Hugh did as he was asked.
“Are there always so many people and so many dinosaurs here?” Raymond asked, jumping slightly as a creature taller than the windmill walked by. Raymond looked up but could see only the underside of the dinosaurs jaw!
“They could squash us and not even feel it!” Hugh cried.
“What do you think we are, barbarians?” one of the dinosaurs with Nicolai asked. “To think we would be so careless!”
Nicolai leaned in close. “We gave the twins here a surprise birthday party. How were we to know both of them loathe surprise birthday ’parties? Normally, they’re in much better moods.”
“I heard that,” one of them growled. “It’s because he gets all the presents!”
“And you eat everything in sight!”
Nicolai sighed. “They really do love each other. You’ll have to take my word on that.”
A door opened at the side of the mill, and a gaggle of small pink dinosaurs raced out. Not one of them was higher than the waists of the human children who ran after them.
Suddenly, a squall pierced the heavens. Raymond and Hugh looked up to see an odd creature flying over the mill. Its wings had a span of at least a half-dozen yards. They were bright yellow with pink and white highlights. The flying creature had a beak the length of a man. Its eyes were dark and probing.
On the flying creature’s back was a young woman in a harness. She wore a blue costume with long white sleeves. Her hair was tucked within a helmet adorned by an azure crest.
The creature landed in a clearing off to their left. The rider came forward, removing her helmet. Her long red hair descended in waves. Behind her, the group of newly hatched dinosaurs trotted up to the winged creature. With curiosity and awe, the young dinosaurs stood staring up at their large, majestic visitor.
“The funny thing is,” the young woman said, “you fellows have the same expression as the hatchlings over there. Have you never seen a Skybax before?”
Hugh looked at the messengers kind features and admitted he had not.
“You must be newcomers. I’ll give you this bit of advice. Keep your eyes and ears open.”
“You mean there’s danger here,” Hugh said.
“No.” She laughed and turned to Raymond. “You understand, don’t you? I see it in your eyes.”
“Not dangers,” said Raymond. “Wonders!”
CHAPTER 5
To the east of the ivory shore where Raymond and Hugh first set foot on Dinotopia lay Waterfall City. For days the boys had been told stories of this wondrous place.
At last they had arrived. Hugh, Raymond, Bix, and their guide, a bronze-skinned man named Sompuchal, stood upon an outcropping of stone. The morning sun cast a golden glow upon the vast, shining city, which was perched above several waterfalls.
“That must be a bloomin’ mirage,” Hugh said. “It can’t be real. It can’t.”
Sompuchal laughed at Hugh’s comical expression. “Ah, but it is.”
One of the only ways in or out of Waterfall City was by flying machines in the shape of Skybaxes. One of these airships now arced over their heads and came to a graceful landing near them. A half-dozen men were already gathered to assist in its launch.
The visitors were loaded into seats upon the seemingly rickety apparatus. Raymond leaned back in his wood chair atop the flying machine and delighted as the Wing Ambassador sent them on their journey. They sailed off the cliffside smoothly as Sompuchal waved good-bye. Hugh squeezed his eyes shut, denying himself the wonders Raymond took in with pleasure.
Waterfall City was breathtaking and masterfully designed. It borrowed from many cultures while still keeping an identity all its own. They flew over a pair of stone lion sentinels that might have been more at home in Egypt. Then they landed in the open courtyard of a building so grand it would put the British Parliament to shame.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Raymond asked.
Hugh’s face was ashen. “If I ever have to do that again, I’ll be the one with the bleedin’ nightmares!”
Hugh instantly regretted his words. Poor Raymond had woken up screaming practically every night since they had arrived on Dinotopia. The loss of his father still haunted him.
But Raymond didn’t have time to care about Hugh’s words. Hundreds of humans and Saurians suddenly flooded into the square to greet them. Raymond laughed and enjoyed every moment of the celebration. Hugh hid his misgivings beneath a practiced smile.
