2 Looking for Trouble

Chapter 2 LOOKING FOR TROUBLE Andrew and Judy peered into the bottom compartment. The oval door to the outside was open. "Beeper!" yelled Andrew. "Come back, you little bozo!" yelled Judy. There was no answer. They looked out through the clear dome of the Time-A-Tron. Andrew spied a spot of orange moving through the tall ferns. It was Beeper's T-shirt. "I see the little creep!" said Judy. "Now there are two people we have to look for," said Andrew. "We've got to go."

bong… "Children!" said the Time-A-Tron. "In this forest live the fiercest meat-eaters on Earth. You have nothing to protect you. Your colorful pajamas are signs that say 'Here I am! Eat me!'" "It's not our fault that we're wearing our stupid pajamas," said Judy. "We were getting ready for bed when Doctor Kron-Tox dragged off Uncle Al." Andrew looked out through the Time-A-Tron's dome. "There are lots of big plants out there," he said. "We'll creep around under the tall ferns. If there are any Tyrannosauruses, they won't see us." meep… "Tyrannosaurus got big sense of smell," said Thudd. "Use smell to hunt." "Mmmmmm…," hummed the Time-A-Tron. "There may be a way for you to be safe out there." "What is it?" asked Andrew. bong… "First," said the Time-A-Tron, "you must promise to do exactly as I say." Judy folded her arms across her chest. "I don't promise anything before I know what it is," she

said. bong… "You are wise, Miss Judy," said the Time-A-Tron. "But I must have your promise." "It's okay" said Andrew to Judy. "The Time-A- Tron wouldn't tell us to do anything stupid." "Oh, all right," said Judy. bong… "This will not be pleasant," said the Time-A-Tron. "But it could keep you alive. Listen closely. "As we were rolling along the ground, we ran over a pile of Alamosaurus… um… dung." "You mean poop?" asked Andrew. bong… "Yes," said the Time-A-Tron. "I must insist that you cover yourselves with Alamosaurus poop before you go into the forest." "Whaaaat?" yelled Judy. "Woofers!" said Andrew. bong… "Most animals will stay away from, er, poop. It will be like a smelly suit of armor." "No way!" said Judy.

Andrew looked at Judy. "You promised," he said. "Maybe we can, uh, hold our noses." Judy thought for a second. "How about this?" she said. "We can disguise ourselves as ferns. We'll stick giant fern fronds into the waistbands of our pajamas." bong… "Not good enough, Miss Judy. The Tyrannosaurus and other dinosaurs will still sniff you out." "Well," she said, "how about if we dip the ferns in the dino poop." bong… "Good thinking, Miss Judy!" said the Time-A-Tron. "You are very brave. Be careful." "We will," said Andrew. "Now where's that dino poop?" bong… "It is back there," said the Time-A- Tron. A silver tube poked up from the control panel. Out of the silver tube shot a thin ray of green light. It zoomed through the Time-A-Tron's dome and into the forest.

"We'll find it," said Andrew. He slipped through the door in the floor. bong… "Just follow your noses," said the Time-A-Tron. Judy opened a small door under the control panel. A pair of beady black eyes stared up at her. A pointy brown nose twitched. It was the shrew that had gotten into the Time-A-Tron when it was still in Uncle Al's laboratory. "You stay right here till we get back," said Judy. She closed the little door, then followed Andrew into the lower compartment. Andrew was poking around. "Um, I don't see the owl," he said. A little owl had followed the shrew into the Time-A-Tron before they left Montana. "I'll bet it got out when Beeper left," said Judy. bong… "Very bad news, Master Andrew," said the Time-A-Tron. "There are no owls on Earth sixty-five million years ago. At this time, the ancestors of humans are creeping around in the forests. Your little owl may eat them! Because of

this tiny owl, it is possible that you may not exist!" "Uh-oh," said Andrew. "That's pretty weird. We'd better find that owl." bong… "Good luck, little Dubbles," said the Time-A-Tron. "Much depends on you." Andrew and Judy stepped through the oval door to the outside. bong… The door closed behind them. The sun was baking hot and the air was sticky. The ground was damp and swampy. Andrew sniffed a spicy smell.