Then, slowly, gently, she brushed her nose against him. The puppy blinked, uncertain. Then—he licked her whiskers. Murmurs rippled through the crowd. “Did you see that?” “Is she… playing?” Jamie blinked hard. “She’s not hurting him,” he said. “She’s… saying hello.”
Asha, the lead zookeeper, arrived on the scene. Her radio crackled. “What’s our call?” someone asked. “Do we intervene?” Asha watched for ten long seconds. “Hold position,” she said. “Nobody moves unless Meera does.” Then, softer, to herself: “Let’s see what she’s trying to say.”