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They were introduced to Jensen； a young bearded geologist； and to Irving； who announced that he was the 〃triple B。〃 The two men were running some kind of probability study on the puter but they paused to shake hands with Amy； who regarded them gravely； and then turned her attention to the screen。 Amy was captivated by the colorful screen images and bright LEDs； and kept trying to punch the keys herself。 She signed； Amy play box。
〃Not now； Amy；〃 Elliot said； and swatted her hands away。
Jensen asked； 〃Is she always this way？〃
〃I'm afraid so；〃 Elliot… said。 〃She likes puters。 She's worked around them ever since she was very young； and she thinks of them as her private property。〃 And then he added； 〃What's a triple E？〃
〃Expedition electronic expert；〃 Irving said cheerfully。 He was a short man with an impish quick smile。 〃Doing the best I can。 We picked up some stuff from Intec； that's about all。 God knows what the Japanese and the Germans will throw at us。〃
〃Oh； damn； there she goes；〃 Jensen said； laughing as Amy pushed the keyboard。
Elliot said； 〃Amy； no！〃
〃It's just a game。 Probably not interesting to apes；〃 Jensen said。 And he added； 〃She can't hurt anything。〃
Amy signed； Amy good gorilla； and pushed the keys on the puter again。 She appeared relaxed； and Elliot was grateful for the distraction the puter provided。 He was always amused by the sight of Amy's heavy dark form before a puter console。 She would touch her lower lip thoughtfully before pushing the keys； in what seemed a parody of human behavior。
Ross； practical as always； brought them back to mundane matters。 〃Will Amy sleep on one of the bunks？〃
Elliot shook his head。 〃No。 Gorillas expect to make a fresh bed each night。 Give her some blankets； and she'll twist them into a nest on the floor and sleep there。〃
Ross nodded。 〃What about her vitamins and medications？ Will she swallow pills？〃
〃Ordinarily you have to bribe her； or hide the pills in a piece of banana。 She tends to gulp banana； without chewing it
〃Without chewing。〃 Ross nodded as if that were important。 〃We have a standard issue；〃 she said。 〃I'll see that she gets them。〃
〃She takes the same vitamins that people do； except that she'll need lots of ascorbic acid。〃
〃We issue three thousand units a day。 That's enough？ Good。 And she'll tolerate anti…malarials？ We have to start them right away。〃
〃Generally speaking；〃 Elliot said； 〃she has the same reaction to medication as people。〃
Ross nodded。 〃Will the cabin pressurization bother her？ It's set at five thousand feet。〃
Elliot shook his head。 〃She's a mountain gorilla； and they live at five thousand to nine thousand feet； so she's actually altitude…adapted。 But she's acclimated to a moist climate and she dehydrates quickly； we'll have to keep forcing fluids on her。〃
〃Can she use the head？〃
〃The seat's probably too high for her；〃 Elliot said； 〃but I brought her potty。〃
〃She'll use her potty？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃I have a new collar for her； will she wear it？〃
〃If you give it to her as a gift。〃
As they reviewed other details of Amy's requirements； Elliot realized that something had happened during the last few hours； almost without his knowing it： Amy's unpredictable； dream…driven neurotic behavior had fallen away。 It was as if the earlier behavior was irrelevant； now that she was going on a trip； she was no longer moody and introspective； her interests were outgoing； she was once again a youthful female gorilla。 He found himself wondering whether her dreams； her depression…finger paintings； everything…were a result of her confined laboratory environment for so many years。 At first the laboratory had been agreeable； like a crib for young children。 But perhaps in later years it pinched。 Perhaps； he thought； Amy just needed a little excitement。
Excitement was in the air： as he talked with Ross； Elliot felt something remarkable was about to happen。 This expedition with Amy was the first example of an event primate researchers had predicted for years…the Pearl thesis。
Frederick Pearl was a theoretical animal behaviorist。 At a meeting of the American Ethnological Society in New York in 1972； he had said； 〃Now that primates have learned sign language； it is only a matter of time until someone takes an animal into the field to assist the study of wild animals of the same species。 We can imagine language…skilled primates acting as interpreters or perhaps even as ambassadors for mankind； in contact with wild creatures。〃
Pearl's thesis attracted considerable attention； and funding from the U。S。 Air Force； which had supported linguistic research since the l960s。 According to one story； the Air Force had a secret project called CONTOUR； involving possible contact with alien life forms。 The official military position was that UFOs were of natural origin…but the military was covering its bets。 Should alien contact occur； linguistic fundamentals were obviously critically important。 And taking primates into the field was seen as an example of contact with 〃alien intelligence〃； hence the Air Force funding。
Pearl predicted that fieldwork would be undertaken before 1976； but in fact no one had yet done it。 The reason was that on closer examination； no one could figure out quite what the advantages were…most language…using primates were as baffled by wild primates as human beings were。 Some； like the chimpanzee Arthur； denied any association with their own kind； referring to them as 〃black things。〃 （Amy； who had been taken to the zoo to view other gorillas； recognized them but was haughty； calling them 〃stupid gorillas〃 once she found that when she signed to them； they did not reply。）
Such observations led another researcher； John Bates； to say in 1977 that 〃we are producing an educated animal elite which demonstrates the same snobbish aloofness that a Ph。D。 shows toward a truck driver。 。 。 。 It is highly unlikely that the generation of language…using primates will be skillful ambassadors in the field。 They are simply too disdainful。〃
But the truth was that no one really knew what would happen when a primate was taken into the field。 Because no one had done it： Amy would be the first。
At eleven o'clock； the ERTS cargo plane taxied down the runway at San Francisco International； lifted ponderously into the air； and headed east through the darkness toward
Africa。
DAY 3： TANGIER
June 15；1979
1。Ground Truth
PETER ELLIOT HAD KNOWN AMY SINCE INFANCY。 He prided himself on his ability to predict her responses； although he had only known her in a laboratory setting。 Now； as she was faced with new situations； her behavior surprised him。
Elliot had anticipated Amy would be terrified of the takeoff； and had prepared a syringe with Thoralen tranquilizer。 But sedation proved unnecessary。 Amy watched Jensen and Levine buckle their seat belts； and she immediately buckled herself in； too； she seemed to regard the procedure as an amusing； if simpleminded； game。 And although her eyes widened when she heard the full mar of the engines； the human beings around her did not seem disturbed； and Amy imitated their bored indifference； raising her eyebrows and sighing at the tedium of it all。
Once airborne； however； Amy looked out the window and immediately panicked。 She released her seat belt and scurried back and forth across the passenger partment； moving from window to window； knocking people aside in whimpering terror while she signed； Where ground ground where ground？ Outside； the ground was black and indistinct。 Where ground？ Elliot shot her with Thoralen and then began grooming her； sitting her down and plucking at her hair。
In the wild； primates devoted several hours each day to grooming one another； removing ticks and lice。 Grooming behavior was important in ordering the group's social dominance structure…there was a pattern by which animals groomed each other； and with what frequency。 And； like back rubs for people； grooming seemed to have a soothing； calming effect。 Within minutes； Amy had relaxed enough to notice that the others were drinking； and she promptly demanded a 〃green drop drink〃…her term for a martini with an olive…and a cigarette。 She was allowed this on special occasions such