Chromosome 6

CHAPTER 17

MARCH 7, 1997

6:15 A.M.

COGO, EQUATORIAL GUINEA

KEVIN’S alarm went off at six-fifteen. It was still completely dark outside. Emerging from his mosquito net, he turned on the light to find his robe and slippers. A cottony feeling in his mouth and a mild bitemporal headache reminded him of the wine he’d drunk the night before. With a shaky hand he took a long drink of the water he had at his bedside. Thus fortified, he set out on shaky legs to knock on his guest rooms’ doors.

The previous night, he and the women had decided that it made sense for Melanie and Candace to spend the night. Kevin had plenty of room, and they all agreed being together would make the departure in the morning far easier and probably elicit less attention. Consequently, at about eleven p.m., amid lots of laughter and gaiety, Kevin had driven the women to their respective quarters to collect their overnight necessities, a change of clothes, and the food they’d gotten from the commissary.

While the women had been packing, Kevin had made a quick detour to his lab to get the locator, the directional beacon, a flashlight, and the contour map.

On each guest room door, Kevin had to knock twice. Once quite softly, and when there was no response, he rapped more vigorously until he heard a response. He sensed the women were hungover, especially after it took them significantly longer than they planned to show up in the kitchen. Both of them poured themselves a mug of coffee and drank the first cup without conversation.

After breakfast they all revived significantly. In fact, as they emerged from Kevin’s house they felt exhilarated, as if they were setting off on a holiday. The weather was as good as could be expected in that part of the world. Dawn was breaking and the pink and silver sky was generally clear overhead. To the south, there was a line of small puffy clouds. On the horizon to the west, there were ominous purple storm clouds, but they were way out over the ocean and would most likely stay there for the day.

As they walked toward the waterfront, they were enthralled by the profusion of bird life. There were blue turacos, parrots, weaverbirds, African fish eagles, and a kind of African blackbird. The air was filled with their color and shrieks.

The town seemed deserted. There were no pedestrians or vehicles, and the homes were still shuttered against the night. The only person they saw was a local mopping the floor in the Chickee Hut Bar.

They walked out on the impressive pier GenSys had built. It was twenty feet wide and six feet high. The rough-hewn planks were wet from the humid night air. At the end of the pier, there was a wooden ramp that led down to a floating dock. The dock seemed to be mysteriously suspended; the surface of the perfectly calm water was hidden by a layer of mist that extended as far as the eye could see.

As the women had promised, there was a motorized thirty-foot-long pirogue languidly moored to the end of the dock. Long ago, it had been painted red with a white interior, but the paint had faded or had been scraped off in large areas. A thatched roof supported by wooden poles extended over three-quarters of the boat’s length. Under the shelter were benches. The motor was an antique Evinrude outboard. Tethered to the stern was a small canoe with four narrow benches extending from gunwale to gunwale.

“Not bad, eh?” Melanie said, as she grabbed the mooring line and pulled the boat to the dock.

“It’s bigger than I expected,” Kevin said. “As long as the motor keeps going, we should be fine. I wouldn’t want to paddle it very far.”

“Worst-case scenario we float back,” Melanie said undaunted. “After all, we are going upriver.”

They got the gear and food aboard. While Melanie continued to stand on the pier, Kevin made his way to the stern to examine the motor. It was self-explanatory with instructions written in English. He put the throttle on start and pulled the cord. To his utter surprise, the engine started. He motioned for Melanie to hop in, shifted the motor into forward, and they were off.

As they pulled away from the pier, they all looked back at Cogo to see if anyone took note of their departure. The only person they saw was the lone man cleaning the Chickee Hut, and he didn’t bother to look in their direction.

As they had planned, they motored west as if they were going to Acalayong. Kevin advanced the throttle to half-open and was pleased at the speed. The pirogue was large and heavy but it had very little draw. He checked the canoe they had in tow; it was riding easily in the water.

The sound of the motor made conversation difficult so they were content to enjoy the scenery. The sun had yet to come up, but the sky was brighter and the eastern ends of the cumulus clouds over Gabon were edged in gold. To their right, the shoreline of Equatorial Guinea appeared as a solid mass of vegetation that abruptly dumped into the water. Dotted about the wide estuary were other pirogues moving ghostlike through the mist that still layered the surface of the water.

When Cogo had fallen significantly astern, Melanie tapped Kevin on the shoulder. Once she had his attention, she made a wide sweeping motion with her hand. Kevin nodded and began to steer the boat to the south.

After traveling south for ten minutes, Kevin began a slow turn to the west. They were now at least a mile offshore, and when they passed Cogo, it was difficult to make out specific buildings.

When the sun did finally make its appearance, it was a huge ball of reddish gold. At first, the equatorial mists were so dense that the sun could be examined directly without the need to shield one’s eyes. But the heat of the sun began to evaporate the mist which, in turn, rapidly made the sun’s rays stronger. Melanie was the first to slip on her sunglasses, but Candace and Kevin quickly did the same. A few minutes later, everyone began to peel off layers of clothing they’d donned against the comparative morning chill.

To their left was the string of islands that hugged the Equatoguinean coast. Kevin had been steering north to complete the wide circle around Cogo. Now he pushed over the helm to point the bow directly toward Isla Francesca, which loomed in the distance.

