“
That’s when he finds them.
Birds. Mammals. Reptiles.
That one was George—a Cheetah with the most flaming fur.
That one was Gogy—a gorilla with the clearest pair of eyes.
That one was Ms. Mimbo—a hybrid of Macao and African Grey Parrot. And the one near the stone was … well, the Monk goes through around three dozen names. It took fifty years of careful watch to make sure they don’t go extinct. If you live long enough, you might, as well, end up befriending every life your neighboring forest holds. And if you are a war hero, you might even get professionals from the Wildlife Conservation Board to help you during their crossbreeding process.
But they’re all dead.
”
”