Intelligent life - Pyrrus and Kerk 9 E-Book

Stig Granfors

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Pyrrus and Kerk
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 252

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Mysterious radio signals reach Death Planet. The message is obviously intelligent even if the signals are difficult to decipher. The signals come from one of the outermost planets in the Andromeda Galaxy. Is it an attempt to contact another intelligent life, the humans in the galaxy? Pyrrus and Kerk set out to explore the mystery. They find something that puts their lives in danger. The future of all mankind is at stake. The alien intelligences on Pyrrus' and Kerk's home planet Neodymium play a crucial role in the final fight against the dangerous beings. The ninth book about the space adventurers Pyrrus and Kerk, whose motto is 't will get better'. 'Schuu looked more like a small lion than a dog, Julia thought. She played with the lion every day. Despite its lion-like features, the animal was cautious and always in a playful mood. But if something didn't go the way Schuu wanted, he would stop and growl softly. But the animal never attacked and showed no teeth. Schuu immediately became everyone's favourite in the camp.' "I agree," Daphne said. "We know that during evolution the species that possess this ability to work together have won the struggle for existence, while those that possess only the power of selection have lost or will lose. The same applies to the species that put knowledge first." Daphne coughed lightly. "We still know very little about the function of the brain. But it seems to have a structure that is basically the same as for the rest of the world. Also, in the brain there are systems, which at their core have a source with a messy, chaos-like potential and around it a separate system with a structured character. It's like our solar system with the planets. The same structure also occurs in atoms with a nucleus and electrons orbiting the nucleus."

Leseprobe

Intelligent life - Pyrrus and Kerk 9

Intelligent life - Pyrrus and Kerk 9A peaceful existenceStrange signalsStrange planetsThe dwarf planetThe Messenger of DeathFactsCopyright

Intelligent life - Pyrrus and Kerk 9

Stig Granfors / Marcus Granfors

Adventure novel

Original title: Intelligent liv - Pyrrus och Kerk 9      Translation: Stig Granfors

Books by Stig Granfors

Non-fiction

Civilisationens gåtor (2005)

Skapelsens gåtor (2006)

Livets gåtor (2008)

En skön ny värld (2010)

Historiska gåtor (2019)

Biologiska gåtor (2019)

Fiction

Liv (2011)

Glimt av hopp (2012)

Skärseld (2013)

Strid (2014)

Botnia (2015)

Varningen (2017)

Hotet (2019)

In English

Stonehenge threat (2021)

Books by Stig Granfors and Marcus Granfors

In Swedish

Neodym – Pyrrus och Kerk 1 (2020)

Västvärlden – Pyrrus och Kerk 2 (2020)

Östvärlden – Pyrrus och Kerk 3 (2020)

Sydvärlden – Pyrrus och Kerk 4 (2021)

Nordvärlden – Pyrrus och Kerk 5 (2021)

Ökenplaneten – Pyrrus och Kerk 6 (2021)

Vildarnas uppror – Pyrrus och Kerk 7 (2022)

Skräcködlorna - Pyrrus och Kerk 8 (2022)

Intelligent liv - Pyrrus och Kerk 9 (2022)

In English

Neodymium – Pyrrus and Kerk 1 (2020)

Westworld – Pyrrus and Kerk 2 (2021)

Eastworld – Pyrrus and Kerk 3 (2021)

Southworld – Pyrrus and Kerk 4 (2021)

Northworld – Pyrrus and Kerk 5 (2021)

Desert Planet – Pyrrus and Kerk 6 (2021)

Savage Uprising - Pyrrus and Kerk 7 (2022)

Horror Lizards - Pyrrus and Kerk 8 (2022)

Intelligent Life - Pyrrus and Kerk 9 (2022)

© 2022 Stig Granfors and Marcus Granfors

https://stiggranfors.jimdofree.com/

Publisher: BoD - Books on Demand GmbH, Helsinki, Finland

Print: BoD - Books on Demand GmbH, Norderstedt, Germany           

ISBN: 9789528069201

A peaceful existence

”Should we not find intelligent life on Earth first, before we search the universe?”

It had been six months. Pyrrus, Kerk and the others had been enjoying a lazy existence on Death Planet. The vegetation spread on the planet day after day. Now it had come so close to the cave, where the colony members had their camp, that they could smell the strong scent of the colourful flowers on the nearby meadows. The trees were still small, but the ferns had already spread their huge leaves in the vicinity.