Once the mists had dissipated from the sun’s glare, a welcome breeze stirred the water, and waves began to mar the hitherto glassy surface. Pushing into a mounting headwind the pirogue began to slap against the crests, occasionally sprinkling its passengers with spray.

Isla Francesca looked different than her sister islands, and the closer they got, the more apparent it became. Besides being considerably larger, Isla Francesca’s limestone escarpment gave it a much more substantial appearance. There were even bits of cloudlike mist that clung to its summits.

An hour and fifteen minutes after they had left the pier in Cogo, Kevin cut back on the throttle and the pirogue slowed. A hundred feet ahead was the dense shoreline of the southwestern tip of Isla Francesca.

“From this vantage point it looks sort of forbidding,” Melanie yelled over the sound of the engine.

Kevin nodded. There was nothing about the island that was inviting. There was no beach. The entire shoreline appeared to be covered with dense mangroves.

“We’ve got to find Rio Diviso’s outlet,” Kevin yelled back. After approaching the mangroves as close as he thought prudent, he pushed the helm to starboard and headed along the western shore. In the lee of the island, the waves disappeared. Kevin stood up in hopes of seeing possible underwater obstructions. But he couldn’t. The water was an impenetrable muddy color.

“What about where all those bulrushes are?” Candace called out from the bow. She pointed ahead to an expansive marsh that had appeared.

Kevin nodded and cut back on the throttle even farther. He nosed the boat toward the six-foot reeds.

“Can you see any obstructions underwater?” he called out to Candace.

Candace shook her head. “It’s too murky,” she said.

Kevin turned the boat so that they were again moving parallel with the island shoreline. The reeds were dense, and the marsh now extended inland for a hundred yards.

“This must be the river outlet,” Kevin said. “I hope there is a channel or we’re out of luck. There’s no way we could get the canoe through those reeds.”

Ten minutes later, without having found a break in the reeds, Kevin turned the boat around. He was careful not to foul the towline for the small canoe.

“I don’t want to go any further in this direction,” Kevin said. “The width of the marsh is decreasing. I don’t think we’re going to find a channel. Besides, I’m afraid of getting too close to the staging area where the bridge is.”

“I agree,” Melanie said. “What about going to the other end of the island where Rio Diviso has its inlet?”

“That was exactly my thought,” Kevin said.

Melanie raised her hand.

“What are you doing?” Kevin asked.

“It’s called a high five, you jerk,” Melanie teased.

Kevin slapped her hand with his and laughed.

They motored back the way they’d come and rounded the island to head east along its length. Kevin opened up the throttle to about half speed. The route gave them a good view of the southern aspect of the island’s mountainous backbone. From that angle, no limestone was visible. The island appeared to be an uninterrupted mountain of virgin jungle.

“All I see are birds,” Melanie yelled over the sound of the engine.

Kevin nodded. He’d seen lots of ibises and shrikes.

The sun had now risen enough so that the thatched shelter was useful. They all crowded into the stern to take advantage of the shade. Candace put on some sunblock that Kevin had found in his medicine cabinet.

“Do you think the bonobos on the island are going to be as skittish as bonobos normally are?” Melanie yelled.

Kevin shrugged. “I wish I knew,” he yelled back. “If they are, it might be difficult for us to see any of them, and all this effort will have been in vain.

“They did have diminishing contact with humans until they were there in the bonobo enclosure at the animal center,” Melanie yelled. “I think we have a good chance as long as we don’t try to get too close.”

“Are bonobos timid in the wild?” Candace asked Melanie.

“Very much so,” Melanie said. “As much or more than chimpanzees. Chimps unexposed to humans are almost impossible to see in the wild. They’re inordinately timid, and their sense of hearing and smell is so much more acute than ours that people cannot get near them.”

“Are there still truly wild areas left in Africa?” Candace asked.

“Oh, my Lord, yes!” Melanie said. “Essentially, from this coastal part of Equatorial Guinea and extending west northwest there are huge tracts that are still essentially unexplored virginal rain forest. We’re talking about as much as a million square miles.”

“How long is that going to last?” Candace questioned.

“That’s another story,” Melanie said.

“How about handing me a cold drink,” Kevin yelled.

“Coming up,” Candace said. She moved over to the Styrofoam chest and lifted the lid.

Twenty minutes later, Kevin again throttled back on the motor and turned north around the eastern end of Isla Francesca. The sun was higher in the sky and it was significantly hotter. Candace pushed the Styrofoam chest over to the port side of the pirogue to keep it in the shade.

“There’s another marsh coming up,” Candace said.

“I see it,” Kevin said.

Kevin again guided the boat in close to the shore. In terms of size, the marsh appeared to be similar to the one on the western end of the island. Once again, the jungle dropped back to approximately a hundred yards from the edge of the water.

Just when Kevin was about to announce that they had again been foiled, an opening appeared in the otherwise unremitting wall of reeds.

Kevin turned the canoe toward the opening and throttled back even more. The boat slowed. About thirty feet away, Kevin put the motor into neutral and then turned it off.

As the sound of the engine died off, they were thrust into a heavy stillness.

“God, my ears are ringing,” Melanie complained.

“Does it look like a channel?” Kevin asked Candace, who’d again gone up to the bow.

“It’s hard to tell,” Candace said.

Kevin grabbed the back of the motor and tilted it up out of the water. He didn’t want to foul the propeller in underwater vegetation.

