of the great saurian ambassador Bix. Castra, or "Cassie" as she preferred to be called, took Croco on a tour of the Haven, showing him where he would be taking his classes and where the great poets stayed and worked. About halfway through, a bell rang loudly and the reddish-yellow Cassie nudged Croco hard in the leg.
"Dinner bell!" she announced and charged towards the door, circling to make sure Croco caught up to her, then led him down a corridor to the dining room. Croco had barely sat down when Kado got up and made an announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen and saurians..." he said, "...the dolphinback has arrived." There was applause as Cassie motioned Croco to join Kado at the head of the table. He introduced him to everyone and told them about how he ended up on the island and his stay with Brock and his family. Then he went on, at the request of one of the older men, to tell them about the happenings in the outside world. Most of them were astonished by the hate and violence that was going on, but Kado was there to remind him of what Nobby told him. He was now free from that world and ready to start over as a Dinotopian.
After they had all eaten and dispersed, Croco stepped outside and climbed on a rock overlooking Gateway Falls. When Cassie had found him, it was dark and he was in a state of deep thought. But being as she couldn't climb the rock he was sitting on, she called Croco down to where she was.
"What troubles you?" she asked.
"Everything," he told her. Croco went on about the crash and his brother and the first days he spent on the island. Cassie had him bend down so she could give him a hug. Once at her level, Croco got on a knee and asked her where she lived.
"Oh, I live right here in Waterfall City," she told him, "Not too far from where we are as a matter of fact. Why is that?" She knew just by the look on his face what he wanted. "I see...you want to spend the night, don't you?" Croco nodded and Cassie went inside. A few minutes later, she came out and told him that it was okay. They left the Haven and walked down the promenade and crossed over a bridge. The first house they came upon was her house and she led him inside, where two protoceratopses, one being a baby, were waiting. The larger one, a male, sat down in a chair very similar to the one Nobby had.
-So what took you so long Castra?- he asked. Cassie walked up beside him and nuzzled.
-Kal, they assigned me to a new dolphinback, whom I've brought with me.- She had Croco step to the middle of the room, where the young one rammed its head into the side of him.
"Kalrix...Nalypta, this is Croco Hallaway, the new dolphinback. Croco, this is my mate Kalrix, and the little guy is Nalypta, or 'Lippy.' He's my first-born son...just six months out of his egg." Croco greeted them and thanked Cassie for letting him stay, and showed him to his room where he was surprised to see a bed for humans set up for him. She told him that they get a lot of human visitors from all over the island. Croco was all ready to go to sleep when Cassie climbed up into the bed beside him. He rolled aside to make room for her.
"After all these years, I've never really slept beside a human. But then again, I've never welcomed a dolphinback into my home either. Breathe deep, seek peace Croco."
"Breathe deep, seek peace Cassie. Good night." Shortly after that, they were both asleep, arm over neck and tail wrapped around a leg.
The next morning, everyone was up with the morning sun. After a short breakfast, Cassie and Croco were off. The first thing Croco noticed was the loud roar of the falls.
"How can you guys sleep over the falls?" he asked, "I don't think I'd make it one night!" Cassie explained that the buildings were made from thick stones to keep the sound out. Then they made their way back to the Haven to start Croco's first day of his education. He was really looking forward to it, as he had already told her how bad he wanted to be a skybax rider. Cassie led him into a room full of ten eleven and twelve-year old children. She had them circle around Croco after introducing him to them.
"OK, your first lesson will be about the Code of Dinotopia. Could you children please recite the Code to Croco?" One by one, Cassie pointed and they took turns reading off a part of the Code.
"Survival of all or none.....One raindrop raises the sea.....Weapons are enemies even to their owners.....Give more, take less.....Others first, self last.....Observe, listen, and learn.....Do on thing at a time.....Sing every day.....Exercise imagination.....Eat to live, don't live to eat.....Don't p, but the remaining text is missing." Cassie had the children break the circle.
"Now, does anyone have an idea on what that last part of the Code means?" she asked. A larger boy, about eleven, raised his hand.
"Yeah," he said with a smile, "don't pee in the bath." The children broke out in high-pitched laughter. Croco thought that the boy's answer was ridiculous, but didn't bother to say as he didn't want to hurt his feelings. However, he did have a response for him and bent down to meet him eye-to-eye.
"Surely that couldn't be it," he said, "After all, I don't think that the dinosaurs would pee in the bath." Cassie poked her head in between them. She explained that it was probably meant for humans but it was entirely untrue and that it was something else. A bell rang and Cassie dismissed the kids.
"Say good-bye to Croco, the new dolphinback," she told them. They took turns saying goodbye to Croco, followed by a "Good-bye Castra." After the children had all left, Cassie led him into a different room and had him sit down.
"Now, we shall start to teach you the alphabet of Dinotopia," she said, and they immediately went to work. Another man, an African man named Timbo, also came to tutor Croco. They all became instant friends, and that proved to be valuable to his learning.