Chapter 16
After their visit with Azonthus...which eased Croco's feelings about velociraptors...and after they returned to the Haven, Croco stood out on the promenade, looking out at the waterfalls and thinking deeply about Kado's words. Suddenly, he felt something bump into him and looked down to see Cassie staring at him.
"Come in?" she asked. Croco shook his head. "Then what's bothering you this time?" He knelt down beside his protoceratopsian friend.
"Everything about today has left me wondering about my whole purpose," he said, "Even though it's been almost a year, why I'm here and still alive beats the heck outta me. How did I get to be so lucky as to land here while my brother and best friend are dead and have probably been eaten clean by the fish? Do you think it's fate, like Kado said?" Cassie bobbed her head as an invitation, then Croco put his hand on her rough, scaly face. She started to coo as she leaned in closer.
"I know...it's because I maintain a positive outlook on things, right?" he said. Cassie nodded and spun around once, then stopped and eyed Croco intently.
"But those lyrics that you shared with us!" she bellowed. "They told a tale of pain and sadness!" Croco put a hand over her mouth so she couldn't say anything.
"Those weren't mine Cassie," he told her, "A friend of mine wrote them. He was going through some hard times and needed a way to express himself. His name is Zach Scanlan and he was one of my best friends. I wonder how he's doing now...chances are not that well cause he thinks I'm dead and there's no way I can tell him otherwise." Cassie nuzzled him and told him that he was just fine as she led him inside to prepare for bed.
The next day after his morning swim and breakfast, Croco went back to his room instead of to the library for his lessons. He had just put his head down when there was a knock on his door. Croco raced to see who it was and was surprised to see Timbo standing there. Six mothers Masai and a man of great wisdom, Timbo had became a pillar of strength for the young dolphinback as he shared his knowledge and taught him the very meaning of what it was to be Dinotopian. Croco invited him in and they sat down on his bed.
"So what troubles you, young crocodile?" he asked. "Is it because the herds have moved away from your side of the river?" Croco looked at him in bewilderment and asked him what that meant. Timbo put an arm around the young man's neck.
"It means that you are feeling alone in a world of many," he told him. "You can share with me all that's on your mind." Croco delved deep into his mind and his soul.
"All the men in my family...or all the ones on my father's side of the river as you put it," he started, "have experienced some kind of downfall at the peak of their glory, starting with my great-grandfather Patrick Hallaway." Timbo put one of his large hands up and Croco froze.
"I know a man named Robert Hallaway somewhere in Chandara, but I'm not sure. He landed here in 1919 and said something about a son of his getting killed while operating a mechanical bird, but it's been a long time since I've seen him...about twenty years to be exact." Croco was completely stunned by this revelation that Timbo made.
"Was he from Ireland?" he asked aloud. Timbo nodded. "And was the son's name Patrick?" He thought about it for a long time.
"Sorry, don't remember," he said sadly. "But you could ask him yourself, as he is a good friend of mine. He'll be coming up here in a couple more weeks." Croco was excited yet a little petrified that the man Timbo was talking about...Robert Hallaway...may in fact be his great-great-grandfather. He got up and paced about the room nervously while Timbo sat and watched him.
"I'm at a crossroads in my life," he said, "I was at one in the outside world before the crash. I didn't know whether or not I wanted to be a fighter pilot or a paleontologist...I was stuck and didn't want to make the wrong choice. But I guess Kado's right...maybe it was fate that caused me to crash my plane into the sea...and maybe that's what kept me alive while the dolphins dragged me ashore to the waiting arms of Kaala and Riojay. I don't know what it is...all I know is that I'm very lucky to be anywhere period." Timbo called him back over to the bed. Sitting back down, Croco realized that lamenting over something that couldn't be controlled wasn't the best idea.
"I hear your friends are coming back to Waterfall City in five more days." he told him. "You should be happy to see them...especially the triceratops you keep talking about."
"Oh, Nobby. Yeah, I guess I am excited to see them. But all that stuff that happened yesterday left me in a deep state of thought that I haven't been able to shake free from." Timbo understood as he invited Croco to come with him to the library.
Over the next couple of days, Croco experienced a refreshed state of mind as the one-year anniversary of his arrival on Dinotopia neared, and also the return of Brock and his family was nearing as well. He was able to get through his lessons with relative ease and he was also physically rejuvinated, going on long walks throughout the city. Occasionally he and either Cassie or Kado would stop to play with a young child or hatchling for a little while until he needed to sit down or grumbled about not being able to keep up with a hatchling that was much more fleet of foot. Croco continued this until the day before Brock's scheduled arrival, then he spent the day making signs to hang up over his room at the Haven and at Cassie's house as well. He went to bed knowing that tomorrow would be a day to remember.
