DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dinotopia and I don't want to. I have not and will not make any money off this story. Basically what I'm trying to do is reconcile some of the conflicts between the books and the miniseries. The M rating is for material to appear in later chapters.
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Soneera led me around one last curve in the road. We found ourselves on the top of a bluff, overlooking Waterfall City.
It was so beautiful that all I could do was stare. Dozens of words like "wow" and "amazing" tumbled over each other in my brain as my eyes drank in the wondrous sight. When Soneera had said there was more than one waterfall in the city, that was the understatement of the millennium.
Waterfall City didn't just have waterfalls; it was waterfalls. The city was built on one large or several small islands in the middle of a wide river. The island or islands served as a most spectacular dam; hundreds of millions of gallons of water cascaded through and around the city in thunderous torrents that roared down dozens of enormous waterfalls before continuing on down river. The falling water threw up such a spray that the entire city was cloaked in mists that made the atmosphere that of an idyllic fairy tale.
The city itself was built primarily of stone. There were towers, pyramids and domes that heralded from every corner of the earth. These great architectural masterpieces must have been on the official buildings, since most of the buildings of the city were fairly low. There were none of the ugly skyscrapers that dominated the cities of the outside world. Through the mists I could see hundreds of trees and green open spaces among the buildings. The boundary of the city was at the wall that separated the living area inside from the water outside.
Even where we stood, on the bluff across the way, the spray flew up and got us wet. Excited, I moved to the edge of the bluff, held my arms out, and allowed the world's largest natural "sprinkler" to soak me. As I did so, I continued to gaze at Waterfall City. I hadn't even entered the city gates yet, but already I could tell it was a city of dreams.
For quite a few minutes, Soneera stood back and let me observe. Finally she placed a hand on my shoulder and said quietly, "Come on. I'll show you how to get into the city now."
I tore my gaze away from the city, reminding myself that soon I would actually be inside that marvelous place. Soneera led me to a tunnel that actually ran behind the waterfall on its way to the city.
Looking out and seeing that enormous curtain of water from the inside was really the coolest thing of all. Here the water sprayed backward in addition to falling straight down and drenched us again. Feeling like a little kid, I ran around Soneera, dodging stalactites and stalagmites, splashing in puddles and laughing like a hyena. Soneera just shook her head and chuckled gently at my antics, allowing me to luxuriate in the joy of this wonderful place.
After a few minutes of frolicking, I stopped and leaned, panting, against Soneera's side. My brain may have felt like a little kid, but I no longer had the energy of a four-year-old. Soneera tousled my hair playfully. "Come on," she said. "I'll give you a quick tour of the city before I have to get to the library. I'll show you where I live and then you'll be on your own to explore."
"Okay." I followed Soneera another thirty yards or so through the tunnel, and then we emerged into Waterfall City itself. As I looked around, the roar of the falls thundering in my ears, all I could say was one simple word.
"Wow," I breathed.
If looking at Waterfall City from the outside was breathtaking, actually being inside the city was – well, I don't think there's a word in any language that describes it. Suffice to say I must have looked like a stun-boggled tourist.
Humans and saurians swirled up and down the cobblestone streets, swept up in the merry dance of life. Everywhere I looked people seemed happy and carefree, honest and trustworthy. The whole tone of life was different here – the very air had a positive ring to it. I had felt this tone – what Soneera called "the heartbeat of the earth" – in Pooktook as well, but here in Waterfall City I sensed it much more strongly.
Somehow I had a feeling that this was a special place. Okay, I knew it was in general, but I was now struck by a feeling that this would be a special place for me personally – that something truly wonderful and life-changing would take place here.
I followed Soneera along a network of streets; each corner revealed new wonders. After the first five minutes I was totally turned around, but I was too busy participating in Soneera's "heartbeat of the earth" to care.
Seven or eight turns later – I had long since lost count – we stepped onto a quiet residential street. Soneera opened a door at ground level and said, "This is my home. I'll show you your room and then I have to go."
The house we entered was rather saurian in proportion. It was big, but not big enough for a brachiosaur. Soneera pointed out the kitchen and living rooms, allowed me to peek into her room, and then ushered me into what was to be my room.