The pirogue entered among the reeds. It scraped against the stems, then glided to a halt. Kevin reached behind the boat to keep the towed canoe from banging into the pirogue’s stern.

“It looks like it goes forward in a meandering fashion,” Candace said. She was standing on the gunwale and holding onto the thatched roof of the shelter so she could see over the top of the reeds.

Kevin snapped off a stem and broke it into small pieces. He tossed them into the water next to the boat and watched them. They drifted slowly but inexorably in the direction they were pointing.

“There seems to be some current,” Kevin said. “I think that’s a good sign. Let’s give it a try with the canoe.” Kevin moved the smaller boat alongside the larger.

With difficulty because of the canoe’s unsteadiness, they managed to get themselves into the smaller boat along with their gear and the food chest. Kevin sat in the stern while Candace took the bow. Melanie sat in the middle but not on one of the seats. Canoes made her nervous; she preferred to sit on the bottom.

By a combination of paddling, pulling on reeds, and pulling on the pirogue, they managed to get ahead of the larger boat. Once in what they hoped was the channel, the going was considerably easier.

With Kevin paddling in the rear and Candace in the front they were able to move at the pace of a slow walk. The narrow six-foot-wide passage twisted and turned as it worked its way across the marsh. The sun was now evidencing its equatorial power even though it was only eight o’clock in the morning. The reeds blocked the breeze, effectively raising the temperature even higher.

“There’re not many trails on this island,” Melanie commented. She’d unfolded the contour map and was studying it.

“The main one is from the staging area to Lago Hippo.” Kevin said.

“There are a few more,” Melanie said. “All leading away from Lago Hippo. I suppose they’d been made to facilitate retrievals.”

“That would be my guess,” Kevin said.

Kevin looked into the dark water. He could see strands of plant life trailing in the direction they were paddling, suggesting there was current. He was encouraged.

“Why don’t you try the locator?” Kevin said. “See if bonobo number sixty has moved since we last checked.”

Melanie entered the information and clicked.

“He doesn’t appear to have moved,” she said. She reduced the scale until it was equivalent to the scale on the contour map, then located the red dot. “He’s still in the same spot in the marshy clearing.”

“At least we can solve that mystery, even if we don’t see any of the others,” Kevin said.

Ahead, they approached the hundred-foot-high wall of jungle. As they rounded the final bend in the marsh, they could see the channel disappear into the riot of vegetation.

“We’ll be in shade in a moment,” Candace said. “That should make it a lot cooler.”

“Don’t count on it,” Kevin said.

Pushing branches to the side, they silently slid into the perpetual darkness of the forest. Contrary to Candace’s hopes it was like a muggy, claustrophobic hot house. There was not a breath of air, and everything dripped moisture. Although the thick canopy of tree limbs, twisted vines, and hanging mosses completely blocked the sunlight, it also held in the heat like a heavy woolen blanket. Some of the leaves were up to a foot in diameter. Everyone was shocked by how dark it was in the tunnel of vegetation until their eyes began to adjust. Slowly details appeared out of the dank gloom until the scene resembled late twilight just before night fall.

Almost from the moment the first branches snapped in place behind them, they were assaulted by swarms of insects: mosquitoes, deer flies, and trigona bees. Melanie frantically located the insect repellant. After dousing herself, she passed it to the others.

“It smells like a damn swamp,” Melanie complained.

“This is scary,” Candace commented from her position in the bow. “I just saw a snake, and I hate snakes.”

“As long as we stay in the boat, we’ll be fine,” Kevin said.

“So, let’s not tip over,” Melanie said.

“Don’t even suggest it!” Candace moaned. “You guys have to remember I’m a newcomer. You’ve been in this part of the world for years.”

“All we have to worry about are the crocs and hippos,” Kevin said. “When you see one, let me know.”

“Oh, great!” Candace complained nervously. “And just what do we do when we see one?”

“I didn’t mean to worry you,” Kevin said. “I don’t think we’ll see any until we come to the lake.”

“And what then?” Candace questioned. “Maybe I should have asked about the dangers of this trip before I signed on.”

“They won’t bother us,” Kevin said. “At least that’s what I’ve been told. As long as they are in the water, all we have to do is stay a reasonable distance away. It’s when they’re caught on land that they can be unpredictably aggressive, and both crocs and hippos can run faster than you’d think.”

“All of a sudden, I’m not enjoying this at all,” Candace admitted. “I thought it was going to be fun.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be a picnic,” Melanie said. “We’re not sightseeing. We’re here for a reason.”

“Let’s just hope we’re successful,” Kevin said. He could appreciate Candace’s state of mind. Kevin marveled that he’d been talked into coming himself.

Besides the insects, the dominant wildlife were the birds. They ceaselessly flitted among the branches, filling the air with melodies.

On either side of the channel the forest was impenetrably dense. Only occasionally could Kevin or the others see for more than twenty feet in any direction. Even the shoreline was invisible, hidden behind a tangle of water plants and roots.

As he paddled Kevin looked down into the inky water that was covered with a plethora of darting water spiders. The disturbance he caused with each stroke made fetid bubbles rise to the surface.

The channel soon became straighter than it had been in the marsh, making the paddling considerably easier. By observing the rate at which they floated by the passing tree trunks, Kevin estimated that they were moving at about the speed of a fast walk. At this rate, he figured they’d arrive at the Lago Hippo in ten to fifteen minutes.

