Forest Fire (3 page)

“Don't forget yours, Ben,” she said. “We want to understand everything people are saying, even when they're speaking Malay.”

The children found Mat sitting in an office, working at an old-fashioned computer.

“I'm updating my records while I have a chance,” he told them, as he handed them a welcome drink of iced juice. “I make daily entries about our orang-utans…well, all but one.”

“Why not all?” Zoe made it sound like a casual enquiry.

Ben grinned to himself. His sister wasn't wasting time in finding out information for their mission.

“One of our orang-utans has left the reservation,” Mat told them. “He's a young male called Kawan. He's been with us since he was tiny. He was taken from his mother by poachers who were going to sell him as a pet to some rich westerner!”

“That's awful!” gasped Zoe.

“Luckily, they were arrested in time and Kawan was brought to me,” Mat went on.

“I had no idea where he'd come from so I couldn't find his mother. He was the first orang-utan I raised from a baby.”

He sighed, a wistful look on his face. “I released him into the wild last year. But he still came by every morning for a rusk. Until two weeks ago, that is. He hasn't been back since the logging scared him off.”

“Is he more wary of humans than other orang-utans are because of what happened when he was little?” asked Ben.

“It seems that way,” said Mat. “At least I know he's alive. One of my staff, Daud, sighted him on Mr Ostrander's oil palm plantation at the edge of the reservation when he was working on the walkway.”

He grinned at them. “Would you like to see some footage of Kawan doing his jungle training? It's me showing him how to look after himself – being his mother in a way. I'm sure we have time before the ceremony.”

“Yes please,” said Ben and Zoe together.

Mat took them through into a larger room where log benches faced a screen. He gestured for them to sit. “You're the first guests to see this,” he said. “Daud filmed it. He's very fond of Kawan, too.” The screen flashed into life and the words “Adilah Reservation” appeared. Mat fast-forwarded to a scene where he was teaching a tiny orang-utan how to climb a tree. The solemn little ape had a comical tuft of light hair sticking up on one side of his head. He was faithfully copying Mat's every move until Mat made a strange chirruping noise.

“Kawan always comes to that call,” explained Mat. “At least he did. Now he must be too far away to hear it. When the official opening is over and we're all back to normal I'm going to go and find him. Pieter let me have a look on the plantation before, but I haven't had the chance to do a thorough search. The plantation's not a natural home for an orang-utan – and I fear he must be eating the young oil palm seedlings. That's not fair on Pieter.”

They watched the footage of young Kawan responding to Mat's call by abandoning his task, climbing on Mat's head and clinging to his ears.

“Ahhh,” said Ben. “How cute. Do show it again.”

Zoe looked at him, puzzled. It wasn't like her brother to go gooey over animals. That was her job!

But as the film replayed she glimpsed him slip out his BUG and hit a button. Now she knew what he was up to. He was recording Mat's call. She smiled to herself. If they could get to Kawan's old territory, they could play the recording through the digital super-amplifier on the BUG. Hopefully the orang-utan would hear it and come home.

CHAPTER
THREE

“Look at all that food!” exclaimed Ben, staring hungrily at the feast spread out on tables in the courtyard. “I'm ready for my lunch.”

“You'll have to wait till after the speeches,” hissed Zoe. “The opening ceremony's about to begin.”

Ben and Zoe were standing with Mat and Yasmin – and Biza – at the front of a large crowd of locals, waiting for Pieter Ostrander to arrive. A reporter was already taking photos of the new buildings.

One of the workers they'd seen when they arrived was putting jugs of drink on the table. He smiled at Ben and sneaked him a piece of bread.

Ben tried to nibble it without being seen. “Thanks!” he said gratefully. “I'm sorry, I don't know your name.”

“I'm Daud,” said the young man. He pointed to the other man who'd been helping him earlier. He was older, with greying hair, and stood on his own in the middle of the crowd. “And that is Talib. We work for Mat.”

Ben and Zoe were just introducing themselves when there was the roar of an engine and a sleek, sporty jeep drove through the gates. There was something large in the back, wrapped in brown paper. The jeep came to a halt and a tall, tanned man in smart, well-pressed trousers stepped out, beaming at everyone.

Mat brought him through the crowd. “Come and meet our competition winners, Pieter,” he said as they approached the children. “Ben and Zoe, this is Mr Ostrander.”

“I've heard all about you,” said Pieter Ostrander. “Well done! So what did you do to make sure yours was the best entry?”

Zoe felt Ben's eyes on her. They realised they hadn't worked out a story.

“We…um…wrote an essay on…” she began.

“…the problems facing the Giant Panda in the wild,” finished Ben.

That was clever
, thought Zoe. They knew a lot about pandas – and how to rescue them!

“Fascinating,” said Mr Ostrander. “It's good to see young people like you taking such an interest in endangered species.”

