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Can a trio of shipwrecked newbies help preserve Dinotopia's legendary peace and harmony? |
| The happy day finally arrived. The whole of Treetown welcomed the two guests, Phil's friends, and made them comfortable. They accompanied Phil in the weather station and toured all around Treetown with him. Presently they're enjoying one of their free periods, purposely arranged to allow them to decompress and get re-acquainted. They spent it in the Weather Station. Eddie marveled, "This is sure a handy private spot -- and you can't beat the view, either!" He continued. "I'll never forget how our engines died with a screech and a shudder." George piped in: "The ship's mechanic ran through my galley toward the engine room. He burned himself touching its door -- and we realized that a serious fire had occurred. The automatic system had doused most of the flames, and we put out the rest with hand-held extinguishers. Yet both engines and the ship's generator were rendered useless." "Then the hard part. We drifted for days, sending distress calls under battery power but raised no response. At first we ate everything we could from the fridge, then resorted to canned goods and powdered milk." Then Phil described how they had stumbled into a storm which, "defied any accounting with known meteorology." These sailors were about to discover what had befallen them -- something, my dear reader, that you already know much of, having read through enough Dinotopian arrivals. The ship groaned as it slid over that infamous Reef, prompting the call, "Man the lifeboats!" ... Happily, unlike with so many of these shipwrecks, all the crew survived to begin their new lives on the island of Dinotopia. "Yet there's one thing I still don't understand. We're called Dolphinbacks since we're all first-generation arrivals. But where were the dolphins when we made it ashore?" "You know, I never thought of that." "Yeah, by now we've all heard about those dolphins who rescue shipwrecked sailors and bring then to the shores of Dinotopia. You didn't see any that day, right?" "Funny, I didn't see any either. But we had those modern covered lifeboats, so there wasn't any need for the dolphins to intervene." "True. But they still could have welcomed us like they did the Denisons." "Oh well. Maybe they were busy somewhere else." "Hey Eddie, remember how you shrieked at the first sight of a Stegosaurus?" "Sure I do. Then I freaked some more as Phil walked right up to the beast and patted its neck as one would a friendly dog. I still remember him saying, 'Belay your fear, she's an herbivore.' "An herby-what?" "Evidently, we all had a lot to learn about our new home." "Learn we did!" said George. "Footprint school was my favorite. Remember how the whole class laughed when I tried to read footprint upside down?" "At least you could read that chicken scratch," said Phil. "I barely passed with lots of help. In fact, I'm happy that Enit Sickleclaw isn't around anymore, for I'm sure he would have eaten me!" "Actually, it's been some 25 years since any Deinonychus had taught Dolphinbacks. Everyone since then has seen Jurassic Park. Could you imagine a newcomer meeting up with a "velociraptor" just like that? They'd run halfway up the Forbidden Mountains!" "I was amazed to see and help out with the farming operation," said Eddie. "It looks like we all enjoyed this, it was so peaceful compared to where we came from." "When it finally came time for our work assignments," Phil opined, "it looks like we ran the table. It was providential that the Treetown meteorologist had just retired and thus I scored my job. There's nothing like Treetown." Eddie chimed in, "I'm loving my position as an esteemed convoy guard -- all the same stuff I was used to at sea, hauling on basket ropes and such." "No, Eddie, remember? Lines." "We're on land now, so they're ropes. And I'm confident in the tried-and-true provisions for our safety -- our courageous and resourceful translator, all of us valiant humans and saurians, and of course our offerings of fish." "That's where I come in," said George. "Right away the elders figured me for the fishing fleet. Catching and smoking the fish for the convoys and the civilized carnivores alike. And of course, I cook for the fishing crew also. My cooking profession and my fishing hobby, all rolled together." George lowered his voice almost to a whisper and continued, "Yet I fear some increasing trouble to come." "What trouble?" "It could be big trouble. Each month we bring in fewer fish than the previous month. We've put in extra shifts and so far, we're holding our own. And there's still two months' supply in the ice shed. Yet the trend is unmistakably downward. At present rates, soon our fish production will be off a third. We have been discussing what might be done -- both to increase our hauls and to conserve our supply. But the answers remain elusive. And so, we've put in word to the oversight in Sauropolis. They're supposed to get the Habitat Partners involved. Hopefully, something will come of this." The festive atmosphere of a mere five minutes ago had deflated utterly. "The one thing they told us right away is to keep this under wraps for now. Should the situation worsen, it will progressively affect larger circles of Dinotopian life until it becomes obvious to all. Yet those in charge hope to find and implement a solution before then. Thus, for now this is strictly on a need-to-know basis. We must avoid unnecessary panic." (Phil thought to himself, 'and when is there ever necessary panic?') "In fact, I was not to inform you of this situation. But you're my friends so I'd hate to see you blindsided. Besides, one or both of you may be part of the solution." Phil's and Eddie's crestfallen faces telegraphed the same thought: "Now this is a fine issue to burden a pair of Dolphinbacks with." George read their faces and replied, "I'm a Dolphinback just like you. Think of the Denisons, the Scotts. It won't be the first time we might help with a difficult problem." The mood lifted a bit. Phil added, "I remember something my mother was fond of saying, a proverb she said was from the Good Book -- 'If you become discouraged in the day of distress, your strength will be meager.'* So we must respond to this situation without discouragement. Let's keep our spirits up and work the problem." With this, the three of them resolved to keep in touch with any ideas, hoping that one might grow into a possible solution worth sharing with their oversight -- while maintaining confidence in those already charged to find a solution. If it weren't for this clear resolution, living with their newly shared secret would soon become unbearable. * Proverbs 24:10 After dinner, the students and counselors of Treetown put on entertainment they normally reserve for visiting dignitaries. First an ariel show borrowed from Canyon City. It reminded the recent arrivals of Air Force shows they've seen, with their precision flying and aerobatics. Yet no jet noise, just the unmistakable sound of leather wings. Stephanie noticed Justin and his friends staring with their mouths agape like young children. "You're in extasy now", she told Justin. "But then there's the danger." "What danger?" "Oh, you're incorrigible!" When the music concert began, Stephanie was surprised. "Look, Justin, there's my mom playing the guitar. I had no idea she was even here!" leading to a happy reunion afterward. A puppet show, and finally a happy sing-along -- for the Eighth Code of Dinotopia, "Sing every day," was not to be forgotten. A mountain of blueberry pies for dessert, and then it was time to retire. George and Eddie found their deluxe accommodations quite amenable, while Phil carried a pillow and blankets up the weather station ladder. Though having his own sleeping basket below, he liked to retire up there whenever there were thoughts to sift through-- as there certainly was this nice September evening. |
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