by Jan Burchett
“There’s only one thing to be done,” the man continued. “And it has to be done tonight before it helps itself to more of my herd. I’ll leave it some fresh meat laced with poison. That will stop that leopard for good.”
“Did you hear that?” Zoe whispered to Ben. “They’re going to poison Rani tonight. We can’t let that happen!”
Ben nodded. “We’ve got to get to the snow leopards first and lure them away before they get a scent of that meat,” he said.
The man was still speaking to his elderly companion. “I don’t want to poison a wild animal, but I haven’t got the money to build an indoor shelter for my goats.”
Pretending to concentrate on the passing view, Zoe listened intently. It seemed clear that the men had no idea that Rani had a cub with her.
“Shame your house is right on the edge of the village,” said the older man. “It leaves your goats vulnerable and unprotected.”
“Not tonight,” replied the goat owner. “I’ll make sure that wild animal is dead before it gets its paws on my goats.”
Zoe’s eyes went wide with fear. “The first thing we need to do,” she whispered to Ben, “is find out exactly where those goats are.”
* * *
After a long trip, the bus rattled to a stop on the outer edge of a small village.
On either side of the rough road were straight lined, white walled houses with thatch-covered roofs. Ben and Zoe slung on their backpacks and filed to the door of the bus, following the busy locals. In the distance, they saw the towering peaks of the snow-covered mountains looming large.
As they jumped down from the bus, freezing air stung their faces. Zoe pulled up her hood. She was glad that their super-warm snowsuits and thermal gloves did a lot to block the freezing cold wind.
“Just walk along confidently like you know where you’re going,” Ben whispered to Zoe. “That way, we won’t attract attention.”
Zoe nodded. “Remember our cover story,” she said. “We’re going to meet our aunt, who’s staying at the local monastery.”
The bus pulled away, its engine roaring. Ben turned back to look at the other passengers who’d left the bus. They were scurrying toward their homes. The owner of the goats said goodbye to his companion, and then hurried down the road. Ben started to follow him.
Zoe grabbed Ben’s arm. “Are you crazy?” she whispered. “We can’t just creep after him like a couple of spies! He would probably notice.”
“I wasn’t going to creep,” Ben said. “I was going to walk along confidently — just like I said. We’ve got to find out where he lives.”
Zoe saw a woman looking at them with concern.
“Are you lost?” the woman asked in Pahari. The BUG translated her words.
Zoe smiled and shrugged, pretending she didn’t understand the woman. Thinking quickly, she peered into the distance and then gave a big wave as if she’d seen someone. She dragged Ben away. He hadn’t seen her little bit of play-acting, and protested. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Look, it’s Auntie!” said Zoe, tugging Ben’s arm.
Then Ben realized what Zoe was doing. He waved an arm enthusiastically as Zoe marched him down a narrow path next to a gleaming white Hindu temple.
“Let’s get to the end of this path,” Zoe said. “Then we’ll work out what to do.”
“Better be quick,” warned Ben. “It’s nearly dusk, so Rani will soon be on the prowl.”
They crept around the back of the elaborate stone temple and found themselves among a group of trees that were hung with bright cloths. The ragged banners flapped overhead in the cold wind.
“Here’s the plan,” said Zoe. “We know the goat pen is on the edge of the village, so we’ll head there. Then we find the meat and get rid of it.”
“And then we get on with our original mission to lure Rani away and back to her territory,” Ben said. “Better update Uncle Stephen.”
Zoe pressed her BUG hot key to call WILD headquarters.
“What news do you have?” said Uncle Stephen.
Zoe told him what they’d learned on the bus. “Poison? Oh, dear,” said Uncle Stephen. “Monkshood is what hunters used to put on their spear tips. It’s lethal, even if it touches skin — leopard or human.”
“Do you know if there’s an antidote?” asked Zoe. “Just in case?”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve found it,” said their uncle.