They had intended to move the camp to ground level, but Pyrrus had advised against this. Although he didn’t yet notice signs of aggressive behaviour from plants and animals, which had made life on the planet almost unbearable before, he wanted to be sure that the surroundings were safe.

Pyrrus and Kerk made daily excursions into the forest and on the plains to survey the situation. They also made longer journeys with their spaceship to more distant parts of the planet. They saw no signs of threats anywhere. So far everything had been peaceful. It seemed that Death Planet had indeed changed and finally become the pleasant planet they sought.

Pyrrus and Kerk nevertheless continued to spread the new hormone mixtures that Daphne and the chemists were making. The mix changed the aggressive genes to be less hostile. The previously cruel and all-consuming predatory instincts were radically reduced on the planet. Their work bore fruit. Small, calmer animals replaced the large predators. Likewise, the plants had changed in a peaceful direction. The vines no longer behaved like weapons.

”It’s so calm and peaceful that I get bored,” Kerk said one day when he and Pyrrus were out with the jumping suits and scouted the terrain. They followed the edge of the forest on the wide grass plains south of the camp with low, short jumps.

”We’ve only spent a few months here,” Pyrrus said with raised eyebrows. “Are you already impatient?”

”Don’t pretend you don’t have the same thoughts,” Kerk replied. “I’ve seen how restless you are sometimes. It’s just like you’re waiting for something interesting to happen.”

”No, I’m perfectly content with watching the planet change every day before my eyes,” Pyrrus lied. ”That’s excitement enough for me.”

”Liar,” Kerk argued. ”You can lie to yourself and to Daphne, but you’re not fooling me. I see the restless look in your eyes.”

”All right then,” Pyrrus finally admitted. ”But don’t say anything to Julia or the others. They are enjoying themselves so much on Death Planet right now. It’s the first time they have a moment of peace and quiet. And I want to give them that opportunity. They have earned it.”

”Yes, but nothing happens here,” Kerk insisted. ”We discover new, peaceful small animals in the jungle every day and the vegetation is certainly changing for the better. The dangerous radioactive radiation has disappeared completely, and the planet can be classified as completely normal at this point. It can be populated by others. Soon there will be newcomers who want to settle here. Daphne has already sent out messages to the nearby colonies about the changed situation. They are practically direct invitations to move here. Soon the planet will be crawling with people. People we might not want to settle here.”

”Why did she send those reports?” Pyrrus said with a worried expression. “I thought we agreed not to say anything yet. It’s too early to attract others to the planet. We haven’t mapped it yet and we can’t be sure how the wildlife is developing. The hostile and violent behaviour can reappear and take new forms.” Then he added indignantly, ”She should have discussed with me before sending out the reports.”

Kerk shrugged. “That’s Daphne. Impulsive. She wants to take credit for making the planet habitable.”

”Yes, I understand that, her hormone mix brought about the change,” Pyrrus admitted. “But still, we should make such decisions together.”

”Agreed,” Kerk said. ”But what’s done is done. I guess we’ll see other spaceships arriving anytime soon. Curious visitors, colonizers, adventurers, and many others looking for a new future.”

Pyrrus nodded. “And among them there will also be unwanted individuals. People, whose first interest is to take advantage of the gifts of a new planet for their own gain.” He sighed deeply. “I really wished we could do better on this planet. We have fought so hard to get Death Planet in order. It would be a shame to let it be destroyed again.”

Kerk nodded. ”I agree with you. But we can’t turn away every visitor. We must accept the inevitable development.”

Pyrrus gave Kerk a long look. “We can always spread a rumour that the aggressive predators have returned. It will keep the most curious people away for a while. And Daphne will be hesitant to send out more reports.”

Kerk didn’t know how to react. In a way, Pyrrus was right, but he didn’t want to lie about such a thing. Not to Daphne. She would still find out the truth on her own excursions in the immediate surroundings. Kerk explained this to Pyrrus.

Pyrrus smiled. “You are so weak. But let me take care of the talking. I can reveal that we found traces of hostile velociraptors further in the jungle. Then we quarantine the site until further notice, spread more of the hormone and wait for the good results. That should put Daphne at ease. The next report about Death Planet will probably not be as flattering, I think.”

