Ch 41 - Restoration

— I'm sorry I wasn't there to act for myself. —

The figure in front of us contrasted dramatically with his

words, as if it was not physically possible for the results

to be otherwise.

Since the explosion in Datsá, weeks had passed,

terrible weeks of dark memories. Jimmy Bruneau had

led us, first helping us to climb the gigantic rock pile that

had formed between the deposit and the ice gap. Lucy

was still feeling the anesthesia effects that left her neck

numb near the base, but she refused to have any help as

she climbed the hill. Then there was the extension

leading to the shepherd from whom Bergeron had

borrowed the herd, and whom we never heard from

again. Then the dark closed woods, where we dared not

light a fire again, confining ourselves to starving until we

reached the Dene village. Somewhere in the shadows,

the alpha female and her subordinate were waiting for

their next prey. Bravely, the indigenous leader walked

through the woods with us, including a clearing he said

he wanted to show us, where he had used an explosive to

take out the first Ceratosaurus. By the time we arrived at

the site, the snow had covered most of the pieces, but a

few were still large enough to be studied later, and I

wisely made my way to the largest of them, which stuck

out of the snow like a rock. As I approached it and

removed the snow that covered it, I discovered that it

was a skull, without the jaw and much of the flesh that

should have covered it, but still retaining the iconic horn

and some fuzz that reached to the back of its head.

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Storing the find in my backpack, we continued on our

way cautiously, until we found ourselves again on the

plain where Aputik had been killed, which we crossed in

silence to show respect for Bruneau. At last, we were

back at the tribe and sat down to eat with the chief and

his people, including the guards, who threw their spears

to the ground to join us. The exquisite caribou stew

warmed us up, before we took the ferry back home. We

never set foot again in Bergeron's village, at Jimmy's

own request. In his view, it was better that his master

gave them the sad news. Andri Bergeron would be

remembered as a hero, as he had always wished, and that

was enough for the chief. There was not much we could

say against his wishes, so we rejoined Frederick Frost,

whom we had met up with in the tribe, and took the ferry

back to Whitehorse and finally to New Haven. The

Lavouie Inn front remained locked, forgotten, and should

stay like that until the walls succumbed to the action of

time. But of course, the reality is much darker than that

— soon the hordes of real estate agents would arrive,

ready to buy and sell a property where a person had been

unscrupulously murdered. I rolled my eyes into the cab,

imagining this scene with disgust. By the time I had the

courage to lift them once more, we were in front of the

Brone Airport, where the three of us took the last plane

necessary to end this adventure. Frost refused to sit next

to us, waiting for us to land so that we could talk more

particularly. When we finally landed at the Tweed, we

looked for the old man, but he was already lost in the

crowd. Lucy and I understood that this was some kind of

shame — the regret of not having been there to stop

something that was within his power. Days and then

621

weeks passed, before he opened the doors of his office to

us, but after almost a month, we found ourselves sitting

in two armchairs in front of his mahogany desk.

— Don't worry, Mr. Frost, — Lucy said with a

sigh. — There wasn't much to do.

— But there was! Of course there was! — he

cried, covering his bald head with his hands. — I could

have accompanied you to Datsá, but instead, I fell asleep

here, lost track of time, and for some reason don't even

remember the details of that day.

Sighing even more deeply, Lucy said slowly:

— Well, sir, do you even remember having

coffee?

— Coffee? Why, of course.

— Well, I asked Keene to drug you with a

sleeping pill.

— Why would you do that?

