Chimera

CHAPTER 20

The Graystone Fields Ranch

Michael Hateley was sitting alone in the middle of his spacious and luxurious underground den, sipping at a glass of expensive single-malt scotch and staring contemplatively at the empty section of wall opposite his chair — an area he’d once set aside for his world record Clouded Leopard trophy, but was now re-structuring in his mind for a far grander trophy — when the intercom beeped.

“Yes?”

“Dr. Stuart Jackson Caldreaux is calling, on the secure line, sir.”

Hateley reached over to the receiver on the nearby lamp stand and punched the hands-free button. “Hello, Stuart, how are things going in the Big Easy these days?”

“’Nawlins will rise up from the proverbial ashes once again, just as she always has,” Caldreaux replied in his rich Cajun drawl. “Not sure Ah can say the same fo’ myself, though.”

“Oh, why is that?”

“Ah jest received a call from a mutual friend of ours, tellin’ me that he had to cancel my planned hunt in Thailand and Malaysia next month. Said the po-litical situation is currently too unstable in the southern peninsula. Don’t know ‘xactly what he meant by that, but it did sound a mite ominous.”

“Did you ask him for specifics?”

“Yes sir, Ah did, but our mutual friend was a little vague. Wasn’t tellin’ me the whole story, Ah’m pretty sure — which isn’t like the man, if you know what Ah mean?”

“I agree, that doesn’t sound like him at all,” Hateley said supportively. “He’s always been straight-forward and up-front with me, as far as I know.”

“But that led me to thinking,” Caldreaux went on, “didn’t you go on a hunt with our mutual friend in Thailand just recently, lookin’ for that mythical Giant Clouded Leopard you’re always goin’ on about?”

“Yes, I did. Matter of fact, I just got back a couple of days ago.”

“How’d it go? Any luck?”

“The hunt itself was spectacular. Set myself up a midnight shoot on a bamboo stand, using the two-forty-three Remington and a new fourth-generation Aries Crusader night scope I just picked up; and managed to drop a big Cloud that was prowling around high in the trees about a hundred yards out. Magnificent specimen — had to be in the hundred-and-twenty kilo range; definitely world record class.”

“Pardon me for sayin’ so, Michael, but it sounds like you’re describin’ a big fish what got away, ‘stead of a big trophy you’re havin’ center-stage mounted for our next get-together? Or did I misunderstand your meanin’?”

Hateley sighed. “No, Stuart, you were quite perceptive, as always. It seems our mutual friend managed to lose my trophy on his way out of the country; a major disappointment, as you might imagine. I never even got to touch it.”

“Gawd almighty! How’d he manage to do an outrageous thing like that?”

“I don’t know. Something about increased Ranger patrols in the entire southern peninsula, and having to abandon everything when they ran into an unexpected check-point situation. Like you, I don’t think I’ve heard the entire story.”

“Ah thought we’ve been payin’ a significant premium on our license fees to take care of them penny-ante check-point issues?”

“That was my understanding, too,” Hateley agreed. “Sounds like the Thais might have put a new park and wildlife management team in place. If that’s the case, we may have to renegotiate our access privileges.”

“Damn, Ah sure do hate to hear that. Ah always enjoy our little excursions into that part of the world, both the huntin’ and the socializing’ afterwards. You think it might be a pressure tactic by some of the locals, to try to get us to pay more?”

“That’s always possible,” Hateley said, “but I got the impression it had more to do with how the Thai hunting laws are being interpreted in the field. There was a bit of a confrontation out on the road near our hunting site between our friend and some Rangers on patrol on our last night, which ultimately led our hasty departure. I’d like to believe our mutual friend was being overly cautious in the face of unexpected circumstances in a foreign environment; but, in any case, I can’t imagine it’s going to take very long for things to regain their natural balance.”

“That would be nice.” Caldreaux was silent for a moment. “So Ah guess you’re plannin’ on canceling our dinner arrangements?”

Hateley sighed. “No, I’m not; I can’t see any reason to do that just because I came back empty-handed. And besides, we’ve got a nice menu all planned out for you fellows; just have to change my own entree selection to ‘fricassee of crow.’”

Caldreaux chuckled. “Well, it’s been nice chattin’ with you, Michael, as always. Good to hear you’re still maintain’ that marvelous sense of humor of yours; and Ah’m certainly looking forward to our little get-together.”

“Yes, Stuart,” Hateley said, staring at the empty spot on his trophy wall, “so am I.”