“Mat has told us all about you, too, Mr Ostrander,” said Ben. “He explained how much your company has helped him with the reservation.”

“Just doing a neighbour a good turn,” said Mr Ostrander. “We both have the same values. We want to protect what we have.”

“I think we're ready now, Pieter,” said Mat. He called for silence. “Thank you for coming here today for the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Adilah Reservation!

Mr Ostrander will now say a few words.”

He spoke first in Malay and then in English for Ben and Zoe. The children gave each other a glance. Little did Mat know that their earpieces were translating every word.

Mr Ostrander turned to the assembled crowd.

“We are here today to open this wonderful place and I would like to say a few words to honour the man who made it all possible – Mat Ginting.”

Mat bent his head and shuffled his feet in embarrassment as Mr Ostrander sang his praises.

“And in conclusion,” Mr Ostrander said, “I declare the Adilah Reservation open for business.” He walked over to his jeep. “Now if your men could give me a hand,” he said. “I've got a present for you.”

Mat spoke over his shoulder in Malay and Talib and Daud went over to the jeep. They helped Mr Ostrander lift out the large, bulky package. It looked as if it was very heavy. Mr Ostrander cut the string and pulled away the paper. Everyone gasped as a wooden statue of an orang-utan was revealed. The reporter stepped forward and took pictures.

“It's wonderful!” exclaimed Mat, stroking the polished wood. “It will have pride of place by the gates.”

“Now eat, everyone!” laughed Yasmin, pointing to the tables.

Ben didn't wait to be asked twice.

As Ben and Zoe piled their plates with food, Mat came over.

“When this is all over, I'll take you out into the reservation,” he said. “There'll be time before nightfall.”

“Awesome!” declared Ben, giving Zoe a secret thumbs up.

They each knew what the other was thinking. They were going to make sure that Mat took them to Kawan's old territory.

CHAPTER
FOUR

The ceremony and meal were over at last, and Ben and Zoe sat in the shade of the reservation courtyard. Ben fidgeted impatiently.

“Sit still!” Zoe poked her brother in the ribs. “Mat said he'd be here at four o'clock, the moment he's said goodbye to all his guests. It's not even five to yet.”

“I know, but I can't wait,” groaned Ben, jumping up to look at the map displayed on the wall behind them. “A guided tour on walkways right up in the trees, with viewing platforms all along the way. So cool!”

“Don't forget – we're here for Kawan,” Zoe reminded him. “We've got to find out all we can.”

“I haven't forgotten,” said Ben indignantly. “I've got the recording all ready to play if we get the chance to be on our own.”

“Ready?” came an eager voice.

Mat was back. He handed them each a pair of binoculars and a paper bag. “There are rusks for the orang-utans in here. They love them.”

He led them along a narrow pathway through the trees. At the sound of their footsteps shrill, harsh warning cries could be heard.

“Proboscis monkeys,” explained Mat.

“Very excitable.” He stopped at a huge climbing frame of reddish wood where a ladder led up to a high, railed platform.

“What are we waiting for?” said Ben, grabbing the rungs.

“Great to see you're so keen, Ben,” said Mat. “I expect this is the first time you'll actually come face to face with real wild animals.”

Ben and Zoe just smiled.

“Don't forget, if any animal gets close, just stay quiet and calm. We're sure to come across some orang-utans. They're peaceable creatures – and very nosy. They'll probably come to you. The walkways are secure and every platform has an escape ladder down to the ground. Enough safety talk. Let's climb!”

“I wish we could catch sight of…what was the name of the young orang-utan that's gone missing?” Zoe asked innocently, as they reached the top of the ladder and stepped on to the platform. A walkway made of slats of wood fixed on long ropes stretched away into the distance.

“Kawan,” said Mat. “We'll head for the area that used to be his territory. I keep hoping he'll be there.”

Mat stepped on to the walkway, grasping the handrails. It swayed gently under his weight. The children followed him eagerly along the aerial path from tree to tree.

Above the harsh croaking of frogs, macaques screeched as they swung from tree to tree and parrots shrieked from nearby branches. At each platform there were information boards about the creatures to look out for. Ben studied each one.

“What are those?” asked Zoe, pointing at some odd-looking birds perched above their heads. “Looks as if they've got horns on their beaks.”

“Didn't you read the sign?” Ben teased. “They're rhinoceros birds. What a fantastic place this is.” “Yasmin and I are trying to make this a perfect haven for the animals,” said Mat. “The rainforest might be shrinking, but this bit's not going to.”

There was a loud rustling of leaves and suddenly two orang-utans burst into view, swinging after each other across the interwoven branches.

“Your first glimpse of orang-utans in the wild,” Mat told them. “That's Lola and Kiki. They're mother and daughter. They'll come and say hello in a minute.”

The two apes suddenly stopped their play as they spotted the humans. With a terrified shriek they turned and disappeared amongst the dense trees.