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d； thankful to be alive。
The joy of survival renewed Ron's strength； and he pushed himself into a sitting position。 The remains of a shattered dock littered the beach and a parking lot。 Behind that was what was left of a small town…it had been hit by a tidal wave。
〃e on； everyone；〃 Ron urged。 〃Let's find something to drink。〃
〃And eat；〃 Rosa added。
〃Do they have a McDonald's？〃 Chris asked。
Then a bloody wave washed over them and they hunkered down to keep from being sucked back to sea。 Turning； Ron saw Patty thrashing in the surf。 She struggled to get what was left of her legs under her and stand。 Weak from blood loss； she couldn't lift her long neck； and only her head was held above the waves。
〃You can make it； Patty！〃 Rosa yelled。
〃Yeah； you can make it！〃 came Chris's echo。
But she couldn't。 The orcas hit her again from the oceanside and Patty staggered through the waves and then fell onto her side； washing the family with another bloody wave。 Her head came up out of the water briefly； then slipped below the surface for the last time。
Hoping she would recover； they stood silently and watched for a long time。 Then Carmen took charge and turned them toward the remains of the town。 Ron looked back at the mound resting in the sea and felt sadness； as if he'd lost a family member。 She'd saved his family； but he could do nothing for her or poor Pat。 He regretted that； but it also made him cherish his own family more。 Stepping closer to Rosa he said； 〃Well； Rosa； how do you like sailing？〃
Rosa turned and smiled； then reached out and took his hand。
65。 MAGIC MOUNTAIN
Early one morning； a young woman looked through the mist to see a herd of buffalo approach。 Then an opening appeared in the'mountain and inside she could see the world as fresh and green as it once had been。 The buffalo walked into the opening； and the mountain closed behind them。
…Kiowa legend
The I…5 Mountain； Oregon
POSTQUILT： WEDNESDAY； 11：32 A。M。 PST
Kyle needed a bath and a night's sleep。 Instead； he found himself staring up the sheer face of a mountain； preparing to climb into the unknown。 Kyle had listened to the stories of the I…5 mountain with mild interest。 He liked a mystery as well as the next person 。 。 。 until it involved him。 And it involved him when the little girl had been carried up the mountain by the bird…thing。
The state police had taken charge at the mountain and were trying to send trapped motorists back down I…5。 Many of the motorists were resisting； however； preferring to stay and watch the drama with the little girl unfolding。 The congested traffic had dissolved a little； but it still meant driving up the median。 To Kyle； the mountain looked like a scene from Disneyland。 Right where the freeway should continue was a tall rock mountain； surrounded by boulders and a small meadow。 Hundreds of people milled around the clearing； radiating fear and excite' ment in the air。 Kyle half…expected to see hot dog vendors。
〃It looks like a carnival；〃 Shirley whispered。
〃It looks like the Twilight Zone；' 〃 Kyle responded。
A state police officer named Murphy was giving orders and greeted Kyle and the other climbers。 He talked directly to Kyle； ignoring Shirley and the others。
〃Thanks for ing。 You can see the situation；〃 Murphy said。 〃We got no idea where this sucker came from；〃 he said； jerking his thumb toward the mountain； 〃and no way of getting up the damn thing。 The little girl makes noises once in a while； so we're pretty sure she's still alive。 We've tried climbing up； but we can get only about a third of the way。 Can't get good footholds。〃
〃What about this bird that picked up the little girl？〃 Kyle asked。 〃Not many birds could do that。〃
〃You got that right；〃 Murphy assured him。 〃It was a big sucker for sure。 Had wings fifteen or twenty feet across。 Funny thing though； it seemed to have trouble picking up that little girl。 Like it didn't have much strength。 Witnesses said it kind of floated her up。〃
〃What kind of bird was it？〃 Shirley asked。
〃They said it was a diseased condor。 Didn't have any feathers； but it was too big to be anything but a condor。〃
Shirley shook her head in disbelief。 How could a diseased； featherless condor fly？
〃Where's the bird now？〃 Kyle asked。
〃Shot。 Probably dead。 Fell down behind those rocks up there with the little girl。 Christy； her name is…no； Chrissy。〃 Murphy pointed to an outcropping a few hundred feet up the mountain。
〃Probably dead； or dead？〃 Kyle asked。
〃Haven't heard the bird for a while。 Not since the other one left。〃
〃Other one？〃 Kyle probed。
〃Where's the mother？〃 Shirley cur in。 Murphy pointed to a woman sitting on a blanket in the clearing； surrounded by people。 Two men with guns were standing nearby。 Shirley walked off toward the mother。
Kyle waited until she was out of earshot。 〃Other one？〃 he repeated。
〃Yeah。 There's another one。 Every once in a while it floats out over the peak of the mountain。 It came down low at first； but we scared it off with shots。 It doesn't e down anymore。 We figure it's the mate。 Probably gave up when the other one died。 I don't think you have anything to worry about。 If it es back while you're climbing； we'll give you cover fire。〃
Kyle found no fort in the thought of Murphy and his men blasting away over his head。
〃Murphy； when we're up there I don't want any cover fire。 I don't want any fire at all。 I don't want to risk a ricochet or bringing some of that mountain down in an avalanche。〃
Murphy didn't exactly disagree； so Kyle began hauling the climbing gear over to the mountain。 As he walked a man separated from the crowd and joined him； a tall thin pale man with black…rimmed glasses。 He obviously had something to say。 〃It's not a condor。〃
〃What？〃
〃I said； it's not a condor。 I got here just before those fools over there shot the first one。〃 The pale man jerked his head toward the two civilians with rifles； who began following within earshot。 〃Those two brainless wonders blew the wing off a living； breathing pterosaur。〃
Kyle stopped in his tracks and stared at the man。 〃What are you talking about？ Are you trying to tell me it was a dinosaur？ A pterodactyl？〃
〃Certainly not。 It was too big to be a pterodactyl。 Surely it was part of the pterosaur family； but it most assuredly wasn't a pterodactyl。 More likely it was a pteranodon。 They were much bigger。 Cretaceous period； I believe。〃
Kyle stared incredulously as the pale man continued talking。 〃It was magnificent。 So graceful in the air； and so huge。 Nature's finest flying creation； perfectly designed to conserve every ounce of energy。 The aerodynamics involved stagger the imagination。 You see as the wingspan increases； the weight increases exponentially。 Theoretically anything this big shouldn't fly at all。 Even with the hollow bone structure。 But it uses the surface area of its wings to maximize use of the thermal…〃
〃What about the little girl？〃 Kyle cut in。
〃Well； they were most likely scavengers。 Carrion eaters。 I imagine that little girl was too tempting a target to ignore； just small enough to lift off the ground。 The way it swept down and grabbed her 。 。 。 nature's perfect flying machine。 And those two men shot it。 They should be shot； not that beautiful pterodon。〃 Kyle couldn't stand it。 He turned and walked back to the two men with guns。
〃You the two that shot that thing？〃 The two nodded nervously。 〃Well； I'm going up there to see if that little girl's all right and when I get back I want to punch that man；〃 he said； pointing at the pale one behind him。 〃Just in case I don't e back； will you see that it gets done？〃
The two men looked at each other and then smiled。 The pale man turned even paler and then walked hurriedly toward the crowd； the two following。
What had the jerk called it？ Kyle wondered。 A pterodon？ Kyle had heard strange reports of disasters ing through the station house； but they were explainable。 But what could explain dinosaurs flying around？
When Jay and Kimberly carried the rest of the equipment to the base of the mountain； Kyle tried to examine the rock face。 It would be an easy climb over the boulders and loose rock at the bottom； but above that the rock face