“How about putting the locator on scan?” Kevin suggested to Melanie. “If you narrow the graphic to this area, we’ll know if there are any bonobos in the neighborhood.”

Melanie was huddled over the compact computer, when there was a sudden commotion in the branches to their left. A moment later, deeper into the forest, they heard twigs snapping.

Candace had a hand clasped to her chest. “Oh my,” she said. “What the hell was that?”

“I’d guess another one of those duikers,” Kevin said. “Those little antelopes are common even on these islands.”

Melanie redirected her attention to the locator. Soon she was able to report that there were no bonobos in the area.

“Of course not,” Kevin said. “That would have been too easy.”

Twenty minutes later, Candace reported that she could see a lattice of sunlight coming through the branches directly ahead.

“That must be the lake,” Kevin said.

After a few more paddle strokes, the canoe glided out into the open water of Lago Hippo. The trio blinked in the bright sunlight, then scrambled for their sunglasses.

The lake was not large. In fact, it was more like an elongated pond dotted with several lushly thicketed islands chock-a-block with white ibises. The shore was lined with dense reeds. Here and there on the surface of the lake were pure white water lilies. Patches of free-floating vegetation thick enough to allow small birds to walk across them turned lazily in slow circles, pushed by the gentle breezes.

The wall of surrounding forest dropped away on both sides to form grassy fields, some as big as an acre. A few of these fields were peppered with pockets of palm trees. To the left, above the line of the forest rim, the very top of the limestone escarpment was clearly discernable against the hazy morning sky.

“It’s actually quite beautiful,” Melanie said.

“It reminds me of paintings of prehistoric times,” Kevin said. “I could almost imagine a couple of brontosauruses in the foreground.”

“Oh my god, I see hippos over to the left!” Candace called out with alarm. She pointed with her paddle.

Kevin looked in the direction she was indicating. Sure enough, the heads and small ears of a dozen of these huge mammals were just visible in the water. Standing on their crowns were a number of white birds preening.

“They’re okay,” Kevin assured Candace. “See how they are slowly moving away from us. They won’t be any trouble.”

“I’ve never been much of a nature lover,” Candace admitted.

“You don’t have to explain,” Kevin said. He could remember clearly his unease about wildlife during his first year in Cogo.

“According to the map, there should be a trail not too far away from the left bank,” Melanie said, while studying the contour map.

“If I remember correctly, there’s a trail that goes around the whole eastern end of the lake,” Kevin said. “It originates at the bridge.”

“That’s true, but it comes closest to our left,” Melanie said.

Kevin angled the canoe toward the left shore and began looking for an opening in the reeds. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one.

“I think we’ll just have to try to paddle right through the vegetation,” Kevin said.

“I’m certainly not getting out of this boat until there’s dry land,” Melanie announced.

Kevin told Candace not to paddle as he aimed the canoe at the six-foot-high wall of reeds and took a number of forceful strokes. To everyone’s surprise, the boat skimmed through the vegetation with no trouble at all, despite the scraping noise of the reeds on the hull. Sooner than they expected, they bumped against dry land.

“That was easy,” Kevin said. He looked behind at the path they’d created to the lake, but already the reeds were springing back to their original position.

“Am I supposed to get out?” Candace said. “I can’t see the ground. What if there are bugs and snakes?”

“Make yourself a clearing with your paddle,” Kevin suggested.

As soon as Candace climbed out of the bow, Kevin paddled against the vegetation and succeeded to force the canoe still further onto the shore. Melanie got out easily.

“What about the food?” Kevin asked as he moved forward.

“Let’s leave it here,” Melanie said. “Just bring the bag with the directional beacon and flashlight. I’ve got the locator and the contour map.”

The women waited for Kevin to get out of the boat, then motioned for him to go ahead of them. With the gear bag over his shoulder, he pushed aside the reeds and began moving inland. The ground was marshy and the muck sucked at his shoes. But within ten feet, he emerged onto the grassy field.

“This looks like a field, but it’s actually a swamp,” Melanie complained as she looked down at her tennis shoes. They were already black with mud and completely soaked.

Kevin struggled with the contour map to get his bearings, then pointed off to the right. “The transmitting chip from bonobo number sixty should be no more than a hundred feet from here in the direction of that cul de sac of trees,” he said.

“Let’s get this over with,” Melanie said. With her new tennis shoes ruined, even she was beginning to question if they should have come. In Africa, nothing was easy.

Kevin struck off with the women following. At first, walking was difficult because of the unstable footing. Although the grass appeared generally uniform, it grew in small, lumpy hummocks surrounded by muddy water. But the going became easier about fifty feet from the pond, where the ground rose and became comparatively drier. A moment later, they came across a trail.

They were surprised to discover that the trail looked well-used. It ran parallel with the shoreline of the lake.

“Siegfried must send work crews out here more than we thought,” Melanie said. “This trail has been maintained.”

“I’d have to agree,” Kevin said. “I suppose they’d need to keep them up for retrievals. The jungle is so thick and grows so fast out here. Lucky for us, they’ll certainly help us get around as well. As I recall, this one heads up to the limestone cliff.”

“If they come out here to maintain trails, maybe there is something to Siegfried’s story about workmen making the fires,” Melanie said.

