All the suspected plotters were executed, after confessing to their crimes in an impartial inquiry conducted according to the highest standards of international jurisprudence in the basement of the Great Hall of Conciliation. The leopard made no confession, and met its fate with what was reported as perfect equanimity, having been humanely stunned.
So, there was only one animal available for me to study, with no prospect of acquiring other specimens. The four leopards had been gifts from nations with which we had since broken off relations, after conclusive proof that their governments were part of a reactionary global alliance intent on deposing the Leader, motivated by bitter jealousy of his towering achievements. These nations, of which, sadly, there was a growing number, no longer sent us gifts, and we, in turn, no longer allowed them access to our precious minerals.
However, I set about my work with the diligence and humility that has made me, I flatter myself to think, a valuable servant to the man who bestrides our national culture like a colossus.
At first I observed the leopard in situ, peering through the bars behind which it paced and prowled, glancing at me sometimes in a way that made me suspect it bore me no goodwill. But I found it impossible to count the leopard’s spots, let alone consider whether it could change them. Its supple, sinuous movements defied my scrutiny, and when it lay down I was unable to see all of its body, and the spots that were visible were partially concealed or distorted by the folds of its fur, which seemed to undulate and ripple even in its sleep.
‘But why,’ I hear you ask, ‘did you not simply have the beast sedated, and inspect it at your leisure?’
A good question, but such a course of action had been specifically prohibited to me, by the Leader himself, in person.
‘Maximilian,’ he said, using the name he had seen fit to bestow on me, although it bore little resemblance to the one I still thought of as my own, ‘the leopard must not be disturbed in any way. This is vital. My recent researches have confirmed a feeling – call it an instinct – that I have an extraordinary affinity with this noble creature. Our connection, I believe, transcends even the barriers of species, and I am poised on the brink of a discovery that will revolutionise our entire conception of consciousness, and of life itself. I am entrusting you with a very particular and delicate task. I would love to tell you more, my old friend, but I’m afraid I shall have to keep you in the dark for a little longer, much to my regret.’
‘Sir, I understand,’ I replied, ‘and I would never expect you to discuss matters with me that are almost certainly beyond my comprehension.’
‘No, no, Max. Do not belittle yourself. Your intelligence is exceptionally acute, as I know very well, and I will never forget the impression it made on me in our schooldays. It is simply a matter of timing. You shall know everything when the time is right. Until then, please indulge your old friend and protector. Will you do that? Say you will!’
He treated me to his most boyish and expansive smile, which no one could resist. His charm was legendary. Even after all those years it still affected me powerfully, and I believe I may even have blushed a little.
I bowed my head. ‘There is no question that I will do exactly as you ask, you know that, sir.’
‘Good!’ he boomed, and chuckled as he took my hand. ‘I knew I could rely on you.’ He moved closer and dropped his voice. ‘I wish I could say the same about more of my old comrades. Do you catch my meaning?’ His grip tightened on my hand.
‘I do, sir.’
‘Excellent. So, please conduct your observations without disturbing my feline friend in any way at all. Understood?’
‘Understood.’
‘Good. I look forward to receiving your report at your earliest convenience. By the end of the week, let’s say. You may go.’
The researches to which the Leader referred were typical of his relentless thirst for knowledge. He sacrificed much of his precious time and energy to the pursuit of science, and he used his immense learning to improve the lives of the ordinary people with his remarkable discoveries, inventions and breakthroughs. Some of these were considered by foreigners to be controversial or even harmful. Naturally, most of the populace were ignorant of the slanders propagated by the media lackeys of our enemies. Information from outside was controlled scrupulously, to prevent it contaminating the pure, indomitable spirit of our nation, particularly its virile but impressionable youth. Nonetheless, a few of us were able to access external media sources, and we were profoundly shocked by the calumnies heaped upon the selfless benefactor of our nation.
He strove only to increase his wisdom, and this effort had recently led to an interest in metaphysics, after reading the Metamorphoses of Ovid. It goes without saying that he didn’t read the material himself; he simply listened to a summary delivered by one of the scholars he engaged for this purpose. His natural intellect was so capacious that all he required to understand even the most abstruse academic work was a brief précis. Indeed, he could never have accumulated the vast number of honours, awards and citations that were bestowed on him if he’d done all his own reading. Or writing, for that matter. He provided the original ideas for the various theses, papers and studies that were published under his name, and the details were completed by others.
I believe the Leader’s interest in the leopard was a result of his growing immersion in metaphysical ideas of transformation, and was thus the stimulus for the work in which I was now engaged. However, this work, as I have mentioned, was proving difficult under the strictures he had imposed on me.
I came up with the idea of filming the leopard with multiple cameras, so that I could then study the footage in slow motion. But I encountered a problem with this scheme. Any cameras that could be used for surveillance purposes were under the control of the Ministry of Culture. When I enquired about borrowing some of them I was rebuffed. After some persistence I gained an interview with the liaison officer, who put his finger to his lips, gestured for me to follow him into his private bathroom, and ran the taps. In a strained whisper he told me there were very few cameras to spare, owing to the temporary security crisis of the last two decades. Most of the cameras were broken, and parts would be unobtainable until the economic miracle began to have an effect. This would doubtless take place soon, once the irregularities that were inevitable in a scheme as revolutionary as the Leader’s magnificent five-year plan had been smoothed out, certainly by the end of its second triumphant decade.
I returned to the leopard’s enclosure armed only with my notebook and pencils, as before, and began my task anew. Counting, and more counting. And trying to fight a growing sense of panic.
The end of the week found me facing the Leader in his private box at the People’s Skating Rink, which was closed to the public in winter as a precaution against syphilis, which the Leader had proved to be spread by shivering. As far as I could tell we were the only people there. I could see no bodyguards, advisers, or assistants.
‘What news?’ the Leader asked, clapping his heavily gloved hands, and smiling at me jovially.
‘I have failed, sir,’ I said, bowing my head. My breath made clouds in the air. The heating in the private box wasn’t working. ‘I have been unable to count the leopard’s spots.’
The Leader said nothing. Eventually I raised my eyes. I saw he was deep in thought. I knew he would not rebuke me directly. His soul was too large for anything mean or petty in that way. The furrows on his brow, while expressing sorrow, disappointment and a certain impatience, also conveyed his great compassion for the failings of others.