Chapter 21 Wednesday, 1300 hours (1 PM)

I felt more like a prisoner in the Jungle World classroom than I did back in the Education Building. The classroom was small and there weren't any windows. There wasn't much to do except to look at each other or to try to listen through the door. Janos and Zoltan ate more snack cakes.

A little later, we heard noises, and then the door opened and Rom and some Calfers came in. Rom didn't look scared or anything, but he did seem to be embarrassed. He was our Cubmaster and used to teach us about being quiet in the woods and stalking and tracking. I think he was feeling sheepish about not being careful.

Rom carried two big shopping bags. One was filled with food for us, but we weren't hungry, especially Janos and Zoltan. The other bag had sweatshirts with animal pictures on them. Rom handed them out to us and we put them on. The shirts went almost down to our ankles and we looked like we were wearing what people used for pajamas a long time ago.

Then Rom said, "You're probably not going to like this."

He took out bunny slippers from the bag. Bunny slippers. Pink bunny slippers. I couldn't believe Rom would do that to us.

"I'm not going to wear those," I said.

"It's the best I could do. If you don't wear them, your feet'll freeze."

"I'd rather freeze."

None of the other kids would wear them either.

Then another Calfer came in. He'd been outside using his walkie-talkie. He said he'd been told to take Rom back to the Education Building and put him in with the hostages. They were going to send a bigger zoo cart for us scouts.

I wasn't too worried. When we got back to our dormitory in the Education Building, we could always escape out the window again. This time we'd wear our uniforms.

The cart came and I rode up front with the driver. I'm the Denner so I get to ride up front.

"You're going the wrong way," I said. "This isn't how you get to the Education Building."

The Calfer looked sad. "I'm sorry kid. We're not going to the Education Building. I have to lock you guys in the snow leopard enclosure."

What?

"Don't worry. You'll be safe. There are no leopards there anymore. And you can keep the other kid company."

"Jeffrey?"

"Yeah. I think that's his name."

So that's where they'd stashed Jeffrey.