Lately too, Randall has been thinking a good deal about just how ruthless a man must be in the world of business. Is it really survival? How much is enough? This soul searching has been augmented by the recent suicide of a young man who Randall raked over badly on a big gold deal. 

May 1 1960

Randall looks at Pamela Cochran, a beautiful shapely young woman 5'8" tall, with grayish green eyes and platinum blond hair. She's seated on the big dog sled as Randall drives the team of fourteen large wolfish gray Malamutes towards the isolated cabin.

Along the way the evergreens are lightly draped with snow. Everywhere billions of tiny ice crystals sparkle like diamonds in the morning sun. The air is fresh, clean, and bracing. The dogs are in red harness. The couple are clad in simulated fur from head to toe. Both with hoods. Randall in red fox, Pamela in ermine. They look like a Montreal fashion plate inspired by Jack London's Klondike stories.

The part about the sled and dog team, of course, is just Randall's daydream as they move swiftly across the snow in Randall's new snowmobile. Not quite as romantic, but much more practical. It was delivered last week by a chap in a red and black checked hunting shirt and brown felt hat who afterwards angrily snowshoed the two miles back to town, muttering and cussing as he went, even though Randall gave him such a nice big cup of piping hot oxtail soup.

The cabin has a large stream nearby, but no plumbing or shower of any kind. This is great. Randall is very olfactory in his orientation to women and expects to enjoy this interlude more with every passing day. Randall loves Pamela very much and is planning to ask her to marry him if all goes well with the sex. Finally the right girl at last.

Pamela smiles gleefully when she sees the beautiful cabin with the quaint sign "Elfinhaus". Inside it's still warm. Randall adds logs to the small blaze in the massive stone fireplace. Pamela is admiring the huge bed and beautiful new blanket with a happy look that absolutely tickles Randall. He can't wait to get her under that new white blanket, but it's getting to lunch time so he goes out to fetch a leg of lamb from the supply shed, realizing that he should have done this late yesterday, to begin the thawing process.

After getting the lamb, Randall stops to answer nature's call. As he comes back out of the trees between the shed and cabin he sees the most terrifying thing he has ever beheld. A gigantic male polar bear is sniffing around the shed. This giant fellow slowly turns and looks at Randall. Oh God! Here he comes! Luckily for Randall this happens slowly because the bear has paralysis in his rear right leg from a spear injury years ago. Randall instinctively tosses the leg of lamb to the fury giant and runs into the cabin, bolting the heavy door behind him.

Pamela sees the look on Randall's face and turns to look out the window. The bear is walking towards the cabin. Randall is struggling to find the key to the gun case. The bear smashes through the door easily, slowly enters, and looks calmly at the trembling humans he is about to eat for lunch. Then he catches the scent of the blanket and walks over to sniff at it more closely.

With a complex expression, the bear turns and looks at the couple. Pamela screams. Randall yells "Run!" As he squeezes behind Pamela, it bumps her slightly towards the bear as he runs for the door. The bear rushes Pamela. Outside Randall hears her shriek "You evil bastard!" and then only blood curdling screams as the bear rips her to shreds.

Randall reaches the snowmobile. He still has the key in his pocket. Trembling badly he nonetheless manages to start the still warm machine. But now comes the bear! As Randall pulls away he feels a terrible searing pain across his back as the bear just grazes him with a clout that would have otherwise broken his neck. The machine surges forward carrying Randall to safety back in town.

After getting stitched up and three hospital days with an anti-biotic intravenous solution to kill infection, Randall files all the necessary reports. He can't bear to go back and tomorrow will put the cabin for sale.

That night Randall takes a hotel room. He loved Pamela so much. How can she be dead? He cries like a baby for hours and again ponders the question of just how ruthless a man must be to survive. Pamela had the same chance to escape that he did. In such a situation every person must run for themself. Nobody can fight a polar bear. Just how ruthless? Randall thinks he knows.

May 7 1960

Because of the circumstances Pamela's parents have requested that her bones be buried in Alaska. They have flown up and there's a small service at 10:00 AM. Today too the air is clean and bracing. Now there's a clean white blanket of new snow covering Pamela.

March 31 2001

Eric Fenris Magnuson, after a fine breakfast of bacon, turkey sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, and raspberries, arrives at the TV studio for his interview with the famous 74 year old, still handsome businessman, Randall Farnum. As he concludes the interview, Fenris asks "Randall. Usually I don't ask personal questions but the lady critics will tear me to pieces if I don't. How come you never married?"

"Simple. I just never found the right girl."