— For the same reason that you went with us to

South Africa — to protect us from him. When we first

met you on the plane to Africa and then to Inaccessible

Island, you looked scared to see us, but in reality, you

saw someone behind us. That someone was Jacob

Keene. That is why you ran back to your seat. You

already suspected that he had something to do with our

father's death, and you became morbidly afraid of the

man who managed to bring down that invincible

scientist. So you wanted to go with us to Hluleka, facing

your own fear, motivated only by the concern that he

would do us some harm. And that, Kevin... — Lucy

turned to me to say, — Is why Nathan Allard stole

Young's truck — to destroy the laboratory, which would

force Mr. Frost to return to America to investigate. For

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the same reason, you followed us to the Everglades,

staying at the ranch only because your age didn't allow

you to go down to the lowlands. Also for us, you walked

to the Dene settlement, almost succumbing to the snow,

only to ask Bruneau to look after us both. You watched

over us all this time, and it was out of the same affection

that I tried to prevent you from going with us. —

Remaining silent for a few minutes, Frederick Frost

seemed to digest the information and ruminate it two,

three times, before finally answering:

— Well, I would be a hypocrite if I criticized you

for doing something I did with pride. But I want you to

explain to me everything that happened in each location.

— It will be my pleasure. We also have to contact

some people involved in all this. Do you mind waiting

until we are back?

— Back? And what am I going to do in the

meantime?

— How about inviting Albert Mendel to play

some cards? I think he would appreciate some company,

— she said, getting up and opening the door so that we

could go back out into the corridors of Athlios.

The corridors were slowly illuminated by the

faint light streaming in through the mahogany-framed

windows — the only reminder of a time that was to be

forgotten forever. One by one, they let the row of doors

in front of us take on color, even if that color was only

beige for the time being. We went down the upstairs

corridor to the spiral staircase where the dean had once

run to catch his plane, and then to the first floor where,

just below Frederick Frost's office, there was a gigantic

library, which seemed to defy the limits imposed by

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space. Before we reached it, though, there was a streak

of sunlight coming in from the right, from the arched

doorway, which would never have happened a few

months before, when the laboratory stood sovereign,

blocking out any illumination. I then let Lucy go on her

way to talk to Albert Mendel and opened the huge

double doors of precious mahogany. Behind me, I could

still hear Lucy's footsteps, strolling more heavily to show

me that I could have a moment alone with my thoughts.

When the doors opened, the same vision I had before

was no longer so painful. We had returned from Florida

when I came back to this very foundation, wondering

what I would find, but I'd never be able to comprehend

the immense pain I was about to feel. Now, however,

there was no reason to suffer. The wind had blown away

the fine dust that remained from the destruction of the

laboratory, leaving behind only the smooth stone that

once supported the wooden and plaster walls. In the

garden planted by Lane, the flowers were also adapting

to his absence, slowly rising as they do every year.

Perhaps that is the only thing I remember about my

mother — a proverb. — Be reborn each spring, as the

wild rose does. I was being reborn. Starting over.

Becoming more resilient. On the ground, the petunias

lifted their stems with vigor, as did the thriving

four-o'clocks and the hydrangeas, which rose into

rounded bushes. Everything around me felt peaceful

again, even though I would never live in this space

again. I had a piece of Lane with me always — the home

Lucy had given me, plus her company from now on. At

this, I heard laughter echoing off the solid walls of

Athlios, resounding from the library. For once in months,

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it was great to hear laughter replacing crying and

screams of horror. Turning to the doors again, I forever

abandoned that diminutive symmetrical square I once

called home.

⬫⬫⬫

The variation of Mendel's closet seemed as

infinite as the space between the walls of his library. This

time, the plaid he wore was green and white, matching

the bow tie that bore the same pattern; the man's chin

was prominent, enhancing the smile that greeted me at

the library counter. In front of him, Lucy was already

sitting in an armchair, almost disappearing into the folds

of the cushion that filled it; in her hand, a latte macchiato

completed the scene.

— My boy, how are you? Sit down before I force

you to do it, will you? — his voice trailed off, as if he

had never left the state of relaxation that the sleeping pill

had brought him, and his gestures of fixing the glasses

on his nose were also slow.

— What would you like? Cappuccino? Lucy told

me that was your favorite. Don't worry, there are no

drugs in this one. — Obviously, she refused to look me

in the eye at this point, so as not to give away the cheap

lie she had told.

— Yeah, why not? — I simply said, with an

accepting smile. Mandel's nimble hands seemed to have

trained for hours on end since we last saw him, typing

commands into the machine as if it was natural for him

to perform the gesture.

