The Lost World - Michael Crichton [113]
“If he even has adrenals,” Malcolm said. “Does a Tyrannosaurus rex have hormones at all? The truth is, we don’t know anything about these animals.”
The radio clicked, and Levine said, “Speak for yourself, Ian. In point of fact, I suspect we will find that dinosaurs have hormones. There are compelling reasons to imagine they do. As long as you have gone to the misguided trouble of taking the baby, you might draw some tubes of blood. Meanwhile, Doc, could you pick up the phone?”
Malcolm sighed. “That guy,” he said, “is starting to get on my nerves.”
Thorne moved down the trailer to the communications module near the front. Levine’s request was odd; there was a perfectly good system of microphones throughout the trailer. But Levine knew that; he had designed the system himself.
Thorne picked up the phone. “Yes?”
“Doc,” Levine said, “I’ll get right to the point. Bringing the baby to the trailer was a mistake. It’s asking for trouble.”
“What sort of trouble?”
“We don’t know, is the point. And I don’t want to alarm anybody. But why don’t you bring the kids out to the high hide for a while? And why don’t you and Eddie come, too?”
“You’re telling me to get the hell out of here. You really think it’s necessary?”
“In a word,” Levine said, “yes. I do.”
As the morphine was injected into the baby, he gave a sighing wheeze, and collapsed back onto the steel pan. Sarah adjusted the oxygen mask around his face. She glanced back at the monitor, checking the heart rate, but once again Arby and Kelly were blocking her view. “Kids, please.”
Thorne stepped forward, clapped his hands. “Okay, kids! Field trip! Let’s get moving.”
Arby said, “Now? But we want to watch the baby—”
“No, no,” Thorne said. “Dr. Malcolm and Dr. Harding need room to work. This is the time for a field trip to the high hide. We can watch the dinosaurs for the rest of the afternoon.”
“But Doc—”
“Don’t argue. We’re just in the way here, and we’re going,” Thorne said. “Eddie, you come, too. Leave these two lovebirds to do their work.”
In a few moments, they left. The trailer door slammed shut behind them. Sarah Harding heard the soft whirr of the Explorer as it drove away. Bent over the baby, adjusting the oxygen mask, she said, “Lovebirds?”
Malcolm shrugged. “Levine . . .”
“Was this Levine’s idea? Clearing everybody out?”
“Probably.”
“Does he know something we don’t?”
Malcolm laughed. “I’m sure he thinks he does.”
“Well, let’s start the cast,” she said. “I want to get it done quickly, and take this baby home again.”
The High Hide
The sun had disappeared behind low-hanging clouds by the time they reached the high hide. The entire valley was bathed in a soft reddish glow as Eddie parked the Explorer beneath the aluminum scaffolding, and they all climbed up to the little shelter above. Levine was there, binoculars to his eyes. He did not seem glad to see them. “Stop moving around so much,” he said irritably.
From the shelter, they had a magnificent view over the valley. Somewhere in the north, thunder rumbled. The air was cooling, and felt electric.
“Is there going to be a storm?” Kelly asked.
“Looks like it,” Thorne said.
Arby glanced doubtfully at the metal roof of the shelter. “How long are we staying out here?”
“For a while,” Thorne said. “This is our only day here. The helicopters are taking us away tomorrow morning. I thought you kids deserved a chance to see the dinosaurs in the field one more time.”
Arby squinted at him. “What’s the real reason?”
“I know,” Kelly said, in a worldly tone.
“Yeah? What?”
“Dr. Malcolm wants to be alone with Sarah, stupid.”
“Why?”
“They’re old friends,” Kelly said.
“So? We were just going to watch.”
“No,” Kelly said. “I mean, they’re old friends.”
“I know what you’re talking about,” Arby said. “I’m not stupid, you know.”
“Knock it off,” Levine said, staring through the binoculars. “You’re missing the interesting stuff.”
“What’s that?”
“Those triceratops, down at the river. Something’s bothering them.”
The triceratops herd had been drinking peacefully from