Ch 18 - The Price Of Progress

— Another one? This is already becoming

repetitive. — Keene's comment sounded cold and

uncontrolled. Before us, was just what had been

announced to Baruti — an adult specimen of the creature

whose young we had seen. There was, though, more to it

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than expected. In the aquatic reptile's mouth was a

longline hook, going through the delicate mucous

membrane, the structure that links the jaw and the skin.

From it stretched the fishing line, which coiled at our

feet, as the men who had found it earlier had left it. At

the other end of the line, after several hooks that were

piling up, a few others were also attached to something

— a human being. The man lay with the frozen

expression with which death had left him. Neighbors

from the surrounding villages gathered around us, and

further away a woman hugged her children and carried

them into the circular tent. Her arms were trembling

around the children; even from a distance, you could see

that she was crying. The victim's wife and children,

certainly.

— Have you seen this creature before? — I asked

the elders around us. Some were leaning on their canes,

staring sadly at the man's lifeless body. The animal was

not important to them. Not after destroying a part of their

family. I understood the reason for their silence, and also

fell silent.

— Do you think you can get the hook out of the

plesiosaur for the relatives to take the man away, Dr.

Keene?

— Maybe, young man. I won't be able to

concentrate with so many stares anyway.

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— For heaven's sake, — Lucy scolded in a low

tone. — Let these people cry for the man. You know

they understand what you say.

Keene didn't answer, but just bent down and

undid the bend in the hook, exerting force to overcome

the friction with the bones. The hook slowly left the

reptile's jaw, making a horrible rubbing sound as it

scratched the skull. The noise made my heart ache,

knowing that it had the same effect on the family and

friends of the man who, I later came to know, was called

Thabo Amaechi, as the younger villagers who had

worked with him told me.

— Ah, — exclaimed Keene, finally removing the

hook. I would very much like to pretend that this man

was not part of our team. With the corpse freed, the

population carried Thabo's body away, still with the

longline that would be removed later. With no interest in

the killer monster that had also died there, the villagers

withdrew, one by one, leaving behind only the carcass

and our tiny team of three.

Feeling relieved, after the extreme pressure that

the drama had caused, I sighed, thinking about one more

family that was suffering. What was wrong with us? It

seemed that everywhere we went, death and tragedy

followed us, whether by car or boat. Paka Norwayan

would never see his son and grandson again, Ahohako

had lost her husband, Thabo Amaechi's family was

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missing a piece, and as for us...we were abandoned

without the loving presence of Anthony Lane.

— ...the species? — was all I could hear. Forcing

myself to concentrate, I asked:

— What did you say, Doctor? Sorry, I was off

with the fairies.

— Can you identify the species?

— Yes, yes... Leptocleidus capensis, — I

answered without much interest.

When I turned my eyes to the left again, where

the elders were before, I met Lucy's eyes. Her

knowledge of our species was sometimes frightening,

and the glow of her genius reached her large brown eyes.

Looking deep into mine, she arched her eyebrows in a

sign of pity, as if she understood my thoughts with the

simple act of seeing my blue eyes.

— Small species, isn't it? I don't think it

measures more than three meters, — Jacob Keene

continued, touching the animal's hydrodynamic skin.

Breaking the psychological connection that Lucy's eyes

imposed, I turned to the Leptocleidus. He was right; it

was a small species. When they hear the term

"Plesiosaur", many think of the gigantic 14-meter-long

Elasmosaurus, without ever deigning to research the

existence of other genera. The animal at our feet did not

even reach the maximum three meters, but it still had all

the characteristics of the group — a body like that of a

turtle, four paddle-like fins, a short tail, needle-like teeth

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that protruded outward, and a relatively long neck

compared to the body, but still short compared to other

types of the same order.

— It must have drowned with the weight of the

man pulling it to the depths, — he continued to

elaborate. — Ironic, isn't it? One killed the other with

sheer body weight. The waves then did us the favor of

bringing the bodies to shore. Now we just have to find

out why this little animal came to a lagoon. And I know

where to find out.

— You do? — Lucy said, surprised.

— Do you think I'm just good for picking fights,

Lucy? — he asked calmly, stretching his words.

— And also to condemn us when we show bad

manners at the table, — she replied, imitating Keene's

tone, following this with a controlled laugh. I could have

sworn I saw a smile form at the corner of Keene's lips

and die immediately.

We left the animal on the banks where it had

been found. It would not be consumed by the locals, as

the hatchlings had been — not that particular animal, at

least. The tragedy that surrounded it was like a curse that

loomed over the dead Leptocleidus. It hovered like the

flies that would soon do the same, until only the bones

became an exposed reminder of those the villagers had

buried. Now we knew that the adults stuck to the inner

pond and all we had to do was find them.

