“That does it,” Owen said disgustedly.
“What, Owen?”
“Those sparks, didn’t you see them? The jeep hit our force field, and the metal shorted it. This is great, positively great!”
“Wh-what are we going to do?” Chuck asked.
“I don’t know. Pick up that egg-headed idiot first, I guess. Of all the fool stunts.” Owen’s face was a bright red. He kept his lips pressed tightly together as he steered the truck to where Masterson was sitting on the ground, his elbows resting on his knees.
Owen stopped the truck beside him and leaned out of the cab.
“Remember those orders I gave before we left?” he asked, his voice fighting against the rage inside him,
“I remember,” Masterson said calmly.
“I said no one was allowed within three feet of the force field. Do you remember that?”
“I’m... I’m sorry,” Masterson said, lowering his head. “I wanted to get out of the jeep before we hit. I...”
Owen opened the door and dropped out of the cab.
“Why were you driving like a madman in the first place?” he wanted to know.
“I just... I was just anxious to see the animals up close, that’s all. I just wanted to take a good look at them.”
Owen nodded his head bitterly. “I’ll let you in on a secret, Mr. Masterson.”
Masterson lifted his head hopefully. “What’s that, Owen?”
“You’re really going to get a good look at the animals. You’re going to be able to look down their throats clear into their bellies!”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“I mean you’ve shorted our force field. You’ve effectively knocked down the only protection that stood between us and the beasts out there. Do you understand that, Mr. Masterson? Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?”
“You mean...”
“I mean there’s nothing between us and the enormous reptiles that roam Jurassic times, that’s what I mean. Nothing, Mr. Masterson.” He turned away in disgust. “Get into the truck,” he said harshly. “We’d better get back to the party while we’re still able to.”
They climbed into the truck, Owen still sullen, Masterson looking quite calm after what he’d done. Owen started the motor without saying another word.
“What about the jeep?” Chuck asked.
Owen signed deeply. “It’s probably still operable, Chuck. You drive it back, will you?”
Chuck nodded and hopped out of the truck, walking quickly to the jeep. He stared around him uneasily, not at all content with their present position now that the force field had been destroyed. He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the small vehicle. “Okay,” he called to Owen.
Owen swung the truck around, backing it over an outcropping of conglomerate. Then, straightening his wheels, he headed for the party in the distance.
Chuck glanced around him nervously as he drove the jeep forward. He thought of the restorations he’d seen of reptiles from this period, and a shudder worked its way up his spine.
Unconsciously, he stepped on the accelerator a little harder.
Chapter 3
Mutiny!
The party surrounded Owen silently, listening to what he had to say. Masterson sat in the cab of the truck, his face void of any guilt. Denise dangled her feet over the tailgate and listened to Owen with her lower lip caught between her teeth. Gardel leaned against the fender of the jeep, his long body bent forward at a curious angle. Arthur squatted on the ground, turning a large fern over in his brown hands. Pete, his green eyes pensive, listened with interest.
“Our generator is useless now,” Owen said. Chuck nodded silently, standing near his brother and looking at the thoughtful faces in the circle. “The force field is broken, and we’ve no way of putting up a new one.”
“That’s not so good,” Pete said with a shake of his head. His red hair gleamed brightly in the sun, and there was a worried look on his face. “It means there’s nothing to keep the animals out any more,” Owen said. He clenched his fists, then unclenched them quickly. “If there were some way for us to get back to the present immediately, I wouldn’t hesitate a moment. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until the automatic process begins again, one week from now.”
Arthur sighed deeply. “That’s a long time. Especially with all those animals out there.”
“You’re all behaving like a bunch of frightened children,” Masterson said suddenly. “What’s there to worry about? I understand these dinosaurs have brains the size of peas. Surely, we can outsmart such a stupid lot for a week.”
“You may be able to outsmart them,” Owen said, “but do you think you can outrun them?”
“What? I don’t understand you.”
“I’ve seen these big babies in action, Mr Masterson. Many of them are extremely ponderous and slow-moving. But there are many others whose speed would amaze you. I hope you never have to run a race with Allosaurus, for example.”
“Who?”
“Allosaurus? Chuck said, thinking of the beast, forming a mental picture in his mind. “He was one of the fiercest reptiles in Jurassic times, forerunner of the largest flesh-eating animal ever to roam the earth: Tyrannosaurus rex. Luckily, Tyrannosaurus doesn’t appear until later in geologic time.”
“Allosaurus doesn’t scare me,” Masterson said, waving his hand in a palm-down gesture. “I’ve hunted everything from elephants to rhinoceroses.”
Owen grinned wryly. “I think you’ll find Allosaurus to be a little different from either of those animals.”
“We’re wasting time talking,” Masterson said. “So I happened to short the force field. All right, so what?”
“I don’t think you realize the seriousness of our position, Mr. Masterson. These animals...”
“These animals are only animals!” Masterson said forcefully. “They happen to be big, that’s all.”
“The bigger they come, the harder they fall,” Gardel put in.
“Exactly. I don’t see what everyone is making an issue about.”
“No issue at all,” Owen said tightly. “From here on in, I’m giving the orders, and they’ll be obeyed. As far as I’m concerned, the hunting part of this expedition ended the minute we shorted the force field.”
“What!”
“You heard me, Mr. Masterson. No one is to leave the vicinity of the trucks, starting right now. Is that clear?”
“This is absurd,” Masterson complained. “I paid a handsome fee for the privilege of...”
“That has nothing to do with it!” Owen snapped.
Masterson leaned out of the cab, his face ruddy with rage. “It has a lot to do with it,” he said. “I paid for a hunting expedition and, by Jupiter, I’m going to get one.” He hopped out of the cab, angrily pushing aside a tall fern that blocked his path. Without looking back, he walked purposefully to the rear of the truck.
“Where are you going?” Owen asked.
Masterson’s voice was low when he answered. “There’s something I want to show you,” he said.
He leaned over Denise sitting on the tailgate and began rummaging around among the supplies stacked in the back of the truck. After a few minutes’ search, he seemed to find what he was looking for.
“What do you want to show me?” Owen asked. “If it’s...”
“This!” Masterson said suddenly. He whirled from the truck, a high-powered hunting rifle with a telescopic sight clutched tightly in his fists.
Owen looked at the gun and then raised his eyes to meet Masterson’s. “What is this?” he said.