Musicians filled the streets, and acrobats tumbled this way and that. Everywhere the boys turned, some human or dinosaur was pressing close and issuing words of welcome and encouragement. They were introduced to so many people that before long the names and faces began to run together.
“You will be here for the next six months, learning our written language and history,” Bix said as morning waned and the festivities came to a close.
“What about after that?” Hugh asked.
“That, my friends, greatly depends on the two of you. Don’t worry, all will become clear in time. And remind me to tell you about your wonderful teacher!”
Before long they were ushered into one of the city’s grand buildings. The quiet, empty Registry was a big change from the whirlwind of activity in the streets. They walked down a marble hall toward a long scroll fastened to a podium. A quill pen sat beside the parchment.
“Now, wait a minute,” Hugh said, gazing at the scroll. “What’s all this?”
“You are our guests,” Bix said. “You are newcomers to our home and our ways. The Guest Registry is signed by all Dolphinbacks.”
“Ah, so this is how it starts,” Hugh said in a whisper to Raymond. “First we register, then they can start keepin tabs on us, probably force us to work and gouge us with taxes!”
“Hugh,” Raymond said, “do you ever think that maybe, just maybe, you’re being silly?”
Hugh shrugged, then silently watched the younger boy take up the quill and sign in, writing “physicians son” next to his name.
“Do me a favor?” Hugh asked, deciding to go along. “Sign in for me. By occupation, just put—entrepreneur!”
“Oh!” Raymond said with a touch of embarrassment. “Certainly, I’m sorry. It hadn’t even occurred to me.
Hugh touched Raymond’s wrist, stopping the boy before he could write Hugh’s name.
“What hadn’t occurred to ya?” Hugh asked pointedly.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Raymond said in a tone that was meant to be reassuring. “I’ve known lots of decent gents who weren’t men of letters.”
“Go on!” Hugh cried. “I can bloody well read and write.”
“Then why ask me to sign in for you?”
Hugh’s face flushed in embarrassment. He whispered, “I just wannit sure how to spell entrepreneur, that’s all.”
“Oh,” Raymond said, swallowing hard. “To be honest—neither am I.”
They looked at each other a moment, then burst out laughing. With a grin, Hugh took the quill from Raymond and signed the scroll. He took his best guess with the spelling.
After they left the Registry, Bix took the boys to their new quarters—a hostelry sponsored by the city for visitors. The huge five-storied building had marble columns and steepled archways. Its thick stone walls were adorned with strange symbols and beautiful drawings.
“What does that mean?” Raymond asked, pointing at a strange set of symbols:
Bix read the sign. “Home is within us all.”
Hugh frowned. He didn’t understand the saying, but he said nothing. The group climbed a long, spiraling stone staircase. They passed two landings. Even through the thick walls of the building, they could hear the rush of the city’s many waterfalls.
On the fourth landing, they stopped. Bix nodded toward the door.
“Guess this one’s ours,” Hugh said, examining the door for some kind of knob. He pushed it open. “No lock, eh?”
Bix shook her head. “No need for one here.”
“Well, I’ll be,” Hugh said. “We’ve got our own flat. And it’s clean—if a bit damp.”
Raymond nodded. Because of the many waterfalls and canals, a certain clamminess pervaded every inch of the city.
“Now, then,” Hugh said. “What’s this teacher business all about?”
“Oh, yes!” Bix lowered her voice and added, “Say nothing about his height. Most of his race grow much taller. He’s quite sensitive about it.”
“What I meant is, I don’t remember bein’ asked if I was interested in attendin’ school.”
Bix simply stared at him.
“Ah, well,” Hugh finally said. “So this teacher, he’s a real shorty, is he?”
An odd sound came from behind them. It resembled the noise a man might make clearing his throat, only it was deeper, more resounding, and clearly not made by a human. Turning sharply, the boys saw a dinosaur standing in the open doorway. The dinosaur entered the room, towering over the boys.
