Bernie gazed around in wonder.

The Hub, as Ivy had called it, was a large, white-walled room filled with all sorts of high-tech apparatus. In here, the white walls seemed appropriate, giving the place what Bernie thought was a clinical, sciencey feel. He recognised some bits and pieces of equipment, such as microscopes and computers, but was totally baffled by others. This place was obviously the nerve centre of operations. It had a feeling of organised chaos, as scientists and their assistants busied themselves with whatever research they were up to. They all wore white lab coats, each with a MeierCorp logo on the breast pocket. Meier seemed to feel the need to put his stamp on absolutely everything. Bernie wondered why that was.

Bernie noticed that there were a number of glass-panelled doors that led off to other research areas. And at the far end of the room was a glass wall that looked into another room that had sawdust on the floor and various bits of plant life positioned around it. There was a man crouched down in front of the glass, looking at something. But Bernie couldn’t see what.

‘The observation room,’ Ivy whispered to him as she followed his gaze. ‘It’s where we bring in new animals for initial study.’

Bernie and Ivy followed Doctor Gillian Saunders. She was the Director of Research and second only to Mr Meier himself. A short, elderly lady (at least mid-fifties, Bernie guessed), she had greeted Bernie in a friendly manner. He thought she looked more like a librarian from some old-fashioned kids’ book than a director. She had grey hair that had been dyed a pale blue, like so many older ladies seemed to do, and a weird pair of tiny glasses that perched on the end of her nose, looking as if they’d fall off at any moment.

Although a little reluctant at first, Doctor Saunders had agreed that their report of a new find did need to be investigated. So, she had taken them to the Hub, planning on sending out a drone.

Doctor Saunders went straight to a door to one side of the Hub. She gave a curt knock and opened it.

‘Apologies for the interruption, Kirra,’ said Doctor Saunders.

A woman sitting in front of a large array of computer equipment and monitors turned slowly, a look of annoyed tolerance on her face. ‘Yes?’

Monster Island’s tech specialist, Kirra Evans, wore a fisherman’s vest over a long-sleeved grey T-shirt, every pocket laden with tools and accessories. Her dark face was hard, like chiselled granite, her eyes intense and penetrating. Bernie felt like she could stare down a herd of buffalo.

‘This is Doctor Bailey’s son,’ said Doctor Saunders by way of introduction.

‘I’ve heard all about him,’ said Evans. ‘Mr Meier is rather peeved that he managed to sneak on board the Mist Finder and make it all the way to the island without detection. Now I’ve been tasked with beefing up security, giving my seriously overloaded schedule a nudge towards insanity.’ She eyeballed Bernie. ‘Thanks so much for that.’ Then she returned her attention to Doctor Saunders. ‘Can we skip the pleasantries and get straight to business?’

Doctor Saunders took a long, deep breath before responding, maintaining a cheery tone. ‘Again, I apologise for the interruption. But, yes, we can cut to the chase. We have a potential new discovery that needs to be investigated. How are we placed for drone availability?’

The woman swivelled around to her computers, numerous bangles and bracelets jangling on her wrist as she made some checks. ‘Three are awaiting repair, which will have to be delayed – yet again – now that I’ve got extra work. Professor Bolete has a number of them booked for a survey of the fungal core, Doctor Tanaka’s team is currently using two to monitor a toad, but we do have one available. I’ll patch control of it through to Suite Eleven.’

Fungal core? Bernie wondered what that could possibly be. He had visions of an apple core covered in fuzzy green mould.

‘Many thanks,’ said Doctor Saunders with an inclination of her head. ‘We’ll get out of your hair.’

Evans snorted at the joke. Her close-cropped black hair was little more than stubble, giving her serious face that extra edge of severity.

Doctor Saunders ushered Bernie and Ivy out into the Hub, then through a door that led to a series of small control rooms. The three of them squeezed into the one with Suite 11 on the door.

Within minutes they had a drone’s-eye view of the jungle on the monitor. The drone sped over the trees until it came down into the clearing by the lake. The brachiosaur was still there, but most of the others had gone. The head of a plesiosaur broke the surface of the water as the drone flew by.

Ivy leaned close to Bernie and whispered, ‘That’s Splashy.’

Bernie almost burst out laughing.

‘Which way from here?’ asked Saunders, bringing their attention to the task at hand.

‘See that large clump of bushes, straight ahead? Go through there and turn right.’ Ivy then proceeded to guide the drone towards the ditch.

Doctor Saunders slowly lowered the drone into the ditch, turning it from side to side, searching for anything unusual. Then she proceeded along the ditch.

‘There!’ shouted Ivy, pointing to the screen. ‘Just through there, beyond the ferns.’

The drone pushed through the overhanging fronds.

‘I don’t see anything,’ said Doctor Saunders.

‘I’m pretty sure this is where it was,’ said Ivy, but Bernie could see that she was doubting herself.

‘Nothing here now. Maybe it . . . oh, wait!’ Doctor Saunders lowered the drone. ‘Paw prints.’

They all crowded closer to the screen. There was indeed a set of paw prints. Each print had two pads, five toes and what looked like a pretty serious set of claws. They ran along one side of the ditch in the damp earth and stopped in front of a tree. There were distinct claw marks on the lower trunk.

‘Well,’ said Doctor Saunders. ‘Seems like we do have something. I’ll let Doctor Tanaka know about it so that he and his team can follow up.’

‘I wasn’t expecting paw prints,’ said Ivy.

‘This may be different from what you described, but it is nevertheless a new discovery. I will be sure to mention that to Mr Meier.’

‘Thanks,’ said Ivy.

‘That thing we saw,’ said Bernie. ‘It did have claws growing out of it, didn’t it? And those prints look like they have claws. Maybe the thing we saw, and whatever made those prints . . . are the same.’

‘I guess,’ agreed Ivy.

‘Either that, or whatever made those prints ate whatever it was that we saw?’ suggested Bernie.

‘Perhaps,’ said Doctor Saunders, as she continued to pilot the drone. ‘But let us continue looking around.’ They resumed searching, but there was nothing more to find. ‘If there was something else there,’ she concluded, ‘it’s gone now.’