“Yup,” Melanie said. “This whole wing.”

“I’d be interested to see it,” Candace said. “I’ve never been in a veterinary hospital let alone one that’s so palatial.”

“It’s state-of-the-art,” Melanie said. “You should see the ORs.”

“Oh my God,” Kevin sighed. He rolled his eyes. “I’ve been ensnared by the insane. We’ve just had the most harrowing experience in our lives, and you’re talking about taking a tour.”

“It’s not going to be a tour,” Melanie said as she alighted from the car. “Come on, Candace. I’m sure I can use your help. Kevin, you can wait here if you’d like.”

“Fine by me,” Kevin said. But it only took him a few moments of watching the women trudge toward the entrance before he, too, climbed out of the car. He decided that the anxiety of waiting would be worse than the stress of going.

“Wait up,” Kevin called out. He had to run a few steps until he’d caught up with the others.

“I don’t want to hear any complaining,” Melanie told Kevin.

“Don’t worry,” Kevin said. He felt like a teenager being chastised by his mother.

“I don’t anticipate any problems,” Melanie said. “Bertram Edwards’s office is in the administration part of the building, which at this time will be deserted. But just to be sure we don’t arouse any suspicion, once we’re inside, we’ll head down to the locker room. I want you guys in animal center coveralls. Okay? I mean it’s not really the time anyone would expect to encounter visitors.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Candace said.

“ All right,” Bertram said into the phone. His eye caught the luminous dial of his bedside clock. It was quarter past midnight. “I’ll meet you at your office in five minutes.”

Bertram swung his legs over the edge of the bed and parted the mosquito netting.

“Trouble?” Trish, his wife, asked. She’d pushed herself up on one elbow.

“Just a nuisance,” Bertram said. “Go back to sleep! I’ll be back in a half hour or so.”

Bertram closed the door to the bedroom before turning on the dressing-room light. He dressed quickly. Although he’d downplayed the situation to Trish, Bertram was anxious. He had no idea what was going on, but it had to be trouble. Siegfried had never called him in the middle of the night with a request to come to his office.

Outside, it was as bright as daytime with a nearly full moon having risen in the east. The sky was filled with sil-very-purple cumulus clouds. The night air was heavy and humid and perfectly still. The sounds of the jungle were an almost constant cacophony of buzzes, chirps, and squawks interrupted with occasional short screams. It was a noise Bertram had grown accustomed to over the years, and it didn’t even register in his mind.

Despite the distance to the town hall being only a few hundred yards, Bertram drove. He knew it would be faster, and every minute that passed raised his curiosity. As he pulled into the parking lot, he could see that the usually lethargic soldiers were strangely agitated, moving around the army post, clutching their rifles. They eyed him nervously as he turned off his headlights and alighted from the car.