t was too small to swallow in one gulp。 That wasn't the case with this lunch crowd。 In seconds； flesh； bones； blood； and viscera surged and rolled in the oily waters。
Rand gulped。 〃They passed on the salad course； I guess。〃
〃Just look at them；〃 Annie breathed。
Just then one of the three paused in its gorging to hiss a piercing whistle at them； giving them that same hungry； pitiless stare。
〃They're looking at us！〃 she cried。
If we shoot； these three； do nine more show up？ he wondered。 Even Robotech weapons had their limits。 He grabbed Annie's arm。 〃Let's get out of here！ Move； move！〃
In another moment the armor had mechamorphosed； and the two Cyclones leapt away； Annie clinging to Rand once more； the tires automatically adjusting to travel over the soft soil。 The Eogyrinuses came swarming up at them moments too late。
〃Guess we lost 'em；〃 Annie reported； glancing back over her shoulder to be sure。 〃I don't think they're built for long…distance events。〃
〃But where did they e from？〃 Scott murmured。
Rand gazed upward。 The sky held no sign of the energy field； instead there was a low gray haze。 They sped up another dry watercourse； past tall； odd…looking conifers and cycads and some bennettitaleans。
〃The Lost World； 〃 he said softly。
Lancer looked at Rook hopefully as he hopped down from the cockpit of Scott's abandoned Alpha fighter。 Let it be good news！ Let her have found something！
But as Rook slid her cycle to a stop； Lancer was already listening to negative results over the armored suits' tac net。 〃I followed the path north and cut a circle for a mile around。 There wasn't a trace of them。〃
As she finished her report； Lunk showed up in his olive…drab APC truck。 〃If they circled back； they weren't leaving tracks；〃 he reported。
That left another question。 Scott's Cyclone was gone； and there were no tire marks anywhere。 But why would they have gone straight to full armor and flown away； without leaving a message or trying to make mo contact with their teammates？
Maybe the tire tracks had been obliterated by someone？ That would be easy enough to do in this kind of soil。
Lancer yelled out； 〃They know better than to do this to us。 〃 Rand might be a bit impetuous； and Annie was flighty to say the least； but Scott； a trained officer and team leader； would never simply ignore his responsibilities。
There was only one explanation that might make some sense of the situation； and that was the appearance of Invid。
〃Shouldn't one of us scout ahead？〃 Rand asked as the two Cyclones sped through the eerie landscape of the subterranean world。 〃I've had enough surprises for one day。〃
〃We'll stick together for now；〃 Scott ordered。
〃Well； do you have any idea where we're headed？〃 The instruments were all useless。
〃No； Rand。 But anywhere away from those reptiles will be fine with me…hey； power down！ There's something up ahead…the end of the trail； maybe。
They stopped in an open part of the water course。 What they saw ahead of them was a rampart of stone some hundreds of yards high； running away to the left and right with no breaks。
〃A dead end！〃 Annie wailed。 〃And the cliffs and ceiling e together。〃
It was true。 The overhead haze was broken by the downward sweep of the gigantic cavern's stone ceiling； which met the walls of the place in a tight seal。 〃No exit here；〃 Scott observed。
〃Maybe； maybe not；〃 Rand corrected。 〃See up there？〃
It was an opening of some kind； the mouth of a tunnel or cave； set high above the floor of the cavern。 〃That could be our rabbit…hole；〃 Rand declared。 〃It's worth a look。〃
Scott couldn't argue with that。 Their engines howled。
Elsewhere； the Regis noticed that something was amiss in one of her Genesis Pits。 From Reflex Point； her consciousness reached out to join with the evolved mind of a Shock Trooper who was following the movements of the three Humans。
The Trooper's single； cyclopean optic sensor flashed red as she mindspoke。 /Contaminants in the pit！/ her angry thought reverberated through that trooper and the others assigned to the place。 /Unless these intruders are contained ant neutralized； the experiment will be ruined！/
But she paused； seeing the reasoning of her guards。 Certainly these were Earthly biota； and under the Regis's broad guidelines they were valid candidates for inclusion in the pits。 But these were Human； and they were armed with weapons and mounted on vehicles。 A counterproductive anachronism here in the cavern of monsters！
Still； the introduction of machines and weapons might provide some instructive insights about the capabilities of the creatures she had bred here beneath the Earth。 Their worth as contributors to the Invid's final； Evolved Form would be tested。
Yes； let it continue for now； at least until more observations had been made。 The creatures of the cavern would probably cleanse the place of outsiders by themselves； and that would be most informative； too。 Or if not。。。
There were other ways。
CHAPTER FOUR
Fay Wray can have it！
Remark attributed to Annie LaBelle
There are important insights to the story in Rand's recounting of it in his voluminous Notes on the Run：
〃I got even more worried when I saw that that tunnel through the bedrock was artificial。 It had a low arc of roof； but the flat； level floor made it easy for us to go to cycle mode and race along。〃
〃The obvious fact that someone had drilled the tunnel made me nervous； but let's face it： everything about that underground Lizard Lounge had me nervous by then。 Scott had noticed it； too； I assumed； but we didn't mention it because we didn't want Annie hysterical。〃