”I don’t want to lie,” Kerk said.

”Then don’t say anything!” Pyrrus blurted out.

”She’ll still know something’s not right,” Kerk objected. “You know Daphne. She is like a psychic in situations like these.”

”I know, you’re the weak point in the whole thing,” Pyrrus said. “You cannot stick to a lie in a credible way. Do as I do, look her straight in the eyes and look concerned. That will convince her. But since you probably can’t manage that, it’s better you just keep quiet and nod occasionally to confirm what I’m saying.”

”She’s going to suspect something anyway,” Kerk argued.

”Let her suspect then,” Pyrrus replied. ”As long as we quarantine the area, she won’t go near the place. I guarantee you, the images of the vicious velociraptor attacks on Southworld and on this planet have stuck in her mind. She doesn’t want to experience that again. And she won’t take the risk of attracting the predators to this area. She wants to keep the few chemists she has left. Putting them in danger is the last thing she wants.” Pyrrus pointed to the lake further away. ”We can also say that we saw a glimpse of the huge monsters in the lake. We spread more of the hormone mixture in the water.” Pyrrus shrugged. “Problem solved. That should make her understand that we are serious.”

”But there are no more velociraptors and no sea monsters either,” Kerk protested.

”But Daphne doesn’t know that” Pyrrus stated curtly.

Kerk looked at him in disbelief but finally nodded. ”I will do my best.”

”No, do nothing at all,” Pyrrus said. ”That’s better. Think nothing. Say nothing.”

Kerk muttered something inaudibly.

”What did you say?” Pyrrus asked.

”Nothing,” Kerk muttered.

“Good, now you understand”, Pyrrus said. “Continue with that.”

Low-hanging clouds, pouring rain and rumbling thunder above the jungle indicated that a new period of storms was on its way. When it once started raining on Death Planet, it often rained for two weeks straight. Every four months the storms would appear and sweep the planet into a ghostly and terrifying fog.

A loud hissing, south-westerly wind whipped the forest ahead of them and swift whirlwinds caused the lake water to boil. Flakes of foam were whipped up and high waves hit the shore. Then the lightning started to strike in the surroundings. The already troubled lake boiled under every flash.

”We should jump back,” Pyrrus said.

”Wait a minute,” Kerk stated, stopping Pyrrus with his hand. “Let’s see if the thunder and lightning will chase wild animals out of the jungle. They may have hidden from our eyes, but they cannot resist the lightning. They must react in some way.”

”All right,” Pyrrus replied. “Fifteen minutes but no more.” He scanned the horizon with his eyes. ”The thunderclouds are drifting this way.”

They stood near the edge of the forest, ready to jump away as soon as they saw the sight of predators. The trees at the edge of the jungle swayed and creaked and threatened to snap in half. But it wasn’t a real threat. The trees had taken on storms before and survived them. Their roots were firmly anchored in the soil and their trunks were flexible.

Kerk and Pyrrus studied the edge of the forest very carefully, ready to observe the slightest movement.

”Something’s coming towards us running,” Kerk shouted, yanking Pyrrus by the sleeve.

But it was a small animal. Now they heard the frightened sound. It was a whimpering and occasionally yelping sound. A moment later, a brown, furry coat appeared. It was a dog-like animal with a flat face.

Pyrrus took aim, but Kerk stopped him.

”This small pet is not dangerous,” Kerk said.

Now Pyrrus also saw that the furry beast was not a threat. It was only frightened by the loud rumbling and the bright flashes.

The small animal noted Pyrrus’ and Kerk’s presence and ran yelping towards them. It looked like a mixture of a lion and a dog.

”Schuu,” Pyrrus called, waving his hand. ”Schuu, off you go. Into the forest again and seek shelter there.”

But the furry creature paid no attention to the call. It just hopped on and rubbed against Kerk’s leg. The heart-breaking, pitiful, whimpering sounds made Kerk’s heart melt. He picked up the small animal in his arms.

”Watch it,” Pyrrus called. ”Don’t you remember the armadillos, the suicide bombers, who blew themselves and everything around them to death.”

Kerk tickled the neck of the furry animal and received short, satisfied sounds in response. “This one is not dangerous at all. It only seeks protection. Don’t you see that?”

“Put it down,” Pyrrus urged. ”It belongs in the forest.” Then he waved his hand angrily again. ”Schuu, off with you.”