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— You know, — he said with a concerned tone,

reaching out to me with the hand that held a cup of

coffee. — I've been thinking about what I did to Frost

and...I don't know if we were wise. Does he already

suspect that I lied to him?

— Why, no, Mr. Mendel, — Lucy assured him

confidently. — And of course, we won't tell him

anything...as long as you do us a small favor.

— Anything to maintain my position.

— You are also responsible for recording the

number of students who attend each class, if I'm not

mistaken.

— And also the name of each of them. Why?

What do you need?

— A very particular list...

⬫⬫⬫

— Then he drugged me and stole my truck so the

old man wouldn't get in his way? Why, what a jerk... —

The young man in front of us was still visibly calm,

despite having just discovered that he had been doped

and that his most prized possession had been taken to set

the stage for murder.

— I'm afraid so, Young, — Lucy said. At this

point, she had accepted the fact that you can't address

everyone by formal pronouns, but she had not yet

admitted that it is more concise to call someone of the

same age by their first name. Dave Young sat slouched

over his rocking chair, giving it a rock every few minutes

to cradle himself in what, judging by the creaking wood,

626

was an antique piece of equipment. The yellow uniform

had been replaced by jeans and a huge baggy shirt.

— Well, the bandit ended up paying for what he

did, — he said without changing the tone of his voice. —

And my machine is already shiny again, ready to hit the

road.

— The road? — I asked, surprised.

— Frost didn't tell you? The old man hired me to

be his bodyguard. He said he wanted to compensate me

in some way after what happened.

— Besides paying for the repair of the truck, you

mean?

— Why, yes, Kevin. It seems that the old

bodyguard quit his job or something. Do you know

anything about it?

— A few details, — Lucy answered, without

giving any more information about Nathan Allard's

death.

— And when did he hire you for the job? — I

asked, now interested in the subject.

— Just before his last trip to Canada, I believe.

— Yes, indeed, — I agreed. — And now, what is

the first mission?

— Oh, something pretty simple. He wants me to

go to a certain town of a strange name; I won't remember

now, and talk to a widow. Her name is...Abal. I only

remember her last name.

Lucy and I exchanged a look with the intention

that it would be discreet, but, as usual, we failed to

execute it.

627

— What is it? You know this lady? — Dave

Young asked with a huge smile with slightly crooked

teeth.

— We've already had the pleasure, — Lucy

answered simply.

— Well, he didn't give me much information,

except that I must carry enough money to convince an

entire village. The old man loves figures of speech.

— It's no figure of speech, — I thought to

myself.

— It's great to see that you are recovering well,

Young, — Lucy said with a slight nod. — Could you get

me some more caramel cake? — she asked in an almost

childish tone.

— Why, of course! — With a powerful thrust, he

used the rocking chair to launch him to the ground,

breaking his fall on the way. As he disappeared into the

small house, Lucy pulled out a slice of the same cake,

hidden in the hand that her chair concealed.

— What do you think? — I asked, knowing that

this was the real intention of sending our host inside the

residence.

— Frost is the smartest old man we have ever

dealt with, eh? He understood exactly what happened

when we arrived in New Britain.

— And what was it?

— Remember seeing Keene talking to the natives

and laughing out loud? That's not the atmosphere you

expect to find in a community that has just been

attacked, even if we saved everyone.

— You are right... so what's all the joy about?

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— Not joy, Kevin. Pleasure. Keene offered

money, a fortune perhaps, to those poor people. In a

miserable and forgotten town, it is normal that the

inhabitants dream big when the chance of getting rich

appears so suddenly. Jacob wanted them to shut up, and

he succeeded. With so many witnesses seeing the

pictures we showed, there should be a global movement

by now, but there's none. He was able to stifle a fire, that

old fox!

— You know that's prejudice, right?

— Don't take it personally. Anyway, Frost wants

to make amends, now, by sending even more money than

Keene offered.

