What is the essence of the unicorn, and how may this essence be captured?"De Natura Unicorni" answers these questions through a cleverly constructed tale filled with misdirections and ambiguous foreshadowings.

The key figure in the events of the tale is James: "Young James, the duke's son, stood up and set his hand against the chart, holding it steady. He was that kind of boy." This seemingly simple statement of fact lays the foundation for the climax of "De Natura Unicorni." It foreshadows how James can react to an event quickly and selflessly— today he helps an old man with his lecture, quietly and swiftly, tomorrow he steps alertly between his father and a charging beast.

"Pearly skies/Herald a surprise /warned Old Langton at the gate as they rode out. But as he always forecast disasters, they ignored him." This passage seems...