They had finally landed on the island. They stepped off the plane and headed for the limousines that were to take them to the Serrano hacienda. Evan was impressed. A private airport and limousines made an impression. Just like Mateo's private jet. Yet that was nothing compared to the island itself.
They drove along a perfectly smooth road lined with palms and didn't know where to look. From the windows of the limousines they had a perfect view of the sea glimpsed between the palms. They saw bright buildings with red-tiled roofs, fountains carved from stone, and flowerbeds full of colorful blooms. Further on, a hotel for guests was visible. Evan thought there must be a restaurant there as well and began to feel the pressure. What would happen if he couldn't handle it? Suddenly stage fright flooded his mind. What if someone ordered him, or… for a moment he wondered whether he shouldn't… become a dish of the Serrano estate… only this time whole, so he could hear how they judged his Taste. Although Mateo still had a shield on his…
He shook his head to drive those thoughts away. He recognized erosion. He hadn't thought his illness would strike him again. Thanks to the consultations with Dr. Florentine he had believed the worst was behind him. He hadn't expected the thought of becoming someone's dish to reappear. Worse still, it really seemed tempting to him.
He looked the other way to focus on something else and occupy his mind with something other than meat.
What he saw left him speechless. He saw pyramids. Just like in a tourist guide to Mexico. Except these didn't look like gray stones. They were colorful and seemed slightly mystical.
"Real?" Motona asked, astonished.
"It's a genuine temple complex. They're even older than the official history of the Serrano family. My family has maintained them for generations. Hunting ceremonies still take place there."
Rufus instinctively grabbed his neck.
Gator looked toward the pyramids. His gaze focused on the red walls decorated with green, blue, and yellow.
"So the Ocetols built them. I was wondering. Has the Tzompatli survived?"
"Yes, the stone base has survived, and the wooden scaffolding was restored according to the size of the original. Although there are no skulls on it now. Lucia once proposed filling the scaffolding with artificial skulls for a better impression on the guests."
"That's inappropriate," Gator stated.
"The parents thought the same and firmly rejected Lucia's idea."
Mateo looked toward the pyramids once more.
"Esteban had his initiation there. He rubbed it in for a while."
Esteban was Mateo's older brother, the officially recognized heir of the Serrano line and an irritating older brother who never missed an opportunity to remind his sibling of his achievements. Apparently he had even turned his hunting initiation into a reason to mock his brother.
"Initiation? You mean the first successful hunt?"
Mateo nodded at Evan's question.
"Actually, why didn't you bring me to the island then?"
"It was part of our arrangement with the hunting club. The family was off the island at the time, so I went through the initiation hunt on their grounds. After the quarry was caught, the ceremony was supposed to take place at their place."
"I see. Do you remember the argument between the club president and the Commissioner?"
"Yes. The Commissioner decided I had started chasing you while still in the yellow zone, and the President that everything had already begun in the red and the club recognized the hunt. They could have argued about it for a whole month, and the Serranos don't need trophies that can be questioned. This time I don't intend to leave anything to chance."
Rufus, still holding his neck, said:
"I don't intend to make it easy."
"I'm counting on that," Mateo replied and smiled.
At last they reached the hacienda. A huge estate surrounded by gardens. At the entrance, under the arcades, stood a rabbit in a suit accompanied by servants. When they got out, he greeted them.
"Young Master Serrano, Dear guests. Welcome to the Serrano estate. I hope your stay with us will bring you much joy."
Evan noticed that Emilio kept glancing at the estate and seemed to be trembling slightly.
"Emilio, ask. I want to hear the news too," Mateo said.
"Adrian, has the candidate arrived?" Panic was audible in the butler's voice.
"Yes, Father. We checked his references. He meets all the requirements of our house and has excellent recommendations."
"When will the meeting begin?" Emilio seemed genuinely nervous.
"The meeting…"
At that moment they heard something that sounded like the clink of breaking glass and the crack of splintering wood. Then a scream rang out.
Everyone looked up. They managed to catch a glimpse of a falling silhouette with long ears that landed in the bushes.
"It looks like the meeting has just ended."
Adrian looked as if all strength had suddenly left him. Mateo looked as if he had a massive hangover. Emilio collapsed to his knees without strength, then screamed with all the power in his lungs:
"CONSTANCE!!!"
All the guests looked in shock toward the bushes in which someone had landed.
"Is he alive?" someone from the group asked.
"Probably. The bushes were trimmed so as to cushion the fall."
Everyone stared in bewilderment at the bushes and wondered how many people had already ended up like that, if they had started specially trimming them.
They were in the study of Alejandro Serrano, who sat behind the desk with a stern face. Beside him in an armchair sat Hernando Serrano, his father. On the opposite side stood his wife Isabella.