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⬫⬫⬫

— We need to find out what caused this

imbalance, — Keene said, his voice bitter at the idea that

animals were suffering and dying. He added:

— And then fix it. — Looking in the rearview

mirror of the rental car, he looked, this time not at Lucy,

but at himself, as if admiring his own hatred.

— Don't worry, — Lucy said in an emotionless

tone, — we'll include you in the next search.

Jacob Keene agreed slowly, breathing quickly out

of frustration. The gesture was almost a threat, in case

Lucy used yet another ploy to excuse a lie.

— I talked to the younger fishermen, — I took

courage to say. — They have been fishing in the lagoon

all their lives and professionally for weeks now. They

claim that they have never seen anything like it in the

lagoon before.

— What time do they usually come to fish? —

Lucy wanted to know.

— Always during the day. It seems that Mr.

Amaechi was the only one who cared to stay at night as

well.

— Until one night, the bastard found one of the

creatures on the longline, — Keene commented, his face

now resting on the steering wheel as if all his energy had

been drained.

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— In a way, — was all I could say without

correcting his manners.

— Well, — Lucy continued, — we're going back

at night too, but with lights instead of lines.

Our driver slowly lifted his face from the wheel,

apparently excited by Lucy's idea, and abruptly turned

the key, bringing the car suddenly to life, and so we

disappeared into the tree line.

⬫⬫⬫

It was already later in the day. The sun was

setting in the west, pouring orange hues that covered the

savannah of Hluleka. We remained outside the reserve,

but still hidden by the tree line that surrounded it. The

only visible sign that we were there was the thin column

of smoke rising from our campfire — the main reason

we had not stayed overnight inside the nature reserve.

Over it, we hung the biltong that Baruti Elya had gifted

us and renewed the formidable smell of the spices and

the tender fat of the meat. Returning the flint to the red

flannel pocket, I sat around the fire with the others.

— What is the plan for the search? — Keene

leaned over to ask the question, his thin-rimmed, almost

invisible glasses descending to the tip of his narrow

nose. Through the lenses, his dark eyes were wide open,

waiting for Lucy's answer. It was noticeable, now, that

his search for the leadership of a Lane was no longer

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laden with irony, but rather, sincere. With confidence,

she answered:

— These creatures seem to be strictly nocturnal

predators, as the fishermen's account shows. And there

are no islets in the inner lagoon, where reptiles could

hide from the view of an entire village that fishes,

bathes, and washes its clothes in the same water. The

only reasonable explanation is that they spend the day in

the ocean or on the uninhabited coast, away from human

eyes, and enter the Sazinge River every night to feed.

The beach, close to the condominium, was then the

perfect place for these animals to spawn and for the

population to grow. Of course, this does not explain how

they had not been spotted before, as the chances of

someone deciding to swim at night or to go fishing

because they simply cannot sleep are considerable.

— Our species...is horrendous. — Keene

interrupted, — Killing and devouring creatures just for

fun? That's too much for me! — Perhaps one would

expect such a sentence from a vegetarian, but the reality

is that the speaker had a large wooden skewer in his

hand, which was passing through meat that was now

dripping fat onto the dry earth.

— Anyway, — Lucy continued, feeling a little

nauseous at hearing such hypocrisy, — I believe that the

Leptocleidus didn't go this route until recently, but have

only now started to do so, not giving the population

enough time to see them.

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— And how do you plan to attract them to us? —

I asked.

— As I said, with lights. Don't you remember the

way you fished when we were in the archipelago? The

light attracts plankton, which in turn attracts small fish,

which attract bigger fish. These plesiosaurs are fish

eaters. All we have to do is light a torch and prop it up so

that it illuminates the water. We just have to get a

motorboat to follow the creatures and see where they go

at daybreak.

— A motorboat? — Keene asked with a sudden

movement of his head, suddenly looking into Lucy's

eyes.

— Yes, Doctor.

— Wait a few hours. I'll be back soon. — Saying

this, he quickly got up and ran towards the car. The tires

raised a cloud of choking dust that filled our camp. At

high speed, he made the curve at the entrance to the

forest, contoured around the last trees, and disappeared

behind the trunks and dense foliage. Through the gaps in

the leaves came only the light from his headlights, which

soon disappeared.

Still coughing with the dust that Keene's

epiphany had caused, I asked the only thing that made

any sense:

— Is he thinking of going back to the condo and

returning with Baruti's speedboat?

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— It's still possible, — Lucy struggled to speak.

— At the speed he left and going upriver in the

speedboat, he can still arrive in time.

— And why didn't you tell him the plan earlier?

He could have left hours ago.

Lucy stared into my eyes again. Understanding,

at last, I said:

— Oh, you intended him not to be here? —

Smiling, Lucy confirmed the cunning of her plan.

