~ The Library of Waterfall City. Smartclaw and Irwin Hanson. ~ In Waterfall City life throughout remained as it always did. People and dinosaurs bought, sold, went to school, gossiped and did the things people normally do. Unfortunately, the quiet demeanor inside the library of Dinotopia was gradually becoming breached by the loud voice of the extremely diminutive dinosaur squawking and complaining to himself and any other who happened to be within thier hearing. This little one gasped and cursed as he poured over the two tables of scrolls and tomes open before him, flitting from table to table with stumpy, non-aerodynamic wings.
He pursed and pondered, worrying and huffing as one point of datum did not add up with another. The scrolls had no less than seven different dialects of saurian writing with a smattering of human tomes, and in no less than three saurian styles and two human languages; which were written by dozens of authors from as early as three hundred years ago to tens of thousands, and copied as faithfully as possible over the millennia. This didn't daunt Smartclaw the Microraptor, for his archaeological skills and expertise in deciphering these texts were unsurpassed by any of this generation!
It was not the deciphering part that was perplexing him at this moment. It was the way that the several authors had related the same set of facts in totally incongruent manners, and if logically followed; would produce many sets of conclusions that were totally negative to one another as well as Dinotopian history the way everyone knew it to be! It irked him to no end at the incompetence of these authors, and he hissed and moaned trying to make sense of what he had discovered; and this noise brought attention to himself, and caused many of the library's patrons to stare sidelong at him as they passed his study room.
"This just will not do!...", Smartclaw moaned. "There needs to be something else to make these all fit together.", he hopped to the other table and slid two tomes aside to open the bottom one for reference. "It doesn't make sense!... There has to be something not yet discovered to make this epoch of history make sense!..."
"Maybe there is...", said a human as he entered the study area. "I have found many artifacts that have proven or disproven one historical point or another."
"Who are you?", snapped Smartclaw. "How dare you intrude?..."
"Uh,... Pardon me, noble saurian; but I could not help but to overhear.", the man smiled, 'V' shaped blonde goatee giving him a sinister aura. "In fact nobody here han't help but overhear...!", he shifted a foot, set his satchel down beside him and leaned against a tall bookshelf. "My name is Irwin Hanson. Perhaps you've heard of me?... I am an expert guide, and have gone on several expeditions; some of those have even traversed the Rainy Basin and the floor of the Amu canyon..."
"What would I need with a guide?", Smartclaw stuck his muzzle into another text. "Begone!..."
"Well, you were saying that there must be another 'piece to the puzzle', as it were, to find... Or what ever it is you're trying to prove...", Irwin grasped at straws. "That means that there is something still out there to discover; and that means to me that you would be thinking of launching an expedition.", he smiled. "No worthwhile expedition can get along without a guide!..."
"I suppose you're right...", Smartclaw eventually considered. "If there is such a mystery, then it would have to be investigated...", he paused. "But there is a myriad of conditions to consider!... There are permits to get, permission from the Council, supplies and transportation to procure... And what of help? We will need dozens of reliable persons to help in such an endeavor!"
"You can leave the procurement and employment parts to me.", Irwin said. "I'm good at organizing expeditions!... It's just that legal mumbo-jumbo that gets me...", he winced.
"All right, then.", Smartclaw agreed. "You do that, and I'll obtain permission right away.", he hopped to the table nearest the human. "Only let me show you what we're up against...", he waggled a finger that he should look.
All of a sudden this human woman stormed into the study area, beautiful black hair worn long and tawdry garb rustling in her wake. She set her satchel down next to Irwin's and rushed to him, scooping him up in her arms; and before anybody could speak, she kissed Irwin dead on the mouth!...
_
~ Elsewhere in Waterfall City. Sasha Falintosa and Tebo.~ Early that morning Sasha Falintosa sashayed down Steep street, keeping pace with the smattering of human females dressed in gawdy garb; even though hers were reminiscent of a buccaneer's clothes, and the ladies ahead of her thought HER garb gawdy! Thier children and saurian charges played at thier skirts, and Sasha shooed them away if they strayed too close to her - the annoying little brats! Still she kept a cheery face amid them, simply trying to get down the street; where the rich of Waterfall City awaited, and would search the shadows for a place to lay low and find an easy mark.
Hers was a simple profession, really. Just find some unsuspecting person, wait for an opportunity to grab thier posessions and run like a person posessed! Or sometimes it intailed a nocturnal visit to thier homes, quietly browsing through thier things until something valuable was found. Not a bad life, either; for there were plenty of suckers out there, and Sasha knew how to play them all! The only drawback was her unquenchable greed, and its' need for her to do her job more frequently than it seemed wise; and that was the main reason why she had to suddenly leave her hometown of Poktook, for she nearly got herself arrested there. The second thing was an unfaithful boyfriend and his unfortunate accident, but that was another matter entirely.