The animal looked at Pyrrus with frightened eyes and pulled itself deeper into Kerk’s arms.

”Stop that,” Kerk said. ”You’re just scaring him.”

He took out a piece of dried meat and offered it to the small animal. But the animal only wrinkled its nose and refused to accept the gift. Kerk put the piece of meat back and offered a carrot instead. The root fruit was thin and small, one of the first products their newly planted field had produced.

The animal devoured the carrot, stalk, and all.

Kerk smirked and looked at Pyrrus. ”There you see. He doesn’t eat meat but vegetables. No predator, in other words.”

Pyrrus let out a frustrated grunt. ”The armadillos were not predators either. Yet they blew up many of our comrades.”

”That was then,” Kerk replied. ”The animal population has changed.” He scratched the furry beast again. “And I have not seen this species before. It’s an example of the new mammals that Daphne’s hormone mixture has created. I will take this small lion or whatever it is and show her.” He scratched the animal again, which now closed its eyes to show that it was thoroughly enjoying Kerk’s caresses.

Pyrrus examined the animal more closely. “It looks like a dog. Or a small lion. Despite the flat face and the lack of a distinct nose.”

The animal shied away from Pyrrus’ scrutinizing eyes.

Pyrrus smiled and said, ”If Daphne gets really interested, she might cut the animal open and study its entrails.”

The animal looked at him startled as if it knew what Pyrrus was saying.

Kerk patted the furry animal on the head and said in a friendly tone, “Don’t worry about him. He’s just jealous that you came to me first.”

Pyrrus snorted. ”What are you going to call him?”

”I think you already gave him a name,” Kerk replied, looking the little animal in the eyes. ”Hello, Schuu. How are you?” Then he scratched the animal’s fur again. ”Do you want to come with us, Schuu?”

The furry lion yelped back and Kerk interpreted it as an approval. At the same moment, lightning struck a tree at the edge of the forest. The dog-like animal trembled in Kerk’s arms and purred loudly.

Kerk patted Schuu gently on the head and placed the animal on his shoulder. “Hold on tight, while we jump back to camp.”

The animal immediately extended its small claws and dug into Kerk’s shoulder as if it understood what Kerk was saying.

Kerk turned to Pyrrus. ”Do you see? He is intelligent.” Then he glanced briefly at the edge of the forest. ”Haven’t we seen enough now?”

Pyrrus nodded and together they began to jump with long strides back to the camp in the cave.

Schuu immediately became everyone’s favourite in the camp.

Especially Julia’s heart melted when she held the small lion in her arms. ”It’s so cute,” she said. ”We’ll keep it, right?”

”No, it’s our dinner,” Pyrrus replied insensitively.

Julia looked at him with wide, frightened eyes.

Kerk laughed and said, “Pyrrus is only joking. Of course, we’ll keep him. He will be our new watchdog.”

Pyrrus snorted. “A useless one, I guess.”

But Pyrrus was wrong.

Schuu would prove to be an asset to the small colony.

Schuu tried to lick Julia with his little tongue, but Daphne immediately snapped him away. “I’ll examine him first. He may carry foreign bacteria. Best to check that everything is in order before he gets to lick anyone.”

Schuu had no choice but to accompany Daphne to her newly furnished laboratory deep inside the cave. There Daphne took a blood sample and carefully examined the teeth of the animal. She also inserted a cotton swab into the throat of the animal to obtain a DNA sample. The dog-like animal accepted all this scrutiny with infinite patience. Only the needle, sucking the animal’s blood, was met with a low growling sound.

Daphne placed Schuu in a cage and began analysing the results. Schuu didn’t like being locked up and growled softly all the time. But it didn’t show aggressive behaviour. It was just expressing its displeasure at not being a trusted member of the family.

The results were normal. Daphne let Schuu out of the cage and let him jump up to Julia again. ”He is perfectly healthy,” she announced. “But don’t let him lick you too much. That will just become a habit in the end.”

Schuu was allowed to run freely in the cave and examine the place more closely. It took a liking to everyone except Pyrrus, whom it detested like the plague. The others laughed.

”Looks like you’ve made a friend for life,” Kerk teased.

”I don’t like pets,” Pyrrus replied. ”They belong outdoors, not here in the cave.”

Schuu looked closely at Pyrrus again.