— Well, well, well...are we going to let that

happen? — With a sigh, she replied:

— There will be trouble, that's for sure. Where

there are humans, there are problems. But there will also

be those who will preserve and care for it with love. We

can only hope that the scales weigh in the right

direction...and be thankful that there are so many people

in that tribe.

— Why?

— Because if they were few, Keene wouldn't

have bribed them. He would have murdered them.

At that moment, Dave Young returned with the

infamous caramel cake, balancing it with the precision of

an inebriated man.

— There you go. You said you know these

people I'm going to bribe? — he asked, placing the huge

cake on the wooden table.

— And also those you are going to visit in a few

tribes after that, Lucy answered.

629

— What? — he asked, confused. — How do you

know these are the next destinations Frost is going to

send me to?

— Just a hunch. Anyway, Young, thanks for

having us; we have to attend a lecture that will take place

in the Athlios' auditorium at 4 pm.

— But, but what about the cake?

— Bring it with you. Maybe they will pay more

attention to me if we sweeten them first.

With that, we left the poor man behind, as

confused as before, and took to the streets once again.

— You're going to criticize Frost for what he did,

aren't you? — I predicted with a satisfied smile.

— Yes, I am, bro, — she answered, already

taking out of her pocket the cell phone she had left at

home during the last trip.

In Frederick Frost's office, the phone rang in a

hellish symphony. Waking up at the uncomfortable

noise, he jumped up from his chair, feeling that his heart

seemed to be doing the same movement.

— Hello? — he said, his heartbeat still racing.

— Good afternoon, Mr. Frost. I hope I'm not

disturbing you.

— Lucy? Kid, you saw me only yesterday

morning! What could have happened in the meantime to

make you disturb my revitalizing sleep?

— Well, not much ... we had breakfast with your

new bodyguard, went for a walk, found out about your

fraud scheme, something like that.

A long silence followed this sentence before

Frost spoke again.

630

— An act is only a crime if it harms someone,

young lady.

— You're right, — Lucy's voice sounded, slightly

distorted by the speaker. — What about the hundreds of

students who come to your University every day, hoping

to have the best possible infrastructure for learning?

Don't you think they are harmed by the fact that you

divert thousands of dollars for personal purposes?

— They are not for personal purposes! It is for

the preservation of these animals! Understand that by

revealing the existence of these creatures, we will have

even more supporters for our cause. Besides, I

embezzled millions of dollars before that, all to pay for

your father's expeditions, and did he come back with

anything? No, never. So maybe there will be some

return, at least.

The voice on the other end then sounded robotic,

almost like a synthesizer:

— I embezzled millions of dollars...millions of

dollars...millions of dollars...

— What? What was...

— Ah, how fascinating technology is, isn't it, Mr.

Frost? It's even possible to have a call recorder on your

cell phone these days.

— You little...!

— Save your vocabulary, Mr. Frost. As I said,

you have done us immense good before and even gave

me shelter as a child, albeit with the wrong motivation.

But unfortunately, humans are not only villains or good

guys, Keene or O'Riley, are they? There are also those

who manage to stay in the middle of that spectrum.

Apparently, you are one of these.

631

Sighing in frustration, Frederick Frost said:

— Okay...what do you want?

— What do I want? I want you to pay for your

mistakes too, just as others have paid, even though theirs

were far greater than yours. But I see that there is a much

greater gain in not denouncing you...

— Just say what you want!

— You will soon send Dave Young on a mission

to South Africa, ready to bribe the tribe that protects the

Sazinge River. Well, Keene had promised to pay them a

lifelong salary to keep guarding it. You'll volunteer to

pay that debt.

— Are you out of your mind? Can you imagine

how much it would cost in the long run?

— I embezzled millions of dollars...mi... — said

the dean's mirrored voice again.

— All right! All right, I accept the debt.

— Good, I knew I could count on you, as always.

By the way, would you like to have dinner with us

tonight?

— Yes…of course.

— Great, see you at the lecture at 4:00.