Facing them stood a very attractive doe in a maid's outfit. She had her head lowered and her ears laid back. Behind her stood Emilio. Now stripped of all his self-confidence. He looked as if he had aged several decades in an instant. Beside him stood an older doe in a maid's outfit. Presumably his wife. Both looked very worried.
Against the wall in the corner stood Evan. Donna Serrano had wanted him present for everything, but he had no idea why.
Don Serrano looked at the doe before him.
"Constance, did you throw that rabbit out the window?" He said it in a very tired voice.
"Yes, Don Serrano. I did."
Evan's eyes widened, though he tried to keep an upright posture. This was that Constance who had thrown that guy out the window? He had imagined her differently.
"Why?"
Constance straightened and said without faltering:
"He tried to persuade me to betray the family."
Everyone flinched at once.
"Constance, you're making a very serious accusation. Do you have any proof of this?"
Constance approached the desk and placed a phone on it.
"It's his. All the notes are on it."
The jaguar took the phone. He began to read. With every line his face twisted with anger.
"Tell us exactly what happened."
Constance looked them in the eyes.
"At first it was even pleasant, then he started questioning me intensively about family matters. Especially about my father and older brother. He asked about their health and the scope of their duties."
Evan noticed that Constance was clenching her fist, and her parents were staring intently at their daughter's back.
"At first I thought he wanted to get to know the family structure. But after a moment he started asking when Father was retiring. Later he asked about Adrian. That's when I felt something was wrong. I asked what he was after."
Then anger twisted her face.
"Then that… that… I apologize for the word, Don Serrano, but—" The jaguar nodded. A few words followed for which Constance's mother gave her daughter a very reprimanding look. "—he told me straight out that he wanted to become the chief butler of the Serranos. I asked how he intended to do that."
Constance stamped her foot. Emilio whispered something. Constance flinched slightly.
"Then he told me straight out that he was glad I asked. He was convinced I would help him. He showed me the phone. He had everything written out there. When I asked what if his wonderful plan failed, he started talking about accidents happening at work."
Everyone froze instantly.
"Then I threw him out the window."
Don Alejandro sighed. He looked as if his head hurt. Donna took out her fan and covered the lower half of her face with it, but her eyes said everything. Hernando clenched his hand on the arm of the chair. The other two rabbits seemed unable to believe what they were hearing.
"I understand. First let's deal with this."
Don Serrano opened the laptop and launched the communicator. A voice came from the device.
"Greetings, Don Serrano. I'm glad to see you. Does my candidate meet the requirements of your illustrious house?"
"I cannot return the sentiment. Your candidate planned to act to the detriment of the Velasco house."
Silence fell for a moment.
"That is a serious accusation, Don Serrano. Do you have any evidence?"
Several keystrokes followed.
"Please read this. It comes from your candidate's phone."
A rather long silence followed, ended by a cry of disbelief.
"Don Serrano! No one on our side had any idea about this!"
"Fortunately your candidate turned out to be a poor conspirator."
"I am extremely sorry about this, Don Serrano. As proof of my contrition I hand him over to you. Please eat him yourself or serve him to your guests, if that is your wish."
Alejandro tilted his head slightly.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, Don Serrano. I do not intend to destroy our long-standing relations over one overly ambitious servant who betrayed our trust. I will send you all the documents at once."
"I understand. Thank you."
Don Serrano closed the laptop and sighed.
"Constance, your loyalty is a source of pride both for us, the Serrano house, and for your parents. I would prefer, however, that you stop throwing your potential fiancés out the window."
"I think she treated him quite leniently," Hernando said.
"Father."
"In my day people like them might not have left this island alive."
"Times have changed."
"Not necessarily for the better," the old jaguar concluded.
"That's irrelevant now. The real problem is that Constance still doesn't have a fiancé."
The doe lowered her head.
"Constance, do you know how the Velasco and Serrano pact sounds?"
"Yes, Don Serrano." The girl was visibly trembling. "Every member of the Velasco house must enter into marriage before reaching the age of twenty-five, otherwise they lose their life. I will reach that age in a few days." She lowered her head with a face twisted by despair.
"Excuse me for interrupting, Don Serrano," Evan said, who until then had blended perfectly into the background. "I don't know if I'm allowed to speak, but couldn't this be settled… differently?"
Everyone looked at Evan. Alejandro sighed.
"The Velasco house has served our Serrano house since its very beginning, that is for about five hundred years." Evan flinched slightly when he thought of those five hundred years. "From the first day of their service this contract has been in force."
Here all the Serranos sighed.
"We tried to find some solution. We pulled from the archives of both houses and from museums friendly to us every Velasco contract we could reach. Including the oldest ones. Originally the pact spoke of the bloodline of the progenitor together with those who entered it and also specified a certain time for marriage."