“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Kevin said.

“I smell something bad,” Candace said, while sniffing the air. “In fact, it smells putrid.”

Hesitantly, the others sniffed and agreed.

“That’s not a good sign,” Melanie said.

Kevin nodded and moved off in the direction of the cul de sac. A few minutes later, with their fingers pinching their nostrils shut, the three stared down at a disgusting sight: It was the remains of bonobo number sixty. The carcass was in the process of being devoured by insects. Larger scavengers had also taken a toll.

Far more gruesome than the state of the corpse was the evidence of how the animal had died. A wedge-shaped piece of limestone had struck the poor creature between the eyes effectively splitting his head in two. The rock was still in place. Exposed soft eyeballs stared off in opposite directions.

“Ugh!” Melanie said. “It’s what we didn’t want to see. This suggests that not only the bonobos have split into two groups, but they’re killing each other. I wonder if number sixty-seven is dead, too.”

Kevin kicked the rock out of the decomposing head. All three stared at it.

“That’s also what we didn’t want to see,” Kevin said.

“What are you talking about?” Candace asked.

“That rock was shaped artificially,” Kevin said. With the toe of his shoe, he pointed to an area along the side of the rock where there appeared to be freshly made gouges. “That suggests tool-making.”

“More circumstantial evidence I’m afraid,” Melanie said.

“Let’s move upwind,” Kevin managed. “Before I get sick. I can’t stand this smell.”

Kevin got three steps away in an easterly direction when someone grabbed his arm and yanked him to a stop. He turned to see Melanie with her index finger pressed against her lips. Then she pointed to the south.

Kevin turned his gaze in that direction, then caught his breath. About fifty yards away in the shadows of the very back of the cul de sac was one of the bonobos! The animal was standing ramrod straight and absolutely motionless, as if he were a military honor guard. He appeared to be staring back at Kevin and the others just as they were staring at him.

Kevin was surprised at the creature’s size. The animal was well over five feet tall. It also seemed oversized in terms of weight. Given its enormously muscular torso, Kevin guessed the bonobo weighed between one hundred twenty-five and one hundred fifty pounds.

“He’s taller than the bonobos that have been brought in for transplant surgery,” Candace said. “At least I think he is. Of course, the bonobos for the transplants were already sedated and strapped to a gurney by the time they got to me.”

“Shhhhhh,” Melanie admonished. “Let’s not scare him. This might be our only chance to see one.”

Being careful not to move too quickly, Kevin pulled the gear bag off his shoulder and got out the directional beacon. He turned it on to scan. It began to quietly beep until he pointed it toward the bonobo; then it let out a continuous note. Kevin looked at the LCD screen and gasped.

“What’s the matter?” Melanie whispered. She had seen Kevin’s expression change.

“It’s number one!” Kevin whispered back. “It’s my double.”

“Oh my god!” Melanie whispered. “I’m jealous. I’d like to see mine, too.”

“I wish we could see better,” Candace said. “Do we dare try to get closer?”

Kevin was struck by two things. First was the coincidence that the first live bonobo they’d come across would happen to be his double. Secondly, if he had inadvertently created a race of protohumans, then he was in some metamorphic way meeting himself six million years earlier. “This is too much,” Kevin couldn’t help but whisper aloud.

“What are you talking about?” Melanie asked.

“In some ways that’s me standing over there,” Kevin answered.

“Now let’s not jump the gun,” Melanie said.

“He’s certainly standing like a human,” Candace remarked. “But he’s hairier than any human I’ve ever been out with.”

“Very funny,” Melanie said without laughing.

“Melanie, use the locator to scan the area,” Kevin said. “Bonobos usually travel together. Maybe there are more around that we can’t see. They could be hiding in the bushes.”

Melanie played with the instrument.

“I can’t believe how still he is,” Candace said.

“He’s probably scared stiff,” Kevin said. “I’m sure he doesn’t know what to make of us. Or if Melanie is right about there not being enough females out here, maybe he’s smitten with you two.”

“That I don’t find funny at all,” Melanie said, without looking up from the keyboard of the locator.

“Sorry,” Kevin said.

“What’s he got around his waist?” Candace asked.

“I was wondering that, too,” Kevin said. “I can’t make it out, unless it’s just a vine that got caught on him when he came through the bushes.”

“Look at this,” Melanie said with excitement. She held up the instrument so the others could see. “Kevin, you were right. There’s a whole group of bonobos in the trees behind your double.”

“Why would he venture out on his own?” Candace asked.

“Maybe he’s like an alpha male in chimp society,” Melanie said. “Since there are so few females, it stands to reason these bonobos might act more like chimps. If that’s the case, he might be proving himself to be courageous.”

Several minutes passed. The bonobo did not move.

“This is like a Mexican standoff,” Candace complained. “Come on! Let’s see how close we can get. What do we have to lose? Even if he runs off, I’d say this little episode is encouraging that we’ll see more.”

“All right,” Kevin said. “But no sudden movement. I don’t want to scare him. That would only ruin our chances for seeing the others.”

“You guys first,” Candace said.