⬫⬫⬫

The auditorium was full — like it hadn't been for

months. Even in this vacation season, all the guests made

extreme arrangements to be present. Sitting in their

midst, I recognized the faces as those who scoffed at

Anthony Lane's speeches, whispering, calling him

"senile" and "feeble," being there only because Frost

threatened to lower their grades if they didn't. All of

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these were listed on a very specific document, one that

Lucy had asked Albert Mendel to provide us with —

Professor Keene's list of students. Everyone had been

told that the lecture would be on something

exceptionally important related to the Doctor, which had

caused this huge wave of followers, which now

completely filled the auditorium, with more force than a

literal flood would have. A few seats to my left, Dave

Young had the caramel cake in his hands, which was

now being sliced and distributed among the hungry

crowd. Behind me, a hoarse and continuous coughing

frequently took my attention away. Finally, the automatic

curtains opened, and Lucy Lane walked across the

wooden stage; her creaking being the only noise to be

heard in the absolute silence that suddenly dominated the

place. Taking a breath, she stared at the audience and

began her lecture.

— I believe that many of you don't know me, but

you know enough about my story to be interested in

what has happened in the last few months. As you have

been informed, there is something I would like to tell

you about Dr. Jacob Evans Keene, a professor of

biomedicine who worked here for more than twenty

years. — With a saddened sigh, she went on to say:

— I must inform you that he recently passed

away.

All around, the noise of conversation instantly

returned, with the hundreds of comments and sighs of

shock that the news had caused.

— Now, I understand how heavy this blow must

be for all of you who lived with him daily, — she said,

now signaling the audience to keep their voices down. —

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But I also believe that we should have this last meeting

to celebrate life, not death. Kevin O'Riley is here with us

this afternoon and will assist us in this task, — she called

out, pointing at me. Recovering from the surprise of

being called to the stage, I started the dozens of times I

would say "excuse me" until I reached the aisle and then

the stage. Welcoming me, she turned back to the crowd,

now walking across the stage for added effect.

— But, how... how did this happen? — a girl

asked, still sobbing.

— Well, the Doctor was recently involved in a

program that sought to find certain creatures thought to

be extinct.

— You mean like that senile Lane? — sneered a

young man.

Walking over to the computers in the center of

the stage, she reached for a huge backpack that still

rested on the keyboards and brought it to the edge of the

stage.

— What's your name? — she asked in an

irritated tone.

— Than. Why? Who wants to know?

— Because, Than, I'm Lucy Lane, his daughter,

— she answered, throwing the contents of her backpack

— the piece of Ceratosaurus that we had collected in the

Yukon — onto the man's lap.

Terrified, he jumped up and down, throwing the

head over the others nearby.

— Hadn't I put that sample in the freezer? — I

asked Lucy.

— I thought it would be more useful here.

Anyway, does anyone have any other jokes or

634

comments? No? Great! As I was saying, Keene had been

part of this project for some months now, and as our

friend Than was able to see very closely, he, along with

Anthony Lane, our father, found satisfactory samples of

what they were looking for.

To honor the work of these brave men, what we

will do today is explain to you how it is possible that

these populations have survived the extinction that most

of their kind have suffered. Kevin, please.

— Well, the first case is also the most recent.

This fractured skull was collected in Yukon, Canada, and

shows us how a species can defeat others within the

same genus and become dominant in the ecosystem in

question. Judging by the size, we must assume that this

is a Ceratosaurus dentisulcatus, the largest recorded to

date. The fossils we have were found in the USA,

making it a fantastic discovery so far north; it really is

extraordinary how many possibilities...

— Kevin...

— Oh, yes, sorry, I got carried away. Anyway,

the evidence seems to point to a change in behavior

caused by competition. It is possible that the other

smaller species were more effective at stalking and

taking down prey that the heavy dentisulcatus could not.

It is also arguable that a catastrophe caused this change,

such as a drought, which would be detrimental to

individuals that needed more food and water sources,

forcing them to migrate. For either of these reasons, the

species survived and now thrives.

⬫⬫⬫

635

From the shade of a huge birch tree, a predator

watched, somewhat hesitantly. Beside her, her only

companion remained silent, waiting for the command to

attack, but it would not come. In front of them, a crowd

of people was marching, about a hundred yards away.

