"Emil Petaja - Dinosaur Goes Hollywood" - читать интересную книгу автора (Petaja Emil)

'But Stanley Smoosh did something. He started to run away. His cute face was drained white as a
blotter.
"But his foot got tangled up in the train of Dorothy LaMarr's dress, and he fell flat, right plop on
Dorothy.
"This was a break for her, as it turned out, on account of the dino missed her, and had to draw his
claw back for another grab.
"By this time Dorothy and Stanley Smoosh, hugging each other like they never even had done in
flickers, crawled hurriedly away to hide in a hole somewhere. Which wasn't a bad idea.
"Me, I had to get real close to the monster, in order to set out the boundaries for the Time-Net. He
caught sight of me, and turned on me curiously.
"The place was a pandemonium. Everybody was wise by now that this was the real McCoy. Not a
reasonable facsimile.
"They were shrieking, and yelling, and trampling each other underfoot. Made a kind of Roman
holiday of it.
"Van Hastings' cameras were still rolling, getting it all in. He stood off to one side, yelling directions.
His strident voice topped them all.
"I edged around the dino, spreading out the heavy coil of wires that was to mark the Time-Net limits.
And when I edged, he edged.
"His snaky head weaved downward to get a good look at what I was up to. His funny eyes blinked
at me coldly.
"Finally I had the time circle around him. I knocked down a couple of Van Hastings' flood-lights to
do it, and he let loose with a couple of old Armenian curses.
" 'Go peel an apple-knocker,' I says. "I caught a glimpse of Doc running toward me and the dino,
with a battery of cops on his tail. I turned to yell at him.
"About that time I felt a slimy claw reach around my mid-section, and sweep' me up in the air. First
thing I knew the palms; searchlights, and mob was all way down below.
"I sweated, struggled, and yelled. Then I was peering into the ugliest puss I ever hope to see. Awful
green and brown and orange, with cold lizard's eyes, and a red gaping mouth. The odor that came out of
it gagged me.
" 'Let me down, King Kong!' I hollers. 'You're pinching my belly!' "Down below, running back and
forth, was Doc Greylock. And in his hand he held the Time-Bomb.
" 'Throw it!' I yells.
"No!' his far-off voice protests. `You don't want to go back to the Mesozoic too, do you?'
"I could see what he meant. It looked bad."

“WHAT happened, Mr. Wemple?"
I asked breathlessly. Very deliberately, he called the waiter over, and ordered three more beers.
"You ain't interested, chum," Wemple grinned aggravatingly. "No. You don't want to hear my story.
I'll stop now!"
"Please, Mr. Wempel," I said very humbly. "Don't stop now! The brontosaurus has got you in his
clutches!"
"Okay, chum," he grinned. "I was only kidding. Well—
"The idea was to get him to set me down easy, if possible. Instead of plucking me to pieces, or
tossing me clear down to Central Avenue. . . .
"I yanked out this little pen knife I always carry on the other end of my watch chain. I jabbed it into
his claw.
"He let out a funny squeal, looking down at me questioningly.
"I jabbed him again. He swung me around until I didn't know from nothing.
"I found out later Doc distracted him some way, and he swung his claw down, tossing me carelessly
away. I passed out cold.