"God, they're ugly," Malcolm said, looking up.
Now that the glass was broken, they could hear the snorts and snarls of the raptors, the squeal of their teeth on the metal as they chewed the bars. There were silver thinned sections where they had chewed. Foamy saliva spattered onto the sheets, and the bedside table.
"At least they can't get in yet," Ellie said. "Not until they chew through another bar."
Wu said, "If Grant could somehow get to the maintenance shed…"
"Bloody hell," Muldoon said. He limped around the room on his sprained ankle. "He can't get there fast enough. He can't get the power on fast enough. Not to stop this."
Malcolm coughed. "Yes." His voice was soft, almost a wheeze.
"What'd he say?" Muldoon said.
"Yes," Malcolm repeated. "Can…"
"Can what?"
"Distraction…" He winced.
"What kind of a distraction?"
"Go to the fence…"
"Yes? And do what?"
Malcolm grinned weakly. "Stick… your hands through."
"Oh Christ," Muldoon said, turning away.
"Wait a minute," Wu said. "He's right. There are only two raptors here. Which means there are at least four more out there. We could go out and provide a distraction."
"And then what?"
"And then Grant would be free to go to the maintenance building and turn on the generator."
"And then go back to the control room and start up the system?"
"Exactly."
"No time," Muldoon said. "No time."
"But if we can lure the raptors down here," Wu said, "maybe even get them away from that skylight. It might work. Worth a try."
"Bait," Muldoon said.
"Exactly."
"Who's going to be the bait? I'm no good. My ankle's shot."
"I'll do it," Wu said.
"No," Muldoon said. "You're the only one who knows what to do about the computer. You need to talk Grant through the start-up."
"Then I'll do it," Harding said.
"No," Ellie said. "Malcolm needs you. I'll do it."
"Hell, I don't think so," Muldoon said. "You'd have raptors all around you, raptors on the roof… "
But she was already bending over, lacing her running shoes. "Just don't tell Grant," she said. "It'll make him nervous."
The lobby was quiet, chilly fog drifting past them. The radio had been silent for several minutes. Tim said, "Why aren't they talking to us?"
"I'm hungry," Lex said.
"They're trying to plan," Grant said.
The radio crackled. "Grant, are you-nry Wu speaking. Are you there?"
"I'm here," Grant said.
"Listen," Wu said. "Can you see to the rear of the visitor building from where you are?"
Grant looked through the rear glass doors, to the palm trees and the fog.
"Yes," Grant said.
Wu said, "There's a path straight through the palm trees to the maintenance building. That's where the power equipment and generators are. I believe you saw the maintenance building yesterday?"
"Yes," Grant said. Though he was momentarily puzzled. Was it yesterday that he had looked into the building? It seemed like years ago.
"Now, listen," Wu said. "We think we can get all the raptors down here by the lodge, but we aren't sure. So be careful. Give us five minutes."
"Okay," Grant said.
"You can leave the kids in the cafeteria, and they should be all right. Take the radio with you when you go."
"Okay."
"Turn it off before you leave, so it doesn't make any noise outside. And call me when you get to the maintenance building."
"Okay."
Grant turned the radio off. Lex crawled back. "Are we going to the cafeteria?" she said.
"Yes," Grant said. They got up, and started walking through the blowing mist in the lobby.
"I want a hamburger," Lex said.
"I don't think there's any electricity to cook with."
"Then ice cream."
"Tim, you'll have to stay with her and help her."
"I will."
"I've got to leave for a while," Grant said.
"I know."
They moved to the cafeteria entrance. On opening the door, Grant saw square dining-room tables and chairs, swinging stainless-steel doors beyond. Nearby, a cash register and a rack with gum and candy.
"Okay, kids. I want you to stay here no matter what. Got it?"
"Leave us the radio," Lex said.
"I can't. I need it. Just stay here. I'll only be gone about five minutes. Okay?"
"Okay."
Grant closed the door. The cafeteria became completely dark. Lex clutched his hand, "Turn on the lights," she said.
"I can't," Tim said. "There's no electricity." But he pulled down his night-vistion goggles.
"That's fine for you. What about me?"
"Just hold my hand. We'll get some food." He led her forward. In phosphorescent green he saw the tables and chairs. To the right, the glowing green cash register, and the rack with gum and candy. He grabbed a handful of candy bars.
"I told you," Lex said. "I want ice cream, not candy."
"Take these anyway."
"Ice cream, Tim."
"Okay, okay."
Tim stuffed the candy bars in his pocket, and led Lex deeper into the dining room. She tugged on his band. "I can't see spit," she said.
"Just walk with me. Hold my hand."
"Then slow down."
Beyond the tables and chairs was a pair of swinging doors with little round windows in them. They probably led to the kitchen. He pushed one door open and it held wide.
Ellie Sattler stepped outside the front door to the lodge, and felt the chilly mist on her face and legs. Her heart was thumping, even though she knew she was completely safe behind the fence. Directly ahead, she saw the heavy bars in the fog.
But she couldn't see much beyond the fence. Another twenty yards before the landscape turned milky white. And she didn't see any raptors at all. In fact, the gardens and trees were almost eerily silent. "Hey!" she shouted into the fog, tentatively.
Muldoon leaned against the door frame. "I doubt that'll do it," he said. "You've got to make a noise. " He hobbled out carrying a steel rod from the construction inside. He banged the rod against the bars like a dinner gong. "Come and get it! Dinner is served!"
"Very amusing," Ellie said. She glanced nervously toward the roof. She saw no raptors.
"They don't understand English." Muldoon grinned. "But I imagine they get the general idea…"
She was still nervous, and found his humor annoying. She looked toward the visitor building, cloaked in the fog. Muldoon resumed banging on the bars. At the limit of her vision, almost lost in the fog, she saw a ghostly pale animal. A raptor.
"First customer," Muldoon said.
The raptor disappeared, a white shadow and then came back, but it did not approach any closer, and it seemed strangely incurious about the noise coming from the lodge. She was starting to worry. Unless she could attract the raptors to the lodge, Grant would be in danger.
"You're making too much noise," Ellie said.
'Bloody hell," Muldoon said.
"Well, you are."
"I know these animals-"
"You're drunk," she said. "Let me handle it."
"And how will you do that?"
She didn't answer him. She went to the gate. "They say the raptors are intelligent."
"They are. At least as intelligent as chimps."
"They have good hearing?"
"Yes, excellent."
"Maybe they'll know this sound," she said, and opened the gate. The metal hinges, rusted from the constant mist, creaked loudly. She closed it again, opened it with another creak.
She left it open.
"I wouldn't do that," Muldoon said. "You're going to do that, let me get the launcher."
"Get the launcher."
He sighed, remembering. "Gennaro has the shells."
"Well, then," she said. "Keep an eye out." And she went through the gate, stepping outside the bars. Her heart was pounding so hard she could barely feel her feet on the dirt. She moved away from the fence, and it disappeared frighteningly fast in the fog. Soon it was lost behind her.
Just as she expected, Muldoon began shouting to her in drunken agitation. "God damn it, girl, don't you do that," he bellowed.
"Don't call me 'girl,"' she shouted back.
"I'll call you any damn thing I want," Muldoon shouted.
She wasn't listening. She was turning slowly, her body tense, watching from all sides. She was at least twenty yards from the fence now, and she could see the mist drifting like a light rain past the foliage. She stayed away from the foliage. She moved through a world of shades of gray. The muscles in her legs and shoulders ached from the tension. Her eyes strained to see.