Walking along the Stewart River, they were heading

south, where they would be more safely settled. These

people were Dene Indians and a mishmash of their

descendants from the nearby village, all led by an old

man, but also of strong, sturdy build, wearing a heavy

leather jacket. Keeping a watchful eye on that long line

of people leaving their homes forever, the female

observed them for a few moments, before returning to

the darkness of the forest, followed by the small male

who followed her steps. She could attack those people

and it is likely that many would succumb to the attack,

but her experiences with humans were not always good;

some even traumatic. There would be more prey,

however, now that the humans were going away to find

new pastures, allowing the natives to take back the land

that was rightfully theirs.

With caution, she approached the branch of the

river that crossed her path, preventing her shadow from

suddenly appearing on the surface of the water. This, by

the way, seemed to obscure and distort anything that was

beneath its surface, but not for a predator with a trained

eye. With the agility of a heron, the dinosaur stuck its

snout into the water, piercing a trout with its sharp fangs,

and soon brought it ashore to feed. For her, all nutrition

was essential, especially at this time of life.

636

⬫⬫⬫

— The next cause for the survival of a species is

isolation, — Lucy introduced, taking the floor. — Away

from their fellows, it is possible for a group of animals to

be protected from communicable diseases and extreme

competition from other herds. This is exactly the

scenario we discovered in the Everglades, where

something like a Steppesaurus colony had been formed.

It is difficult to specify how long the creatures have been

trapped in that mudflat, but certainly not for thousands of

years. The chances are slim that no severe drought has

befallen the region before or that no other external

factors have interfered with the local climate; it is simply

impossible. Thus, it is most likely that millions of years

ago a sizeable population of these animals survived and

spread across America. More recently, though, their

numbers have declined dramatically, and the remaining

individuals have found themselves trapped by the

constant transformation of the region. Fortunately, the

lagoon seepage, combined with the high rainfall rate and

the growth of local plants have turned the lowland into

an oasis, not only for these predators, but also for their

prey, which may have been the reason why they entered

the lowland in the first place. We found in the same

environment a huge amount of Diplocaulus magnicornis,

a large amphibian with a boomerang-shaped skull.

⬫⬫⬫

637

At the edge of the lake, a log balanced on an

incline, supported only by others that had fallen earlier.

Its already hollow structure served as a perfect hiding

place for all sorts of small creatures, from insects to

arachnids, and far below, other larger logs served the

same function for animals of the same scale — catfish.

The huge fish had taken advantage of the recent rains to

enter this new environment, finding, however, that it was

no more friendly than the rest of the swamp.

With its whiskers, one of them then felt a

vibration coming from the surface, sounding the meal

alarm. Being a small individual, anything that fell on the

surface had to be examined, in case it was food. Leaving

its burrow, it quickly ascended the water column,

approaching its prey. Held by surface tension, a huge

Palmetto cockroach struggled, trying to get back to the

ground, but the small predator covered the distance

quickly, too quickly for the insect to escape. Before it

could do so, though, a shadow covered the sunlight over

its eyes. A huge, salamander-like creature swam up to

the insect and devoured it with a single bite. Tilting its

body to the bottom, the Diplocaulus revealed its yellow

stripes on the brown body that camouflaged it perfectly,

before devouring the tiny catfish, as well.

On the ground, the group of Steppesaurus

exposed their sails to the sun, warming themselves to the

morning rays after the cruel cold night they had faced.

Left alone for weeks now, the animals were thriving

again, having all the food and water they needed at their

disposal. Many of them, asleep, did not notice the sky

change dramatically in a few minutes. Those that did,

moved lazily away from the lake shore, nudging the

638

younger ones with their muzzles to keep up. Suddenly,

the rain was falling weakly on the Everglades, causing a

commotion in the once calm lake. The rain lasted for

hours, getting heavier and heavier until the gusts of wind

turned it into a horrendous storm that was lashing the

shallows. The animals sought refuge on dry spots, trying

at all costs to continue resting, despite being excellent

swimmers. With the violence of the rain, though, the

water soon touched their bellies, forcing them to move.

