The Lost World - Michael Crichton [121]
“So . . . what did they feed them? Okay. In the period from 1988 to 1989 . . . the herbivores got a macerated plant matter on a feeding schedule three times a day . . . and the carnivores got . . .”
He stopped.
“What’d the carnivores get?”
“Looks like a ground-up extract of animal protein. . . .”
“From what? The usual source is turkey or chicken, with some antibiotics added.”
“Sarah,” he said. “They used sheep extract.”
“No,” she said. “They wouldn’t do that.”
“Yeah, they did. Came from their supplier, who used ground-up sheep.”
“You’re kidding,” she said.
Malcolm said, “I’m afraid so. Now, let me see if I can find out—”
A soft alarm sounded. On the wall panel above him, a red light began to flash. A moment later, the exterior lights above the trailer turned on, bathing the grassy clearing around them in bright halogen glare.
“What’s that?” Harding said.
“The sensors—something set them off.” Malcolm moved away from the computer, peered out the window. He saw nothing but tall grass, and the dark trees at the perimeter. It was silent, still.
Sarah, still intent on the baby, said, “What happened?”
“I don’t know. I don’t see anything.”
“But something triggered the sensors?”
“I guess.”
“Wind?”
“There’s no wind,” he said.
In the high hide, Kelly said, “Hey, look!”
Thorne turned. From their location in the valley, they could look north to the high cliff behind them and the two trailers above, in the grassy clearing.
The exterior lights on the trailers had come on.
Thorne unclipped the radio at his belt. “Ian? Are you there?”
A momentary crackle: “I’m here, Doc.”
“What’s happening?”
“I don’t know,” Malcolm said. “The perimeter lights just turned on. I think the sensor was activated. But we don’t see anything out there.”
Eddie said, “Air’s cooling off fast now. Might have been convection currents, set it off.”
Thorne said, “Ian? Everything okay?”
“Yes. Fine. Don’t worry.”
Eddie said, “I always figured we set the sensitivity too high. That’s all it is.”
Levine frowned, and said nothing.
Sarah finished with the baby, and wrapped him in a blanket, and gently strapped him down to the table with cloth restraint straps. She came over and stood beside Malcolm. She looked out the window.
“What do you think?”
Malcolm shrugged. “Eddie says the system’s too sensitive.”
“Is it?”
“I don’t know. It’s never been tested before.” He scanned the trees at the edge of the clearing, looking for any movement. Then he thought he heard a snorting sound, almost a growl. It seemed like it was answered from somewhere behind him. He went to look out the other side of the trailer, at the trees on the other side.
Malcolm and Harding looked out, straining to see something in the night. Malcolm held his breath, tensely. After a moment, Harding sighed. “I don’t see anything, Ian.”
“No. Me neither.”
“Must be a false alarm.”
Then he felt the vibration, a deep resonant thumping in the ground, that was carried to them through the floor of the trailer. He glanced at Sarah. Her eyes widened.
Malcolm knew what it was. The vibration came again, unmistakably this time.
Sarah stared out the window. She whispered, “Ian: I see it.”
Malcolm turned, and joined her. She was pointing out the window toward the nearest trees.
“What?”
And then he saw the big head emerge from the foliage midway up one tree. The head turned slowly from side to side, as if listening. It was an adult Tyrannosaurus rex.
“Ian,” she whispered. “Look—there are two of them.”
Over to the right, he saw a second animal step from behind the trees. It was larger, the female of the pair. The animals growled, a deep rumble in the night. They emerged slowly from the cover of the trees, stepping into the clearing. They blinked in the harsh light.
“Are those the parents?”
“I don’t know. I think so.”
He glanced over at the baby. It was still unconscious, breathing steadily, the blanket rising and falling regularly.
“What are they doing here?” she said.
“I don’t know.”
The animals were still standing at the edge