In The Glass Bridge, a strange predator haunts the treetops on the slopes of Obann’s mountains. It stalks Helki, to no avail, but successfully preys on the hapless group that follows Ysbott.
This is the creature that I had in mind–Thylacoleo, “the marsupial lion” of Australia. Disregard the Darwinian blather and enjoy the video. Patty and I were up last last night, watching videos of some of the very cool beasts created by God, and scientists’ efforts to re-create them from their fossils.
Only thing is, the marsupial lion might not be quite extinct. There are always reports of sightings from assorted wild regions of Australia. It’s a big continent and thinly populated. Plenty of room in it to hide a few surprises.
I’ve always been fascinated by prehistoric animals, both dinosaurs and weird mammals, and I love bringing them into my books. The work of God’s hands is, for me, an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
That’s one kool kat! I wonder about the extinction business myself. Young Earth creationists claim that man and dinosaur were contemporaneus and I’m not about to derogate. They’ve found dinosaur fossils with soft tissue still attached, which make the 65 million years of extinction sound far fetched.
I am certain that all of the “kinds” have been preserved. If God provided for them on the ark he wouldn’t allow them to become extinct in some later event. Beyond that, I think we’ll just have to wait and see. I’d love to see a Thylacoleo in the flesh, but from a safe distance.
All of these creatures amaze me. The desert region, in which I live, is teeming with wildlife. I was doing some yard work yesterday and met up with one of the largest roadrunners I’d ever seen. Earlier this morning I drove past a camel, grazing in a corral. Those things are huge!
An Egyptian friend of mine once misunderstood something I said–his English needed a little work–and his whole face lit up: and he exclaimed, “You have a camel???” He was a little disappointed when it turned out I didn’t.
Wow! This one I had pictured pretty much like this guy – except possibly a bit more other-worldly. Very cool!
Helki knew he’d had a narrow escape.
That’s cool! Is this the same animal that the Thunder King had in The Last Banquet?
No, the Thunder King’s beast was more in the nature of a regular saber-toothed cat–like on the book cover of The Last Banquet.
OK. I see. Thank you!