But here in Waterfall City, things were different. For one thing, the place was so big there was a million places to hide; and there were so many streets and alleys she could evade even the craftiest of guards, and there were so many people here that she could lose herself in the crowd!
Down on Fountain Square the vendors were busy setting up shop, and soon thier customers would soon be milling through; so Sasha waited in the outskirts of the area, absently making like she was looking for a street address. She would step down the street a ways, look at the number on a door she passed and move on to the next one. At one, where a wide stone step reached to the doorway, she leaned beside its' stone rail and smiled at the people and saurians that slowly walked by. After a few moments of this she continued her address search on the other side of the street, where a kiosk with interesting wares that would surely attract a rich customer was set up. She watched this kiosk intently from down the street for a few moments, then casually walked on as a saurian guard went by on his rounds; then went around the block to regain her place near the kiosk once again.
Nearly an hour later a stately looking Stenoychosaur came shambling past her, fine cloak and golden monocle betraying his richness; and a fine canvas satchel over his shoulder that was granny squared and trimmed in gold thread, and gave the fact away as well. She remained still as he walked by, and watched as he browsed the other kiosks; looking at this or that trinket, and picking up a few that were more interesting than the rest. A moment later he was at the aforementioned kiosk, and Sasha soon found her opening; where she began to casually walk toward him, weaving her way through the thickening crowd. She quickened her pace as the Stenoychosaur put his bag down to count some money, and was at a run as she scooped the satchel up; drawing stares at the quickness of the action. Her pace did not slow as she wove her way past, and before five seconds were up, she was through the crowd and around the nearest corner!
"STOP!!!... THIEF!!!...", the Stenoychosaur shouted, then turned to the kiosk owner. "Did you see that? She stole my bag!"
"Well, don't just stand there!... Yell!...", the shopowner said, then yelled: "GUARD!...,GUARD!...,GUARD!...", over and over, and the Stenoychosaur added his own voice.
Tebo was just completing his circuit of the street, and was clear down the end of it when he heard shouting; and his earslits perked at what was being shouted, for someone was summoning him as there was no doubt trouble afoot! He tapped the haft of his spear on the cobbles, then hefted it at Port Arms; the perfect way to carry a spear while running. He turned to the sound and nearly sprinted down the street, pedestrians and larger saurians giving him way as he represented the law; and this type of respect he enjoyed, though the look on his face told only of grim determination. Trotting to a stop, he reguarded the two that had shouted for him.
"State the nature of the disturbance.", he said gravelly.
"Some human female stole my bag!", the Stenoychosaur complained. "It had all I owned..."
"Which way did she go?", asked Tebo.
"Down there...", the Kiosk owner pointed.
"Which way did she come from?", the guard asked.
"From over there...", the Stenoychosaur pointed back the other way. "But what does that have to do with anything?... She's probably long gone by now!..."
"Relax, citizen.", Tebo told him. "I must find her scent, then I can track her.", he left thier presence, nose to the air.
He gradually came to where she had been leaning, and got a good whif; and his trained olfactory senses filed it away, never to be forgotten. Tebo came back to the kiosk, sniffing where her feet touched the cobbles. "I will get her...", he assured the two standing there. "Have no worries..." and nodding, trotted off hot on the scent.
That was too easy!... Sasha Falantosa thought as she sprinted down the adjacent empty street and began walking at a sedate pace as she encountered a group of swarthy looking men. Her sense of direction told her that the aqueduct system was close by, and was a perfect place to get rid of the incriminating bag - and to inspect what was inside it. She strolled along to another alley and scampered down it. This alley ended at a wall that had a round portal in it only large enough for her to crouch through, and the tunnel beyond ended thirty yards later at another alley; and this came out to just near Pliosaur canal. Here she knew was where the undreground support tunnels for the cargo chutes started, and she headed up the street to the skinny set of steps at the near by bridge that led there.
Looking left and right, she descended the stairs, and found herself in the tunnel systems right beside the canal; and at a cross junction found another set of stairs leading lower. Down these she was directly below the canal, and she followed the long tunnel to the end. Here the space opened up, and several small chutes branched thier water off to other parts of the city-wide underground complex. Through this area, she came upon another cross junction in the tunnel, and knew where she was immediately! Just drop the bafg in the water after pilfering everything inside, take the stairs in the right tunnel and you'll be near Aqua Stadium - free and clear!
"Awk!... Thees one ees reech!", Sasha commented to herself as she inspected the contents of the bag. A small sack of Drachs, another sack of jewels and many easilly fenced trinkets were inside; along with many packages of papers and documents that were totally useless to her. "Too easy...", she tossed the sack in the chute, behind a cargo gondola that was passing by down stream.
