Cretaceous Sea

' Miss Greighton,' corrected Rick.

'I see,' said Pandit with a hint of a smile, 'but what does the 'Noctecorreptus' part mean?'

'Nightstalker.'

NOCTECORREPTUS GREIGHTONAE MADE its appearance at the dining pavilion in the form of heavily spiced cubes, stir-fried with vegetables and served over rice. All of Pandit's skill could not disguise the meat's strong, gamy taste. The dish was pronounced 'interesting' by the guest of honor, who, like Sara and Peter Green, took only a bite before turning to other fare. Even Con left most of the meat untouched. Only James, aware that this entree would end up featured on the staff's menu of leftovers, finished his serving.

The dinosaur's main contribution to the meal was a topic of conversation. Here it was more successful. There was a lot of lighthearted banter about Con's adventures, and everyone was in a good mood. Peter Green was ob-viously pleased. By the time Rick cleared the dessert dishes, he sensed that his place on Montana Isle was se-cure. He went back to the staff area feeling content. So what if I dine on leftovers

, he thought. He was the pos-sessor of a complete, unfossilized dinosaur skull and a set of limbs, also—the first, he was certain, of many ex-traordinary specimens. Everything else paled in signifi-cance. The festive mood of the dining pavilion was reflected at the staff dinner. Green's good disposition had affected his subordinates. James was particularly happy with the way things were going. He produced a bottle of cham-pagne, declaring, 'All of you deserve a toast.' He poured the wine into plastic cups and passed them around. Then he stood and raised his cup high. 'To a fine beginning!' When everyone sipped the champagne, James offered a second toast. 'To Rick and his taming of a difficult client.'

Joe emptied his cup, then said with a grin, 'I'd say the Greighton girl's tamed him.'

'What do you mean?' asked Pandit.

'On today's trip back to the island,' said Joe, 'I thought I detected infatuation.' James looked at Rick's crimson face, and said, 'We don't need a romance complicating things.'

'There's no romance,' said Rick quickly. 'I admire her ... her daring.'

'There,' said Joe, 'you heard him say it—he's her ad-mirer.'

'I'm her guide,' said Rick, speaking more to James than to Joe. 'She's interested in going on tours. The only client who is, I might add. That's all there is to it.'

Joe turned to James. 'I was just ragging him. Rick's more interested in wildlife than women.'

'I'm glad to hear it,' said James.

As dinner commenced, it quickly became apparent why there was so much leftover dinosaur. While his staff picked at their food, James refilled their cups and re-sumed his cheerful tone. 'If things continue to run smoothly,' he said, 'we'll have a proper safari operation in no time. More staff, proper equipment...'

'Proper food?' asked Joe. 'Rick, can't you shoot something that tastes more like chicken?'

'That dish was a severe test,' admitted Pandit.

'To bad you got an V on it,' quipped Joe.

'I think a herbivore might be more palatable,' said Rick. 'Perhaps a Hypsilophodontid.'

'I prefer food I can pronounce,' said Joe.

'I brought some fishing gear,' James said. 'Just hand lines, because of the weight limitations. Perhaps we could try some seafood.'

'An excellent idea,' said Pandit.

'Here,' said Joe, pushing his plate forward. 'You can use this for bait.' James, who had already eaten, went to check on the guests. When he returned, he said to Pandit,

'Please get out the best cognac and two snifters and take them to Mr. Green's quarters.' Pandit left his dinner to get a crystal decanter and two large bulbous glasses.

'I'm done eating,' said Rick. 'I can run it over.'