Dick by Law by Robert T. Jeschonek

in the bowl with a clink. " May I ask if you're meeting with any other publishers while you're in town?"
    Ishi remained coolly enigmatic. " We do have a busy schedule today and tomorrow ."
    Gable raised an eyebrow. "But you'll make time to look over the contract and get back to me."
    "We're on the same page, Mr. Gable." Delicately, Ishi raised her teacup and had a sip.
    " Let me know if there are any developments, will you?" said Gable. "If you need any additional information."
    "Thank you ," said Ishi. "We'll do that."
    Simon gazed at her in w onder. S he'd been right about everything . She'd told him before the meeting that Gable didn't much care what the book was about , as long as it had Simon's name on it and the word "dick" in the title. She'd also said Gable would pay plenty to strike while the iron was hot, before Simon's notoriety faded.
    "So when will you expect the manuscript?" said Ishi.
    Gable grinned. "To be honest, we'd like it tomorrow ."
    Simon 's eyes flew wide open . " Excuse me?"
    "But we're prepared to wait," said Gable. "A little while. Two weeks would be ideal."
    Simon was about to say someth ing about how two weeks wasn't much better than overnight...but Ishi kicked him under the table , and he kept his mouth shut .
    "Not a problem," s aid Ishi . "Assuming we're compensated for the short turnaround ."
    "I think we can work something out," said Gable.
    Ishi leaned forward and stared intently at Gable. "Just out of curiosity," she said, "are we talking high six figures here?"
    Gable leaned forward, too. "More like mid. How does that grab you?"
    "That depends on how the rest of our trip go es," said Ishi . "I can't predict the future."
    "I don't suppose you'll tell me where you're going next?" said Gable.
    "Straigh t to the top." Ishi's eyes spar kled as she met Simon's gaze. "That's all I can tell you."
    Â 
    *****
    Chapter 2 2

    130 Million Years Ago
    China

    The sun was at its highest, and so was the heat of the day. Grip was still racing along on the trail of the six killer dinosaurs . He hadn't rested since leaving home, and he had no plan to do so. All he could think about was revenge.
    Panting, he chased the killers' trail through a clearing in the forest, pushing harder to get out of the direct sunlight as fast as he could. The sun's heat sizzled down from above, baking the mottled brown and white fur on his back, making him pant harder and feel more tired.
    T hen, suddenly, the heat stopped. So did the light.
    All at once, the forest around him went dark. Without warning, day became night .
    Grip froze in his tracks. His red-tipped ears perked and swiveled, listening for signs of danger, but he found only silence. The screeching, howling, yelping, chattering creatures around him had stopped making noise just as suddenly as the sun had stopped making light. It was as if, like Grip, they were all standing still, listening for danger. Listening for whatever had killed the sun to come and kill them, too.
    Was it coming? If it was, Grip couldn't hear or smell it. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dark, but all they showed him were tree trunks, weeds, and dirt .
    He turned his eyes skyward, looking for the sun. All he saw was a thin ring of dim light, as if the sun had been cut out of the sky, leaving only this last trace behind.
    Grip looked back down to earth, watching the trees and undergrowth for any sign of further disaster. He saw no movement, not even leaves stirring in a breeze.
    A new thought entered his mind then . Everything had gone still and silent like his dead mate and pups; what if everything, then, was dead like they were?
    And what if Grip himself was dead, too?
    As he waited, crouching in the forest , the darkness and silence lingered. He sniffed the air, testing for anything strange, anything dangerous.
    Nothing .
    Then, all of a sudden, Grip caught a whiff of something familiar. Something faint and sweet, something with fur.
    Grip's head jerked to one side, then the other, trying to