protected by the government because of all the rich fossil remains they’ve found there,” Kate told them, looking superior. “They’ve even found dinosaurs, which is how it got its name.”
“I see you’ve been doing your homework since we last spoke,” the professor said.
“Let me guess,” Lisa whispered in Kate’s ear. “You looked that up last night.”
Her friend blushed.
“By the way, have you been introduced to Joanne?” the professor asked.
Lisa shook her head.
“Then we shall have to fix that right away.”
“We wouldn’t want to interrupt your work, professor,” Carole said politely.
Lisa was disappointed. She was dying to find out more, and who better than the professor to teach them?
“It so happens I’m heading in that direction,” he said, looking at his watch. “It’s time for me to check in with the guards anyway.”
“Guards?” Lisa asked. “Why would you need guards?”
“Just because these bones have been hanging around for between 65 and 245 million years doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of people competing to dig them up,” he told her. “A dinosaur skeleton in reasonable condition would bring a large amount of money on the black market.”
Lisa was amazed. “There’s a black market for dinosaur bones?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” He stopped next to a roped-off section of ground. “There are a lot of wealthy people in this world who like to collect unique treasures such as these and keep them locked away for only themselves to view.” He shook his head sadly. “And there are a lot of unscrupulous people who will stop at nothing to provide them with those items, as long as the price is right.”
“Wow. I had no idea it was such a cutthroat business,” Carole said, wide-eyed.
The professor laughed. “I’m afraid I’m prone to exaggeration, as some of my students will be happy to tell you. Usually digging through miles of dirt under the hot sun is as about as adventurous as it gets.”
“But sometimes you do find whole dinosaur skeletons, don’t you?” Kate prodded.
“They are few and very far between,” said a young woman who was coming to the professor’s side. “But Professor Jackson has dug up more than his fair share.” She swatted him lightly on the shoulder with obvious affection. “How am I going to make my reputation if you won’t leave anything for the rest of us to discover?”
“Just the person I was looking for,” Professor Jackson said with a smile. “Girls, allow me to introduce you to Joanne, my greatest student.”
Joanne was of medium height with dark curly hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Her worn pants and old work boots were caked with dust, and her arms and face were deeply tanned. She nodded at the girls in a friendly but preoccupied way, then held out a small notebook. “More like your greatest disappointment today, I’m afraid.”
The professor took the book and scanned the pages. “No luck in the fourth quadrant?” he asked with a frown.
“Not yet,” she replied.
Lisa noticed that Kate was cricking her neck like it was bothering her.
Maybe she’s bored
, she thought with surprise. Lisa, on the other hand, was absolutely fascinated. She wanted very much to learn more about all this, and the best way to do that, she always found, was to get some hands-on experience. “Is there anything we could help with?” she ventured, throwing caution to the wind. “I know we don’t have any training, but we’d be happy to do anything.” She saw Carole and Kate giving her astonished looks, but she ignored them. “We’re really good with wheelbarrows,” she added, avoiding her friends’ eyes.
Professor Jackson looked pleased. “I don’t knowabout wheelbarrow duty,” he said thoughtfully. “We try to get most of that out of the way in the mornings and evenings. Too hot in the afternoons.”
Lisa could sense Carole’s and Kate’s relief, but she was determined to make herself useful. “Isn’t there
“I see you’ve been doing your homework since we last spoke,” the professor said.
“Let me guess,” Lisa whispered in Kate’s ear. “You looked that up last night.”
Her friend blushed.
“By the way, have you been introduced to Joanne?” the professor asked.
Lisa shook her head.
“Then we shall have to fix that right away.”
“We wouldn’t want to interrupt your work, professor,” Carole said politely.
Lisa was disappointed. She was dying to find out more, and who better than the professor to teach them?
“It so happens I’m heading in that direction,” he said, looking at his watch. “It’s time for me to check in with the guards anyway.”
“Guards?” Lisa asked. “Why would you need guards?”
“Just because these bones have been hanging around for between 65 and 245 million years doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of people competing to dig them up,” he told her. “A dinosaur skeleton in reasonable condition would bring a large amount of money on the black market.”
Lisa was amazed. “There’s a black market for dinosaur bones?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” He stopped next to a roped-off section of ground. “There are a lot of wealthy people in this world who like to collect unique treasures such as these and keep them locked away for only themselves to view.” He shook his head sadly. “And there are a lot of unscrupulous people who will stop at nothing to provide them with those items, as long as the price is right.”
“Wow. I had no idea it was such a cutthroat business,” Carole said, wide-eyed.
The professor laughed. “I’m afraid I’m prone to exaggeration, as some of my students will be happy to tell you. Usually digging through miles of dirt under the hot sun is as about as adventurous as it gets.”
“But sometimes you do find whole dinosaur skeletons, don’t you?” Kate prodded.
“They are few and very far between,” said a young woman who was coming to the professor’s side. “But Professor Jackson has dug up more than his fair share.” She swatted him lightly on the shoulder with obvious affection. “How am I going to make my reputation if you won’t leave anything for the rest of us to discover?”
“Just the person I was looking for,” Professor Jackson said with a smile. “Girls, allow me to introduce you to Joanne, my greatest student.”
Joanne was of medium height with dark curly hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Her worn pants and old work boots were caked with dust, and her arms and face were deeply tanned. She nodded at the girls in a friendly but preoccupied way, then held out a small notebook. “More like your greatest disappointment today, I’m afraid.”
The professor took the book and scanned the pages. “No luck in the fourth quadrant?” he asked with a frown.
“Not yet,” she replied.
Lisa noticed that Kate was cricking her neck like it was bothering her.
Maybe she’s bored
, she thought with surprise. Lisa, on the other hand, was absolutely fascinated. She wanted very much to learn more about all this, and the best way to do that, she always found, was to get some hands-on experience. “Is there anything we could help with?” she ventured, throwing caution to the wind. “I know we don’t have any training, but we’d be happy to do anything.” She saw Carole and Kate giving her astonished looks, but she ignored them. “We’re really good with wheelbarrows,” she added, avoiding her friends’ eyes.
Professor Jackson looked pleased. “I don’t knowabout wheelbarrow duty,” he said thoughtfully. “We try to get most of that out of the way in the mornings and evenings. Too hot in the afternoons.”
Lisa could sense Carole’s and Kate’s relief, but she was determined to make herself useful. “Isn’t there
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