— Kevin...you have spent more time with my

father in the last few months than I have myself. You

know what he thought and understand his beliefs.

— I guess I can say that, yeah.

— There is no tomorrow — that's what he said.

What does it mean?

The horrid image of Anthony Lane crying as he

shouted these words filled my mind, not allowing any

other thought to develop. My spine shivered with the

cold that gripped my body. With a long sigh, I tried to

control myself and explained:

— Dr. Lane used to...ramble a bit during

expeditions. The first time I was invited to go, I could

already notice this behavior in him. He would focus his

eyes on the horizon, usually on the sun rising or setting

and allow the most poetic phrases to escape his lips.

— What about Professor Keene? I can't imagine

him appreciating poetry.

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— Oh, and he didn't. And since he didn't carry a

camera those days, there was little he could do for the

expedition, other than, of course, pay for the equipment

we acquired when we arrived in the region.

— He...didn't carry a camera in the old days?

— No, no, Dr. Lane did not allow modern

equipment, even if the camera he was offered was of a

very old model. He wanted to hold onto the very beards

of the past, bringing back tangible samples of the

creatures we encountered. Why do you ask?

Lucy's gaze had become dark and mysterious at

my question, but she dismissed it.

— No reason; nothing important. And what

changed to make my father give in?

— You did.

— Me?

— Yes. Dr. Lane told me for a long time about

the idea he had of taking you on the ultimate expedition

— one with a very good chance of being fruitful, my

boy! — I said, imitating my tutor's animated tone. —

You have changed, Lucy. Rather, you were the change.

Lane felt alive again when he saw an expedition whose

basis was a personal account, not a blurry newspaper

clipping with a badly taken photo of a monster or a

drunken phone call in the middle of the night. He was

finally happy, as I had never seen him, and was even

willing to rejuvenate his way of thinking. — I felt my

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throat dry up as I remembered the end of this dream.

With my voice still a little dull, I added:

— I know how traumatic that trip was,

but...thank you for going.

Lucy's eyes seemed to have less power than

before; her appearance was more organic, more human.

Getting moist, her eyes closed and a tear rolled down

from each one. She then threw herself toward me and

hugged me, squeezing my neck. I had rarely been

hugged in my life, but it wasn't a bad thing. I wondered

why people didn't do it more often. If they did, maybe I

wouldn't always have to wear a flannel shirt for warmth.

— Come with me, — I invited. — I want to

show you something.

Without saying anything else, I got up and

walked towards the exit of the clearing and I knew that

she was right behind me, because her feet rustled in the

leaves that were scattered on the ground. In the darkness,

our campfire grew more and more distant — a tiny

orange dot in the pitch of the night. Turning left at the

exit of the clearing, we could see the village and the

large pond in front of it. We slowly walked to the water's

edge, where I could best explain my experiment. The

night was breathtakingly beautiful, the sky dotted with a

multitude of tiny jewels of intense brilliance, with no

artificial lights to rival their bright.

— Look at the horizon, — I asked. The horizon

line in a night sky comprises the simple absence of stars,

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starting from a certain part of the sky, since nothing else

was visible and only the gentle roar of the waves showed

us where the land ended and prevented us from entering

the lagoon.

— Tomorrow lies just beyond it, — I continued,

— that's what Lane meant. Tomorrow doesn't exist,

because only the present and the past can be considered

reality; tomorrow is just a baseless hope — there is

nothing to guarantee that we will be there to see it, and

even if we are…it will have already become "today".

Lucy remained silent, processing the explanation

I remembered hearing from Lane. Around us, the noise

of amphibians and crickets was beginning to fill the

atmosphere. Before us, the pond slowly lapped its icy

waters, where prehistoric creatures hunted.

— Kevin, — she said finally, — my father didn't

know how to enjoy the present moment for several years,

but he redeemed himself in the end. — He certainly

didn't know what was waiting behind the horizon.

Nothing could prepare him to experience the greatest joy

and the greatest pain of his life, all on the same trip.

Describing Anthony Lane's personality and

accomplishments felt like stealing, as if I were

introducing a stranger to her. As the hours passed on that

dark shore, I felt that weight increase more and

eventually I paused, not sure if I should continue. What I

also didn't know, though, was that Lucy doesn't need to

see someone's eyes to know their thoughts. Noticing the

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cadence in my voice, which was now becoming weaker,

she took the initiative in calming me down.

— You don't have to be afraid of telling me

everything. — Her voice sounded sincere, but with the

usual touch of sadness that recurred each time the

subject came up. Her tone was different from her usual,

always cheerful tone, like Lane's. Even with her

assurance, I kept quiet, and she felt she needed to

express herself:

— You know what I don't like about this place?