"It was written very poetically. That was fairly typical for the Ocetol era."
"Unfortunately, with the passage of time new laws and statutes arose, which unfortunately are still in force. We hired historians and legal specialists to find some loophole."
Donna Serrano folded her fan and struck it against her open palm.
"And they all failed. No one found any loophole that would allow us to revoke the necessity of marriage or win additional time."
"Worse," Hernando interjected, "the original provision speaking of the blood of the first Velasco and those who enter his bloodline spreads over the entire present house. Meaning that breaking the pact would affect the whole Velasco house."
"Unfortunately that was fairly typical for houses founded in those times. The lawyers tried to find a workaround," Hernando said.
"And they found nothing?" Isabella asked.
"And they found nothing," the old jaguar lowered his head.
The girl lowered her head.
"I still can't believe it," Hernando continued. "Five hundred years and we never had such a case. All the Velascos found partners within the deadline." Then he leaned back in the chair. "Although I don't know if we ever had candidates like… them before."
Alejandro looked at Constance. He seemed to tower over everyone like a mountain.
"Constance. What is your position? Only a few days remain until the end of the term. Would you agree to marry one of the previous suitors?"
"With all due respect, Don Serrano, I really do want a husband and children, but when I look at the previous candidates… One groped me at the first free moment, the second was only interested in what meat quality our children would have, the third…" She listed several more people, then knelt. "I am very sorry that I am causing trouble, Don Serrano, but if I have to choose between death and being the wife of someone like that… death seems less painful to me. I'm sorry."
A deaf silence fell in the room. So strong that Evan could hear his hair growing.
"Constance, stand up!" Don Serrano ordered, and the girl obeyed.
"I respect your decision. You still have a few days. If before that time expires you do not find a husband, then… the contract will be carried out according to its provisions."
"I understand, Don Serrano."
Constance hung her head. Emilio looked as if he were about to collapse, and his wife took half a step toward their daughter.
"I'm sorry we didn't find another solution. I can assure you that if you fail to find a husband, you will have a ceremony worthy of the history of the Velasco house, and your head will take an honorable place in the hunting gallery of the Serrano house."
"Thank you, Don Serrano. I could not ask for a greater honor."
"Emilio!"
The butler straightened at the sound of the jaguar's voice.
"Yes, Don Serrano."
"You are granted paid leave. Immediate."
The rabbit had already begun to say something, but the jaguar stopped him with a gesture.
"Find a husband for Constance. Some rabbit with good meat quality and a decent character; he doesn't have to know service."
"Don Serrano…" Emilio was stopped again.
"We've already tried acting strictly according to tradition and it didn't work. Find some decent rabbit with good meat. The staff will train him. It already worked once."
Emilio bowed.
"I understand, Don Serrano. May I leave already?"
"Permission granted."
At that moment Emilio stormed out of the study.
Evan had some unpleasant feelings after all of this. They had just promised the girl a worthy ceremony and an honorable place for her head. His mind was raging between admiration and dread.
After a few moments Evan found himself alone with Donna Serrano.
"Mr. Smith, I understand that what you saw may be… uncomfortable for you, but you had to see it. Do you know why?"
"No, Donna Serrano," he answered completely sincerely.
"Mr. Smith, you have great potential. In time you will surely become independent and start running your own restaurant or become a cook for one of the high houses."
Evan didn't know what to answer. For the first time someone had spoken of his future like that.
"Situations like today's are not frequent among the high houses, but not rare enough to regard them as anything more than incidents."
Evan swallowed.
"Unfortunately, with this work you will have at your disposal meat transferred under contract, volunteers, and other cases that may be morally uncomfortable."
"Master Arslan told me about that."
The woman nodded.
"That's good. However, conversation and practice are two completely different things. Unfortunately I fear that soon you will have such work." She turned her head slightly. "With Constance or someone else."
She handed him several sheets. He looked through them. He had already seen such documents.
"This looks like a slaughter order."
"Because it is a slaughter order." Then she handed him a few more papers. "This is confirmation of the documentation and legality. I would like you to take care of Emilio's would-be son-in-law."
Evan looked left and then right, then remembered his plan. That made it a little easier for him.
"Anything specific, Donna Serrano?"
The woman thought for a moment.
"No. Just add him to the pantry. That's all. Outside someone is waiting who will introduce you to the details."
Evan bowed and left.
Rufus stood in front of an imposing hacienda. It wasn't as impressive as the one the Serranos lived in, but it still made an impression on him. He just didn't understand a few things. Why was it surrounded by a high fence and why were there cameras here?
"Welcome to Hacienda del Ocaso, Mr. Lapin," Mateo said beside him.
