Content Warning: This section discusses and depicts death and substance use disorder.

Sadie secretly reads emails written by Bruno Lacombe to Pascal Balmy. In them, Bruno describes various traits typical of Neanderthals, or “Thals,” as he calls them. They were often red-haired and predisposed toward gum disease and depression. They had very large brains and disliked crowds, and their facial features were dramatic. Tomorrow, Sadie will meet with Pascal, the head of Le Moulin. She plans to be punctual.

Sadie’s employers—a shadowy private security firm looking to infiltrate Le Moulin—have told her that Bruno was Pascal’s mentor. From the emails between Bruno and Pascal, she hopes to glean additional information about Le Moulin’s activities. Six months ago, earth-moving equipment was sabotaged at the site of a planned industrial reservoir. Le Moulin was suspected of the crime, but there was insufficient proof for charges. She is disappointed that the emails seem to focus on the differences between the Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens rather than Le Moulin’s possible involvement in the sabotage. Bruno seems to feel that the Neanderthals were the superior species and that Homo sapiens propelled the world toward agriculture, organized society, and money, all evils in Bruno’s eyes.