— The fact that a man was killed in this lake?

— That, too. But what I mean is...the atmosphere

of the place. Baruti speaks perfect English and so do the

men in the village you contacted. Kevin, these people

have lost much of their culture to whoever colonized this

place and forced them to learn it.

— You know that the reality is even worse, — I

said with bitterness in my voice. — Our home countries

were also colonized. If it weren't for that, we wouldn't

even speak this language.

— Have you ever stopped to think whether

Keene might be...right?

I was momentarily paralyzed by the question.

Right? What might Keene be right about? In being rude

and belittling those who had less money than he did?

— In what way? — I asked at last.

— We are the cause of the destruction of our own

species and those around us.

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There was not much I could say in return. The

numbers supported her statement and had done for

several thousand years. But the way to deal with this is

to educate the generations to come, and perhaps even the

existing ones. In any case, it was not with verbal

violence that we would be able to improve the world.

— Maybe in concept, but not in practice, — I

answered, summarizing my thoughts.

— No, of course, I wouldn't use the Doctor's

methods either, but... he always repeats that there are

monstrous human beings who abuse others and impose

their will, and perhaps this place is proof of this.

— I am proof of that.

— Yes... your father. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.

— No, it's okay. It's not your fault that the world

is full of monsters. Monsters who abandon, even before

birth. These animals do the same but without cruelty.

Nature made them resistant, but we...are not that strong.

Lucy spent a long time in silence, probably

elaborating what she was going to say. But she didn't

need to say anything; she was there — and that mattered.

Babbling a little, she introduced:

— Kevin...do you remember what I found in the

Abal hut before we left Amge?

— Leftover food?

— Besides that, Kevin. There was a handful of

medicines in the cabinets. Among them...

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At that moment, a great flash of light illuminated

the bay where we were sitting. Instantly, the whole area

around us became as clear as day, and our eyes burned

with the excessive brightness. The great illumination of

the unidentified object was followed by a loud engine

noise, indicating that the nature of the infamous object

was not extraterrestrial at all. We covered our eyes with

our hands, as one does when looking at the sun, waiting

until the source of the light turned away and, when it

finally did, we saw the silhouette of Jacob Keene against

the powerful spotlight.

— Where the hell... — Lucy began, but soon

interrupted herself.

— I'm not sure I wish to know.

⬫⬫⬫

The waves around us were low but voluminous.

We were cutting through their crests at high speed,

traveling the length of the great lake. Lucy and I clung to

the seats and vests of the speedboat, Keene in his usual

role of brainless pilot.

— This boat is great, kids! — he shouted with

excitement. — It's the service boat that Elya uses to get

supplies from the shore and back to the condo. And look

how incredible this spotlight is! It was mounted on the

ceiling of the party room, probably to illuminate the area

and prevent theft at night.

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— How kind of Mr. Elya to lend you all this

equipment, Dr. Keene, — Lucy struggled to say; water

and wind whipping our faces. We were both sitting just

behind the helm, facing the captain. We waited for an

answer, but it never came. In the dark of night, I saw

Lucy's silhouette turn toward me, to which I responded

by doing the same. We understood then that the methods

of obtaining the apparatus had perhaps not been so

honest.

— So, Doctor, — I changed the direction of the

conversation, — in which area of the lake are we going

fishing?

— At the intersection between the lagoon and the

Sazinge, young man. It's an area of many branches and

other underwater obstacles. This thing came with a

sonar; it was easy to visualize how the situation is down

there. You'll be happy to know that other spots showed

up on the sonar, in addition to the bottom structure. Big

spots moving underneath the waves.

— Spots? — I said excitedly, — The

Leptocleidus?

— Your genius amazes me, Kevin. Unless there

is another sea monster in the area, the answer is rather

obvious.

I was silenced by Keene's harshness, feeling a

sudden chill coming, no longer from the wind that

whipped us, but emanating from Jacob himself. Lucy

unbuckled the seat belt, then walked toward the helm as

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we approached the connection between the calmer water

of the deep lagoon and that of the river that flowed

toward the sea. She clung to the metal structures of the

speedboat, moving forward against the strong wind, and

was soon able to rest from the strain when she reached

Keene's cabin, where the gale could not touch her.

Leaning over the sonar, she had a serious, almost critical

look at the equipment.

— Can you read this thing? — Keene asked with

a wry smile. Noticing the evident disbelief in Keene's

voice, Lucy returned the question:

— And you think I came here just to praise the

local culture? — The other's smile closed instantly,

recognizing yet another of his phrases. Lucy has an

excellent vindictive memory.

— We are getting closer, Doctor, — she

announced, sounding professional. — The bottom

structure starts here. Follow it to the Sazinge entrance

and try to stay steady.

