When they landed, Aviatrix could see that Clawed was fast asleep. She hung herself head down at one side of him. Nosy, copying his mother, hung himself on the other side. He thought of saying, “Hello, Daddy,” but there didn’t seem much point, so he said nothing.
Then suddenly Clawed said in a loud deep voice, “Watch out, everybody!”
“What does Daddy mean?” asked Nosy.
“Haven’t a clue,” replied his mother. “Your father is a somniloquist.”
“What does ‘somniloquist’ mean, Mom?”
“Someone who talks in his sleep. I expect he’ll say something else in a minute,” and almost immediately, Clawed shouted, “T. rex approaching! Scramble! Scramble!”
Aviatrix raised a wing and smacked her husband across his face.
“Wake up, Clawed!” she said. “You’re dreaming.”
Clawed opened his eyes and shook his head as though to clear it.
“Oh, hello, Avy, old girl,” he said. “I was having a nightmare. Didn’t know you were here.”
“I’m not the only one who’s here,” said Aviatrix. “Look on your other side.”
Obediently Clawed turned his huge head, to see a very small head close by.
“Hello, Daddy,” said Nosy.
“Daddy?” said Clawed. “What are you talking about, boy? What’s he mean, Avy?”
“This is our son, dear,” said Aviatrix proudly. “Our firstborn. Only hatched this morning, but already he’s a good flier.”
“Because I’m nidifugous, Daddy,” said Nosy.
Clawed shook his head in puzzlement. “Sounds like one of those long words your mother uses,” he said. “Half the time I don’t understand what she’s going on about.”
“You never were very bright, dear,” said Aviatrix, “but I think our son is an infant prodigy.”
“What does ‘infant prodigy’ mean, Mom?” asked Nosy.
“A highly intelligent child,” replied his mother.
Nosy felt very pleased at this. He couldn’t kick his little legs because he was hanging by them, but he flapped his little wings instead.
“Don’t suppose he even knows what he is,” said Clawed grumpily. “What are you, boy, eh?”
“I’m a pterodactyl, Daddy,” said Nosy. “Like you. Though I don’t suppose I’ll ever be as big as you.”
Or as silly, said Aviatrix to herself, fond as I am of him.
“What’s your name, boy?” asked Clawed. “If I know your mother, she’ll have given you a very long one.”
“No, Daddy,” said Nosy, “I’m just Nosy.”
“Are you indeed?” said Clawed. “Poking your snout into other people’s business, eh? Well, ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.”
“No, I mean, my name is Nosy.”
“Oh,” said Clawed. “Oh, I see. By the way, my name’s Clawed.”
“I know,” said Nosy, “but I can’t call you that. You’re my father.”
Clawed hung in silence for a while, deep in thought. Then he said, “You’re right, my son. You’d better stick to ‘Daddy.’ Take him away now, Avy. I haven’t had enough sleep.” And he closed his eyes.
“Come on, then, Nosy,” said his mother. “Daddy’s tired,” and she dropped from the branch and spread her wings and flew off.
Nosy followed.
“Where are we going now, Mom?” he asked.
“To get some breakfast.”
“What sort of breakfast?”
“Bugs.”
“What does that mean?”
“Flies and beetles and gnats and midges and things. We are carnivores, you see.” “What does that mean?”
“We eat meat, including insects. There should be lots flying about on a nice warm morning like this. Specially if there should be a dead dinosaur lying about somewhere. There’ll be masses of flies around it,” said Aviatrix.
Before long she said, “We’re in luck, Nosy. Look down there.”
Nosy looked down, and on the ground below he saw a simply enormous body, with clouds of flies buzzing upon and around it.
“Whatever is that, Mom?” he asked.
“Brachiosaurus.”
“But it’s so huge! Whatever could have killed lt?”
“T. rex, I expect.”
“T. rex? That’s what Daddy shouted out in his nightmare. What does it mean, Mom?”
“Tyrannosaurus rex,” said his mother. “The fiercest, fastest flesh-eating dinosaur of all. A truly nightmarish creature.”
“What does it look like, Mom?” asked Nosy.
“Oh, stop your everlasting questions, Nosy, do! Tuck in to these flies,” said Aviatrix.
She swooped down upon the swarm of insects hovering above the dead brachiosaurus and snapped up the largest. Nosy, copying, began to catch the smallest.
Then his mother dropped down and landed upon the enormous dinosaur. Nosy followed her. All kinds of delicious little creatures were crawling over the brachiosaurus.
Nosy said, “But, Mom, what does T. rex look like?”
“Well,” said Aviatrix, with her mouth full, “it’s got a massive body and a short, thick neck, and a large head and a battery of long, sharp teeth. It has tiny forelegs but very big muscular back legs on which it stands upright.”
“Oh,” said Nosy. “Mom?”
“What now?”
“There’s one coming.”
