THE DOMINANT SPECIES

Human survivors on a hostile island; the battle for life and self respect; Darwinism on acid. The judge at the inquest into the deaths would describe their achievements as a monument to human society; a tribute to the courage, team-work and intelligence which is the very fabric of civilisation. Malcolm could see the Judge’s logic, he wanted to see the Judge’s logic. He remembered the bow that Felippe had built, the ‘lizard killer’ as they had fondly labelled it. The awesome gaping genius of it and the way it had transformed both their situation and the way they saw themselves. They were impressive. Malcolm wanted to share in their pride, to share in their boasts, to enthusiastically clap the Judge, but he could not stop thinking of the fellow survivors that they had inevitably murdered along the way.