The three advanced carefully, moving forward step by step. Kevin was in the lead followed immediately by Melanie. Candace brought up the rear. When they reached the midway mark, between them and the bonobo, they stopped. Now they could see the bonobo much better. He had prominent eyebrows and a sloped forehead like a chimp, but the lower half of his face was significantly less prognathous than even a normal bonobo. His nose was flat, his nostrils flared. His ears were smaller than those of either chimps or bonobos and flush against the side of his head.

“Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?” Melanie whispered.

Candace nodded. “He reminds me of the pictures I saw in the third grade. Of very early cavemen.”

“Uh, oh, can you guys see his hands?” Kevin whispered.

“I think so,” Candace said softly. “What’s wrong with them?”

“It’s the thumb,” Kevin whispered. “It’s not like a chimp’s. His thumb juts out from the palm.”

“You’re right,” Melanie whispered. “And that means he might be able to oppose his thumb with his fingers.”

“Good god! The circumstantial evidence keeps mounting,” Kevin whispered. “I suppose if the developmental genes responsible for the anatomical changes necessary for bipedalism are on the short arm of chromosome six, then it’s entirely possible that the ones for the opposable thumb are, too.”

“It is a vine around his waist,” Candace commented. “Now I can see it clearly.”

“Let’s try moving closer,” Melanie suggested.

“I don’t know,” Kevin said. “I think we’re pushing our luck. Frankly, I’m surprised he hasn’t bolted already. Maybe we should just sit down right here.”

“It’s hotter than blazes here in the sun,” Melanie said. “And it’s not even nine o’clock, so it’ll only get worse. When we decide to sit and observe, I vote we do it in the shade. I’d also like to have the food chest.”

“I agree,” Candace said.

“Of course, you agree,” Kevin said mockingly. “I’d be surprised if you didn’t.” Kevin was becoming tired of Melanie making a suggestion only to have Candace eagerly support it. It had already gotten him into trouble.

“That’s not very nice,” Candace said indignantly.

“I’m sorry,” Kevin said. He’d not meant to hurt her feelings.

“Well, I’m going closer,” Melanie announced. “Jane Goodall was able to get right up next to her chimps.”

“True,” Kevin said. “But that was after months of acclimatization.”

“I’m still going to try,” Melanie said.

Kevin and Candace let Melanie get ten feet in front of them before they looked at each other, shrugged, and joined her.

“You don’t have to do this for me,” Melanie whispered.

“Actually, I want to get close enough to see if my double has any facial expression,” Kevin whispered. “And I want to look into his eyes.”

With no more talk and by moving slowly and deliberately, the three were able to come within twenty feet of the bonobo. Then they stopped again.

“This is incredible,” Melanie whispered without taking her eyes from the animal’s face. The only way it was apparent the bonobo was alive was an occasional blink, movements of his eyes, and a flaring of his nostrils with each respiration.

“Look at those pectorals,” Candace said. “It looks like he’s spent most of his life in a gym.”

“How do you think he got that scar?” Melanie asked.

The bonobo had a thick scar that ran down the left side of his face almost to his mouth.

Kevin leaned forward and stared into the animal’s eyes. They were brown just like his own. Since the sun was in the bonobo’s face, his pupils were pinpoint. Kevin strained to detect intelligence, but it was difficult to tell.

Without the slightest warning the bonobo suddenly clapped his hands with such force that an echo reverberated between the leafy walls of the cul de sac. At the same time he yelled: “Atah!”

Kevin, Melanie, and Candace leaped from fright. Having worried from the start that the bonobo was about to flee at any moment, they’d not considered the possibility of him acting aggressively. The violent clap and yell panicked them, and made them fear the animal was about to attack. But he didn’t. He reverted back to his stonelike state.

After a moment’s confusion they recovered a semblance of their previous poise. They eyed the bonobo nervously.

“What was that all about?” Melanie asked.

“I don’t think he’s as scared of us as we’d thought,” Candace said. “Maybe we should just back away.”

“I agree,” Kevin said uneasily. “But let’s go slowly. Don’t panic.” Following his own advice, he took a few careful steps backward and motioned for the women to do likewise.

The bonobo responded by reaching around behind his back and grabbing a tool he had suspended by the vine around his waist. He held the tool aloft over his head and cried “Atah” again.

The three froze, wide-eyed with terror.

“What can ‘Atah’ mean?” Melanie whined after a few moments when nothing happened. “Can it be a word? Could he be talking?”

“I don’t have any idea,” Kevin sputtered. “But at least he hasn’t come toward us.”

“What is he holding?” Candace asked apprehensively. “It looks like a hammer.”

“It is,” Kevin managed. “It’s a regular carpenter’s clawhammer. It must be one of the tools the bonobos stole when the bridge was being built.”

“Look at the way he is grasping it. Just the way you or I would,” Melanie said. “There’s no question he has an opposable thumb.”

“We got to get away from here!” Candace half cried. “You two promised me these creatures were timid. This guy is anything but!”

“Don’t run!” Kevin said, keeping his eyes glued to the bonobo’s.

“You can stay if you want, but I’m going back to the boat,” Candace said desperately.

“We’ll all go, but slowly,” Kevin said.

Despite warnings not to do so, Candace turned on her heels and started to run. But she only went a few steps before she froze and let out a scream.

Kevin and Melanie turned in her direction. Both of them caught their breaths when they saw what had shocked her: Twenty more bonobos had silently emerged from the surrounding forest and had arrayed themselves in an arc, effectively blocking the exit from the cul de sac.