The room was fairly small, built more for humans than for saurians. The furnishings were simple but tasteful. There was a human-style bed, a chest of drawers, and a desk. A door hung open revealing an empty closet.
Soneera went and picked up a neatly folded pile of fabric lying on the bed. "I have a gift for you," she said. "Your first Dinotopian clothing." She deposited the pile in my hands.
"Cool," I said. "Thanks." I shook out the pile, and half of it landed on the floor. "Oops." I put the half in my hand on the bed and picked up the other half. It was a pair of pants that, at first glance, appeared navy blue, but as I let it swing in the breeze, the color swirled through a riot of pinks, purples and blues depending on how the sun hit it. The pants, I noticed, ended in cuffs trimmed by sky-blue lace.
"Wow, gorgeous," I whispered. Intrigued, I put the pants down and picked up the shirt. Made of the same material, it had a square neckline and puffy sleeves that ended in ruffles trimmed with the same sky-blue lace. Beaming, I looked at Soneera. "May I put it on?"
"Of course! I'll be in the living room when you come out." She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Excited, I shed my American clothes and put on the Dinotopian outfit. To my amazement, it was a perfect fit. I checked my reflection in the mirror – the outfit was very flattering – and danced out of the room.
Soneera looked up from a book when I entered the living room. "Very nice," she said approvingly. "The seamstress did a great job."
"How did you know what size to get?" I asked.
Soneera smiled. "I'm good at knowing things. As I think you are."
"Huh?" I had no idea what she was talking about.
"I saw it on your face when we entered the city. You know this is going to be a sacred place for you. Something very special will happen to you here that will change your life – something that you have been waiting for."
I frowned. "What do you mean? What's going to happen?"
"I don't know. But I think we'll both find out, don't you?"
I shrugged, sure that Soneera had eaten an extra bowl of weird for breakfast. I had felt something when we entered the city, but I was sure it was just that "heartbeat of the earth" business. On the other hand, just because nothing wonderful had ever happened to me in my life before, that didn't mean precedents could not be broken. Waterfall City was, after all, a city of dreams. The city of my dreams? Certainly. But the city of my destiny? Maybe. I would just have to wait and see.
"I have to go to the library now," Soneera said, breaking in on my reverie. "I'll be back in time to get dinner. I'm a great cook, you know. But while I'm gone, why don't you go out into the city and start seeking your destiny?"
"I'll go exploring," I replied, "but I don't know what you're talking about with all this destiny business."
Soneera smiled. "I don't either, but you will know it when you find it." With that Soneera kissed my forehead and walked out the door.
Astonished, I found myself staring at the closed door.
"What the heck?" I shook myself, then muttered, "Well, I might as well go out there and look around. But it's not like I think my destiny is knocking at the door or anything. Maybe I'll get to try some more Dinotopian food."
Taking a deep breath, I stepped out the door, making sure it closed tightly behind me. Dinotopians didn't use locks, but that didn't mean I wanted to leave the door hanging open either. I took a few tentative steps down the street, keenly aware that this was the first time I was outside alone in this still foreign country. Before, I had always had either Soneera or Keelkaru to look after me. Well, now I had to look after myself. I just hoped I wouldn't get lost.
I started my exploration by taking short walks away from Soneera's house, each time returning to the door before I set out again. This way I began to get a sense of how the city was laid out.
By the time I set out on my third such foray, it was getting to be mid-afternoon, and I was hungry, so when I smelled food I followed my nose to a street vendor offering tempting finger foods.
A pleasant-looking blonde girl was manning the booth. "Hi," I said, "I'm hungry. How do I go about getting something to eat?"
"Do you have anything to trade?" the girl asked.
"Uh, no, I'm new here. I haven't quite figured out your barter system yet."
"Oh, well, breathe deep, then. And take some food, please. You won't ever figure it out if you starve before you have the chance."
"Seek peace, and thank you." I selected a mixture of fruits and vegetables, bid good day to the good-natured girl, and continued on my way.
