Journey to Freedom

Journey to Freedom by Colin Dann Read Free Book Online

Book: Journey to Freedom by Colin Dann Read Free Book Online
Authors: Colin Dann
taken to accompany a short article in the sponsoring newspaper which would report Ellen’s safe arrival on the African continent. Then the next stage of the journey began.
    Ellen roused a little once on the move again. She was immediately aware of new sensations, the most noticeable of which was the heat. She had never experienced temperatures of this kind, any more than had Joel. The air was heavy and full of strange and pungent smells. Nothing remembered from her enclosure at Lingmere Zoo in the north of England was remotely akin to any of these things. Ellen was totally unprepared for the change. And yet, deep within her unconsciousself, an ancient instinct was stirred and an ancestral echo reawakened.
    Joel felt no such echo. The car was hot, and he was sleepy and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he was able to marvel at the unfamiliar landscape while he wrestled with the rich accent of his friendly African driver. The truck trundled ahead and eventually turned off the metalled road, throwing up quantities of reddish dust. They passed a village where they received some enthusiastic waves. Joel waved back and grinned broadly.
    ‘Kamenza village,’ the driver announced.
    ‘Oh yes?’ said Joel. ‘Then we’re close?’
    ‘We’re here,’ the driver replied. ‘OK?’
    The truck pulled into a yard. Some people came out of a building on one side and ran over to lend a hand. The car drew up in front of a house with a veranda and a short flight of steps running down to ground level. A man in shirt and shorts hastened down them as Joel got out of the car. He was the chief game warden of the nearby national park, and was also in charge of the animal refuge centre. His voice rang out.
    ‘Joel? Simon Obagwe.’ He thrust out a hand and grasped Joel’s. ‘Good trip?’
    ‘Good, but long.’
    ‘Of course. You must be worn out.’ Simon smiled at the driver who was carrying Joel’s luggage. ‘Thank you, Paul.’ He turned to Joel again. ‘You’ll want to freshen up and change your clothes. Come along in. Hot, isn’t it?’
    ‘Very,’ Joel agreed. ‘Er – I’d really like to see Ellen settled first, if that’s all right.’
    ‘Plenty of time for that. They won’t do more than unload the truck until we’re ready. I expect you could use some refreshment?’
    Ellen sensed several sets of eyes on her as her crate was brought to the ground. She was quite used to beingstared at, but when Lorna had been with her she had known that the attention was shared. Now she was the sole focus of interest. She glared suspiciously at these men with their excited chatter. She felt deserted and vulnerable. If only her sister were with her now! She showed her teeth in a half-snarl as one man came particularly close to examine her.
    ‘Beautiful, beautiful,’ the man was murmuring.
    Later Ellen was introduced to her roomy new pen. It had plenty of shade and there were clear areas under the trees where she could lie. There was also a pool. Ellen was the only occupant. Surrounding the enclosure was a three-metre-high wire fence with overhangs to prevent climbing out and a second, lower fence around that. Support poles were sunk into concrete so that digging a way out wasn’t an option either. Joel noticed the emphasis on security, comparing it with Lingmere. For the hundredth time he wondered whether Lorna had been recaptured. He meant to find out as soon as he could make contact with England.
    ‘What d’you think?’ asked Simon.
    ‘I think she’s very lucky,’ Joel answered. ‘Except she’ll be lonely. She’s always lived with her twin before.’
    ‘I know. An unfortunate business, that. I hope she won’t be alone for long.’
    ‘So do I. I don’t know what’s happened at home. Perhaps I could—’
    ‘We’ll find out,’ Simon said promptly. ‘Meanwhile Ellen has a neighbour she can see: Upesi, a young cheetah. We brought her in as an orphan. Her mother injured a leg. Couldn’t hunt. Starved to death, I

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