“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.