The Everest Files by Matt Dickinson

haven’t got time to rush around the forest for days on end.’
    â€˜Won’t they want to save the leopards?’ Shreeya found it hard to believe that anyone could sleep at night when such noble creatures were in danger.
    â€˜Think about it,’ her father continued. ‘That man is obviously a bad piece of work and he’s armed with a gun. If he discovers he’s being tracked then who knows what could happen … ’
    The children shivered at these words. The idea of that feral man of the forest hiding in the shadows with a gun was indeed a terrifying one.
    â€˜What about the wildlife rangers?’ Kami suggested. ‘Can’t we tell them what’s happening?’
    Shreeya’s father considered this but then shook his head. ‘The nearest ranger post is four days’ walk away, and in the opposite direction. By the time we got there it would already be too late.’
    â€˜I wish we’d never seen them!’ Shreeya cried. ‘Then they’d be safe!’
    Shreeya hated to cry, but on this occasion she couldn’t hold back the tears. Her father held her tight, patting her head gently as she sobbed.
    â€˜How long will it take him to get there?’ asked Kami.
    Shreeya’s father thought a few moments. ‘With that leg it will probably take him three days and nights. And he’ll have to stake out the cliffs when he arrives. He might have to wait a day or two to even see the leopards.’
    â€˜Then there is time to stop him, if we trek as fast as we can. Please father. I beg you.’
    â€˜I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘We’re not going to do it and that’s the end of the conversation. You’ll just have to hope those leopards have moved somewhere else.’
    â€˜They won’t have,’ Shreeya said miserably, ‘I read it in the book. The mother will keep the cubs in the same den all summer unless something disturbs them.’
    At that point, a couple of visitors arrived, and Shreeya’s father instructed Kami and Shreeya to fetch two jerrycans of water. They ran through the rice fields to the well and sat side by side on a stone wall as the containers slowly filled.
    â€˜I’ll never forgive myself if those leopards get shot,’ Shreeya said. ‘It’s really our fault.’
    Then a light of hope entered her eyes as a daring new thought ran through her mind.
    â€˜What if we leave tonight? Just the two of us, trekking as fast as we can?’
    Kami wondered if he had heard right.
    â€˜
What!?
Just the two of us? What are you talking about? They’ll never let us.’
    â€˜Who said we’re going to ask them?’
    â€˜You’re crazy!’
    Kami knew that Shreeya was capable of being headstrong, impetuous sometimes, but on this occasion what she was proposing was little short of outrageous.
    â€˜Run away to Langtang without telling anyone? They’ll catch us and we’ll be beaten black and blue.’
    â€˜And if we don’t the leopards will be shot.’
    Kami looked at Shreeya. Her face was set and utterly determined; her eyes bright and filled with confidence. He had seen that look before, but never quite like this. He felt a thrilling shiver of excitement run through his body; the very air around Shreeya seemed to crackle with dangerous potential.
    And most thrilling of all was the feeling that she really needed him at her side. This was something that she couldn’t do alone.
    â€˜OK,’ he said. ‘Let’s say we do it. Let’s say we manage to get away and we make it to Langtang. What if he’s already there? You want to get into a fight with a man with a gun?’
    â€˜We try and get there before him. Find a way to scare the leopards away.’
    â€˜But he’s a day ahead already.’
    â€˜OK. So we’ll trek day and night. We could probably do it in two days if we don’t stop.’
    Kami laughed out loud. This escapade