Sasha Falantosa stuffed the goods into her own bag and got up from her crouch. She casually walked to where the stairs were and ascended into the sunlight. Sasha peeked over the stone railing that emerged just inside the reception area in the front of the Aqua Stadium, ducking as a stray guard strolled by at the far end of the pavillion; and hundreds of people and saurians filled the area as they milled around minding thier own business. Many persons were passing by, and she timed her arrival to be in thier midst as they strolled across the plaza. Out of the Aqua Stadium she went, and made her way down the street beside it; then sasha Falintosa innocently made her way across the wide square to the Waterfall City library to hide in a quiet place.
Tebo turned the next corner scent of the human female fresh in his nostrils, and spear in his hand poised for a quick defense. He broke into a run as he saw the alley beyond was deserted, and out into the crowded street beyond he pointed his spear upward to prevent undue injury to the citizens all around him as he trotted between and around them. Sniffing this way and that he ran toward the smell, and found the smell suddenly come from the stairway to the cargo chutes below. Knowing the underside of the city, he was extra cautious as he came to each intersection; going into the area with spear drawn, and relaxing slightly when there was no one there to ambush him.
Tebo soon came to a junction where water met passage, where a cargo gondola floated tethared to the wall. Here the scent of the human female was strong, maybe for the fact that she was resting - or worse, trying to dispose of the evidence. Soon he found a large colorful bag floating in the water between the gondola and the chute wall, and drew it out; inside which he found nothing of value to a thief. The female must have transferred those things into her own bag and disposed of this one, a smart move for someone with an item easilly identifyed as this bag! He dropped the bag into the gondola, intending to retrieve it later for the poor saurian, and headed off to where her scent was strongest.
After trotting down the underground passages, the scent led him to another set of stairs; which revealed the rotunda of the Aqua Stadium as he emerged from the stairs. The place was crowded and the female he was after could be anywhere; and the scent was now mixed with hundreds of human scents, but its' distinction led him out of the complex and into the plaza beyond. There was even more people out here than was inside, but he scanned the crowds anyway; and using his distinctively acute eyesight to scan all the faces for signs of guilt. Tebo was almost ready to give up when he spotted a black haired human female near the Waterfall City library look about quickly before noinchalontly climbing the wide stone steps. This was all the evidence he needed for him to make a sprint across the vast space toward the library, and his nose told him he was closing in anyway; so he avoided his tendancy to be careful around people and pushed his way through all the people at a pace as fast as the crowd would allow....
_
~ The Waterfall City library. Tebo, Sasha Falintosa, Smartclaw and Irwin Hanson. ~ Sasha Falintosa lost no time slipping into the Waterfall City library, for there was no doubt a saurian guard on her trail - and those Cossacks had a terrific sense of smell! She sauntered down an aisle as if to look for a book, but what she was really looking for was another human; who was preferrably male and not too bad looking, and was a perfect patsy to unload her ilgotten booty. Selecting a tome and flipping through for a moment, she scanned the potential in a knot of humans that were escorting another group of children, and one of the little brats smiled up to her as he passed by; of which she simply smiled back, holding back the compulsion to kick him. She slid the book back where she found it and moved on.
At an intersection of shelves she heard the screeches of an English speaking saurian ranting on the inaccuracy of the literature he was obviousely reading in a study room down the aisle, and then the sound of a human male speaking to him as well; and from the sound of his voice, he might be pretty good looking! A grand scheme began forming as she slowly browsed down the row, one where she would stage a grand reunion with the chap; then she would plant her booty on him, excuse the mistaken identity and tail him so she could retrieve her illegal treasure later. That would surely throw any guards off, for if they caught her; she would be minus any incriminating evidence!
She browsed further until she could see just inside the doorway. A tiny Microraptor stood on one of the two tables, which were strewn with dozens of tomes and open scrolls; and this one was squawking away at the perils of an expedition of some sorts. The human stood off to one side, proclaiming he could procure the supplies and help necesary; and his shortcropped blonde hair and longer blonde goatee on a face that didn't look much older than her was quite attractive, and she thought that this was going to be so easy! Sasha rushed in, placed her bag next to his nearly identical bag and stormed to him in a sweeping embrace! She kissed him dead on the mouth for many moments before finally letting him go.
"DARLINK!", she announced in a thick Russian accent. "There you arre!... Have you found a prospective client yet?"
"Excuse me?...", said the dumbfounded man.
"Ah!... This must be your wife!", the Microraptor realised.
"If you'll pardon her.", Irwin told him. "She can be quite flamboyant at times!...", he nearly shoved her out the other doorway. "I'll have a word with her..."
Sasha picked up Irwin's bag and hefted it on her shoulder before leaving. For many moments Smartclaw waited as patiently as he could, for human relationships were not of the normal kind. Soon he took to pouring over the scrolls at his feet again, tisking repeatedly at the inaccuracy of the things. All of a sudden a saurian guard apeared at the entry, looking left and right. Smartclaw looked up suddenly and blinked in surprise.