— Yes, ma'am, — the other replied in a teasy

tone. Handling the tiller, the captain turned our boat,

maneuvering it so that it would become stationary

outside the current entering the river, but still within

reach.

— This place is already the perfect natural

habitat for any prey, — Keene announced with

importance, displaying his knowledge. — The structure

provides shelter for small fish and any crustaceans that

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inhabit the waters. Our creature has the ideal physical

shape for...

— For scouring these burrows and hiding places

with its relatively long neck, just like an eel does in a

coral reef, — Lucy added. — Genius, Doctor. — Keene

looked slightly shocked and kept his wide eyes fixed on

Lucy for a few seconds before he looked again at the

spotlight. His gaze seemed to condemn her for daring to

be smarter than him, or for not paying homage to the

vast knowledge he possessed. One way or another, it had

no effect, as she simply kept her own gaze on the sonar,

not even paying him any attention. Keene then

positioned the strong light over the water, pointing it

downward at an angle, so that it would attract any life

form that needed light and the entire food chain behind

it. With the system set up, all we could do at the moment

was wait for it to work. Leaning against the helm, Keene

kept his eyes on us, shifting from one to the other. The

feeling, however, was no longer that we were doing

something wrong, but that he was anxious to say

something. As his pupils moved rapidly, you could see in

the dim light reflected from the spotlight, that his lips

were moving, but no words were uttered. Then a long

sigh, as if he abandoned the subject he had in mind. And

finally, a different subject to deviate our attention:

— Well...huh, after we understand these little

creatures better, how are we going to stop that creep Elya

from continuing to attack them?

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— We can still teach him to conserve the species,

— Lucy reasoned.

— Now, do you really believe that men like that

can change? No, of course not. We have to be more

energetic if these poor beings are not to become extinct.

Not really, this time.

— And what do you suggest? — I asked

curiously.

— Use the power, young man, — he replied,

raising a closed fist that clenched something imaginary,

perhaps Elya's heart. He continued speaking:

— These bastards have only managed to settle in

Hluleka because they have economic power. Well, I too

have this power, and I will spend every last cent to

defend vulnerable animals. Let's distribute money all

over South Africa! — At this point, Keene's voice

sounded a bit manic and got worse as he continued:

— We will pay kickbacks to officials of all ranks,

making sure to silence the honest ones who reject the

offer. There is no way a company can defeat me!

— Don't you mean defeat the animals? — Lucy

asked, crossing her arms.

— The animals have an advocate, little girl. No

one else is going to harm my creatures. — Keene's

taking over the animals sounded absurd, especially

coming from someone who had shown cowardice before

an animal attack.

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— This is a good use for one's fortune, — Lucy

said, flattering the biomedical doctor. — And how did

you achieve such financial success, Doctor?

— On the foreign exchange market, — he

answered somberly. — My family runs a bloody

international bank where I had to work until I was your

age. Then, I freed myself from those leeches and could

finally work with natural science, as I always wanted to.

— At that moment I turned my attention away. Money is

not a subject that attracts me. I concentrated my eyes on

the halo of light that focused on the waters of the pond

and noticed that the surface was already beginning to stir

slightly. Since we were in a lake, we had the benefit that

freshwater offered, of providing flying insects that had

developed right there. In addition to the plankton that

was gathering on the surface, this large cloud of

mosquitoes, which I never thought I would ever enjoy;

all of this was beginning to attract predators. Keene and

Lucy's voices were now muffled by my thoughts. In the

short waves, small fish jumped up to devour the tiny

insects that formed a dense mass in the halo of light.

These, in turn, swam away as soon as they got their

morsel because behind them it was possible to see the

backs of catfish and perch that had been attracted by the

commotion. Sensing the vibrations that reached the

whiskers, the catfish came out of their burrows in the

depths and went up the water column with their mouths

wide open, ready to grab anything. But it was not this

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species that concerned me. Although voracious, the

catfish that inhabited the lagoon were native and thus

already fulfilled an ecological niche. The perch,

however, were not native to the area and were just as

voracious as their rival predators. Perhaps the

Leptocleidus invasion was helping to reduce their

numbers. At this moment, my train of thought, as well as

the conversation in the background, were interrupted by

an electronic beep, coming from Lucy's sonar. Leaving

Keene, she ran up to the device and leaned over, taking

the depth reading.

— There is movement 5 meters below the

surface. There are several of them entering the sonar

range.

— Are they heading towards us? — Keene

asked.

— Yes. Five distinct masses.

— Well done, children. Get ready to see a show.

— 20 meters now, they are more compact.

— They are hunting like a gang of sharks, oh,

this is so exciting! — celebrated Keene.