Candace slowly backed up until she bumped against Melanie.

For a full minute no one spoke or moved, not even any of the bonobos. Then bonobo number one repeated his cry: “Atah!” Instantly, the animals began to circle around the humans.

Candace moaned as she, Kevin, and Melanie backed into each other, forming a tight triangle. The ring the animals formed around them began to close like a noose. The bonobos came closer a step at a time. The humans could now distinctly smell them. Their odor was strong and feral. The animals’ faces were expressionless but intent. Their eyes flashed.

The animals stopped advancing when they were an arm’s length from the three friends. Their eyes ran up and down the humans’ bodies. Some of them were holding stone wedges similar to the one that had killed bonobo number sixty.

Kevin, Melanie, and Candace did not move. They were paralyzed with fear. All the animals looked as powerful as bonobo number one.

Bonobo number one remained outside the tight ring. He was still clutching the clawhammer but no longer had it raised over his head. He advanced and made a full circuit of the group, staring at the humans between the heads of his compatriots. Then he let out a string of sounds accompanied by hand gestures.

Several of the other animals answered him. Then one of them reached out his hand toward Candace. Candace moaned.

“Don’t move,” Kevin managed to say. “I think the fact that they haven’t harmed us is a good sign.”

Candace swallowed with difficulty as the bonobo’s hand caressed her hair. He seemed enthralled by its blond color. It took all the resolve she could muster not to scream or duck away.

Another animal began to speak and gesture. He then pointed to his side. Kevin saw a long healing surgical scar. “It’s the animal whose kidney went to the Dallas businessman,” Kevin said fearfully. “See how he’s pointing at us. I think he’s connecting us to the retrieval process.”

“That can’t be good,” Melanie whispered.

Another animal reached out tentatively and touched Kevin’s comparatively hairless forearm. Then he touched the directional beacon Kevin was holding in his hand. Kevin was surprised when he didn’t try to take it away from him.

The bonobo standing directly in front of Melanie reached out and pinched the fabric of her blouse between his thumb and forefinger as if feeling its texture. Then he gently touched the locator she was holding with just the tip of his index finger.

“They seem mystified by us,” Kevin said hesitantly. “And strangely respectful. I don’t think they are going to hurt us. Maybe they think we are gods.”

“How can we encourage that belief?” Melanie asked.

“I’ll try to give them something,” Kevin said. Kevin considered the objects he had on his person and immediately settled on his wristwatch. Moving slowly, he put the directional beacon under his arm and slipped the watch from his wrist. Holding it by its bracelet, he extended it toward the animal in front of him.

The animal tilted his head, eyeing the watch, then reached for it. No sooner had he had it in his hand than bonobo number one vocalized the sound: “Ot.” The animal with the watch responded by quickly giving it up. Bonobo number one examined the watch, then slipped it onto his forearm.

“My god!” Kevin voiced. “My double is wearing my watch. This is a nightmare.”

Bonobo number one appeared to admire the watch for a moment. Then he brought his thumbs and forefinger together to form a circle while saying: “Randa.”

One of the bonobos immediately ran off and disappeared for a moment into the forest. When he reappeared, he was carrying a length of rope.

“Rope?” Kevin said with trepidation. “Now what?”

“Where did they get rope?” Melanie asked.

“They probably stole it with the tools,” Kevin said.

“What are they going to do?” Candace asked nervously.

The bonobo went directly to Kevin and looped the rope around his waist. Kevin watched with a mixture of fear and admiration as the animal tied a crude knot and then cinched it tight against Kevin’s abdomen.

Kevin looked up at the women. “Don’t struggle,” he said. “I think everything is going to be okay as long as we don’t anger them or scare them.”

“But I don’t want to be tied up,” Candace cried.

“As long as we’re not hurt it’s okay,” Melanie said, hoping to calm Candace.

The bonobo roped Melanie and then Candace in a similar fashion. When he was finished, he stepped back, still holding the long end of the rope.

“Obviously, they want us to stay for a while,” Kevin said, trying to make light of the situation.

“Don’t be mad if I don’t laugh,” Melanie said.

“At least they don’t mind our talking,” Kevin said.

“Strangely enough, they seem to find it interesting,” Melanie said. Each time one of them spoke the nearest bonobo would cock its head as if listening.

Bonobo number one suddenly opened and closed his fingers while sweeping his hands away from his chest. At the same time he said: “Arak.”

Immediately, the group started moving, including the animal holding the rope. Kevin, Melanie, and Candace were forced forward.

“That gesture was the same as the bonobo did in the operating room,” Candace said.

“Then it must mean ‘go’ or ‘move’ or ‘away,’ ” Kevin said. “It’s incredible. They’re speaking!”

They left the cul de sac and moved across the field until they came to the trail. At that point they were led right. While they walked, the bonobos remained silent but vigilant.

“I suspect that it isn’t Siegfried who maintains these trails,” Melanie said. “I think it’s the bonobos.”

The trail curved to the south and soon entered the jungle. Even in the forest it was well cleared and the ground underfoot was packed smooth.

“Where are they taking us?” Candace asked nervously.

“I guess toward the caves,” Kevin said.

“This is ridiculous,” Melanie said. “We’re being taken for a walk like dogs on a leash. If they’re so impressed with us, maybe we should resist.”

