Free Dinosaur Breakout by Judith Silverthorne

what’s up?” asked Pederson in his gruff, no-nonsense way.
    Instantly, Daniel felt his whole body tense with dread.
    “What do you mean?” he asked as innocently as he could. His voice came out barely above a whisper.
    “There’s something you know that you’re not telling.” Pederson pulled into a parking spot on the main street, down a few yards from Jack’s Café. Pederson turned to him. “What was that all about when you mentioned the shape of the body and the colour of the T. rex ?”
    “I’m not sure I know what you mean.” Daniel stalled for time. His palms were sweaty and he quickly wiped them on the legs of his jeans.
    Pederson turned and glared at him.
    “Out with it, lad!”

Chapter Six

    D aniel stammered, “I-I-I’m not sure if I should say anything.”
“Why ever not?” Pederson asked, turning off the engine.
    “Well, it’s a little unbelievable, even to me!” Daniel tapped his feet nervously, and stared straight ahead.
    “Daniel!” Pederson was obviously exasperated.
    “Fine!” He plunged into his story, staring out the windshield. “What if I told you I actually went back into prehistoric time?”
    Silence.
    “That I actually experienced what it was like?”
    More silence. Daniel peeked at Pederson out of the corner of his eyes. Pederson stroked his beard, and seemed lost in thought.
    “It happened when the Nelwins knocked me to the ground and I hit my head.”
    Pederson grunted. His fingers stopped moving.
    Daniel faced him. “Well, say something,” he said.
    RAP! RAP! An elderly woman with a wizened face stepped up to Pederson’s side of the truck and rapped again on his door with her metal cane.
    “Ole Pederson! I don’t believe it’s you, in the flesh!”
    “Why, Mildred Roost!” Pederson stared at the tall woman in surprise.
    She had an Australian outback hat squashed onto her long, grey, braided hair. A faded plaid cotton shirt topped a pair of baggy sweatpants, both of which hung loosely over her rather plump body. She grinned at him, asking, “What brings you to these parts?”
    “I could ask you the same.”
    “I’m here with the University of Alberta Paleontology Department. We hope to work on a joint project with the Royal Saskatchewan Museum,” she divulged.
    “I am in a way too,” Pederson answered. The rsm had assisted with the retrieval and now the preparation of the Edmontosaurus .
    “Geez, that’s right, Ole. How could I forget? You found that hadrosaur with the nest and eggs. It was around here somewhere, wasn’t it!” She peered at Daniel. “Who’s that, a grandson?” she asked. “No, sorry, I re-member now. You and your wife never had children. Who is he, then?” she demanded, not stopping to let either of them answer the questions.
    Pederson raised his eyebrows in slight annoyance and then he introduced Daniel. “He’s my young protegé and esteemed colleague. Daniel Bringham, meet Dr. Mildred Roost.”
    Daniel nodded in acknowledgement, and puffed his chest up with pride. Pederson considered him a colleague!
    “How do you do, ma’am,” Daniel said sincerely.
    “A boy with manners! I like you already, young man!” She tapped her cane on the door again. “Well, get on out of there, you two. Let’s go have some lunch. It’s on me.”
    She stomped over to the sidewalk, using her cane to propel herself along. Daniel and Pederson looked at each other and got out of the truck.
    “We’ll eat there,” she said, pointing to Jack’s Café. “Best food in town. Their garlic toast is a secret recipe. So is their house salad dressing. Talk about ‘valley of hidden secrets.’ Everything about this community is one of the best-kept secrets from the rest of the world. But the locals are great about sharing!”
    She pointed to the dinosaur footprints painted on the sidewalk. “They lead you right where you want to go!”
    Seemed there was no getting away from this woman. Daniel smiled as he watched Pederson meekly follow her