— 15, 10, — Lucy resumed, — 5, must be well

under the boat.

— This is it!

But nothing happened. Long seconds passed, and

even the commotion in the water stopped.

— Aren't they hungry? — asked the British man,

probably to himself. In the most anticlimactic way, the

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pond quieted down, and the disturbance ceased, as did

the savannah that surrounded the pond. And just like in

the savannah, the action happens instantaneously.

Lit by the beam, a large Leptocleidus came to the

surface in a huge wave, with a struggling fish impaled by

the predator's long teeth. For an instant, we could see the

grey back of the animal as it rose above the foam, before

letting itself sink again. Amidst our cries of elation, the

scene began to repeat itself all around us. The five or six

predators quickly swam to the bottom, where their dark

coloration on top camouflaged them in the darkness of

the depths and used their strong fins as thrusters that

launched them to the surface of the lagoon, not without

their jaws first catching a perch or a huge catfish. Diving

again, the creatures swallowed their victims whole, their

teeth being perfect for piercing, but of no use for

chewing.

— Exactly like sharks, — Keene remarked

proudly.

— More like dolphins, — I thought.

Lucy walked with a dreamy look on her face to

the parapet of the boat, crossed her arms, and rested her

chin on them, admiring the animals that danced before

us. Jacob Keene, who had maintained a fascinated look

since the beginning of the show, followed her and also

stopped in front of the metal bars, leaving a good

distance between himself and Lucy. I then walked over

to them, placing myself in the space between them, and

247

put an arm around each of them. Jacob's body trembled

slightly at the human contact, but he restrained himself.

A smile opened on his face again, and this time, it didn't

close.

In a few seconds, it was all over. The large

carnivores stopped emerging from the water, and the

surface returned to its usual serene pace. Shifting the

spotlight, one could see fish that had been stunned by the

onslaught but had not been pierced by the sharp teeth.

Aimlessly, they were soon caught by jaws that appeared

and immediately disappeared, leaving a light trail of

blood on the surface. Anticipating that my companions

would have to return to their positions, I removed my

arms from their shoulders and they left for their

respective tasks. Returning to read the radar, Lucy

announced:

— You can turn around, they are passing us and

heading for the Sazinge. — Keene no longer mocked the

orders and turned the helm with the dexterity that his

lifetime experience gave him. The boat spun on the

waves, again facing the narrow strait that led to the river,

and set out on it.

— Don't increase the speed, Dr. Keene, we don't

want to help the extinction of the species, — Lucy

commanded.

Keene didn't answer, but maintained constant

speed, crossing the expressive divide between the lake

and the river that originated from it. Now the flowing

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water was propelling us, taking us downstream, toward

the mouth.

— You can slow down, Doctor, — Lucy

continued, — the animals are swimming more slowly

now. — Jacob Keene then slowed the boat down, and we

were practically at the mercy of the current; only not

quite, because the width of the river narrowed in some

places, forcing the need for a captain's command. I stood

up, now that the limits would prevent Keene from

throwing me off the boat in his mad haste, and went to

check the sonar. In the green circle that formed the

display of the device, a few spots were condensing even

more prominently now, given the width of the river. The

small population of animals no longer used the same

force to propel themselves as we had seen before;

instead, they digested their meal quietly, using their oars

only to steer themselves in the weak flow that carried

them downstream.

— So, Kevin, — the captain called me, — why

do you think there have never been sightings if the

animals make such a fuss when feeding? — The

question shocked me slightly. The man who always

valued his own knowledge wanted to know my opinion?

— You want to know what I think? — I asked

him, incredulously.

— Didn't you identify the species yourself? I may

have more logical knowledge than you, but all I know

about prehistoric animals is what Lane forced me to

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listen to for months on end. — The mention of Anthony

Lane again brought a sepulchral silence to the cockpit.

Why was it necessary for him to do this? Wasn't it

enough to say the number of months he had listened to

the speeches? Anyway, it was still a compliment and I

would have to be content with its nature.

— Yes, sir...I don't think anyone had witnessed

this behavior before because it seems to require deep

water, so the animals dive in and come back quickly,

surprising their prey. The pond is rather deep in the

center and near the intersection but becomes too shallow

near the village.

Keene nodded, approving of my reasoning, and

Lucy smiled at me as if to compliment the success of my

argument, to which I corresponded. When Lucy turned

her attention back to the sonar, she exclaimed:

— Stop the boat!

— What happened? — Keene asked.

— Come and see, you two. — As we approached

the screen, we saw what she meant.

