We know that our heartstrings will be tugged, indeed yanked, but Moles manages to make this very sentimental story work.

Rich Horton, Locus

Another reporter stood up, one of the newspaper men. “I have a question for Dr. Schulman,” he said.

“Go ahead,” I said.

“Does the chimpanzee–” the reporter began.

“Adam,” I said.

“Does Adam understand what he’s doing?” said the reporter. “Or is he just repeating something he’s memorized, like a dog doing tricks? I mean, everyone knows apes can’t really think.”

“Where’d you get that idea?” I said.

“Well,” said the reporter, looking uncomfortable, “my paper recently ran an interview with Dr. Theodore Roper of Yale–“

I interrupted him. “I consider Ted Roper a close personal friend,” I lied, trying to keep my voice level. “But when it comes to primate cognition, he and his behaviorist friends couldn’t find their asses with both hands.” As the reporter turned red, I added: “You can quote me on that.”

“All right,” Akers said hurriedly. “I’m afraid that’s all we have time for, gentlemen; we have a rocket to launch.”