After a few seconds, this title also vanished, and then the monitor, to my satisfaction, but also to my great dismay, presented me with what I had sought.
The breeding program "FELIDAE" was so voluminous and complicated that only a tiny portion of it fit into the limited confines of the screen. It consisted of a considerable number of genealogical trees, beginning at the very top with several pairs that would come into question for rebreeding. These branched off downward, seeming to go on to infinity, multiplying themselves into an impenetrable thicket. The more the diagram extended downward, the more the development of the species in particular genealogical trees progressed from the domesticated type to the wild, purebred Felidae. Moreover, the breeder had proceeded very strictly in the selection process and had gradually eradicated, or presumably murdered, the generations from the program that continued to carry the dominant gene of domestication. An inextricable network of kinship relations branched off, covering the bright green background like a paper cutout. Under every name a corresponding information box had been inserted. Each box listed details on the genotype, meaning the genetic traits each individual inherited from its parents, and then on the phenotype, or the realization of the individual genotype in interaction with the environment. Comments were also noted in the information boxes on the "dominant" hereditary factors that always expressed themselves in the phenotype as well as on the "recessive" hereditary factors that were second to the dominant ones, but which could also "revive" themselves. The boxes were in turn connected with another by black lines for the sake of clearly documenting the manifold crossbreeding. To obtain a general survey of the breeding program, it was also possible to shift the impressive graphics up and down as well as right and left on the monitor.
The solution, or to be precise, the principle, was quite simple. If a human being wants to breed animals, then he isolates the animals designated for breeding from those animals that are unsuitable for breeding. An animal that intends to breed animals, however, does not by nature have the means a human being has. The animal can only see to it that the male selected for breeding purposes encounters the right female. If an unknown animal tries to butt in, it has to be stopped. But what if it did not allow itself to be stopped, if it insisted on satisfying its lust? Well, then …
At the lower branches of the genealogical tree approximately one hundred names appeared of those who had come closest to the breeding goal. Among them was probably my seductress, the one with whom I had spent one of the most enchanting mornings of my life. Strangely enough, all these names were tongue twisters. I supposed that the creator of the program had studied not only our kind but also the roots of our language intensively. One was called "Khromolhkhan," for example, another, "Iiieahtoph." In fact, it did not seem all that farfetched to compare myself with the safari-helmeted archaeologist, who, carrying out the abominable practices of his science in the mysterious burial vault systems of the pyramids, at last stumbles on the solid gold sarcophagus he has sought all his life. What I had finally discovered, or rather excavated, turned out to be a veritable Pandora's box; in time, it would no doubt come up with even more surprising secrets.
Yes, there really was much more to discover. As it happened, in the lower-right corner of the genealogical table a tiny black death's head was hidden, which I assumed was a symbol for recalling a further graphic diagram. I moved the cursor to this symbol and pressed the enter key. As anticipated, the genealogical table faded away, and a seemingly endless list of names appeared, to each of which was appended a number, date, and time, as well as a short note. One such entry, for example, read as follows:
287 … Pascha
18 June 1986 / circa 0300
Attempted to mate Tragiyahn. All art of persuasion in vain. Tragiyahn is a problem in any case. She does not keep the agreement and roams the entire district when she's in heat. When will they finally get to the point that they shun the rank and file?
Another entry:
355 … Chanel
4 August 1987 / circa 2300
Chrochoch impregnated her. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it: the owner would have distributed the litter among friends and acquaintances in the immediate vicinity. By no means could that be allowed to occur. I have enough problems as it is finding quarters for my own among the humans.
Number by number, name by name, it went on in this matter-of-fact tone. It was quite obvious what was in this list: only the dead! With his characteristic conscientiousness, the murderer had accurately documented and catalogued every one of his villainous deeds. The itemization of horrors finally ended with number 447. No wonder that the number my intellectual twin brother and I had calculated came so close to this.
I stared with my mouth open at the monitor, and the longer I remained there in this petrified state, the more I was filled with a grief unlike any I had ever known. So many, so terribly many had had to give up their lives so that this fanatic could realize his dream of the one true race. It was an old dream that many other fanatics before him had dreamed, and one of the most senseless. Four hundred and forty-seven brothers and sisters who had wanted nothing but to live and to love. That and nothing else, damn
