CHAPTER 36
The mid day jungle was hot, and it seemed now that no amount of shade was going to diffuse the peaking swelter. The tropical foliage passed by Seth in quickly shifting beams of light and patches of dark as he bounced around on the back of Kyra's four-wheeler. Every so often he'd catch a glimpse of a darting compsognathus. Here and there a flock of coelophysis would trail them for a while and then break away. Not more than forty feet to his left Seth spotted the armored backs of six ankylosaurus as they grazed on low laying vegetation. All three of the ATVs took extra care to keep their distance.
"Are you still back there?" Kyra glanced over her shoulder. She hadn't heard from Seth in a little while.
"Yup."
Kyra noticed that he was looking at the ankylosaurs. "Just admiring the scenery, huh?"
He nodded.
Kyra began to chuckle and pointed to the armor plated dinosaurs. "This one time my Dad drove his jeep too close to one of them. You wouldn't believe the dent that sucker left in the door. I know they don't look very bright, but that clubbed tail of theirs can still pack a real wallop."
As they drove around the herd Seth saw what she was talking about. The four legged herbivores were built like tanks. While their dull gaze certainly didn't make them look smart, their bodies appeared quite dangerous. Large boney nodules covered their hide, and a bulbous club swung at the end of each ones' tail. Seth got the impression that even a single ankylosaurus could have taken on Rebirtha and given her a run for her money. They were like stout elephants with suits of armor and mid evil weapons.
"Yeah, my dad told me about this other guy." Kyra went on. "He got too close to one on a motorcycle. It hit the back wheel. Threw him and the bike thirty feet."
"Jeeze." Seth shook his head.
Ahead of them, Dallas and Shelly were slamming on their brakes. Kyra swerved to a stop behind them and almost plowed into their back wheels. Seth's face was smashed up against Kyra's back. He was holding onto her in a way that he otherwise would have felt uncomfortable with, but if he hadn't done it he would have fallen right off the ATV.
Through his one ear that wasn't pressed flat up on her shoulder he heard Dallas whisper. "Everybody keep still."
Seth listened to the idling four-wheeler motors. Beyond that he picked up the drone of parasaurolophus through the jungle. Then he heard a grunt and a snort. It sounded like a hog. Heavy footsteps plodded through the underbrush. They grew louder as the animal approached. Curiosity begged Seth to look up, but Kyra squeezed his hand as he turned his head. There was a true sense of hazard to the way she had stopped him, so he fought all urges to move again.
The footfalls ceased only a matter of feet away. Seth got the sense that the beast was near Shelly and Dallas. The sound of loud sniffing and chop licking was made. It lasted for only a matter of moments before Seth heard footsteps again. This time they circled around. As it moved, the creature sounded as though it were about the size of a horse or moderately sized cattle. In another few paces Seth was staring down at a stocky three toed foot covered in hard scales.
Seth trailed his eyes up the animal's leg without moving his head. Its skin was a dark brown with bluish purple, and it twitched as flies landed on it. The creature had tight calf muscles and bulging thighs and appeared only to walk on two legs. It breathed in and exhaled. Then it took a back step. Now Seth had the animal's head in his face. It was bulbous and round on top, much like a lightbulb. Lower on the cranium there were stout thorns of bone all over. The beast had a small round beak, flexing nostrils, and passive brown eyes. Although the dinosaur's head spikes looked dangerous, its expression appeared docile to Seth. Nevertheless he remained motionless.
The animal wiped its wet nostrils along Seth and Kyra's shoulders. It licked their skin and nipped at their clothing. With the side of its mouth the dinosaur chewed on the brim of Kyra's hat for a while. Seeming satisfied, it backed away, scoped the area, and then trotted off into the jungle. After about a minute everyone in the group began to stir.
"Whew." Dallas breathed out. "That was close. If I'd gone another few feet she might have charged."
"What was that?" Seth pulled his ear away from Kyra's back.
"A pachycephalosaurus." Kyra straightened out her hat. "They're usually no trouble. You just can't get too close."
"Hey, Kyra!" Dallas pointed. "You let that bone head chew up my stetson."
"What was I supposed to do, Dallas?" Kyra threw up her hands.
"Hey, does anybody else hear that?" Shelly cut in.
The group went silent and listened. One by one they all heard it.