Danger Dinosaurs! полностью

This gave Chuck another interesting thought. How had Masterson planned on getting away with it? He’d find the deposit, yes, probably by getting “lost” from the party and searching for the two scientists until he found them. Then what? If he left the doctors alive, his plans would be ruined. Had he then planned on killing them?

“What do you say, Spencer?” Masterson shouted. “Denise for Gardel and Dr. Perry.”

Chuck snapped his thoughts back to the immediate problem. “Dr. Perry,” he said anxiously, “who has the map to the uranium deposit?”

“Why… why…”

“I know it’s top secret stuff, but this is important. Does Dr. Dumar have it?”

“No.”

“Then you do.”

“No.” ‘

Chuck’s eyes opened wide in disbelief. “Well… well, who does?”

“The Jurassic has it, Chuck.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Pierre had it in his sleeping bag with him on the night of the upheaval. In all the excitement…”

“He left it in the bag!”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds. We still remember the location. We spent a lot of time there, Chuck. We could probably draw it from memory-if the upheaval didn’t change the situation.”

“What do you say, Spencer?” Masterson shouted.

“I say NO!” Chuck roared. “I don’t like your bargain, Masterson. It smells.”

Hastily, Chuck lowered his voice and told Dr. Perry, Pete and Arthur what he thought. He watched their faces as he spoke, saw Dr. Perry nod.

“I was wondering why he was so friendly to us when we first joined the party,” Dr. Perry said. “I should have realized he was after something.”

“We’ve got to stall him,” Chuck said. “We’ve got to get that rifle away from him. If he gets you over there with Dr. Dumar, he’ll force the location of the deposit out of you. And when he’s through with you…”

“Mmm,” Dr. Perry agreed.

Chuck’s eyes wandered over to the cliff, climbed the sheer wall to settle on the ledge fifty feet from the ground.

“That’s it,” he said aloud.

“What? What’s what?” Arthur asked.

“The ledge.” Chuck indicated it with a motion of his head, not wanting Masterson to see him pointing. “If I can get up to that ledge without Masterson seeing me, we’ll have him boxed in.”

“How the deuce you going to get up there?” Pete asked.

“I don’t know. Around the side, maybe. The sides don’t look as steep as the face. I’d have to go up the side anyway, or Masterson would see me.”

“You’ll never do it,” Arthur said. “It’s too steep a climb.”

“I’ve got to try.”

“Why not me?” Arthur asked.

“Because I’m the alleged guide on this time slip.”

Chuck said quietly. “So far, all I’ve done is get us into a lot of trouble. Maybe I can get us out of some now.”

Arthur’s eyes met Dr. Perry’s, and the paleontologist nodded imperceptibly. Chuck saw the movement and smiled. “I’m not trying to be a hero or a martyr, believe me. I just feel… I feel as if I’ve… as if I haven’t been doing my job. Do you know what I mean? As if I’ve let everyone down.”

Dr. Perry was quiet for a long time. Then he said, “Every man has his mountain to climb, Chuck. Do a good job with it.”

“Thanks,” Chuck said. “Now here’s my plan…”

The ground was rough, covered with sharp rocks that stabbed at his hands and his chest and his knees. He kept close to the ground, hugging it for dear life as he moved away from the protection of the rocks. Behind him, he heard the sharp crack of a rifle as Arthur began his diversionary fire. He did not turn to look back. He kept his head low and his body pressed flat to the terrain as he inched his way toward the boulders and the sheer face of the cliff. The rifle fire stopped suddenly, and then the second part of his plan went into action.

“Masterson!”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“This is Dr. Perry talking.”

“What’s on your mind, Dr. Perry?”

“I’ve been talking to the boy. Spencer. I’ve been talking to him.”

“Is that what all the shooting was about, Dr. Perry?”

“The shooting was the boy’s idea. I’ve talked him out of it. He thinks the way I do now.”

“And just how do you think?”

“I’ve decided to accept your proposition. Gardel and I will join you if you give us Denise in return.”