“Have you heard from Erika?” Ben asked. “Did she find the other cubs?”
“There’s no word from Erika yet,” said Uncle Stephen.
Zoe looked up at the darkening sky. “Better say goodbye for now,” she said. “We have to get going. Talk to you soon, Uncle Stephen. Over and out.”
* * *
Keeping to the lengthening shadows, Ben and Zoe emerged from the trees and skirted around the edge of the village. They followed the dark tracks between the small houses. As the light faded, the tall, jagged mountain peaks stood out against the glow of sunset.
Ben stopped and listened. “I hear goats!” he said. “And it sounds like they’re right ahead of us.”
They crept past the last of the houses toward a small wooden shed. The bleating was coming from a fenced enclosure not far ahead. Beyond was a line of fir trees that marked the edge of a small forest stretching up the steep mountainside. They could barely see the snowline high above it.
As they moved near the shed, they could hear animals chewing their cud.
“These must be the ones,” said Zoe. “The farmer said he was right at the edge of the village near the forest by the mountains.”
Ben looked off into the distance with an alarmed look on his face. “Someone’s coming!” he whispered.
Zoe glanced where Ben was looking. “It’s the man from the bus,” she said. “Quick, we need to hide!”
Ben and Zoe peered around the corner of the shed. A moment later, the goat owner stepped out from the darkness of the trees. He held a flashlight in one hand and an empty plastic bag in the other. He opened the shed door, and emerged a few moments later carrying a metal bucket. He tipped the contents over the fence into a stone trough in the goats’ pen. He watched the animals gather around the food and eat, and then he walked slowly toward the nearest house.
The man shined his flashlight into the dark shadows as he walked. Ben and Zoe shrank back to avoid being seen.
At last they heard the bang of a wooden door shutting. Slowly, the twins crept toward the enclosure.
“I’m setting my BUG to detect snow leopard calls,” whispered Zoe. “That way we’ll pick up any sounds Rani makes and be warned if she comes close.”
“Meanwhile, we find the meat and get rid of it,” said Ben. “You go one way around the goats’ pen and I’ll take the other. It can’t be far away.”
Bent double to keep out of sight, the twins moved along opposite sides of the fence, searching the ground. The goats bleated at them, hoping for more food.
Shielding her flashlight so only a tiny amount of light came out, Zoe searched the ground. Soon she saw Ben again.
“There’s no sign of the meat,” Ben whispered.
“Maybe the man didn’t use any poison after all,” said Zoe.
Just then, there was a faint, high-pitched mewling sound from somewhere among the trees. Zoe’s BUG vibrated in her hand and “snow leopard” appeared on the screen.
“That must be Rani!” said Ben. “She’s on her way.”
Zoe gasped. “When we saw the man, he was coming from the forest,” she said. “Maybe he put the poison there — not here!”
“You’re right,” Ben said. “He was holding an empty bag. He must have been using it to carry the poisoned meat. Quick, we’ve got to find it before Rani does!”
As quietly as they could, the twins headed for the trees.
“Night vision goggles on,” Ben reminded Zoe.
They slipped their slim goggles over their eyes. The dark trunks now stood out clearly in a green glow.
“And scent dispersers,” added Zoe, activating her BUG to mask her smell. She didn’t want to scare Rani away — or become her next dinner! Ben did the same.
“Over here!” whispered Zoe. “Something’s moving.”
They crept forward silently.
Ahead of them, the slim shape of a big cat padded down toward them through the trees.
“Here she comes!” Zoe whispered excitedly.
The snow leopard stopped, raised her head, and sniffed the air. Through the goggles, Zoe could see the large, dark prints on the leopard’s body and smaller, lighter ones on her head. She padded elegantly along on her wide paws, her long tail swishing behind her.
“She’s beautiful!” said Zoe. “How could anyone even consider poisoning her?”
