Free Tiger Trap by Eric Walters Page A

procedures and —”
    “That’s so inhumane!”
    “That’s why they don’t use humans,” Anthony said. “But Calvin’s safe. The only thing he’d be good for is the Pepsi Challenge to see which soft drink really does taste the best.”
    Nick laughed at Anthony’s little attempt at a joke.
    “Mr. McCurdy wouldn’t sell Calvin for a million dollars,” I insisted.
    “You’re correct, and that’s where he went wrong.”
    I gave him a questioning and angry glare.
    “If you get too close to the animals, make them into pets, you can’t make the right business decisions regarding the animals.”
    “But maybe the best thing you can do is to get close to the animals,” I argued. “Why would you be involved in something like this if you didn’t like animals?”
    He smirked. “Remind me never to become a business partner of yours.”
    Nick chuckled again. He was really becoming a little suck-up. I knew how to push that laughter back down his throat.
    “Are you going to sell Peanuts?” I asked.
    “Peanuts?” Nick yelped.
    I saw the colour drain from his face. I knew how much he loved that elephant, and it was mean of me even to suggest selling Peanuts. “I figure a big animal like that must be worth a lot of money,” I said.
    “More than the kangaroos,” Anthony said. “But the elephant will be staying right here.”
    I could see the relief on Nick’s face. “I don’t understand,” I said. “You’d sell the kangaroos, but you won’t sell Peanuts. Why?”
    “I have other ideas in mind for the elephant,” Anthony said.
    “What sort of ideas?” I asked, thinking about ivory traders and the elephant’s tusks.
    “Did you know that a baby elephant is worth between thirty and fifty thousand dollars?” Anthony asked.
    “Yeah, but Peanuts isn’t a baby.”
    “But he could help to produce babies.”
    “That would be pretty hard to do on his own, don’t you think?” I said.
    “I’m glad you understand the basics of reproduction. We have enough space on this farm to support a whole
herd
of elephants. A whole herd that could form a breeding stock to produce lots of little elephants.”
    “That would be incredible!” Nick said. “Just incredible! Wait until Peanuts sees that he’s got friends.”
    “Speaking of Peanuts, have you cleaned his pen today?” I asked.
    “Well, not yet.”
    “You know that’s one of your jobs and it needs to be done.”
    “It’s a big job,” Nick said, “because elephants
do
big jobs. It can wait until tomorrow.”
    “I think your sister’s right, Nick,” Anthony said. Judging by the look on my brother’s face, he was as surprised as I was that Anthony was agreeing with something I had said. “Visitors don’t like messy pens, and I noticed that the elephant pen does need attention. Besides, if we can’t count on your help with
one
elephant, what will happen when there are
many
elephants?”
    That was a good point. Maybe shovelling elephant dung for the day would dampen Nick’s enthusiasm about a whole herd living here.
    “As well, it will give me a chance to talk to Sarah,” Anthony added.
    I straightened up. What did he want to talk to me about? Whatever it was I really didn’t want to speak to him. I’d spent the better part of the past week deliberately working at not talking to him.
    “If that’s all right with you, Sarah,” Anthony said.
    “Why wouldn’t it be?” I asked.
    “I don’t know. It just seems like you’re always trying to avoid me.”
    “I wouldn’t do that,” I lied.
    He smiled — that sick, smirky smile of his that without words said he knew I was lying.
    “Okay, then I better get going,” Nick said, walking off.
    “So, Sarah, I was hoping to get your opinion,” Anthony said when Nick was out of earshot.
    “You want my opinion?” I asked.
    He nodded. “Your opinion’s important to me.”
    “Well,” I began, “there certainly have been a lot of changes to improve Tiger Town.”
    “That’s not what I want