Kevin sighed. “Whatever it is, it is disturbing, and when we go out there, I think we should check it out.”

“I wonder if Bertram knows about this?” Melanie asked. “It doesn’t bode well for the program in general.”

“I suppose I should tell him,” Kevin said.

“Let’s wait until we make our visit,” Melanie said.

“Obviously,” Kevin said.

“Did you come across anything else with this real-time program?”

“Yup,” Kevin said. “I pretty much confirmed my earlier suspicion they are using the caves. Watch!”

Kevin changed the coordinates of the displayed grid on the computer screen to correspond to a specific portion of the limestone escarpment. He then asked the computer to trace the activity of his own double, creature number one.

Melanie watched as the red dot traced a geometric shape then disappeared. It then reappeared at the identical spot and traced a second shape. Then a similar sequence repeated itself for a third time.

“I guess I’d have to agree,” Melanie said. “It sure looks like your double is going in and out of the rock face.”

“When we go out there, I think we should make it a point to see our doubles,” Kevin said. “They are the oldest of the creatures, and if any of the transgenic bonobos are acting like protohumans, it should be them.”

Melanie nodded. “The idea of facing my double gives me the creeps. But we’re not going to have a lot of time out there. And given the twelve-square-mile island it will be extraordinarily difficult for us to find a specific creature.”

“You’re wrong,” Kevin said. “I’ve got the instruments they use for retrievals.” He got up from the computer and went to his desk. When he returned, he was carrying the locator and the directional beacon that Bertram had given to him. He showed the apparatuses to Melanie and explained their use. Melanie was impressed.

“Where is that girl?” Melanie asked as she checked her watch. “I wanted to get this island visit over during lunch hour.”

“Did Siegfried talk to you this morning?” Kevin asked.

“No, Bertram did,” Melanie said. “He acted really mad and said he was disappointed in me. Can you imagine? I mean, is that supposed to break me up or what?”

“Did he give you any explanation about the smoke I’ve seen?” Kevin asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Melanie said. “He went on at length how he’d just been told that Siegfried had a work crew out there building a bridge and burning trash. He said it was being done without his knowledge.”

“I thought so,” Kevin said. “Siegfried called me over just after nine. He gave me the same story. He even told me he’d just talked with Dr. Lyons and that Dr. Lyons was disappointed in us as well.”

“It’s enough to make you cry,” Melanie said.

“I don’t think he was telling the truth about the work crew,” Kevin said.

“Of course he wasn’t,” Melanie said. “I mean, Bertram makes it a point to know everything that’s going on about Isla Francesca. It makes you wonder if they think we were born yesterday.”