The creature walked on its hind legs and stood well over nine feet. It had pebbly skin and waves of garish color—bright greens and oranges laced with splotches of hot pink. A black and red silk robe adorned its body. But its most notable feature was its face, which had the unmistakable look of a duck.
“I suppose, from your expressions,” the dinosaur said dryly, “that you have never seen an Edmontosaurus before. In fact, I would guess that you boys haven’t even bothered to learn that Bix here is a Protoceratops. No matter. All that will be seen to.”
“Goody,” Hugh said.
The Edmontosaurus went on. “We are duckbilled, as you can clearly tell, and have no front teeth. However, we are far from toothless.”
The dinosaur opened its jaws wide, revealing hundreds of teeth wedged behind the front jaw. The dinosaur crossed its thin arms over its chest. It had three webbed fingers with neatly manicured nails. Its legs were thick, and its toes had two-inch nails that clicked impatiently on the ground. The dinosaurs tail moved about lazily behind it.
“Boys,” Bix said, “this is your new teacher. His name is Sollis.”
CHAPTER 6
“Pleased to meet you,” Raymond said brightly to his new teacher.
“You really do look like a bleedin’ duck,” Hugh said.
“I believe we covered that,” the Saurian said evenly. His crimson eyes remained fixed on Hugh. “So you don’t believe in getting an education?”
Hugh raised his chin defiantly. He wondered if he would get a neck cramp from having to crane upward whenever addressing Sollis. “I know lots of blokes who told me they didn’t learn nothin’ in school that would help ’em survive on the streets. Just a waste o’ time.”
The Saurian angled his head slightly. “So you’ve never heard the phrase, ‘Knowledge is power”
“Sure, I have. It’s like, if you’re gonna run the old dodge on someone—y’know, a ruse, a trick—ya bloomin’ well better know everythin’ there is to know about him.”
“So why don’t you pretend you’re out to…ah… ‘run the old dodge’ on me” Sollis said. “Make me believe you’re a hardworking student out to better himself. Pretend you genuinely wish to learn what life on this island has to offer.”
“Is that a challenge?” Hugh asked.
“I would say,” the dinosaur replied.
“All right, Ducky,” Hugh answered. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
The Saurian bowed slightly, then departed.
“Ducky?” Raymond asked.
Hugh grinned mischievously. “Just wanted to see if he’d let it get to him. But it looks like Sollis is made o’ sterner stuff. I could get to like ol’ Ducky, I really could.”
Bix chirped up. “Come, my friends. I would like to show you more before nightfall.”
They went downstairs and took to the glorious streets of Waterfall City. With all the activity surrounding them when they first arrived, the boys had not really been able to look around and appreciate the city’s true magnificence.
The streets were alive with activity: dinosaurs pulling carts, people washing the flanks of the creatures, humans and dinosaurs engaged in conversation. Even here, close to the heart of the city, the crashing waterfalls sounded like thunder.
“Imagine it!” Raymond said, gazing at the splendor surrounding them. “Humans and Saurians working together as equals. More than that, people of every race living together, their quarrels made meaningless and justly forgotten.”
“No need to imagine,” Bix said in her trilling voice. “You have only to open your eyes.”
They walked on down cobblestone streets. Grinning despite himself, Hugh shook his head. “This is a far cry from London,” he said. “I’ll not deny it. For one thing, the air’s so crisp. There’s no smell o’ soot, no taint o’ industry here. And the streets’re so clean. Everythin’ looks shiny and new, but it can’t possibly be new. Building all this must’ve took decades. Centuries, even!”
“It is glorious,” Raymond said.
Hugh turned to Bix. “Does everyone here have a home? A place to lay their heads at night?”
“Of course,” Bix replied.
Hugh pursed his lips. “What of the workhouses?”
The dinosaur did not understand.
“You know, where they send people what can’t pay their bills an’ the like. The poor, the wretched? Like prisons!”
“There are no prisons,” Bix said. “What need would we possibly have for those?”
