Forest Fire by J. Burchett Page A

they climbed the waiting ladder, she pressed a remote and the craft glided forwards into a boat shed set in the bank.
    Ben and Zoe knew the routine by now. They made for the tumbledown outside toilet, Erika at their heels. Ben bolted the door and Zoe pulled the chain.
    Whoosh! The cubicle turned into a lift and shot deep into the earth.
    â€œWho needs a rollercoaster when we’ve got Uncle Stephen’s turbo toilet!” Ben laughed, clutching his belly.
    Zoe and Erika followed Ben along a well-lit corridor to the Control Room. They placed their fingertips on an ID pad.
    â€œPrint identification complete,” announced the electronic voice.
    They burst into a bright room full of flashing control panels and computer screens – the nerve centre of Wild HQ. A pair of plimsolled feet was sticking out from under a console.
    â€œUncle Stephen,” called Zoe softly.
    There was a thump and a muffled curse, then the gangly figure of their godfather emerged, rubbing his head.
    â€œHello there,” he said cheerfully. “Just fixing the phase converters. I’ve got the whole place running on solar power now.” He looked at their wetsuits. “I know you’re going to the rain forest, but it won’t be that wet!”
    â€œI picked Ben and Zoe up from the beach,” explained Erika.
    â€œLet me tell you about your mission.” Uncle Stephen grinned. He touched a plasma screen and brought up a satellite map of a large island. “Borneo,” he announced. “There was once a huge rainforest here, but there’s been a lot of logging over the last few years – legal and illegal.”
    â€œI’ve read all about that,” said Ben. “They’re clearing the land for oil palm plantations. Palm oil’s used all over the world – in margarine, soap, candles, cosmetics – loads of things.”
    â€œMr Know-it-all.” Zoe raised her eyebrows. “But you’re right. The rainforest’s disappearing really fast. Is that something to do with the orang-utan in danger?”
    â€œSpot on, Zoe,” said her godfather. “We’ve had reports from one of our operatives out there about an orang-utan called Kawan. Until recently he was living safely on the Adilah Reservation. But then suddenly he left his territory.”

    â€œMat Ginting, who runs the reservation, had reared him from a baby,” Erika explained. “He reintroduced Kawan into the wild last year.”
    â€œOrang-utans don’t become independent until they’re about seven or eight, do they?” said Ben. “No other animal in the world stays with its mother that long.”
    â€œYou’re correct, Ben,” said Dr Fisher. “Kawan’s about eight now. He had initially adapted well to living in the wild and had established his own territory. Male orang-utans live alone and their territory is very important to them. The only time they come near to other orang-utans is for mating or to fight another male who’s strayed into their space.”
    â€œBut then two weeks ago, there was some illegal logging in his area,” said Erika. “Some men came at night and cut down several trees before they were chased off. Wood is valuable and they intended to sell it. One of the felled trees had an orang-utan nest made of leaves that were still fresh, so Kawan must have been sleeping there. He fled in terror and hasn’t been back since.”
    â€œSo he’s completely disappeared?” said Zoe.
    â€œThere have been a couple of sightings outside the reservation on a nearby oil palm plantation.” Uncle Stephen took up the story. “But he hasn’t wanted to come back to his territory. Now this is serious.
    Kawan is essential for Mr Ginting’s dream of increasing the orang-utan population.
    There are very few males on the reservation.”
    â€œAnd orang-utans breed very slowly, don’t they?” said Ben.
    Uncle