Rani raised her head suspiciously at the slight sound. “She may not be able to smell us, but she can hear us!” Ben whispered in Zoe’s ear. “Don’t move, and speak quietly.”
“Looks like she hasn’t found the bait yet,” Zoe whispered back. “But where’s her cub?”
“There’s movement a little farther up the slope,” said Ben. He zoomed in with his goggles. Now he could make out a much smaller shape trotting along behind. “Her cub is following her. Forget finding the poison. We need to get them away from here.”
Zoe’s fingers tapped her BUG’s keys. “I’ll get ready to fire a scent bomb,” she said.
Ben was focusing intently on the young snow leopard. “The cub’s running ahead of its mom now,” he whispered. “It’s sniffing at something. Oh — what if it’s the poison?!”
Without thinking, Ben ran into the clearing, yelling and waving his hands.
The two big cats were immediately alert, heads raised and ears raised. The next second, they vanished back into the forest, the cub scampering after its mother.
“You did it!” said Zoe, running after her brother. “Now we have to lure them away.”
But the movement in the forest had spooked the goats in the pen. They burst into a chorus of nervous bleating.
“That might be a problem,” Ben said.
Then the twins heard a door open, followed by angry voices.
Ben and Zoe froze. Their hearts beat wildly.
“The goat owner is back!” whispered Ben. “And there’s someone else with him.”
Zoe and Ben hid behind a jagged rock and laid flat on their bellies. A flashlight beam zigzagged around the trees. They covered their eyes. If their goggles reflected the light, it would give them away.
Footsteps were coming close to their position. As soon as the beam of light had swept past, Ben risked a glance.
Two men were pushing through the trees toward them. They had big sticks in their hands, using them to slash at bushes and ferns as they walked past.
“Stay down!” whispered Zoe.
The men looked around. Ben and Zoe could hear their footsteps crunching on the scattered pinecones of the forest floor. Now they were leaning against the rock, just inches away from Ben and Zoe.
“Some of the meat’s been eaten,” said a voice, the translated words coming through loud and clear in their earpieces.
Ben felt Zoe stiffen next to him.
“Hopefully that’s the last we’ll see of that beast,” said the other man.
“It doesn’t take much for the poison to work,” the other man said. “We’d better bury the meat deep so that nothing else eats the monkshood.”
Ben and Zoe heard the footsteps go up the slope. Ben craned his neck to see a man pick up the meat with the end of his stick.
“Don’t let it touch your skin,” said the other man. “Even that could poison you. And burn that wood after you’re done.”
“I will,” the man holding the stick said. “Don’t worry.”
After what seemed like forever, the men went back into the house.
Ben and Zoe scrambled out from their hiding place. “We’ve got to find Rani,” said Ben. “The men said some of the meat had been eaten. I bet the cub ate it.”
They raced up the slope to where the meat had been. Zoe shined her flashlight over the ground. There were paw prints in the soft earth under the trees. She called up the paw prints of a snow leopard on her BUG.
“Looks like a perfect match,” she said. “Four small pads with a larger one behind. At least we can track them now.”
“Has she left her scent anywhere?” asked Ben. “I read about that on the plane. Snow leopards rub against rocks to leave a marking trail.”
“Good thinking. I’ll check,” said Zoe. She tapped the BUG’s display and switched programs. “Yep — it’s picking up a strong snow leopard scent!”
“Let’s get going then,” Ben said.
Following the prints and scent, they walked up the hill to the last of the trees. Now the terrain was open, steep, and rocky. There were patches of earth here and there with small plants growing from them. Every now and then, a solitary fir tree rose up from of the darkness.
Ben studied the rocky ground. “I don’t see any more prints,” he said. “There aren’t any scratch marks here, either.”
“No scent either,” Zoe said. “Are we going in the wrong direction?” She held her BUG toward the ground and swept it around in a circle, trying to pick up Rani’s scent. For a second, it vibrated, but then went still. “It’s very faint, but at least it’s a signal. Looks like she’s gone northeast.” Zoe pointed to a steep wall of rock ahead that was cut by natural ledges.
