A few locusts trudge along the wall of the trap. The rest are piled in a heap in the…

"Bummer it wasn't in here..."

"I'm just..." he breathes out. "Glad we haven't found some poor cat trapped in one of these."

This trap is also full of panicked locusts. No sign of any cryptozoological beast inside.

"Another empty trap," the lieutenant takes a note -- more out of habit than duty.

"How are you enjoying the cardio, lieutenant? I'm quite enjoying it myself."

"Always up for a good jog -- otherwise, would I still be on this case with you?" He smiles and raises his collar. It's windy.

"I want to make it clear that I don't actually believe the phasmid exists, okay?"

"Of course. Noted." He looks at you, incredulously, as you place the trap back in the reeds.

"Let's keep going. The next one is the lucky one."

"Yup. The next one has a crab trapped in it." He raises his collar -- it's windy. "These are just crab traps, you do realize?"

Say nothing, just put the trap down.

Neither does the lieutenant. He just raises his collar -- it's cold out, as always.

Man, it's lonely doing this alone. The wind seems to howl in a strange manner...

Locusts are crawling around in the trap, confused but uneaten. You see no carnivorous reed-phasmid gorging on them.

"Big surprise." The lieutenant grins mirthlessly. "Anyway -- one down, three to go."

"Damn, I was hoping it would be in the first one."

"No you weren't." He looks at the sea, then you -- laying the trap back down on the ground.

"No need to grin. I'm not expecting to find anything. I'm helping some citizens and getting some fresh air."

"I meant no offence, just..." The lieutenant doesn't know how to finish the sentence. He looks at you, putting the trap back on the ground.

"It'll be in the next one. Surely."

"Surely," he repeats and looks at the sea, then at you putting the trap back on the ground. "Anyway, the air is nice and fresh here..."

Say nothing, just put the trap down.

You set the apparatus back on the ground, among the reeds.

[Leave.]

This is the trap Morell just set. Checking it over, he said, is just a technicality, but...