Calls for help!
When Katie entered the kitchen the next morning, Sarah and Jane were already sitting on the floor playing with the kittens.
„They are so nice,“ Sarah said.
„How old are they?“ Jane asked.
„They are approximately four weeks old.“
„Why are they here?“ Sarah asked.
„One of the farmers from the village wanted to kill them,“ Katie said. „Since he doesn’t have his cats spayed, there are always litters of kittens. Daniel heard about it and brought them home, along with their mother. After all they were still suckling.“
„What’s spaying?“ Maria wanted to know. She had just entered the kitchen.
„That’s what a vet does, so that cats can’t have kittens anymore. But Daniel will be able to explain this better to you.“
Gradually the kitchen filled up. The children wanted to play with the cats rather than have breakfast, but Katie insisted on a healthy breakfast. „Children we have to be frank with you now,“ Daniel began. „I want you to listen to me very carefully. What happened yesterday is completely new to us. We are very worried. Katie and I believe that Foulplay is behind the fire. We were lucky this time. But what if this happens again?“
„Then we will have to take turns keeping watch,“ Miguel suggested.
„Do I get a shot pistol too?“ Maria asked.
„It’s shotgun, silly, but you won’t get one. You are much too young for that,“ Miguel said rolling his eyes.
„Nobody here gets a gun, young or old,“ Daniel said firmly. „We cannot guarantee your safety. I think it is best to ask your parents to come and take you home.“
„No,“ Tom shouted. „I want to stay here. I’m sure we can help you.“
The other children nodded.
„Besides,“ Peter said, „You need the money that our parents pay you.“ He could not understand himself. At first he wanted to get back home to his computer as soon as possible, but now that it was getting exciting over here, no way he wanted to leave.
Daniel looked at Katie inquiringly. She nodded. „Alright, you can stay. But if it gets too dangerous you will have to go home!“ he said. „Katie, why don’t you pull some strings and find out what Foulplay is up to next? I’ll talk to the police on the way to the surgery. We need help! If Foulplay uses these mafia methods we won’t be able to resist for long.“
„Is there a computer anywhere?“ Peter finally popped the question.
„Yes, in my study. Why do you want to know?“
„He wants to play computer games,“ Tom barged in. “At home he is on the computer all day long.“
„That’s not true. You’re only jealous because you don’t have a computer,“ countered Peter.
Daniel interrupted them. „Hey, you two squabblers! We have more important things to do now than quarrelling. „Why do you ask about the computer, Peter?“
„If it’s connected to the internet, I can contact newspapers and TV-stations. Maybe they can come here and report on the farm. Maybe this will put Foulplay off.“
„Reporters are the last thing we need now. They are a nuisance and keep us from our work,“ Katie said.
„I think it’s a good idea,“ Sarah said.
„Maybe we’ll be famous,“ Jane added.
Daniel frowned at her, but then he said, „Really, Peter, I think this is a very good idea. Come on, I’ll show you to the study. And Katie, start making the phone calls fast.“
Daniel and Peter went to the study. The computer was on small table in the corner surrounded by stacks of books. „That’s not exactly the latest model,“ Peter stated. „But it’ll do.“ He began to remove a pile of books which blocked the screen.
„It looks like you’ll be okay without me. I’m off to the surgery now,“ Daniel said.
Peter switched on the computer. Real slow, he thought, but better than nothing. First he searched for e-mail addresses on the internet of larger newspapers and TV-stations he knew of. Then he wrote:
SOS. This is an emergency call! Our sanctuary in Twohouses is threatened by chicken baron Foulplay. Please come here with your cameras and report on it, so the whole world knows about it. Last night there was a fire. Who knows what else might happen.
When he came back into the kitchen Katie and the children were cleaning the cages.
„The straw smelled of smoke,“ Maria said. She was no longer afraid of mice and hamsters, since Katie had told her what kind of life those little creatures had had before they came to the farm. They were used by companies for animal testing. Or as snake food. „Imagine, a snake eats the hamster alive. That’s disgusting!“ Sarah said.