After all, the huge carnivores entered the deep part of the

lake, using their long tails as oars, while their legs were

held close to their bodies, like those of a crocodile.

Around them, the clay walls crumbled again, being

washed away by the heavy rain that now fell, tinting the

inner lake with the feldspar, in addition to the tannin

already present. At the entrance to the gigantic structure,

the hill was soon surmounted by the rapidly rising lake,

connecting it to the pond. Swimming over the hill, the

animals were now passing next to the cypress tree, which

still had a simple base of branches and twigs in its

canopy. With the strong gale, the branches at the base

started shaking, struggling against the ties that held them

in place. Another gust and the wind tore off one of the

branches, snapping the vines that held the structure in

place. Within seconds, the others were lifted into the air

and flung into the waters below, where the huge reptiles

were now returning to their former habitat, soon

reaching the area where the alligators were hiding.

⬫⬫⬫

639

— Yet a third form of preservation, — I began

by saying, at Lucy's signal, — is artificial adaptation.

Throughout the ages, the ocean has always been feared

and revered because of its intangible vastness and the

millions of animals that live in its depths, most of them

not even having been discovered yet. Alas, many of

them will never even be discovered, because pollution,

overfishing, and global warming have destroyed the

marine environment long before we ever find them. This

was the explanation we found for an issue that occurred

in South Africa. Dr. Jacob Keene found that overfishing

had driven the Loligo genus of squid nearly to

extinction. Coincidentally, this type of mollusk is the

ideal prey for a surviving species from the region —

Leptocleidus capensis.

These animals have been found in fossil form for

years, which gave us an interesting insight into their

habits, including the ability to switch from a salty

environment to a brackish one and finally, to a

freshwater system, which came in handy for their stay in

the region. Deprived of their standard food and even the

fish they could use as an alternative, the animals sought

refuge in the Sazinge lagoon near the Hluleka reserve.

⬫⬫⬫

From within the extensive body of water, a

longline was being pulled. The hooks, one by one, came

up in sequence, covering the entire length of the line, but

with no weight behind it, as there was not expected to be

any. Through the surface tension, the last hook came to

the surface, without any animal attached to it. Soon after,

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a net came up, also being pulled. Below this material, a

young man was pushing it to a girl who was pulling it

into the canoe in which it was balanced. Inside, a pile of

other nets and fishing materials was piling up, leaving

just enough room for her. In the middle of the lagoon,

they had already been collecting the garbage that lay on

the sandy bottom for hours. Then, near the stern of the

boat, something moved slowly, creating a slight ripple.

The man turned in the direction of the sound, but could

only see a shadowy figure. Continuing his work, he kept

guiding more pieces of mesh into her receiving hands,

until something scaly touched his flank, causing a

terrible shiver to run down his spine. Looking around, he

saw nothing again, and the water was too murky for him

to see anything below its surface. Nervous, he tried to

climb into the boat, but the being was already out of the

water beside him, leaving only a few inches between the

man and its sharp teeth. When the couple turned to the

creature, they recognized it immediately.

— Mamlambo! — the girl smiled, saying the

name in the local language. The animal had a curious

look, almost like that of a lizard, but the part visible to

them was more like a snake. Trying once more, the man

brought his hand cautiously, intending to touch the

Leptocleidus' long neck, but it moved away, just enough

not to interact physically. Perhaps one day. For now, the

species coexisted peacefully with the humans in the area

and benefited from the preservation efforts that those

good people practiced. Around the canoe, more heads

raised now, watching, splashing water, turning as they

looked, as if trying to understand those strange beings

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that regularly came into their world, taking back only

what they found at the bottom.

Further east, the lagoon led to the Sazinge River,

through which some of the animals were now

swimming, heading for the rocky beaches. Under the

dawn sky, they crossed the water, passing by a cluster of

abandoned buildings, making their way to the open sea.