Two or three more turns and a delicious salad later, I found myself standing at the end of the block overlooking what had to be the City Square Café. About seven steps led down to a lower level, where tables and chairs were occupied by dozens of humans and saurians enjoying an afternoon snack.
Fascinated, I rested my left hand on the wall of the nearest building and watched the Dinotopian social scene. Not knowing quite why, I scanned the throng of people and saurians, taking in their colorful clothing. Smiling, I remembered that I was now dressed like them.
My eyes came to rest on one man out of the thousands before me. I don't know what it was about him that first captured my attention. Maybe it was the fact that he seemed to be taller than any other human in the vicinity. Maybe it was because he was the first person I had consciously noticed since my arrival who was as dark as I was. Maybe it was the strange uniform he was wearing. I don't know. But whatever it was, I felt my heart beating faster, but I had no idea what I would say if I ever met him. Not that I had to worry about that anyway.
I had been watching this handsome stranger for several minutes when he suddenly turned toward me. His eyes met mine. I sucked in my breath.
Panicked, I took a couple of steps back and pressed myself to the wall, where I could observe without being seen. He seemed to look around for me, but when he couldn't find me he shrugged and walked off in the opposite direction.
Whew. That was close. Without giving myself time to think, I turned and ran back the way I had come. When I was several blocks away from the café, I sat down on the edge of a fountain to catch my breath. I gave myself several minutes to calm down before I took a deep breath and headed back to the café by another route. Maybe if I had a nice, warm, cup of tea, all this would make more sense.
I descended the stairs to the café, where I selected a table and sat down. Almost immediately, a saurian waiter came over and said, "Breathe deep, miss. May I get you something to drink?"
Struggling to express myself in Saurian, I said, haltingly, "Do you have… tea?"
"Certainly," replied the saurian. "We have twenty-seven different kinds." At least, I think the number was twenty-seven.
"Uh… the house special?" I asked, mortified by my accent.
"Of course, right away," the saurian said, and bustled away.
While I waited for my tea, I watched a group of human and saurian children running around playing a game, the rules of which I had no way to decipher. All I could tell was that it involved a lot of running and shouting.
A few minutes later, the waiter brought my tea. I took it and sniffed at it, wondering what I had gotten myself into. The "house special" could have been anything. When I got up the nerve to try it, I was relieved to find that it was rather good – sweet and a little bit spicy.
I sat sipping my tea, inhaling the steam, trying to feel the "heartbeat of the earth." It wasn't easy. Now that I was out here alone, I couldn't help but feel the full brunt of the culture shock. Soneera was no longer here to help me, and I suspected that I would screw up and look like an idiot more times than I cared to think about. Still, I reminded myself, this is Dinotopia. Being different isn't so bad here. The people here will understand and help me.
"Excuse me, may I sit down?"
I spun around so fast I almost spilled my tea. Then I almost dropped it anyway.
The person addressing me was the uniformed man I had seen here earlier. Oh, good lord. Utterly tongue-tied, I gestured to an empty seat, and the man sat down.
I took another sip of my tea, observing him over the rim of my cup. He made eye contact with me again, and my heart began racing so fast I thought I would hyperventilate. My mind was thrumming like a plucked rubber band.
"My name is Oonu Ngossi." His deep bass voice cut through the haze in my brain. "What's yours?"
I swallowed another gulp of tea and set the cup down, trying to keep my hand from shaking. Come on, vocal cords, work! I ordered desperately. I tried to reply, but all that came out was a pitiful squeak that I disguised as a cough. I tried again. "Jenni," I managed to croak.
"Breathe deep," he said.
I took a deep breath. At least this was familiar, and my voice worked better now. "Seek peace."
"Where are you from?"
My mind began to clear. This question finally gave me something to think about other than his dark, velvet brown eyes. "I'm from a suburb of Richmond," I said. "I've only been in Dinotopia three days. I just arrived in Waterfall City this afternoon."
"Richmond? I'm sorry, I don't think I've heard of it. Where is it?"
"It's in Virginia, which is in the United States. I'm a dolphinback," I clarified.
