“This is the goat,” The Company Man blurted. “Would it be too much to ask to ask you to go back inside of your home to leave me alone?”

“What? Why?”

“I will give you another eleven hundred dollars if you go back into your home and leave me alone with the goat for fifteen minutes,” The Company Man said.

“What? Um, well, I guess…okay.”

The Company Man reached into his empty briefcase and handed Danielle another eleven hundred dollars. He stared at her until she warily turned around and began to walk back to the house. He watched her walk down the path flanking the field and didn’t turn to look at the goat until he ascertained that she was back inside her house.

The Company Man opened the chicken-wire fence and walked toward the goat in question. Elmer. The Company Man stood right in front of the goat and looked around. There were three more goats on this side of the pen, all sort of clustered around Elmer.

“Excuse me,” The Company Man said, addressing the other goats, “I will give you all eleven hundred dollars if you will step outside and allow me to talk to Elmer alone.”

The goats didn’t stir. Elmer bleated, and the three begrudgingly bleated and walked outside. The Company Man watched them leave, and he went into his empty briefcase and took out thirty-three hundred dollars for them and threw it at their feet outside.

Elmer got to his feet. He never once made eye contact with The Company Man. He walked to the other side of the small pen where there was a little bit of hay out to eat.

“FUUUUUUUUUUCK,” Elmer bleated.

“YOUUUUUUUUU,” Elmer bleated.

“You go by Elmer now,” The Company Man said.

“Bahhh,” Elmer bleated, “hhhhhHNNN.”

“Seemed a little brazen of you to go on the news, seemed sloppy. Not like you, I suppose. I’m here to check in. What you got for me?”

“Beh. Beh beh. Yeh. Yeeeeeh. YEEEEEH.”

“It worked then. You got my full, undivided attention. Inform me of your prepared statement,” The Company Man said.

“Meh meh. Hnnnnnn meh. Bleh bleh, HNNYEEEUNG.”

“Him being overweight is not pertinent information. Please stick to relevant information.”

“Hyehyehyehyehhhhhaaaaa,” Elmer said.

“How long ago was the storm?”

“Hyeh. HAAAAAAA. Byah. Byeheyeh,” Elmer bleated.

“You have proof it is an anomaly?”

“DOGS. DOOOOOOGS.”

“And where are these dogs, Elmer?”

“WEEEEEEEEEEEST. WEEEST. FUUUUUUUUUUCK,” Elmer replied.

“This will be taken care of,” The Company Man said. “Thank you.”

“Hyeh. Nnnnyaaah. HAAAAHHHH.”

“Me? I’M not going to be doing anything,” The Company Man said. “You know how this works.”

“SHIIIIIIIIIT,” Elmer said.

“There are things that are and shouldn’t be and there isn’t anything you or I can do about it but help it play out its course. It’s in motion already, somehow,” The Company Man said.

“Hyeh. Nyah, behhh. AHHHH,” Elmer bleated.

“Really? Bigfoot?”

“Nehhh,” Elmer said.