SABERTOOTH

Visitors to Dinosaur World were surprised one morning when they arrived and saw a tall wooden construction fence stretching across Mesozoic Mesa. The wide, tree lined avenue, which was Dinosaur World's main walkway, just stopped where the fence started. The last time this had happened was when the wonderful, mysterious island of Pangaea was built, so everybody wanted to know what was behind that fence!! But the people who operated Dinosaur World weren't telling. Questions from curious visitors, TV reporters, even the mayor, were answered with a polite smile and comments such as "You'll see" and "You won't believe your eyes." Of course, that just made people more curious.

For many weeks the powerful engines of unseen machines roared like prehistoric monsters. A colossal brachiosaur – over a hundred feet long – lumbered up to the fence and peered over at the iron neck of a crane that towered into the air. From the throat of the giant dinosaur came a low rumble as it growled at the only thing in the park bigger than itself. Pterosaurs and rhamphorhynchus left their cliff top nests and soared over the fence, but aside from an eerie, echoing screech or two, whatever they saw from high in the air they kept to themselves.

There was a door in the fence for the construction workers to use, but when the park was open for visitors the door was always closed and locked. Mimi Allen knew this because she always tried to open it when she and her younger brother Barry visited the park, which was every chance they got; Dinosaur World was just about their favorite place.

Mimi's name was really Marilyn. But when she was very young and her folks would ask, "Who wants to go camping?" She would say "Me! Me!" Or, "Who wants to go to Dinosaur World?" she would yell "Me! Me!" And if they had asked, "Who wants to fly to the moon?" you know what she would have answered. So you can probably guess why everyone started calling her Mimi.

She loved adventures and mysteries, and to say she was curious about what was going on beyond the fence was like saying fish live in the water. Barry knew sooner or later his sister's curiosity would get them both into trouble. It always did.