"I see," Oonu said thoughtfully. "Have you had much chance to explore the city yet?"
"Not really," I replied. "Soneera, the saurian I'm staying with, has showed me a little, but she had to go back to work. She's busy. She works in the library."
"I know who she is, though I don't know her personally. Have you seen the library yet?"
"Not yet. But I think she's going to take me there tomorrow."
"Tell you what," Oonu said. "I'm off tonight. Would you like me to show you around? There's a circus performance just outside the city tonight. We could go."
My heart started pounding again. I couldn't believe my good luck. A mixture of excitement and panic fluttered around like a flock of bats in my brain. Making an effort to keep my voice even, I said, "Sure. That sounds great."
He smiled. It made his face shine almost like those "sunstones" Keelkaru had been going on about during our Saurian lessons. At this point I had yet to see one.
At that moment the waiter came over with a tray full of delicacies. Oonu and I each selected two or three things, and we ate in silence for several minutes.
When we finished our food, Oonu said, "If we go now, I'll have time to show you a few things, and then we'll get to the circus on time."
"Okay, sure." I stood up and walked with him out of the café. As we walked, he pointed out various storefronts and services that I knew I would eventually find useful.
After we had gone several blocks, Oonu offered me his hand. Heart pounding, I took it. My small hand almost disappeared inside his big one. The tingling sensation went all the way up to my shoulder.
A few minutes later we rounded a corner and I found myself gazing up at a tall tower. Its shape and the light emanating from its top reminded me of a lighthouse, except that it was in the middle of the city, where there were no boats to be found.
"Would you like to see the prime sunstone?" Oonu asked. "It's the largest, most perfect sunstone in all of Dinotopia."
"Sure. What exactly are sunstones anyway?"
"Sunstones are our sources of power. They provide light and power to all of Dinotopia. They are often used to send messages over long distances. Many people also believe that they are what protects us from the carnosaurs, but to the best of my knowledge, that is false."
"Where do sunstones come from?"
"No one knows for sure," Oonu replied. "But legend says they were mined from the World Beneath. About a hundred thirty years ago, the explorer Arthur Denison found some evidence that supports that theory."
I didn't know what the World Beneath was, but I decided to save that question for the library. By this time, we had reached the bottom of the tower. Oonu opened the door, and we stepped through.
Before us lay an empty room, the only feature of which was the stairway leading up. I looked up and saw that the staircase was an endless spiral, like those I had seen in lighthouses back home. We started up, and our footsteps echoed in the empty chamber.
By the time we reached the top, some three or four hundred steps later, I was breathless from the exertion, while Oonu had hardly broken a sweat. I found this slightly embarrassing, since he seemed to be somewhere between ten and fifteen years older than I.
The staircase ended at a closed door. Oonu opened it.
"Whoa." I staggered backward, dazzled by the brilliance. The sunstone shone as bright as the sun, though it was softer in its character. Oonu steadied me with a gentle hand on my back, and for an instant his arm was around my waist, a simple fact that sent my already thrumming nerves straight off the Richter scale.
I opened my eyes, and found that they had adjusted enough that I could focus on the sunstone. "Wow, that's amazing. Too bad electric lights were never that neat."
Bonnng! Bonnng! Bonnng!
The sound was of a bell ringing in the distance. I turned in its direction and looked out the window of the tower, but I could not tell where it was coming from.
"That's the circus bell," Oonu explained. "They are announcing the opening of the doors for the show. Let's go." We left the sunstone chamber, closed the door behind us, and hurried down the stairs.
Out on the street, we joined a throng of people headed in the direction from which the sound of the bell had come. The procession led us back behind the waterfall, where Soneera and I had entered the city that afternoon. Before long, we reached the far side of the river and the circus gates, where human and saurian clowns – at least, I guess they were clowns – said "Breathe, deep, seek peace" to everyone who entered.
Oonu and I made our way into the stands and took seats about halfway back. Ten minutes later, when everyone was seated, an old man with wild gray hair walked into the ring and addressed the audience.
