Dinosaur Planet

“I don't know how he wakes up.”

Bo

“Kai's quiet if you do it as gently as you woke me.”

Varian gri

They had slept head to foot, so while Bo

“Kai, wake slowly, don't move. The observers are observed.”

She had her eyes half-open now, because the giffs were so closely ringed about the sled that, in her first arousal, she had seen a series of bright black eyes on a level with hers.

She almost giggled when a sharp orangey beak point tapped at the plascreen surrounding the sled, tapping gently as if not wishing to startle the sleepers.

“Muhlah!” was Kai's soft curse and there was a ripple of laughter in his tone.

“Is it safe for me to have a look?” asked Bo

“Don't know why not. They're looking at us.”

“Can they get in?” was Ba

I doubt it," said Varian, unperturbed. She wouldn't guarantee that the plascreen could stand a concerted attack of heavier adult beaks but she didn't feel that aggression was the giffs' intent.

“I thought you wanted to see their matutinal habits, Varian?” said Kai, slowly raising his hand from the sleep sack to prop it on his hand. He wasn't looking at her, but beyond her to the golden furred faces peering in.

“That was my intention.”

“As I recall it, I asked you what if it was their rest day?”

Varian couldn't suppress her laughter and Bo

“You mean, they're taking the day off to watch us?”

“They're at least starting the day doing it,” said Varian, raising herself slowly out of the sack.

The avians moved restlessly, wings awkwardly held up.

“Hey, they can rotate the wings at the wrist . . .”

“Yes, Bo

“Hey, they're not all here,” said Bo

None of the giffs were perched on top of the plascreen so that the sky was clearly visible. Outlined against the clouds was a formation of giffs going in a south-easterly direction.

“I think we've got the youngsters here,” said Varian.

“The babes at that,” said Kai, pointing to the trail of brownish slime that drippled down the outside skirting of the sled.

Bo

“Then we'll eat,” said Varian and began to pull her legs out of the sack, slowly, to give the giffs no reason for alarm. “Yes, they're the young ones,” she said as she slowly got to her feet and stared down at the small bodies pressing in about the sled.

Seen in proper perspective, she realized none of these giffs were adult sized. The tip of the longest head crest came only to her waist. She'd estimated that a fully grown giff would be as tall as an average human, with a wing span of at least eight to ten metres.

“What do we do?” asked Bo

“Sit up slowly. I'll bring you breakfast in the sack,” she said, moving carefully to the supplies.

Kai had pulled himself into a sitting position now and gratefully accepted the steaming beaker.

“Breakfast with an audience,” he said. sipping.

“I wish they'd move or talk or something,” said Bo

“Look but don't touch?” asked Kai. “Frankly, I'd just as soon they kept to themselves. Those beak points look sharp.” He glanced at Varian who had a small recorder in her hands now, and holding it at waist level was slowly turning a full circle, recording the faces of their audience.

With equal care against sudden movement, she placed the recorder on one shoulder and turning again. stood so still for a long moment at one point that Kai asked what was up.

“I've the recorder directed on the main summit. There's quite a bit of activity here right now. I can't see what it's all about . . . Oh, yes, I do. It's the adults. I'd swear . . . yes . . . they're calling this lot.”

As reluctantly as any curious young creature, the juvenile giffs began to lumber awkwardly away, disappearing so suddenly that Bo

“They're okay, Bo

“Muhlah!” exclaimed Kai with utter disgust. “We had 'em close enough and didn't telltag 'em.”

“What? And scare them into bringing momma and dad down on us? We don't really need to telltag giffs anyway, Kai. We know where they live, and how far they range.” She patted the recorder. “And I've got their faces all on tape.”

"They sure had a good enough look at ours," said Bo

“All furless, crestless faces look the same,” said Varian with a laugh.

She was moving about the sled now without restraint and handed each a bar of subsistence protein. She perched on the pilot chair to munch hers.

When they had finished eating, joking about the ma

As they emerged, the sun came through the cloud cover, for its morning inspection, Bo

“Ever seen anything like that before, Varian?” asked Kai in amazement.

“Not quite like that. Oh, they are beautiful creatures. Quick, Bo

The giffs, one after the other, dropped off the ledge, wings spreading and lifting, soaring, turning over, as if letting each part of their bodies bathe in the sunlight. It was a slow aerial dance that held the observers spellbound.

“They've got their eyes closed,” Bo

“They probably have some sort of radar perception,” said Varian. She increased her face-mask's magnification to observe more closely. “I wonder . . . are their eyes closed for some mystical reason? Or simply because the sun is strong?”

“Carotene is good for your eyes,” said Bo

Varian tried to recall if she'd ever seen a fang-face or one of the herbivores squint or close their eyes completely during sunshine. She couldn't remember. Full sunlight was a rare enough occasion so that all human eyes were invariably on the sun. She'd check the tapes out when she got back to the camp.