Unicorn Tracks Read Free

wink. “It was fine. Our cabin was a bit small, but the crew were lovely.”
    “It’s not my fault the man couldn’t lose at poker,” Mr. Harving mumbled.
    Kara cleared her throat and exchanged a smile with her father. “Anyway, we are so pleased to be here. The trek will all be worth it for our research.”
    The way they talked about their research made it sound like something they did together, when I’d assumed it was Mr. Harving’s occupation and she was just along for the trip.
    I gestured to the tray. “Welcome to Nazwimbe. I have cold cider here for you. Tumelo—Mr. Nzeogwu—said you might want to go out this afternoon already? Are you sure you wouldn’t rather settle in, have a rest, a bath? We can visit the—I’m sure Tumelo would love to show you some of our native games? The rides can be intense, especially after such a journey.”
    I prayed they might change their mind. I was scrubbed, reasonably sweat-free, and the sugar-buzz from the chocolate had started to wear off. Let Tumelo entertain them for a while. All I wanted was to climb into my bed and sleep the afternoon away.
    “No, no. We’ve been traveling for weeks and spent months preparing for this before we left,” said Mr. Harving. He gestured toward the maps. “We’ve been studying your geography. We have theories relating to the terrain and the breeding habits of the Kardunn. I can’t wait to get out in the field and find some.”
    “The what?” I’d been a guide for Tumelo for over a year, and in that time, never heard of an animal called a “kardunn” before.
    “Unicornalis Kardunn,” Kara explained. She picked up a sketch of two animals. The drawing lacked the practiced refinery I’d seen in many of the ladies’ sketchbooks, but I could make out the equine form of a unicorn and a smaller, two-horned beast that I couldn’t distinguish. “That’s their official name. We have this theory that the abada might also be a subspecies of unicorn, so we’ve classified them as a family.”
    My brain skipped over most of what she said, focusing in on a single word: unicorns. I almost sighed out loud. Of course Tumelo would assign me to this group, knowing that the unicorns were one of the hardest animals to track in Nazwimbe. What a bastard. The creatures lived a solitary existence, deep in the wooded brush, with prints indistinguishable from those of a common horse. They made no noise, moving with a feline grace, their whinnies a whisper on the air.
    “How many days are you here with us in Nazwimbe?” I asked, moving Tumelo’s box of cigars from his chair so I could sit in it. “Unicorns are difficult to track. We may have to go out several days just to see one.”
    “Mr. Nzeogwu assured us this area hosted one of the largest populations,” Kara said, looking at me out of the corner of her eye with obvious suspicion.
    “We’re here for three weeks. Plenty of time! We understand they are elusive, part of their mystique that makes them so intriguing to us,” Mr. Harving cut in quickly, taking a long drink from his glass of cider.
    Great. Tumelo had all but guaranteed them I would find unicorns for them to study, even though he knew how difficult they were to find. He had been too happy to offer me four days off. I should have suspected something. Curses in two languages flashed through my mind. I’d known him for years. I should have realized that his generosity wouldn’t come cheap.
    “When can we be ready to go out?” Kara asked, wringing her pale hands. She began to repack the maps into long wooden tubes.
    “I’ll go prepare the horses,” I said, taking a deep breath. I was so tired that heaving myself out of the chair seemed like an adventure in itself.
    As Kara packed up the documents, one of the long carrier boxes knocked into the tray, spilling cold cider into my lap. I leapt to my feet with a yelp, the liquid soaking my trousers to the skin.
    “I’m so sorry!” Kara was at my side in seconds, trying to mop