"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and saurians. Breathe deep, seek peace. Welcome to Maxim's Cavalcade of Wonders. As many of you know, my grandfather was the illustrious Maxim who founded our troupe. While I can never hope to have the stature of my dear, departed grandfather, I try my best to carry on his tradition and to honor his legacy. Our performers are looking forward to entertaining you tonight. We hope you enjoy the show."
Maxim's grandson left the stage, the lights dimmed, and the show began. Part of a throng of delighted spectators, Oonu and I cheered for the dancers, gasped at the risks taken by amazing aerialists, and laughed at the antics of the clowns. The groups who performed were made up of humans, saurians, and to my surprise, sabertooth tigers, whom I heard someone refer to as "Smilodons."
The show was a spectacular of balance, strength, agility and sheer guts. Some of the acts, such as the one in which a man stood on his tippy toes on the head of a wildly dancing brachiosaur, defied the imagination.
At some point during the earthshaking, supercharged cacophony of the show, Oonu slipped his arm around my waist – slowly, tentatively, as if he wasn't sure he wanted me to notice. Well, I did notice, and a few minutes later, I found myself leaning against him with my head resting on his shoulder.
When the show ended, we were swept up in a wild standing ovation for the performers. Everyone in the audience was on their feet, clapping, stomping, cheering, honking, whatever. Hundreds of humans and saurians at their noisiest created such a clamor that I suspected we might hear a complaint or two from the cemetery, if there was one nearby.
As the crowd broke up, Oonu asked me, "Do you know how to get home?"
"I'm not sure," I admitted.
"Okay, not a problem," he said. "I'll walk you home. I know what street the library staff lives on."
Hand in hand, we headed back to the heart of the city. After we turned onto Soneera's street, I stopped in front of her door. I turned to Oonu. "Thank you for showing me around," I said. "I really enjoyed the circus."
He smiled. "My pleasure." He surprised me again by taking me in his arms. "I have to leave the city tomorrow morning. But I'm in Waterfall City for a day or two each week, so I'll come see you next time I'm here."
"What do you do for a job?" I asked.
"I'm a skybax rider," he replied. Seeing the blank look on my face, he explained further. "I work with a giant pterosaur called a skybax. We fly all over Dinotopia, delivering messages, escorting caravans, and patrolling the island."
"Awesome," I said in amazement. "That must be the coolest thing in the entire world."
"It's the greatest thing I've ever experienced. Well, almost." Oonu paused. "I have to get going now, but I'll see you soon. Breathe deep."
"Seek peace."
He kissed me on the forehead and then disappeared silently down the street.
Feeling like I was well on my way to turning into a carbonated soda, I floated through Soneera's front door. Immediately, the fragrance of the supper I had missed washed over me. I was hungry.
I went and knocked on Soneera's bedroom door.
"Come in," she called.
I opened the door and went in, feeling totally awkward. Why I had missed dinner was going to be awfully hard to explain. "Um, hi. Can I have something to eat?"
Soneera turned to look at me. "What?" she teased, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "You forget to eat dinner?"
"Um, no. I mean, yes. Well, sort of. All I had were some appetizers."
"Oh? And what have you been up to?"
"Nothing. I went to the circus performance. It was amazing."
"I see," Soneera said. "Whom did you go with?"
"No one," I replied, a little too quickly. The last thing I needed was to have Soneera teasing me over this. "Now, can I have something to eat, or are you going to make fun of me all night?"
Soneera rolled her eyes. It looked really weird on her saurian face. "Of course you can have something to eat. And whenever you feel like telling me the other half of your story, I'll be listening."
"There is no 'other half,'" I mumbled, walking out of the room. I found the dinner Soneera had prepared in the icebox. I didn't know how to heat it up without an electric range like the one I had grown up with, so I ate it cold. Even then, it was really good.
Having eaten my fill, I retired to my room, but I was too wound up to sleep. My mind was buzzing with questions, both about Dinotopia and about the shocking turn my personal life had taken. The cultural questions, anyway, could be answered by a trip to the library. The other questions would have to wait a week before they could be addressed. I decided to beg Soneera to take me to the library with her tomorrow so I could do some research. Then I finally fell asleep.
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