In the end, no one believed the part about the cat. James hadn’t really expected that they would. He guessed that it didn’t matter. It wouldn’t change his mind. He’d been thought crazy before and it hadn’t hurt him.

The survey crew had been missed after they were overdue by a couple of hours. No one up top had heard the collapse. Once they found the rock fall, help had been called for.

The rocks were removed carefully but with haste. Extra supports were brought in to keep more of the ceiling from collapsing. They found the other two survey members under the debris, dead.

Ms Gao was still unconscious when they found her. She was badly beat up by the rocks but there was nothing seriously wrong with her. A few days in the hospital and she should be fine.

John’s leg had been badly broken. Fixing it required several pins. He’d always walk with a limp. James visited him in the hospital and promised him that he’d be doing some convalescing in the Canary islands if he wanted.

James went back and searched for the cat but never found a trace. Maybe he had just imagined the entire thing. That’s what people told him but he never quite believed it. Yes, it was strange but it had really happened.

It was because of this that he shelved the entire project. He just couldn’t risk that somewhere in the digging that they wouldn’t harm the poor kitty. That would be the most ungrateful action possible and he wouldn’t chance it. Even thirty million dollars wasn’t worth it.

Instead he created a small shrine in the small cave space that the cat had shown him. Once he had real lighting in there he could see that the walls really did seem to be stripped somehow. The experts dismissed it as a curious trick of the rock formations but he didn’t really believe that.

Small numbers of people came to see the place. His story had leaked out and they wanted to judge for themselves. Some brought stuffed animal cats and left them as a tribute. These were the people that desperately want to believe in something larger than the truth. James had never counted himself amongst them but now he understood.

Every once in a while he’d go down there by himself after the place was closed to the public. He’d turn off the lights and click to the darkness. He’d tell the empty spaces that there were more chin scratches if it wanted them.

Maybe someday he’d be taken up on that offer. He dearly hoped so.