“And they gave injections to some of the animals. That must have hurt! I hate injections,“ Jane added.
„Were you successful, Peter?“ Katie asked.
„I’ve written a few e-mails. Now we have to wait and see whether anybody answers.“
„What are e-mails?“ Maria wanted to know.
„E-mails are something like letters. Only, you write them on the computer. They arrive instantly,“ Peter explained.
„Even to Spain an e-mail only takes a few minutes. A letter three weeks,“ Miguel said.
„I’ve made some phone calls in the meantime,“ Katie said. „You don’t know yet, but I used to work for Foulplay.“
„You worked in a factory farm?“ Peter asked incredulously.
„No, not directly. I worked in an office. I never saw chickens or eggs there. I actually enjoyed work. The colleagues were nice and the pay was okay. One day, shortly before Easter, I came across a stall of animal rights people while shopping. They distributed leaflets. First I simply wanted to throw away the leaflet, but then Foulplay’s name caught my eye. What I read there was not very nice. Allegedly Foulplay was an animal abuser, who put chickens in tiny wire cages. There they couldn’t move and didn’t have any daylight. Many injured themselves in the cages and died an excruciating death.”
„You didn’t know this?“ Miguel asked.
„No, I thought that the chickens roamed around freely and once in a while laid an egg and could enjoy the sand bath.“
„What’s a sand bath?“ Jane asked.
„Chickens love to roll around in sand. They need this to keep their feathers clean. At first I refused to believe what the leaflet said. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Using some form of excuse I went to one of the chicken farms. I could enter freely with my company identification. It was absolutely shocking! In tears I wanted to run away from it.“ A tear ran down Katie’s cheek. „It was exactly like the animal rights people had described it. Five chickens were crammed into a small wire cages. Everywhere there were dead or ill chickens in the cages too.“
„Did you let the chickens out?“ Tom asked.
„No, there were too many. But I quit my job, because I did not want to earn my money this way. Apart from that I started to work with animal rights people. That’s how I met Daniel. Foulplay is obviously furious, because from my work I know a lot about his company. Apart from that I’m still in touch with my former colleagues. They don’t dare to quit, because they are partly too old to find a job elsewhere. But they tip me off.“
„And have you just spoken to them?“ Maria asked.
„Correct. And I learned that Foulplay has already ordered the excavators. They will arrive next week to level everything. Now everything depends on the mayor.“
„Doesn’t he know, what Foulplay wants to do here?“ Miguel asked.
„Yes he does but he wants as many people as possible from the village to get a job with Foulplay. Besides Foulplay wants to give the village an open-air swimming pool.“
The phone rang. Miguel, who was closest, picked it up and said: „Hello.“ Then, „Hello, hello, who is it?“ He shook his head and hung up.
„Who was it?“ Katie asked.
„He didn’t say. But he asked, whether we had got the message.“
"Foulplay!" Katie was furious. „Miguel please give Daniel a ring and tell him about the call. The number is stuck on the phone. He will have to tell the police about it. And, Peter, do you think we could send out calls for help to animal lovers all over the country through the internet? On our own we are no match for Foulplay.“
Peter nodded.
„I count ourselves lucky that you know about computers. Children, I,ll go to the computer with Peter. Please finish cleaning the remaining cages. And don’t leave the house on your own under any circumstances!“
Katie and Peter sat in front of the screen. Katie typed:
Dear friends,
We need your help urgently! Chicken baron Foulplay, whom you all know about, wants to drive us and the animals out of the farm with the use of force. Yesterday he set our barn on fire. On Monday his excavators will arrive. Please help us to stop them. Come here on Monday. Don’t let us down. In the name of the animals we thank you for your support, Katie and Daniel.
„Can you e-mail this to these addresses, Peter?“ She gave him a list.
„No problem.“ He got down to work immediately.
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