”There you see,” Kerk said, looking at Schuu. “You don’t like him. And rightly so. Saying that to a family member.” Then he reached down and scratched Schuu’s fur. ”You can stay as long as you want.”

There was something enigmatic about Schuu, something Kerk liked very much. At least the tame animal made life less peaceful. Kerk had had enough of that stuff in the past months.

In addition, Schuu was always in a good mood and cheered up the others with his enthusiastically whimpering sounds. The small animal was curious about everything they did, watching closely as Alun and his two chemists worked in the laboratory. The only times he pulled away was when someone picked up a needle or a pipette. Then he growled softly and ran to the nearest corner and curled up into a small ball.

Schuu looked more like a small lion than a dog, Julia thought. She played with the lion every day. Despite its lion-like features, the animal was cautious and always in a playful mood. But if something didn’t go the way Schuu wanted, he would stop and growl softly. But the animal never attacked and showed no teeth.

The lion literally lit up every time he saw Julia and Kerk. Company, company at last, he seemed to say, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. The small ten to twelve pounds animal ate very little. He stuck to his vegetarian diet.

Every time Kerk offered him meat, he looked down at the ground in shame and would not eat. Kerk then picked up the small lion in his arms and scratched the beautiful, deep fur of the animal. ”You’re so funny.” He looked Schuu deep in the eyes and said: “I won’t offer you meat anymore. I have learned my lesson. You only eat vegetables, right?”

Schuu yelped loudly in response.

”All right, then we understand each other,” Kerk said.

Schuu could never get enough of exploring the cave more closely. He sniffed everywhere and made everyone’s acquaintance. The small lion was extremely curious by nature. Anything strange would be investigated more closely. Sometimes he would stare long and hard at an object as if pondering what the object was for. When he thought he had it figured out, he yelped and went on to examine the next item.

He enjoyed playing with Julia the most. Schuu ran after the same ball or rock any number of times. He never tired of the simplest games. Sometimes Julia would hide an object, for Schuu to look for. First he had to sniff it. He always found the item in seconds.

”His way of following scent is phenomenal,” Julia said. She thought for a moment. ”I wonder if he has other playmates in the forest.”

The comment made Kerk think. He decided to take the small lion on a trip to the forest and find out the truth. Had they kidnapped this innocent being from a functioning community? If so, that should be corrected. However much they liked the small furry animal.

Schuu was also a bit stubborn, wanting to show that he could command the others, but Kerk wouldn’t accept that behaviour and immediately put the small lion in place. Schuu eventually learned the rules of the colony.

He was most comfortable inside the cave, had no need for long forest walks. And he seemed to genuinely appreciate the company of people. Schuu showed no signs of missing his former free life in the forest.

On the first night, Kerk was awakened by a strange, hoarse sound coming from the entrance of the cave.

He walked over to Schuu’s sleeping place.

That’s where the sound came from.

It turned out that Schuu was a snorer.

A new day dawned, more beautiful than the previous one. They had also spread Daphne’s hormone mixture over the lakes in the area. The fifty-feet-long and nine-feet-high sea monster, which had once caused Kerk to freeze in terror, had not appeared for a long time. They decided to take a swim, although they always stayed close to the shore. One of them was constantly on guard and sounded the alarm at the slightest sign of danger.

Schuu liked to swim. He and Kerk played with cones, pieces of wood and other things that stayed afloat on the water. Julia looked at them enviously. She would have liked to participate in the games, but Kerk’s detailed description of the sea monster made her stay away from the lake and the beach.

Julia had no difficulty imagining the spine-chilling look the monster had given Kerk. However, the beast moved clumsily on land due to its short limbs and paddle-like feet and was probably easy to outrun. In the water, however, the beast was in its element.

”Be careful,” she therefore called out to Kerk in an anxious tone.

Kerk looked up at her, where she was sitting on one of the rocks halfway up the cave. ”Who are you most worried about?” he wondered. ”Me or Schuu?”

“Both of you, of course,” Julia answered. “I’m just thinking about that sea monster you told me about. It certainly had large and crooked claws, sharp as blades.”

”They don’t probably exist anymore, due to the amount of hormone mixture we’ve spread over the lake,” Kerk replied. “You worry unnecessarily.” He waved his hand nonchalantly.

”You can’t be careful enough,” Julia stated indignantly. She resented Kerk’s disregard for her warnings.