Clumped together like a single mass, the animals

formed a distorted blob near the shore. We then ran on

deck, anticipating what was going to happen. Rising to

the surface once more, the first animal approached the

sandy soil that formed the bank of the Sazinge. With an

extra effort, it crawled onto the land, followed by its

companions, who were mimicking the same struggle

now. Their movements on land were not as difficult as

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that of a turtle, but they were still clumsier than that of

seals and other pinnipeds. The Leptocleidus then spread

out on the beach, organizing themselves to better spread

the eggs, and thus prevent predation by carnivores from

affecting more than one nest. Turning once more, each

animal began to move its large back paddles and dig in

with difficulty; strong jets of sand flying behind each

one. Keene then turned the spotlight on the animals to

examine their eyes. I knew what he was looking for and,

more importantly, what he found soon after.

— Yes, Doctor, — I agreed, without making

explicit reference to his intentions, — they are regulating

the salinity. — Keene nodded slowly, without losing his

focus on the creatures. Lucy commented:

— Not so different from other reptiles, then, eh?

— Indeed. — The behavior she was referring to

was the habit that chelonians show when spawning. Big

slimy tears streamed from the corners of their eyes,

falling immediately to the sand.

I couldn't resist just watching from afar, and I

know that Lucy couldn't either, because we both jumped

off the rail of the boat and walked slowly towards the

unconscious creatures. The spotlight shone brightly

behind our backs and sometimes hit the plesiosaurs'

eyes, but did not force them to close. As if in a trance, all

the animals could concentrate on doing was laying eggs

in the newly dug nest; their brains concentrated only on

the current activity and switched off to any other. Getting

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very close to the first individual, I noticed that the

female had glassy eyes, moving only her hind fins and

nostrils that breathed heavily as the rubbery-shelled eggs

lay one on top of the other, slightly bouncing over the

ones that had been laid just before. It would be easy for a

predator to attack during those precious minutes when

the mother was torpid, but it would be rare for an animal

to have such courage. Turning to the animal's head,

which was touching the beach floor for rest, the reason

was obvious — the huge three-meter-long animal had a

hideous toothy expression. I did not want to expose

myself for much longer, even though I knew that the

creature's teeth were not designed to devour human

flesh. No animal was created to devour us, and yet, cases

are repeated around the world. When the sound of falling

eggs stopped, we ran back to the boat before the trance

came to an end. As soon as we reached the boat, the fins

now served to cover the nests again and conceal the

precious spherical eggs. At the end of the process, their

movements suddenly became organic again, their eyes

came back to life, and the fins dragged the Leptocleidus

back to the waves. Being part of the aquatic environment

again, the spots reappeared on the radar and followed

even more slowly, as if just letting the current take them

this time.

— They are exhausted, — Keene commented.

— Let's follow them from afar, Doctor, — Lucy

ordered.

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Returning to his position, the Doctor let us too be

at the mercy of the Sazinge's force, occasionally moving

the helm to round the bends in the river. The spawning

site we had left was only a few miles from the

condominium, which was downstream. We would soon

pass by Elya, grateful for the time we were doing so

since he would be asleep. Time and again, we would see

the tops of the Leptocleidus heads return to the surface,

take a breath, and return to the water. The gesture, so

brief and discreet, was almost imperceptible and would

be mistaken for the back of any fish if seen by an

observer unaware that the animals were in that river.

Soon, our slow glide had brought us to the spot where

we had first encountered eggs. Lucy then walked

discreetly to the spotlight and turned it off. Again in deep

darkness, our boat began to bump against the banks,

while Keene tried to force his relatively blind eyes to see

the lines that denoted them. Fortunately, the river was

deep, though narrow, offering no risk of irreparable

damage, such as scraping the bottom on structures that

were too sharp or too rigid. We turned to the right and

could now see Baruti Elya's condominium. The

extremely pure white houses used the slightest

moonlight to show their color at night, and again, there

were lights on some of the porches; a device that Elya

insisted on using so that others would think there were

men other than him guarding the place. We maintained

absolute silence as if simply sighing could reveal to

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Baruti what we were doing. Slowly being left behind, the

condo still seemed like a possible project, as if all that

polished appearance could save it from the tragedy it

was facing. Finally, we could talk again, but we didn't

feel like it. The moment required precious silence to be

appreciated, and fortunately, my companions thought the

same way. Switching on the searchlight to prevent Keene

from climbing up the ravine with the speedboat, Lucy

went out on the deck and sat down. Following her, I sat

beside her, admiring the beings that occasionally came

up for air.

— Do you remember the last time we did this?

— she asked. Agreeing, I returned:

— Ambungi.

— My father would give anything to be here.

— He saw several of these beings. Only the proof

never reached Athlios' critics.

— How...how did he feel when they doubted

him?

— Terrible. A physical attack would not hurt as

much as an attack on his reputation. Unfortunately, after

years of claiming things with no solid basis, he had none

left.

