Free The Farm Beneath the Water by Helen Peters

into Hannah’s thoughts.
    “There isn’t going to be a reservoir in Middleham, Jonah, so you and your dad can stop making plans for windsurfing and catering licences.”
    “There is, actually. You don’t know everything, even though you think you do.”
    “I know they’re planning to build a reservoir, but it’s not going to happen. The farm’s full of wildlife and we’re not going to let it be destroyed.”
    “Oh, wildlife. Big deal. There’s plenty of other fields.”
    “I went windsurfing on Rutland reservoir last summer,” said Matthew. “It was so cool. I can’t believe we’re going to get one here.”
    “I hope they start soon,” said Jonah. “Be great to have something to do in this stinking hole. Hey, if it freezes in winter we could go skating.”
    “Will you just shut up about it?” said Lottie. “That’s Hannah’s home you’re talking about. And anyway, it’s not going to happen.”
    “Well, they’re having a meeting this Thursday about their plans, so we’ll find out then, won’t we? My dad’s going to go. He wants to get the catering contract before anyone else gets in on it.”
    “But they can’t flood your farm,” said Ben, “if your family doesn’t want to sell it. Can they?”
    Hannah’s voice came out croaky. “We don’t own it. We rent it.”
    She didn’t add: And the landlord will be delighted to sell it. That’s exactly what he wants.
    “It’s very run down, anyway,” said Miranda. “It’ll be much better to have something there that’s actually useful.”
    Hannah glared at her. “How can you say it’s run down? You’ve never even been there.”
    Miranda gave a bored shrug. “That’s what everybody says.”
    “Everybody? Who’s everybody?”
    “Anyway, you can rent another farm, can’t you?” said Jonah. “And it will be awesome to have areservoir in the village, you’ve got to admit it.”
    “All you care about,” said Hannah, “is your stupid water sports. You don’t care at all about the wildlife. You’re so selfish.”
    “Actually,” said Miranda, “don’t you think it’s you who’s being selfish, Hannah?”
    Hannah shot her a look of loathing, but Miranda didn’t seem to notice. “I mean, we need reservoirs, don’t we? If everybody had your attitude, where would we get our water from?”
    Of course, thought Hannah, with a dull ache inside her. Of course that was how other people would see it. And maybe they were right. Maybe she was being selfish.
    “Anyway,” said Miranda, “it doesn’t matter what you think. The water company’s hardly going to listen to you, are they? If they want a reservoir, they’ll build a reservoir. There’s no point trying to stop them.”
    From the school building, the bell for registration sounded. Hannah had never been so glad to hear it. She couldn’t stand this for one more second.
    Lottie gave her a concerned look as they walked across the playground. “Are you all right? Don’t take any notice of Miranda. She’s just being a cow.”
    “Is she?” said Hannah.
    “What do you mean? Of course she is.”
    Lottie ranted about Miranda all the way to their form room. But Hannah wasn’t listening. The conversation in the playground played over and over in her head.
    People would love a reservoir, wouldn’t they?
    And if the village wanted it and the landlord wanted it and the water board wanted it, what possible chance did her dad and a few eccentric wildlife enthusiasts have of stopping their plans?
    They had no chance, did they? Absolutely no chance at all.

Chapter Nine
The Invasion
    Hannah took a deep breath of clean Clayhill air as she crossed the road from Elm Lane on to the farm track that afternoon. It was a warm day again, the sky bright blue, dotted with low, grey-white fluffy clouds. But the harvest was nearly finished and the nights were getting colder. There was a definite feel of autumn in the air.
    A tractor pulled a seed drill across the freshly turned soil of Brook Field.