Kerk turned to Schuu, who was splashing in the water with his short legs. “Hey Schuu, can you dive too?” At the same moment, Kerk dove into the water. Schuu followed him easily. But he didn’t hold his breath as long a time as Kerk. After a while, the small lion had to splash up to the surface. There Schuu swung around, wondering where his playmate had gone.

Schuu yelped loudly and went back and forth without finding Kerk. Then the lion dived again. At that moment, Kerk appeared out of nowhere, caught Schuu and swung him into the air. Schuu yelped with delight mixed with horror as he landed far from Kerk.

Schuu wanted to pay back, dived again and tore Kerk’s underpants. Suddenly Kerk was naked.

”Hello, you scoundrel,” Kerk shouted. “That’s forbidden.”

He looked up at Julia. ”Can you get me new pants?”

Julia looked at him in surprise and shook her head. ”Never. Schuu swims without clothes. You can do that too. I’m going to sit here and wait until you come back up.” She shouted to Schuu and lured him with a carrot. ”Come here Schuu! Good work.”

Schuu came up to her and crawled wet and hungry into her arms. At the same moment he began to growl softly. He peered out across the lake and let out loud warning barks.

Kerk hurried out of the water, tore off his shirt hanging from a branch, and rushed up to Julia and Schuu. He patted the small lion on the head. ”What is it Schuu?”

Schuu whimpered unhappily as if apologizing for not speaking the language of the humans. Then he looked out over the water again and barked loudly.

It started as a faint ripple on the surface of the water. Then a long tail rose into the air followed by the several feet long sail on its back that was characteristic of the sea beast Kerk had seen on one of the previous visits to Death Planet.

Julia pointed. “There it is again. The sea monster you told me about.” Then she looked reproachfully at Kerk. “It has not disappeared anywhere at all. It’s been here all along, just waiting for us.”

Kerk patted her hand reassuringly. ”Maybe it has changed anyway. It doesn’t behave as aggressively as before.”

At the same moment the sea monster rushed to the beach and stepped onto it with clumsy and wobbly steps. The animal paid no attention to the creatures up on the rock but went to a tree and began to munch on the leaves and green ferns. Sometimes the monster threw quick glances in the direction of the humans, but they were not hostile glances, just cautious ones.

Kerk gave Julia a small push in the side and said, “There you see, even the sea monsters have changed for the better. Now you too can have a swim.”

Julia snorted. ”Never. Not with such large animals in the water.” Then she glanced quickly at Kerk. “Shouldn’t you get dressed? Schuu might get a shock from seeing you half naked.”

Kerk laughed. “That’s his own fault. Besides, I have my shirt on. That’s enough.”

”Not for me,” Julia said, pushing Kerk away from her. Now, when she sat at a safe distance from the sea monster, which was still munching on the leaves and ferns, her attitude changed. The monster was no longer dangerous. Its eyes were not threatening at all, rather friendly. But Julia still decided to keep a respectful distance.

She dried Schuu’s fur with a towel and pointed at the sea monster. “Stay away from that beast. It can stomp you to death with its paddle-like feet. Do you see how big they are?”

Schuu yelped briefly as if he understood.

”And thanks for the warning,” Julia said, scratching the head of the small lion.

Schuu enjoyed the gesture and the attention. He grinned weakly, closed his eyes and licked Julia’s hand.

”You’re a good boy,” Julia said.

Then Kerk came out and grabbed Schuu. He had put on his jumping suit and placed Schuu on his shoulder. ”We’re going on a little excursion,” he announced.

Schuu understood and dug his claws into the fabric of the jumping suit.

”Just don’t go too far,” Julia said. ”It’s almost lunch time and Schuu likes to eat at regular times.”

”You just made that up,” Kerk replied. ”Schuu can do without food for a very long time. He probably learned that during his life in the jungle. You’re just spoiling him.”

”What’s wrong with that,” Julia said angrily.

”It weakens Schuu’s natural instincts,” Kerk pointed out.

”I don’t think that at all,” Julia answered. ”Now you just make things up.”

”Perhaps, but now I’m taking the guard dog with me,” Kerk said and went down to the foot of the mountain. ”Maybe we’ll see each other again, maybe not,” he shouted, and the sound echoed over the lake.

He jumped closer to the sea beast, but this took no notice of the jumping duo. Kerk threw some green twigs to the beast and jumped further into the terrain.

