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The hands。
She felt a chill when she looked at the kid's bands。 There were short slashing cuts on both palms； and bruises on the wrists and forearms。 She had worked in Chicago long enough to know what that meant。
〃All right；〃 she said。 〃Wait outside。〃
〃Why？〃 Ed said； alarmed。 He didn't like that。
〃Do you want me to help him； or not？〃 she said； and pushed him out the door and closed it on his face。 She didn't know what was going on； but she didn't like it。 Manuel hesitated。 〃I continue to wash？〃
〃Yes；〃 she said。 She reached for her little Olympus point…and…shoot。 She took several snapshots of the injury； shifting her light for a better view。 It really did look like bites； she thought。 Then the kid groaned； and she put her camera aside and bent toward him。 His lips moved； his tongue thick。
〃Raptor；〃 he said。 〃Lo sa raptor 。 。 。 〃
At those words； Manuel froze； stepped back in horror。
〃What does it mean？〃 Bobbie said。
Manuel shook his head。 〃I do not know； doctor。 'Lo sa raptor'…no es espa？ol 〃
〃No？〃 It sounded to her like Spanish。 〃Then please continue to wash him。〃
〃No； doctor。〃 He wrinkled his nose。 〃Bad smell。〃 And he crossed himself。
Bobbie looked again at the slippery foam streaked across the wound。 She touched it； rubbing it between her fingers。 It seemed almost like saliva。 。 。 。
The injured boy's lips moved。 〃Raptor；〃 he whispered。
In a tone of horror； Manuel said； 〃It bit him。〃
〃What bit him？〃
〃Raptor。〃
〃What's a raptor？〃
〃It means hupia。〃
Bobbie frowned。 The Costa Ricans were not especially superstitious； but she had heard the hupia mentioned in the village before。 They were said to be night ghosts； faceless vampires who kidnapped small children。 According to the belief； the hupia had once lived in the mountains of Costa Rica； but now inhabited the islands offshore。
Manuel was backing away； murmuring and crossing himself。 〃It is not normal； this smell；〃 he said。 〃It is the hupia。〃
Bobbie was about to order him back to work when the injured youth opened his eyes and sat straight up on the table。 Manuel shrieked in terror。 The injured boy moaned and twisted his head； looking left and right with wide staring eyes； and then he explosively vomited blood。 He went immediately into convulsions； his body vibrating； and Bobbie grabbed for him but he shuddered off the table onto the concrete floor。 He vomited again。 There was blood everywhere。 Ed opened the door； saying； 〃What the hell's happening？〃 and when he saw the blood he turned away； his hand to his mouth。 Bobbie was grabbing for a stick to put in the boy's clenched jaws； but even as she did it she knew it was hopeless； and with a final spastic jerk he relaxed and lay still。
She bent to perform mouth…to…mouth； but Manuel grabbed her shoulder fiercely； pulling her back。 〃No；〃 he said。 〃The hupia will cross over。〃
〃Manuel； for God's sake…〃
〃No。〃 He stared at her fiercely。 〃No。 You do not understand these things。〃
Bobbie looked at the body on the ground and realized that it didn't matter； there was no possibility of resuscitating him。 Manuel called for the men； who came back into the room and took the body away。 Ed appeared； wiping his mouth with the back of his hand； muttering； 〃I'm sure you did all you could；〃 and then she watched as the men took the body away； back to the helicopter； and it lifted thunderously up into the sky。
〃It is better；〃 Manuel said。
Bobbie was thinking about the boy's hands。 They had been covered with cuts and bruises； in the characteristic pattern of defense wounds。 She was quite sure he had not died in a construction accident； he had been attacked； and he had held up his bands against his attacker。 〃Where is this island they've e from？〃 she asked。
〃In the ocean。 Perhaps a hundred； hundred and twenty miles offshore；〃 〃Pretty far for a resort；〃 she said。
Manuel watched the helicopter。 〃I hope they never e back。〃
Well； she thought； at least she had pictures。 But when she turned back to the table； she saw that her camera was gone。
The rain finally stopped later that night。 Alone in the bedroom behind the clinic； Bobbie thumbed through her tattered paperback Spanish dictionary。 The boy had said 〃raptor；〃 and； despite Manuel's protests； she suspected it was a Spanish word。 Sure enough； she found it in her dictionary。 It meant 〃ravisher〃 or 〃abductor。〃
That gave her pause。 The sense of the word was suspiciously close to the meaning of hupia。 Of course she did not believe in the superstition。 And no ghost had cut those hands。 What had the boy been trying to tell her？
From the next room； she heard groans。 One of the village women was in the first stage of labor； and Elena Morales； the local midwife； was attending her。 Bobbie went into the clinic room and gestured to Elena to step outside for a moment。
〃Elena 。 。 。〃
〃Sí； doctor？〃
〃Do you know what is a raptor？〃
Elena was gray…haired and sixty； a strong woman with a practical； no…nonsense air。 In the night； beneath the stars； she frowned and said； 〃Raptor？〃
〃Yes； You know this word？〃
〃 Sí。〃 Elena nodded。 〃It means 。 。 。 a person who es in the night and takes away a child。〃
〃A kidnapper？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃A hupia？〃
Her whole manner changed。 〃Do not say this word； doctor。〃
〃Why not？〃
〃Do not speak of hupia now；〃 Elena said firmly； nodding her head toward the groans of the laboring woman。 〃It is not wise to say this word now。
〃But does a raptor bite and cut his victims？〃
〃Bite and cut？〃 Elena said； puzzled。 〃No； doctor。 Nothing like this。 A raptor is a man who takes a new baby。〃 She seemed irritated by the conversation； impatient to end it。 Elena started back toward the clinic。 〃I will call to you when she is ready； doctor。 I think one hour more； perhaps two。〃
Bobbie looked at the stars； and listened to the peaceful lapping of the surf at the shore。 In the darkness she saw the shadows of the fishing boats anchored offshore。 The whole scene was quiet； so normal； she felt foolish to be talking of vampires and kidnapped babies。
Bobbie went back to her room； remembering again that Manuel had insisted it was not a Spanish word。 Out of curiosity； she looked in the little English dictionary； and to her surprise she found the word there； too：
FIRST ITERATION
〃At the earliest drawings of the fractal curve； few clues to the
underlying mathematical structre will be seen。〃
IAN MALCOLM
Almost Paradise
Mike Bowman whistled cheerfully as he drove the Land Rover through the Cabo Blanco Biological Reserve； on the west coast of Costa Rica。 It was a beautiful morning in July； and the road before him was spectacular： hugging the edge of a cliff； overlooking the jungle and the blue Pacific。 According to the guidebooks； Cabo Blanco was unspoiled wilderness； almost a paradise。 Seeing it now made Bowman feel as if the vacation was back on track。
Bowman； a thirty…six…year…old real estate developer from Dallas； had e to Costa Rica with his wife and daughter for a two…week holiday。 The trip had actually been his wife's idea； for weeks Ellen had filled his ear about the wonderful n