a corridor of darkness between two burning walls. The Tyrannosaur was released from its flaming corral. It wandered downstream on unsteady feet.
'It won't live much longer,' said Rick.
'It's strange,' said Con, 'but I feel sorry for it.'
'So do I,' said Joe, 'but if I had my gun, I would have shot it in a heartbeat.'
'The guns!' cried Rick in panic.
The tree where they had hung the guns and their duffel bags had been trampled, and only a few of its branches were visible above the mud. Con, Rick and Joe ran over to the spot and began to search for their belongings. The bags had floated downstream only a short distance before getting snagged. They were soaked and muddy, but only slightly singed. The guns were nowhere to be seen. Carefully, but anxiously, they groped in the churned-up river bottom for them. After several minutes, Joe let out a triumphant yell. It died in this throat when the gun emerged from the water bent into the shape of a 'V.' Joe removed the cylinder filled with the silvery ammunition, then angrily flung the ruined gun into the river. Rick found the second gun close to where Joe found the first. He rinsed the mud off as best he could. The weapon appeared intact. Rick turned it on and rows of red, yellow, and blue lights glowed on its side. 'Don't try to fire it,' said Joe, 'until we can tlean it.'
'Can we move upstream and get out of this mud?' said Con.
Without another word, they began to walk upstream, carry-ing their sodden duffel bags. The plants had burned down to the waterline and, although their charred remains blackened the stream, it looked more like a normal river. They came to a spot where the water was almost a foot deep. The current had cleared the vegetation and even some of the mud. With an exhausted sigh, Con sat down. Rick followed suit.
The water reached up to Con's waist. It was marginally cleaner, and she used it to wash the mud from her face and hair. An updraft carried the smoke away, and the fire, now contained by the river, no longer seemed threatening. After the terror of the Tyrannosaur and the burning river, this felt safe. It was even relatively cool. Tired as she was, Con felt a little of the exultation she had felt when she successfully descended the cliff.
Joe remained standing. He opened his duffel bag and pulled out the driest shirt he could find. He asked Con to hold his bag and proceeded to clean the gun with the shirt. When he was satisfied, he returned the shirt to his bag.
'Con, would you watch my stuff for me?' asked Joe. 'I'm going to get you dinner.' Con nodded, and Joe started to head upstream.
Rick called after him. 'Won't you get me some, too?'
'You can have Con's leftovers,' Joe called back. 'Provid-ing she leaves any.' Rick smiled at Joe's crack about Con's appetite, yet it reminded him of a serious concern. Her souped metabolism was an advantage in a world of plenty, but they were no longer living in that world. He worried how she would fare in the time of want that lay ahead. Rick gazed at her in the firelight. She was slumped forward on the two duffel bags, watching the fire's reflection on the river. Her face was drawn and dirty, yet bore a hint of a smile. Rick found that smile utterly endearing. He reached out and tenderly rubbed her wet, muddy back. Con's only reaction was that her smile became slightly more pronounced. Rick spoke to her, more from hope than conviction. 'Everything will be fine.' 23
CON WAS ASLEEP WHEN RICK HEARD THE CRACK OF JOE'S
gun from far up the river. Although Rick would have liked to see Joe's kill, he knew he should stay with Con. The valley's scrubby vegetation had not provided the fuel for a sustained blaze, and it was getting dark again. The trees at the former riverbank still burned, as did shattered patches throughout the valley, but the main fires had moved to the far foothills. The flames that were so recently menacing, now seemed like homey campfires. Rick would miss them when they burned out.
Before Joe returned, Rick found it necessary to take out a flashlight to guide him. He set the output on low to conserve the battery and listened for footsteps. It seemed like a long time, before he heard any. Eventually, he heard Joe coming. He shined the beam upstream and caught sight of Joe. He had a broad smile and was carrying a five-foot-long object on his shoulder. It was the severed limb of a bipedal dino-saur. It looked to Rick like it came from a Hypsilophodontid.
'Got one of those little guys,' said Joe. 'It was like shoot-ing a fish in a barrel.'
'That's great, Joe!' said Rick. 'But how did you butcher it?'
'Sliced it with the gun.'
Rick pointed to the still-burning trees. 'We can cook it over there.' Joe looked at Con slumped over the duffel bags. 'How long has she been asleep?'
'She nodded off right after you left. She's exhausted.'
Joe shook his head. 'This is because she's souped, isn't it?'