Suddenly, a comfortingly familiar sight caught Hugh’s attention. He bolted forward, leaving Raymond and Bix to chase after him. They caught up to him on the outer edge of a ring of children and Saurians who were playing some odd game of chance with colored stones. Hugh had pulled a teenager off to the side.
“So what do you have there, lad?” Hugh pointed at the pebbles in the boy’s hand. “A day’s wages? Show me the rules o’ this game, ’n’ I’ll show you how to turn your winnings into enough cash to make ya fat for a week!”
The boy seemed uninterested, or perhaps just perplexed. The Saurian beside him, a Hadrosaurus with a wine-colored crest, nudged Hugh off with his tail.
Moments later, Hugh and the others were again walking down the cobbled street, following the course of the waters. They stopped to gaze at a spectacular archway that served as a bridge over the boat channel.
“I don’t understand,” Hugh said. “You tell us that people work in this place. All I wanted to do was help turn the game to his advantage. If I helped him make a profit, he would surely share it with his benefactor. Me!”
“Such schemes are fruitless here,” Bix said. “People do what they must. In return, they are given what they need.”
“I see,” Raymond said. “You have a barter system. If I’m a gardener and I need a shed built, I go to a builder. I tell him I’ll plant him a garden if he’ll build me a shed. To get what we want, we trade!”
“You mean there’s no money on this island?” Hugh cried.
“We did away with such things long ago,” said Bix.
“Then what are those colored stones for?” Hugh asked indignantly.
Raymond cleared his throat. “I think they’re like marbles. They’re not really worth anything.”
“You expect me to believe Dinotopians play games of chance simply for their amusement?” Hugh asked. “And there is no such thing as money on this island? Then how do you take the measure of a man’s worth?”
“By his deeds,” said Bix.
Suddenly, a chilling cry over their heads made both boys jump. A shadow fell over them, and they heard the flapping of leathery wings. A breeze blew by them, and a creature with a wingspan of more than a half-dozen yards whipped past. A Skybax!
The cre
ature had the long neck of a swan, but its head was much more imposing. Its eyes burned with a dark intelligence. Its body was reptilian, with an almond-shaped torso and two long rubbery legs capped with claws.
Raymond thought it was a graceful, majestic creature the color of an autumn twilight, amber-stained with pastel shades of blue and green. But there was something wrong with its wings. They seemed frayed and scarred, as if they had been badly burned once. The creature had to correct its flight twice before it alighted on its target, a small sailboat.
The pair of humans aboard the craft leaped into the channel’s waters. The Skybax ripped through the boat’s sail with its rapier-like fingers and used its strong wings to slap at the jutting column of the mainsail. The boat was capsized with a single blow.
“Well, now!” Hugh said. “Look at that! It seems not everyone here is so bleedin’ happy! I knew there’d be malcontents. I wonder what was done to him to make him so angry!”
Bix made a low, unhappy sound. In a sharp voice, seething with impatience, she said, “Windchaser’s reasons are his own. We understand why he has lost his way. Do not judge what you do not understand.”
Hugh was speechless. He bit his lip and watched with the others as the Skybax teetered and nearly plunged into the waters. It looked like a child’s toy, a kite flailing at the end of a tether. Then it righted itself and headed toward another of the ships in the waterway. A half-dozen humans and two Saurians leaped overboard.
The Skybax let out a triumphant wail and changed course an instant before it would have crashed through the larger ship’s sail. Circling above the area for a moment, the Skybax loosed a squall that might have been a laugh or a cry of pain.
Raymond could not look away from this creature. He did not have to see the sadness in Bix’s eyes as the Protoceratops regarded the Skybax. Raymond’s heart knew at once that this creature was in pain. The part of him that had trained at his father’s side as a healer responded to that pain, while another part of him felt an eerie kinship to the Skybax.
Circling once more, the Skybax headed right for Raymond and the others. Hugh dove to the ground.
Dinotopia: Windchaser Page 3