The jackal known as NITE raised its bloody snout and sniffed the shifting breezes. Something was coming. Was it danger, or just another meal? Cocking its head to one side, the carnivore flared its ears toward the scent.
It was not an investor. The scent was familiar.
NITE's attention returned to the carcass. Serrated teeth gripped and separated a morsel of meat from a boney haunch. NITE pondered the smokey clouds as he absently worked his jaws. Pickings were getting a little thin.
A figure appeared at the mouth of NITE's den. It padded silently over to NITE, circled twice and then dropped next to the feeding denizen. NITE was unconcerned. It was HRZG, another jackal. NITE had little to fear from HRZG, however. HRZG knew and understood.
NITE was the dominant one of the pack.
HRZG watched NITE toy with another mouthful. Sniffing nervously, HRZG broke the uncomfortable silence.
"Whatcha eatin', NITE?" HRZG bobbed its tail hopefully.
NITE grunted.
"Chipmunk," he belched. "It's an acquired taste."
"Yuck," agreed HRZG, reflexively shifting its weight away from the carcass.
"Try some," urged the larger beast, licking its chops with amusement.
"Thanks, No," stammered HRZG. "I think I'll try the salad bar instead."
NITE narrowed his red eyes. HRZG was hiding something. The smaller jackal hadn't been the same since the margin call. Too timid. Almost docile.
"What news," yawned NITE, "do you bring from the hills?"
HRZG's ears laid back defensively. The casual display of NITE's teeth was not lost on the smaller animal.
"We couldn't lure any traders out of the high rocks. . .the herd is pretty thin."
NITE spat with disgust.
"Fools! Try narrowing the spread! Uptick the ask and line up like you're going to run from buy orders! Do I have to think of everything myself?"
"But, it's not like March and April," HRZG stammered. "Most of the fat speculators are gone. Those with any cash left have long-since moved on. . ."
"Nonsense!" snapped the big jackal, the fur rising on its back. "There are plenty of speculators left. Just read the Golden List thread on SI!"
"But no one is buying," pleaded HRZG. "Mostly they just talk about fishing or movies now."
The big jackal rose and padded over to the mouth of the den. Lifting his leg, he marked the den as his home. Again, the significance was not lost on the smaller animal. Its yellow eyes drifted beyond NITE, surveying the bleached bones that littered the hillside. Suddenly, an idea leaped into the little jackal's mind.
"Perhaps," it ventured, "we could really run a few things, just like the old days! It might help build up the herd a little."
"SILENCE!" barked the larger jackal. "You mean CONSERVATION? That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard since January!"
"But what will we eat?"
"There will always be another herd coming along," sniffed NITE. "Remember: By eating the weak and the foolish ones, we are really helping them. It's the way of the market."
HRZG eyed the chipmunk carcass, now picked clean of its disgusting flesh. A churning feeling rose in HRZG's stomach. June was going to be a long month if things didn't change.
NITE turned to his companion and curled his lips--exposing the long yellow teeth. He observed, with satisfaction, that the smaller jackal's tail was between its legs.
"Come along now, HRZG," woofed the larger beast. "I am hearing that there is a squirrel on the street. You look like you could use a meal."
HRZG watched as NITE loped out of the den. High over the valley, three vultures were circling. The first two looked like ALEX and ISRC, but the third was unfamiliar.
"Too many hunters," he mused, "not enough prey."
A shiver coursed through its body. Then, it shambled off to follow the leader.
Voluntary Disclosure:
The above was a fictional account. No animals were harmed during the spinning of this yarn. The characters are purely fictional; any resemblance to real people or things is purely coincidence. Jackals cannot really talk. Nobody names vultures. The bleached bones didn't look anything like Harbie. Nobody who posts on the Golden List thread ever goes to the movies anymore, anyway. They wait until it comes out on video. |