— I never believed him. It always seemed

fanciful to me what he said. I...should have trusted my

father.

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— No, Lucy. Your father should have stayed with

you. He took away from you the only motivation you

had for trusting him. It's not your fault.

— Maybe you are right...but how are we going to

tell the world about this without someone threatening

them?

I couldn't answer the question either, since it was

a paradox. But I knew what to say, nevertheless.

— You know what to do, — I said to cheer her

up. — You always have a plan or something, you...you

know how to convince people.

— You know I didn't finish college, right?

— So what? You already know humans as well

as I know prehistory; you don't need the damn college.

— Well, maybe we can...bring in the right people

first. Those who want to help preserve the species, and

then announce it to the world. By the time any danger

comes, the species will be strong enough to fight for

itself.

— And where will we get these people?

— How about a tribe?

— What do you mean? — But Lucy didn't

answer. Leaning her head back, she smiled and closed

her eyes, relishing my curiosity. Knowing the Lanes, I

knew the answer would not come, not now at least, but

in due time. Besides, the mouth was now right in front of

us, where the Indian Ocean opened up into a vast

expanse. Getting up, we went to the rail to see what the

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plesiosaurs would do. The heads that had just emerged

were now sinking into the deep water. We then had to

resort to our sonar again, and in it, we saw the

plesiosaurs scatter as they had done in the inner lake.

Now they were heading south, close to the shore. The

group remained as a single body, although more sparse,

and were certainly on their way to the place where they

rested during the day.

Below the waves, the animals did not feel it, but

we were punished by the force of the waves breaking on

the shore. The wind would encase them, lifting their

walls of water against us, some of which would even

flood our boat. Fortunately, there was no risk of sinking,

but the infernal sound of the ocean made it difficult even

for the crew to communicate.

— Dr. Keene, do we have enough fuel to follow

the animals for much longer? — Lucy shouted so that

her voice could be heard.

— I think so! It wouldn't make sense for them to

come all this way just to feed!

With the stormy weather approaching, I finally

found something to occupy me and put all the equipment

away, including the fishing rods that were tossed on the

deck, showing that our respected Mr. Elya was doing

more than just fetching provisions with said speedboat.

Making sure that he could no longer use the company

boat for personal purposes, I took all the personal gear

and threw it against the deck, not caring if the fibers of

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the rods broke. As I turned to leave the berth, an opaque

glow caught my eye in one of the equipment recesses. It

is customary on nautical vessels to have a beacon, and at

first, this is what the object appeared to be. A closer

inspection would reveal, however, that the weapon was a

real pistol, with real bullets. Baruti Elya kept a loaded

gun on his "service boat". Why would he do so?

Climbing the stairs to return to the deck, I carried

my strange discovery in my hands, not knowing how to

even handle the artifact. I had used tranquilizer darts

before, obviously, but there was something sinister about

a weapon made for killing. Especially one for killing

humans. Without having a precise idea of how to

approach the subject, I simply said:

— Guys, I...found this downstairs.

Lucy and Keene then adopted a serious tone, as if

the weapon had already been used.

— God, — Keene commented, shaking his head,

— the man is worse than we thought!

— Let's go back as soon as possible! — Lucy

recommended. — And return Elya's belongings.

It seemed the wisest thing to do - return before he

woke up and realized what had happened. One small

matter, though, is that it was about 9 o'clock. The sun

was already burning and Elya should have woken up by

now. He certainly would have taken the slightest trouble

to turn to the right and see that the speedboat was no

longer there. Anyway, we were not sure of what we

257

should do, but by now we were not even sure of the

nature of the man we were dealing with. We then passed

the mouth of the Mthakatye, even smaller in width than

the Sazinge and with steeper bends. There was then a

bend in the coast that went into the sea, ending in 4 km,

where there was another mouth, at Lwandile. On the

sonar, we saw that the animals lazily followed the curve,

but did not make the movement to follow the coast. The

plesiosaurs followed straight ahead as if they could enter

the continent. Lucy and I focused on the sonar reading,

thinking that something must be wrong with the device

until we heard Keene say:

— It's...not wrong. Look!

Lifting our eyes, we saw what Jacob Keene

meant. The animals had indeed entered the continent. On

the covered Lwandile beach, an entire colony of

Leptocleidus rested, forming a group that piled up and

spread out to share the shade cast by the large palm trees

that adorned the sand line.

— This is it. This is where they rest. — Lucy's

voice was muffled, almost dreamy. Animals of different

sizes were there, living together as a group.

— They feed every night at the Sazinge, —

Keene concluded with a dose of sweetness in his voice,

— and rest during the day at the sea on the soft beach, 11

km away.

— Don't worry, Dr. Keene, — Lucy assured him.

— We'll save them.