〃So we barreled down the tunnel。 The Cycs' headlights cut the darkness； but only showed us the rock walls； the rock ceiling； and the rock floor。 I would even have weled some motel art by that time。 I had long since outgrown my graffiti stage； but I was tempted。〃
〃I fibbed to Annie。 ‘Hang on tight！ I've got a real strong feeling about this tunnel； in fact I'm sure it's gonna be our way out of this place！' If she knew I was bulling her； she was kind enough not to say so。〃
〃But she did point to a bright light that was ing up before us。 ‘Hey； look at that！'〃
〃Scott's voice sounded real relieved over the tat net； ‘We made it！' That sort of surprised me； I figured a guy raised in starships most of his life wouldn't feel the claustrophobia as badly as I was feeling it； but I guess the weight of all those strata above us had been working at him。〃
〃So I said； tempting fate a little； ‘I knew it！ Our troubles are over now！'〃
〃All of a sudden the floor of the tunnel seemed to slope down。 The next thing we knew； the Cycs were out in the open air and falling toward the lush vegetation down below。〃
〃But we were pretty used to our mecha by then； although it had taken me some time to learn the ropes on a Cyc and Scott hadn't had much practice operating in an environment like Earth until he had crash…landed； a coupla weeks before。 Mox nix； we hit our burners。 I did my best to see that I didn't lose Mint； and somehow I made that landing on sky…blue； umbrella…shaped thruster flames。〃
〃The terrain we landed on seemed okay at first； with boulders and some kind of fanlike growths ing from the ground。 It was a little precarious but nothing those amazing Robotech scoots couldn't handle。 If I had had my helmet open； maybe I would have noticed the smell； Annie was； I suppose； too strung out to。〃
〃We were congratulating ourselves on making it When the ground beneath us began to move。 We had landed in the middle of a bunch of big sail…backed things！ Just before we thruster…jumped the hell out of there； I got a look down the maw of one of the things and saw it had two quite large front choppers。 I guess it was a Dimetrodon； but I wasn't doing much note…taking and really couldn't tell you for sure if you asked me。〃
〃Scott was howling something about ‘more dinosaurs' but we were safe。 The herd had re…settled for the night。〃
〃We were all watching them to make sure that they weren't thinking about a bedtime snack； but I just happened to be looking off to one side when I caught the flash of movement。 ‘Hey； Invid！' I blurted out。 But whatever it was had already ducked。〃
〃Scott thought I was crazy； and we got a little sore at each other。 Being that far underground and in a situation so insane had him kind of frayed。 But then he backed off a bit； looking around thoughtfully。 ‘Maybe they are involved in all this。 I suppose…'〃
〃Scott interrupted his thought when he noticed that Annie was off an another caper； waving to us from a few yards away。 She was balancing； with a lot of windmilling of her hat and shuffling of shoes； on a big； mottled； offwhite ovoid thing that rolled under her。 She was giggling and yelling； ‘Watch me！'〃
〃It was a typical Mint reaction to what we had just been through； driving it from her mind by clowning around。 When I saw what she was doing； I could only think； Oh； my god！ and I started to reach for my '90。 Scott was yelling at her to get down off of there。〃
〃Annie laughed right up until the second she realized that something big was ing up behind her…fast！ I got my gun out。 Maybe that Daspletosaurus actually wasn't the size of two Battloids one on top of the other； but that was how it looked to me at that moment。〃
〃Certainly it was a little surprised to see Annie playing around with its eggs。 I can only surmise that it had just laid them and hadn't had time to cover over its nest。 It was fast and agile and brilliantly colored。 It was just like the oldtime revisionist paleontologists said： a tower of bone and muscle in metallic blues and reds and pinks。 Its teeth looked like sharpened baseball bats。〃
〃I opened fire at it； and then Scott did； too。 I have to give the lieutenant credit： he stood his ground and just kept shooting H90 rounds at it； even though it didn't look like he was doing any damage to the thing。〃
〃If you're sitting someplace safe and reading this； I'll tell you something： It feels a lot different when you're there； and an animal bigger than any mecha is bearing down on you and you can smell it； and the best shots you can lay out don't seem to be making any difference。 It takes a lot not to bolt； but I didn't have to make the choice because Scott Bernard was slightly in front of me； straddle…legged； whamming away。 So I stood my ground； too。〃
〃Then you live from microsecond to microsecond； and events all fuse together； because when you're about to die your life is suddenly an infinitely precious thing； no matter how lousy it's been to you。〃
〃It was our good luck that the thing had a lot of ground to cover。 I was aiming for the skull； hoping I might put its eyes out of mission or even get its brain somehow。 It roared and staggered at us。 But H90s were developed for use against Invid mecha； and no living organism； even one the size of that tyrannosaurid； could survive the kind of punishment we were giving it。〃
〃We chopped away at its feet； legs； chest cavity； head…all while it was shrieking and snapping。 Then Annie had the presence of mind to leap clear； as the Daspletosaurus fell across its own eggs； crushing some； dying and charred； never understanding what had killed it。〃
〃I was yelling at Annie； who was wh