I 

‘Have you ever seen a ghost cat, Samuel? Panthera uncia, the snow leopard. A truly magnificent creature.’ 

He turned to face them. The man’s eyes were piercing and his cheeks bore the ruddy glow of a frosty morning. ‘Come see for yourself.’ – 22 – 

Sam looked to his father, who nodded. He felt the chill before he saw the snow, his breath steaming when he drew near the window. The landscape beyond lay in deepest winter, icy tendrils and heavy drifts rested against the glass. 

‘There.’ The man pointed toward the far end of a clearing. Sam squinted against the glare but could see nothing among the rocks and ice. Then he caught sight of the ghostly predator. 

The snow leopard’s long tail swayed as it padded across the crisp ground a few meters from them. Its chest was white, but the rest of its fur was mottled smoky grey to tan, with dark rosettes adorning it from head to tail. 

‘Magnificent,’ the man sighed. ‘Though soon it will be extinct.’ They watched the creature stalk across the clearing, sniff the air, then disappear behind a tree, oblivious to its audience. 

‘Where are we?’ Sam blurted.