Together with Schuu, he jumped towards the jungle, which had been Schuu’s home. Kerk wanted to find out if Schuu had any kindred spirits in the forest. If Schuu showed signs that he wanted to return to his territory in the forest, Kerk would let him do so. It was up to Schuu to decide his own fate.

Schuu seemed clearly happy to see his old living space again. As soon as he saw the forest, he jumped down from Kerk’s shoulder and quickly ran on his short legs to the edge of the forest. But there he stopped, waiting for Kerk to catch up with him.

Schuu wanted Kerk to follow him into the jungle. The message was so clear that Kerk felt compelled to follow him. He left the jumping suit on a rock and made his way through the ferns and into the dense, dark forest. He wasn’t worried about wild animals. Schuu would spot them long before Kerk saw them. And the way Schuu behaved, it seemed as if the predators had disappeared altogether. Maybe only temporarily but still. Kerk got the impression that the jungle was a safe place.

Schuu followed a narrow path, which led deeper and deeper into the forest. He stopped now and then, waiting for Kerk to catch up. Then he leaned on his hind legs and clapped his front paws to show his appreciation that Kerk had understood what he wanted. Schuu led Kerk to his lair, a small shelter in the middle of the forest.

Tracks of other animals were visible in the moist soil in front of the den, a moss-covered, natural refuge at the foot of a large boulder. But the tracks were different from Schuu’s own. It seemed that other small animals had invaded his lair.

Kerk sat down outside the den and regarded Schuu with a questioning look. “This is your home. Do you want to stay here?”

Kerk studied Schuu’s ever-changing expression, trying to figure out what trouble seemed to be plaguing the small lion. Had this one been kicked out of a colony of other small lions?

“Do you want your lair back?” Kerk wondered, peering into the cave.

Schuu didn’t answer.

“Or should we look for another hollow tree trunk or log for you? Where you can seek shelter from the storms.”

But it seemed that Schuu was not interested in either. He was satisfied that he had shown the lair to Kerk. The lair that was no longer his. And he showed no interest whatsoever in hollow tree trunks. He was only interested in showing Kerk the forest.

Kerk wondered why an intelligent wild animal with normal survival skills would enlist a human as its ally. For a while he suspected that Schuu had been abandoned by his species friends as so often happened with baby cubs that were perceived as deviant in some way. But there was no sign of other small lions in the forest.

Maybe Schuu hated the loneliness? Perhaps this was the real reason why he had so happily jumped towards Kerk and Pyrrus the first time he saw them. Finally, a friend. Lacking a colony, human companion was the perfect solution.

Schuu was intelligent enough to understand his predicament. That’s why he had clung to Kerk, a person he quite rightly judged to be a bit soft-hearted, someone he could safely trust and maybe sometimes ignore. Animals knew such things. They had better instincts than man.

”Where are your friends?” Kerk asked.

Schuu just happily hopped on into the forest, ignoring the question. He yelped occasionally to show Kerk the way.

Kerk saw no sign of other lion-like creatures of Schuu’s size in the forest. Schuu yelped happily further on. The small lion did everything to show that it invested everything it had in true friendship. Kerk began to genuinely like Schuu more and more. Schuu was a small and brave lion.

Schuu pushed further and further into the forest. There was something he desperately wanted to show Kerk. Kerk wondered how he would prevent Schuu from becoming too dependent on humans. His natural instincts should be encouraged. Otherwise, the easy meals in the camp would cause Schuu to stop searching for food on his own and deprive him of the possibility of survival when the humans were forced to leave him for some reason. Dependence on human protection would dull his inventiveness when it came to outwitting natural enemies.

But Schuu didn’t seem to care about these things as he skipped forward deeper and deeper into the jungle. They arrived at a sunlit clearing, where Schuu showed Kerk a good mushroom spot. The small lion gulped down some tall trumpet mushrooms. They were eight inches high and had a blue-black, fruity body. The hat had a ruffled brim. Kerk gently tasted a mushroom. It had a faintly sour scent of fruit and a very pleasant taste. Kerk ate the whole mushroom.

Schuu also found a nice berry patch full of juicy, round berries. He quickly gulped down the biggest berries. The berries stained his tongue dark blue. Kerk picked a bag full of berries. On the way back, he thought of picking the mushrooms.