PRESTER JOHN AND HIS LOST KINGDOM
Shifting further into the past of Africa, history and mythology merge. I had always wanted to build a storyline around Prester John, this mythic figure. According to the fables surrounding him, he was descended from Balthazar, one of the trio of kings who had visited the Christ child in His manger. His kingdom was said to be one of astronomical wealth, with his legend tied to the Fountain of Youth, to the Ark of the Covenant, and to King Solomon’s mine. For centuries, European rulers sent forth emissaries to seek him out, many of whom vanished into the jungle and never returned. Including Pope Alexander III’s personal physician. It just goes to show the power of myth and story—unless it’s all true.
KUBA PEOPLE
This topic extends from the past to the present. The Kuba people still thrive in the Congo today. As mentioned above, they were indeed friends with the Reverend William Sheppard. Both in the past and today, the tribe’s art remains respected around the world. From their elaborate carvings—like the ngedi mu ntey boxes and ndop figures—to their sophisticated work with raffia textiles. Even Picasso owed his cubist period to these people, studying an exhibit of Kuba art in Paris in 1907. So how could I not highlight such artistry in this book?
PYGMIES
Another people featured in this novel have a long and fascinating history in the Congo. Today, the pygmy tribes are a disparate group, spread across central Africa, speaking several languages, but once they were one people, sharing an ancestral population going back 90,000 years. It wasn’t until recent history—about 2,800 years ago—that wave after wave of invading farmers shattered this one tribe into many. Today, some tribes don’t even know others exist. Likewise, anthropologists remain in the dark about much of these people’s history. Geneticists still debate the reason for their short stature. Even the origins of pygmies remain unknown. So, who’s to say if there isn’t some lost tribe who preserves those secrets, who continue to be the forest’s guardians?
But, for now, let’s leave behind such historical mysteries and move forward to the present . . .
CONGO OF TODAY
After back-to-back brutal wars—the First and Second Congo Wars (from 1996 to 2003)—the DRC remains in a precarious state. Corruption runs rampant, placing the country at number 168 out of 198 on the “corruption perception index” index, as prepared by Transparency International. And though the country is one of the richest in natural resources, it still remains one of the poorest. Rebels, militias, and warlords plague large sections of the country. Poachers wreak havoc. But there remain many heroes who fight for the DRC’s future, including members of the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN). These eco-guards—like Ndaye—struggle daily, in blood and strife, to protect those natural resources against far worse than just poachers. In a country teetering on the cusp, other nations—most notably of late, the Chinese—have sought to steal its riches, heralding a new era of colonialism that threatens to be just as brutal and devastating as those reported during William Sheppard’s time. So, if this bit of fiction shines a brighter light on what’s happening under the Congo’s dark canopy, all the better.
On a side note, the tragic events of Lake Nyos in Cameroon described in this book—where 1,800 people were suffocated by a methane burst from that lake—truly happened back in 1986. Likewise, that same risk hangs over the heavily populated Lake Kivu, which straddles the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. There, millions would be killed if that lake ever exploded, which is a distinct possibility in the earthquake-prone region.
A BIT ABOUT BEASTS AND BATS
First, forgive a veterinarian-turned-author from indulging in his own creature creation. Certainly, many of the insects and animals featured in this story are of my own imagination. Still, I sought not to craft them in an entirely fanciful manner, but to borrow and steal from other species, while also adhering to basic behavior and biology. Though, even some of that behavior and biology may seem fantastical. Like ants who have empathy (they do!), or orange-tinted dwarf crocodiles who are evolving in real time while trapped underground (they are!). I also enjoyed shining a light on the monogamous nature of jackals, the temperament of hippos, and the existence of aardwolves.
I also devoted a large chunk of the book to bats and their strange biology, especially in regard to their unique ability to harbor viruses. I thought it might be of special interest during the time of COVID. All of the details concerning bats and viruses found in this book are true. Like how viruses are deeply entwined into a bat’s unique immune system, how viruses tie into their ability to fly, how they contribute to the species’ amazing longevity, even how viral DNA is baked into their genetics—and ours.
So, let’s take a closer look at viruses in general. I’ve broken this next section into (hopefully) digestible parts.
ORIGIN OF VIRUSES
This novel discussed many of the current theories about the origins of viruses. Like if viruses can truly be considered living or are they simply self-replicating machines. That same debate dovetails into which came first—a sort of chicken and the egg scenario. Did viruses devolve from some other larger cell? Or did they come first and jump-start life on this planet—what’s known as the Virus World Theory. I’ll let virologists hash that out. Though, I lean toward the latter. Why? Simply because so many of our most important genes—from embryo development to immune function—come from viruses. Even the Arc gene, gained from viruses, is the foundation for our big brains. Without viruses, none of us would be around.
SEARCH FOR VIRUSES
Frank’s job, as described in this book, is vitally important. Yes, he helped saved Kane, but that’s not what I mean. Seventy-five percent of all emerging diseases in the past century—Ebola, HIV, COVID-19— were passed to the human population from animals, known as zoonotic transmission. The Smithsonian’s Global Health Program is just one organization that strives to search for the next pathogen that might trigger another pandemic. They employ many board-certified veterinarians and other specialists to collect data, to gather specimens from the field, all to create a database of potential threats.
What frightens many of the virologists I spoke to—especially after COVID—is what they dub “Disease X.” This is a theoretical disease pathogen capable of spreading rapidly, an organism that modern science has no preventative or cure against. How close was COVID to being that frightening Disease X? Let me just say that researching this novel during the time of COVID was not good for one’s nerves. We mostly escaped what could have been far worse. Still, we need as many Franks out there as possible, so we’re better prepared next time. And trust me, there will be a next time.
GIANT VIRUSES
The first of these jumbo viruses was isolated from an amoeba in 1992. Due to its size, everyone thought it was a bacterium at first. It wasn’t until 2003 that it was reclassified as a virus. Since then, many other giants have been discovered. That doesn’t mean we understand them—not in the least. These viruses contain thousands of genes, most of them remain unknown. Like the Pandoravirus. Ninety percent of its 2,500 genes don’t resemble anything else found on earth. Then there’s the Yaravirus, an organism where all of its genes are alien. Such viruses are also strangely stubborn, even capable of coming back from the dead. One giant—Mollivirus sibericum—was discovered frozen in the Siberian permafrost. It was revived after 30,000 years of frozen hibernation. So, if we’re searching for a Disease X, maybe we’d better pay particular attention to those giants.