“I don’t think so,” Kevin said. “I think we should make every effort not to get them riled up.”

“Candace?” Melanie asked. “What are you thinking? ”

“I’m too scared to think,” Candace said. “I just want to get back to the canoe.”

The bonobo leading with the rope turned and gave the rope a yank. The tug almost knocked all three people down. The bonobo repeatedly waved his hand palm down while whispering: “Hana.”

“My god, is he strong or what?” Melanie commented as she regained her footing.

“What do you think he means?” Candace asked.

“If I had to guess, I’d say he’s telling us to be quiet,” Kevin said.

All at once, the entire group stopped. There were some hand signals among the bonobos. Several pointed up toward the trees to the right. A small group of bonobos slipped silently into the vegetation. Those remaining formed a wide circle, except for three who climbed directly up into the canopy of the forest with an ease that defied gravity.

“What’s happening?” Candace whispered.

“Something important,” Kevin said. “They all seem to be tense.”

Several minutes went by. None of the bonobos on the ground moved or made the slightest noise. Then suddenly, there was a tremendous commotion to the right, accompanied by high-pitched shrieks. At once, the trees were alive with desperately fleeing colobus monkeys on a course bringing them directly toward the bonobos who’d climbed up into the trees.

The terrified monkeys tried to change direction, but in their haste several of them lost their hold on the branches and fell to the ground. Before they could recover they were set upon by waiting bonobos on the ground who killed them instantly with stone wedges.

Candace winced in horror, then turned away.

“I’d say that was a good example of coordinated hunting,” Melanie whispered. “That requires a high level of cooperation.” Despite the circumstances, she couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Don’t rub it in,” Kevin whispered. “I’m afraid the jury is in, and the verdict is bad. We’ve only been on the island for an hour, but the question that brought us here has already been answered. Besides collective hunting, we’ve seen totally upright posture, opposable thumbs, toolmaking, and even rudimentary speech. I sense they can vocalize just like you and I.”

“It’s extraordinary,” Melanie whispered. “These animals have gone through four or five million years of human evolution in the few years they’ve been out here.”

“Oh, shut up!” Candace cried. “We’re prisoners of these beasts and you two are having a scientific discussion.”

“It’s more than a scientific discussion,” Kevin said. “We’re acknowledging a terrible mistake, and I’m responsible. The reality is worse than I feared when I saw the smoke coming from this island. These animals are protohumans.”

“I have to share some of the blame,” Melanie said.

“I disagree,” Kevin said. “I’m the one who created the chimeras by adding the human chromosome segments. That wasn’t your doing.”

“What are they doing now?” Candace asked.

Kevin and Melanie turned to see bonobo number one coming toward them, carrying the bloodied corpse of one of the colobus monkeys. He was still wearing the wristwatch, which only underlined the beast’s odd position between man and ape.

Bonobo number one brought the dead monkey directly to Candace and held it out toward her in both his hands and said: “Sta.”

Candace moaned and turned her head. She looked like she was about to get sick.

“He’s offering it to you,” Melanie told Candace. “Try to respond.”

“I can’t look at it,” Candace said.

“Try!” Melanie pleaded.

Candace slowly turned. Her face reflected her disgust. The monkey’s head had been crushed.

“Just bow or do something,” Melanie encouraged.

Candace smiled weakly and bowed her head.

Bonobo number one bowed and then withdrew.

“Incredible,” Melanie said, watching the animal leave. “Although he’s obviously the alpha male, there must still be remnants of the typical matriarchal bonobo society.”

“Candace, you did great,” Kevin said.

“I’m a wreck,” Candace said.

“I knew I should have been a blond,” Melanie said with her own attempt at humor.

The bonobo holding the rope gave a tug significantly less forceful than the previous one. The group was on the move again and Kevin, Melanie, and Candace were forced to follow.

“I don’t want to go any farther,” Candace said tearfully.

“Pull yourself together,” Melanie said. “Everything is going to be okay. I’m starting to think Kevin’s suggestion was right. They think of us like gods, especially you with that blond hair. They could have killed us instantly if they’d been inclined, just like they killed the monkeys.”

“Why did they kill the monkeys?” Candace asked.

“I assume for food,” Melanie said. “It is a little surprising since bonobos are not carnivorous, but chimps can be.”

“I was afraid they were human enough for the killing to be for sport,” Candace said.

The group passed through a marshy area, then began a climb. Fifteen minutes later, they emerged from the forest twilight onto a rocky but grassy area at the foot of the limestone escarpment.

Halfway up the rock face was the opening of a cave that appeared to be accessible only by a series of extremely steeply tiered ledges. At the lip of the cave were a dozen more bonobos. Most were female. They were striking their chests with the flat of their hands and yelling “bada” over and over again.

The bonobos with Kevin, Melanie, and Candace did the same and then held up the dead colobus monkeys. That resulted in hooting from the females that Melanie said reminded her of chimps.

Then the group of bonobos at the base of the cliff parted. Kevin, Melanie, and Candace were pulled forward. At the sight of them, the females above fell silent.

“Why do I have the feeling the females aren’t so happy to see us?” Melanie whispered.

“I’d rather think they were just confused,” Kevin whispered back. “They hadn’t expected company.”

Finally bonobo number one said “zit” and pointed up with his thumb. The group surged forward pulling Kevin, Melanie, and Candace along.