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Brett's eyes go wide. "You mean try to catch up with it?"

You shrug. "No idea if that's even possible. Whaddya say?"

After a pause, she replies, "OK, but I'm keeping my eyes peeled and my rifle loaded."

You drive along in the direction the dinosaur was heading, narrating your excitement as you track this unknown prehistoric behemoth. You love this sort of real-time drama. It isn't everyone who would have the courage to plunge forward not knowing what might be around the next giant sequoia.

Every few yards, Brett insists on stopping to examine a megafootprint. While you do want to verify the lack of claws, you insist that one of you stay in the Land Rover with the motor running and eyes peeled at all times.

Eventually, you come to an animal trail where several sets of tracks lead in different directions. You and Brett both get out of the Land Rover and stare, trying to make sense of them. While doing so, you accidentally brush against a tree with a sticky, resinous sap on its trunk. Damnation! You almost got the golden gunk in your hair.

When you do manage to focus on the tracks, you note, "No claw marks that I can see."

"Some prints are partly covering others. Most of the prints would be prey."

"True." You guess that three distinct types of dinosaurs used this pathway. Maybe more. Thankfully, none of the tracks look like troodontids. On that much you both agree. "So which way do we go?"

"That way." Brett points.

"Because?"

"Because it beats crouching here in confusion. One direction is as good as the other."

You accede to her unassailable logic.

Sometime Later