Beauty in the Bones: Season 1

Episode 5: Scoundrels and Sacrifice

Our cavalcade set forth onto the veldt, as tall, flaxen grass shifted like waves upon a restive sea about us. Three all-terrain vehicles plowed steadily, their tires gouging long furrows into the dry, auburn soil. The engines kept a determined growl as we journeyed deeper into the wildest stretches of Thohadoun. At the rear of the party, one of our guides rode a lumbering elephant, its swaying gait and flapping ears a picturesque sight against the vast stretches of land and sky.

I sat between Gerald and Castor in the last vehicle, with Duke resting at my feet. Father, Grandfather, Mr. Tremaine, and Mr. Forsyth were in the first, with four of their business partners sharing the one in the middle. Malachai, as the leader of the staff, drove with Father, while two porters chauffeured the rest of us. A coterie of service robots strode alongside, carrying supplies and ammunition, their durable actuators humming.

We stopped alongside a steep ridge, and stepped out to survey the route. Malachai and Father scanned the expanse through high-powered binoculars, pointing toward a distant rise.

I joined everyone at the ledge.

Castor shaded his eyes with one palm against the sweltering daylight. "There's so many of them," he said, watching in awe.

The landscape opened to the horizon in a broad savannah, with a line of knobby bluffs rising in the distance. Great herds of animals moved in bands of patterned hides, their slender necks and spiraled horns nodding. Clouds of dust trailed from thousands of hooves.

The tame elephant trumpeted, and the bellowing of its wild kindred echoed in reply. Its handler calmed it, and it reached back with its trunk to take the offered treat.

"These creatures are restless," Malachai said. "A sure sign that Gash is near. We're tracking his location as twenty miles south-east, within the vicinity of the central watering area. It's one of his favorite places to prowl."

Father glanced at me. "Silas, do you want the live bounty, or a lovely skin and head for your trophy wall?"

I pondered both options. The Chimerae of Thohadoun were among the most sought-after of prizes. If we brought Gash in alive, my name would be mentioned among every sporting circle in society. Fame, a generous purse, and acceptance into the Hall of Records of the most challenging preserve in the known worlds would be mine. I couldn't resist the temptation.

"Let's trap him," I said.

Father chuckled. "I knew you'd want the glory. If we're fortunate, we'll have the mighty predator before dusk."

As we returned to the vehicles, Father's wristcom hailed with an urgent, ascending tone. I recognized the astute woman who appeared on hologram as Miss Kohler, his executive assistant. Her grim demeanor caught my attention, as she'd only call in an emergency.

"I apologize for the intrusion, Mr. Blane," she said. "But I must inform you of alarming news."

Father's brow furrowed. "Proceed."

"The Drillers Union refused the final offer. The strike began thirty standard minutes ago. All freighters and transports are indefinitely suspended as we speak."

"Damn the Lovejoys," Father said, pacing. "If they'd honored the trade commission's final proposal, this wouldn't be necessary."

This strike brought great loss and inconvenience for Blane Industries. The trade commission oversaw all off-world enterprise, and was the official mediator between employers and laborers. Lovejoy-Prynne's corporation was a larger mining company than ours, and they notoriously absorbed much of our competition. Many of these smaller businesses were owned by the miners themselves, as shareholders.