"Please follow us," the butler Adrian said.
They entered and the gates closed behind them. Rufus had once watched a film about display cases. For some reason that sound reminded him of a display case being closed.
After entering, a garden full of many yellow flowers greeted them; there were so many that they resembled a golden carpet. Fountains murmured pleasantly. There were also sculptures depicting kneeling and bound persons. The one they were passing looked like a bound rabbit who seemed… offering his neck for the blow.
"What does del Ocaso mean?"
"Hacienda del Ocaso, Mr. Lapin. It means Hacienda of the Twilight," the butler explained. "This building has its history. Originally the Ocetols built a prison for ritual victims here."
"A prison?!"
"Please don't worry, Mr. Lapin, conditions have improved a great deal since then."
"That's supposed to reassure me?!"
He received no answer.
They found themselves in the reception. Rufus suddenly felt as if he were in at least a five-star hotel. He looked around the entire reception. Carved furniture, paneling, light walls. Mateo was just talking with the receptionist.
"This is Rufus Lapin. He has concluded a hunting contract with me."
The receptionist looked at the paper the jaguar had given him.
"I understand, young Master Serrano. Please don't be afraid, you'll be in good hands."
At that moment Mateo's phone rang.
"Father." He answered. "Yes, Father. Yes. I understand." He put the phone away. "Adrian, my father is summoning both of us. Urgent matter."
"Sister?"
"Unfortunately not only her." He turned to Rufus. "Mr. Lapin, I leave you in the care of the Hacienda del Ocaso staff. Please don't worry, you are in good hands."
Rufus walked after the butler and the maid. He saw a luxurious corridor and portraits on the walls. He had the unpleasant feeling of being watched.
"Who are they?" He pointed at the portraits on the walls.
"These are the previous residents of Hacienda del Ocaso."
The servant pointed at one of the portraits. He said that he had lived here and undergone a hunt as part of a wager. He lost. His meat was rated as extremely exquisite. The maid pointed at someone else. His head was supposedly still in the Serrano gallery.
"Did anyone survive at all?"
"Of course." Here the servant pointed at another portrait. "She won her hunt and received the reward according to the contract."
"How many people win?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Lapin, but I do not have the statistics needed to answer your question. If you wish, I can forward a request to the hunting archivist."
"No, thank you."
At last they stood before the doors.
"Here is your apartment. The Agave Apartment." The servant opened the doors for him. Rufus simply went speechless when he entered. Inside was a large room with carved furniture, a huge television, a bookcase, two armchairs, a sofa, a table, and many luxuries. In this one room two bedrooms from his dorm would probably have fit. That wasn't the end, though. The servant continued showing him around.
"There is the bathroom." Inside, among jade-green tiles, there was a shower and a huge bathtub.
"Next to it is the dressing room." Here was a small room with hangers and shelves. Bathrobes, clothes, underwear, and slippers. "Everything is in your size. Please don't be shy."
"There is the bedroom." Inside was a truly huge bed. It could hold even three people.
"There is the terrace." The terrace was under an arcade. It was sunny. There was a table and two armchairs. And large wrought-iron bars separating it from the garden. The windows likewise had bars.
Then Rufus noticed that the outer door had no handle.
"Uh… am I locked in here?!"
"These are all necessary security measures, Mr. Lapin."
"Against what?"
"Above all they ensure the safety of our guests from external factors. They also protect them from impulsive decisions made under the influence of stress."
"Meaning escape?"
"Among other things, Mr. Lapin."
"If I want to… leave here?"
The servant pointed at the phone by the door.
"Just call. We'll organize an escort for you and take you wherever the contract provides. Our hacienda contains a bar and a fully equipped gym and fitness room."
"And if I wanted to go to the mainland?"
"I'm sorry, but the contract does not provide for such an option."
Rufus hung his head and took out his phone.
"You may keep it." Then the servant pointed at a note on the wall. "The Wi-Fi password is written there."
"A menu is lying on the table. You may order whatever you wish from it."
Rufus felt himself falling apart.
"And no one will be hunting me?"
"Until young Master Mateo's hunt, no."
"Wake me for dinner."
"Of course."
The servants left, closing the door behind them. Rufus sank to his knees. For a moment he just sat there on the floor and slowly absorbed the current reality. He was locked in. Without any possibility of escape.
The good thing was that no one was going to hunt him. At least for the next few days.
"Maybe I'll take a shower."
A moment later he stood naked under the shower. The hot water relaxed muscles that had been constantly tense for several days. Then he lay down on the bed. When he sank into the shockingly soft bedding, he felt himself drifting off. He no longer had the strength to think about predators, hunts, or even his own future.
He fell asleep almost immediately.