These waters, unfortunately, no longer provided for them

as generously as before, but the lagoon fed them well, as

the next location would show. Now heading south, the

animals swam along with their young, who had already

learned the daily route between the food source and the

next point, where they would now arrive after a few

hours. On the white sandy beach, young and old animals

sought shade under the palm trees that adorned the spot,

snuggling into each other.

⬫⬫⬫

— The last form of preservation is migration, —

Lucy said, returning to her spot at the stage front. — By

traveling great distances, a species can move away from

an adverse condition and take refuge in another location,

with more food, hiding places, or any other natural

resource. Taking into account the location of the next

cryptid, this is precisely what happened in Ambungi,

where a flock of Deinocheirus mirificus was discovered

coexisting with an entirely different species —

Probactrosaurus from Papua New Guinea. These two

groups have found in each other the perfect response to

attacks, as the Probactrosaurus have a better sense of

smell, while the Kaiaimunus, as the Deinocheirus are

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locally called, have much more threatening weapons.

Completing the ecosystem, there's also a flock of

Sinornithosaurus millenii and a smaller one of

Australovenator wintonensis. It's possible that all four

genera migrated together, as shown by the predator-prey

relationship that Australovenators have with the two

herbivore genera and that even Sinornithosaurus seem to

have with Kaiaimunu chicks, which would explain their

violent behavior toward them.

⬫⬫⬫

Maintaining the ring formation around the mixed

group, the Guardians marched in order, brandishing their

claws periodically to ward off potential predators before

they even approached. The clearing in which they were

feeding now was not there just a few hours before, but

had been created by the formidable claws, as well as the

weight of the huge bodies. In the green and brown

landscape, the Probactrosaurus camouflaged themselves

perfectly, while their protectors stood out like harpy

eagles with their grey feathers. Far ahead, the Leader

raised his neck to keep everyone's safety, which included

the brownish females that walked among the flock,

feeding on the trees that had their branches lowered by

their lethal claws. All around them, the Sinornithosaurus

glided from branch to branch, feeding on insects and

birds that dared to stand in their way, making a huge

racket in the trees far above.

Away from that noisy scenery, however, there

was peace. On the beach in New Britain, the trees waved

gently in the wind. The only sound was that of waves

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crashing — and of a speedboat. The propeller was as

powerful as a race-car engine and moved the boat like

lightning. Its pilot, having just arrived from Murien, had

heard stories there about something fantastic living on

these islands. He had already tried Ambungi, where the

man had first sent him, but without success. On his own,

he then decided to look around Alage and Amge and

finally the main island, before forcing the man to give

him back what he had paid for the information. Of

course, the poor man seemed to be in shambles, saying

that his old boat had been rented and never returned, and

that he should have beaten a certain Queene, as he

wished, but anyway...everyone has their own problems,

don't they? Moving inland, the newcomer was already

imagining the bright future he would have when he

obtained what he had come here for — the most

beautiful feathers ever described to him. He would be the

richest hat and costume maker in the world if he could

find them, and he would do it here and now. With

determination, he moved forward into the forest, not

realizing that something was also looking for him.

⬫⬫⬫

— And so, — Lucy concluded, — this proved

what Anthony Lane had been theorizing for years — life

forms thought extinct actually survived and thrived. His

assistant, Dr. Jacob Keene, was indispensable in securing

this discovery, and he will certainly be given credit, even

though we have lost him. Kevin and I will continue the

hard work that these pioneers started, funded by the

generous hand of our dean, Frederick Frost, — she said,

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pointing to Frost, who was munching on a slice of

caramel cake when he was called. His eyes widened at

the prospect of paying for more expeditions for years to

come, but he could say nothing.

— Thank you so much, Mr. Frost, — she said

with forced emotion; her thanks being repeated by

dozens of young people in the audience. — Of course,

we would love to have the support of anyone who

volunteers, — she went on to say, — Just get in touch

with us. Thank you for everyone's attention this

afternoon, and for the support I'm sure we'll get from

you.

As one, the audience rose to their feet to applaud

Lucy, moved by her words.

THE END