"May I help you?", said he. "This is a private study area..."
"I am looking for a human female.", Tebo said without preamble. "It is suspected that she had stolen a bag at the market this morning."
"Do tell!", Smartclaw said. "A human female just arrived. She is the wife of a prospective business partner.", he shuffled. "They should return in a moment..."
"I will wait.", Tebo said gruffly, leaning his spear against the wall below a window.
Irwin Hanson did not have to halt Sasha as she turned toward him at the end of the bookshelf, look of forlorn grief on her face. Instead of noticing that he softly but firmly made himself clear.
"Look Miss, I don't know what your game is; but I will have none of it!", said he. "You barge in there and spoil what I am trying to do!..."
"Oh please, meester!...", Sasha wailed. "I need help!... There is bad man after me!... He have knife!... He said he keel me!..."
"What's this all about?...", Irwin said with slightly less anger.
"Year ago me leev in Poktook.", Sasha sniffed, lying through her teeth. "Pirates come, take everytheeng!... Come next say take all women... I run away, but one find me(sniff)... I get away, but he find me again!... Say he keel me if I do again!... I did, and me scared!(sobs)..."
"And you figured to be safe, you hitch up with someone to protect you.", Irwin concluded, then thought a moment. "But why me - and why that way?"
"He follow me to library!...", Sasha said innocently. "I desperate!"
"Well, if he's here, I guess I have no choice...", said Irwin. "Ok, you can stay with me... But if you do what you just did again, I'll slug you!"
Purposefully they trooped back to Smartclaw's study area, and hopefully the learned saurian would forgive them. When they got there Irwin was surprised to see a saurian guard there, and was thinking of turning this coal-black haired waif over to him; but Sasha was more shocked than she liked to admit, squelching down any facial expression to innocent bewilderment. Tebo just shuffled as Smartclaw turned to them, the suspicious look was more on his face than the guard!
"Is your wife all right now?", asked Smartclaw.
"She's not exactly my wife.", Irwin said.
"We are fiancee's.", added Sasha.
"Yeah. We just ran into each other one day, and...", Irwin said lamely.
"I see...", Smartclaw said. "And what is your name, miss?"
"Sasha.", said she. "Sasha Falintosa."
"A pleasure...", Smartclaw replied, bowing.
"Excuse me, but what is a guard doing here?", Irwin Hanson asked.
"Pardon my intrusion,", Tebo took it as his cue. "But I have been tracking a suspect that has stolen a citizen's bag this morning. I have tracked her to here."
"He thinks you did it, miss Falintosa.", informed Smartclaw, seeing her begin to protest. "Now how can we convince him otherwise?..."
"If you would, may I inspect your bag?", asked Tebo.
"Why, I never...!", Sasha began to protest, but halted at Irwin's 'why not' look. "Here!...", she thrust her bag at him. "COSSACK!..."
Tebo sniffed the bag, which did not smell like the scent he had been tracking; even though the human female did. He looked at all the contents of the bag, which was secretly Irwin's, and found nothing really amiss, and the smell of the robbery victim was nowhere inside. After many moments of scrutiny he closed the bag and handed it back to sasha, then shook his head sullenly.
"I don't understand it...", he moaned. "I'm usually never wrong!"
"Maybe you picked up the wrong scent...", Smartclaw offered. "Everyone makes mistakes..."
"But a saurian guard is not supposed to make mistakes!", Tebo said loudly. "You HAVE to be the culprit!"
"Where were you this morning, Sasha?", Irwin asked.
"I leave apartment, look for you.", Sasha lied once again. "I look at restaraunt, at market... and I even looked at Aqua Stadium...!", she looked around to see if they all were believing her. "I play hunch you at library, and here you are!", she smiled.
"That would explain your scent in those places...", Tebo realized. "I am sorry for accusing you, ma'am..."
"Danyava'... Is nothing...!", said Sasha. "No harm done."
"Now that this ordeal is over, lets go over the particulars of out expedition.", Smartclaw got to work once again. "Um,... gurad. What is your name, sir?"
"Tebo.", he replied.
"Mister Tebo...", Smartclaw continued. "It is quite possible that our expedition may get dangerous. We may need a guard's protection. Would you like to join us?"
Tebo turned from gathering his spear, on his way to leaving. "Perhaps, but I can not for my duty to the guards.", he slumped. "I am still tracking this morning's perpetrator, you know."
"Well, I pull great weight at council.", Smartclaw said. "I could have you reassigned to us, if you wish to join..."
"Hmmm...", Tebo considered for a long time. "This failure today may be an omen that I should change my profession. I could even set out on my own as a private guard.", he looked at Sasha with suspicion. "Yes,... I think a change of pace might prove beneficial after all!..."
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