Kit formed a sling from Malcolms shirt and suspend his wrist at chest height. “What I had in mind was nurse-maiding Margo through the Britannia Gate.”
Malcolm stared, then eased the sling into a more comfortable position. His eyes had already begun to glow. “Are you serious?”
”Dead serious. Speaking of dead, what the devil was that thing?” He jabbed a thumb at the creature which had fallen through the ceiling. Judging from the remains, it had been all teeth, tail, and claws. Several tourists had crowded closer already.
Sue Fritchey waded in. “Sickle-claw killer of some kind, about the size of Utah raptor, but a different species from the look of it. We didn’t know they’d survived that late into the Cretaceous. Just be real glad it’s dead”
Malcolm shivered absently. “Am I ever. Say, that thing is warm!” He leaned over for a better look.
Sure enough, heat was rising from the dead sickle claw.
”Yep,” Sue said, moving back after a cursory glance. “Get back, please.”
”But, it’s warm! Surely you can appreciate what this means for the scientific debate over ornithischian endothermy!”
Sue glared at him. “Yes, I do! I also appreciate that it’s a cooling corpse. Its parasites are going to start leaving in droves-and I don’t want anyone finding a tick the size of their own pinkie or a pinworm the size of a ballpoint pen! Jimmy, scour and disinfect this whole area!
Malcolm moved hastily away. Tourists abandoned attempts to see the dead ‘raptor and crowded around the netted pterodactyl instead. Pest Control was bringing up a forklift hoist and a large wooden pallet to transport it.