Ben and Zoe made their way to the base of the rock. “We’ve got a hard climb ahead of us,” said Ben.
Using cracks in the rocks as handholds and footholds, they scrambled up the stone face until they reached a wide shelf. They stood there for a moment, catching their breaths.
They scanned the area, looking for any sign of the snow leopards.
A full moon came out from behind the clouds, casting a faint glow on the deep crevices of the Himalayas. They walked along the shelf until it flattened out into a shallow valley. Its sides were marked by jagged rocks and low bushes.
“They could be anywhere,” said Zoe.
Then they both saw it. A creature was padding across the valley floor.
“It’s Rani!” whispered Ben.
“But where’s her cub?” Zoe whispered back.
“She’s carrying it in her mouth,” Ben told her. “And it looks like it’s unconscious.” Zoe could see the alarm on his face. He added, “I hope we’re not too late.”
Rani laid her lifeless cub down in the shelter of an overhang of rock. She prowled anxiously around it, on guard for any threats.
“I wish Uncle Stephen would get back to us with the antidote,” said Zoe. “It might just be in time to save the poor little thing — if we can even get to it.”
Keeping low, they crept forward and took cover behind a thick, prickly bush.
Ben’s BUG vibrated. “Message from WILD,” he told his sister. He read it quickly. “The antidote is atropine. It says here the poison will have slowed the cub’s heart rate and this is our only hope of restoring it. But where do we find atropine? It’s not like there’s a pharmacy up here.”
Zoe took his BUG and looked at the message. “You didn’t scroll down, did you?” she said, annoyed. “Look — it says, ‘You’ll find some atropine in your vet kit.’”
Ben frowned. “Then let’s get on with it,” he said.
Zoe looked over at Rani. The snow leopard was nuzzling her baby. “And face a fully grown snow leopard protecting her cub?” she said. “No way. And I don’t think she’ll leave her cub for any reason right now other than to hunt prey.”
Ben smiled. “Then we have to make her think there’s prey,�
� he said. He punched some keys on the BUG.
“You’ve got that look again,” Zoe said with a worried frown. “You’re going to do something risky, aren’t you?”
Ben pulled out the scent bomb nozzle and aimed the BUG toward a boulder a ways away from them. “I’ll fire this and lure her away,” he said. “As soon as the coast’s clear, you go and give the cub the atropine.”
“Be careful!” said Zoe. “Whatever you do, keep out of sight or you could be helping Rani to a real supper — especially if she thinks her cub is in danger.”
Rani’s head shot up as she caught a whiff of the scent of sheep.
“We don’t want her rushing over there, so I’m going to give her something to stalk,” Ben said. He pressed a button on his BUG. An image of a holographic sheep began to form in the dark.
Zoe gazed around them doubtfully. “You’ll be in a lot of danger, Ben,” she said. “You won’t be able to get very far from Rani in this terrain.”
“I don’t have a choice,” said Ben firmly. “And don’t worry, I have my scent disperser on.”
Zoe shrugged. She knew that it was pointless to try to stop Ben from doing something when he had his mind made up. “If you manage to avoid getting eaten, try and fire a tracking dart into her,” she said dryly. “I’ll do the same to the cub.”
“Good idea,” Ben said with a grin.
Ben sped off, keeping out of sight and moving the holographic image along the rock. Rani began to stalk on her belly after her prey.
With the vet kit in her hand, Zoe crept up to the cub and gasped. It was such a beautiful little creature, with its thick spotted coat and its dark eyes. Zoe shook herself back into focus. She had a job to do, and it was urgent. The cub seemed to be barely breathing.
Zoe fumbled for the syringe and sucked up atropine from the little vial in the case. She gently took a handful of loose skin on the cub’s neck, lifting the little creature up. It barely stirred as she eased the needle into its flesh.
