Page 121 (1/2)

Pitt shook his head "I can't believe I'ist who believes in sea serpents"

"To begin with, sea serpent is a misnomer They are not true serpents, like snakes"

"There have been wild stories froe beasties in every lake frohtings in the oceans since the last century"

"Sightings at sea do not receive the publicity they used to Wars, natural disasters and mass murders have pushed them out of the headlines"

"That wouldn't stop the tabloids"

"Sea routes for powered ships are fairly well fixed," Maeve explained patiently "The early sailing shipsships, which sailed after whales rather than the shortest distance between ports, often reported sightings Wind-driven ships also sailed silently and were able to approach a serpent on the surface, while a modern diesel vessel can be heard underwater for kiloe doesn't able ocean voyagers who refuse to be captured"

"If they aren't illusions or snakes, then what are they, leftover dinosaurs?"

"Okay, Mr Skeptic," she said seriously, a touch of defiant pride in her tone "I' my PhD

thesis on the subject of cryptozoology, the science of legendary beasts For your infors confirmed after faulty vision, hoaxes and secondhand reports have been eliorized inweather and sea conditions in which sightings took place; geographical distribution, distinguishing characteristics, color, shape and size Through graphics-rendering techniques I can backtrack the beasts' evolution To answer your question, they've probably evolved froators and crocodiles

But they are definitely not `leftovers' The Plesiosaurs, the species ht to have survived as present-day sea serpents, never exceeded sixteen meters, far smaller than Basil, for example"

"All right, I'll reserve judgment until you convince me they truly exist"

"There are six pris have been of along-necked creature with one main hump and wit

h head and jaws si Next is one that is always described as having the head of a horse with a mane and saucer-shaped eyes This creature is also reported to have goatlike whiskers under its lower jaw"

" `Goat whiskers,' " Pitt repeated cynically

"Then there is the variety with a true serpentine body like that of an eel Another has the appearance of a giant sea otter, while yet another is known for its row of huge, triangular fins The kind -shaped head and big doglikeblack on top and white on the bottom Some have seal-- or turtlelike flippers or fins, so tails, others a short stub Many are described as having fur, ray to brown to black Alree that the lower part of the bodies is white Unlike ling side-to-side, the serpentvertical undulations It appears to dine on fish, only shows itself in calm weather and has been observed in every sea except the waters around the Arctic and Antarctic"