After their visit with Azonthus...which eased Croco's feelings about velociraptors...and after they returned to the Haven, Croco stood out on the promenade, looking out at the waterfalls and thinking deeply about Kado's words. Suddenly, he felt something bump into him and looked down to see Cassie staring at him.
"Come in?" she asked. Croco shook his head. "Then what's bothering you this time?" He knelt down beside his protoceratopsian friend.
"Everything about today has left me wondering about my whole purpose," he said, "Even though it's been almost a year, why I'm here and still alive beats the heck outta me. How did I get to be so lucky as to land here while my brother and best friend are dead and have probably been eaten clean by the fish? Do you think it's fate, like Kado said?" Cassie bobbed her head as an invitation, then Croco put his hand on her rough, scaly face. She started to coo as she leaned in closer.
"I know...it's because I maintain a positive outlook on things, right?" he said. Cassie nodded and spun around once, then stopped and eyed Croco intently.
"But those lyrics that you shared with us!" she bellowed. "They told a tale of pain and sadness!" Croco put a hand over her mouth so she couldn't say anything.
"Those weren't mine Cassie," he told her, "A friend of mine wrote them. He was going through some hard times and needed a way to express himself. His name is Zach Scanlan and he was one of my best friends. I wonder how he's doing now...chances are not that well cause he thinks I'm dead and there's no way I can tell him otherwise." Cassie nuzzled him and told him that he was just fine as she led him inside to prepare for bed.
The next day after his morning swim and breakfast, Croco went back to his room instead of to the library for his lessons. He had just put his head down when there was a knock on his door. Croco raced to see who it was and was surprised to see Timbo standing there. Six mothers Masai and a man of great wisdom, Timbo had became a pillar of strength for the young dolphinback as he shared his knowledge and taught him the very meaning of what it was to be Dinotopian. Croco invited him in and they sat down on his bed.
"So what troubles you, young crocodile?" he asked. "Is it because the herds have moved away from your side of the river?" Croco looked at him in bewilderment and asked him what that meant. Timbo put an arm around the young man's neck.
"It means that you are feeling alone in a world of many," he told him. "You can share with me all that's on your mind." Croco delved deep into his mind and his soul.
"All the men in my family...or all the ones on my father's side of the river as you put it," he started, "have experienced some kind of downfall at the peak of their glory, starting with my great-grandfather Patrick Hallaway." Timbo put one of his large hands up and Croco froze.
"I know a man named Robert Hallaway somewhere in Chandara, but I'm not sure. He landed here in 1919 and said something about a son of his getting killed while operating a mechanical bird, but it's been a long time since I've seen him...about twenty years to be exact." Croco was completely stunned by this revelation that Timbo made.
"Was he from Ireland?" he asked aloud. Timbo nodded. "And was the son's name Patrick?" He thought about it for a long time.
"Sorry, don't remember," he said sadly. "But you could ask him yourself, as he is a good friend of mine. He'll be coming up here in a couple more weeks." Croco was excited yet a little petrified that the man Timbo was talking about...Robert Hallaway...may in fact be his great-great-grandfather. He got up and paced about the room nervously while Timbo sat and watched him.
"I'm at a crossroads in my life," he said, "I was at one in the outside world before the crash. I didn't know whether or not I wanted to be a fighter pilot or a paleontologist...I was stuck and didn't want to make the wrong choice. But I guess Kado's right...maybe it was fate that caused me to crash my plane into the sea...and maybe that's what kept me alive while the dolphins dragged me ashore to the waiting arms of Kaala and Riojay. I don't know what it is...all I know is that I'm very lucky to be anywhere period." Timbo called him back over to the bed. Sitting back down, Croco realized that lamenting over something that couldn't be controlled wasn't the best idea.
"I hear your friends are coming back to Waterfall City in five more days." he told him. "You should be happy to see them...especially the triceratops you keep talking about."
"Oh, Nobby. Yeah, I guess I am excited to see them. But all that stuff that happened yesterday left me in a deep state of thought that I haven't been able to shake free from." Timbo understood as he invited Croco to come with him to the library.
Over the next couple of days, Croco experienced a refreshed state of mind as the one-year anniversary of his arrival on Dinotopia neared, and also the return of Brock and his family was nearing as well. He was able to get through his lessons with relative ease and he was also physically rejuvinated, going on long walks throughout the city. Occasionally he and either Cassie or Kado would stop to play with a young child or hatchling for a little while until he needed to sit down or grumbled about not being able to keep up with a hatchling that was much more fleet of foot. Croco continued this until the day before Brock's scheduled arrival, then he spent the day making signs to hang up over his room at the Haven and at Cassie's house as well. He went to bed knowing that tomorrow would be a day to remember.