Ireta 02 - [Dinosaur Planet 02] - Dinosaur Planet Survivors Read Online Free Page B

we got something to gauge time against?”
    He put both arms about her and held her tightly against him, kissing her cheek and stroking the wet spikes of her hair.
    “We’re alive, Varian, and we survived a mutiny. Help, however uncommunicative, has arrived. Meanwhile . . .”
    He gathered her against him, positioning his hips against her pelvic bones, making his hands gentle in caress. She responded with soft movements of encouragement. Her kisses were sweet, and Kai began to wonder why nothing was happening to certain reflexes. He wasn’t surprised, or offended, when he felt her shoulders begin to shake with amusement.
    “Bones have healed,” Varian said in what was almost a wail against his cheek, “muscles are great, but why aren’t we in complete working order? We’re only ancient objectively, not subjectively!”
    Her utter dismay announced in laughter made Kai hug her more tightly, half in apology, half to steady himself because he, too, had to laugh at their situation.
    “If you only knew how often I’ve wanted you all alone to myself, young woman . . .”
    “Oh, Kai, I do know. I’ve felt the same way. It’s bloody frustrating . . . Ooooh, that wind is mean!” She reached hurriedly for her blanket to wrap around them. The vegetation had sharp edges which the wind lashed against their bare skins. “And we’d better turn our clothes over. I think they’re done on that side.”
    She darted out, but instead of just turning the clothing, she gave each a quick snap and returned with them, handing Kai his.
    “If we don’t wear ’em, something else’ll crawl inside,” she said, giving a little shudder at the tiny insects she had just shaken out of their suits.
    As Kai inserted a leg into a damp trouser, he muttered about the durability of the wrong things.
    “Let’s start foraging, Kai. And I’d like to secure our vines to the cliff top some way. Ah, what do I spy here?”
    “That’s not fruit,” her coleader replied, frowning at the cluster of brownish oval objects growing just above their heads.
    “True, but the hadrosaurs used to make for such clusters, and poor Dandy loved ’em. Ah, and right beyond are fruit trees.”
    It didn’t take long to collect enough fruit and nuts to fill their blanket rolls, so they secured their burdens across their backs, out of the way of climbing, and started across the open vine-covered cliff top.
    “Giffs are out for a wing stretch,” Varian said, waving her hand. “I know it’s silly to suppose . . . Hey, they see us. They’ve changed flight angle.” She stopped and admired the sight. “You know, if they actually remember us, we can’t have slept that long!”
    “Varian . . .” Kai felt his mouth drying as he reached for her hand and began to pull her backward, toward shelter. “That doesn’t look like a welcoming party!”
    “Kai, don’t be afraid. We never did them any harm. They couldn’t . . .” Then she was backing right beside him, no longer able to deny the menace in the attitude of the golden fliers who dove straight at them, necks extended, beaks slightly parted.
    Kai and Varian reached the safety of the thick foliage just as the giffs veered off.
    “They sure can maneuver,” Varian exclaimed, though her admiration was couched in a voice made shaky at the narrowness of their escape. “But why, Kai? Why? Oh, Krims! What would have made them aggressive at the sight of humans?” She slumped down against a convenient tree trunk.
    “The answer to that has to be ‘other humans,’ doesn’t it?” He spoke gently because he knew how much Varian had admired the beautiful, inquisitive golden fliers. It was plain that the attack distressed her.
    “So we can take it as printed that Paskutti and his friends penetrated this far . . . and didn’t find us!”
    “And were aggressive enough toward the giffs that the memory hasn’t faded.”
    “So it could be recent memory? Okay, but if the mutineers hurt the giffs,