by Bindi Irwin
DJ looked admiringly at Kelly. This American girl knew her way around a joke!
Before he could ask a third joke, she got in first. ‘Why did the reindeer wear sunglasses surfing?’
DJ shot back, ‘Because he didn’t want to be recognised.’
DJ and Kelly both cracked up.
The others shared a look as DJ and Kelly continued swapping jokes. It didn’t sound as though much rehearsing would get done tonight!
Early the next morning, the international guests were seated around the large dining table in the main farmhouse. Robert was mimicking an Olympic Games commentator. ‘Representing Australia on the left, we have the Irwin family and DJ. From South Africa, we welcome Kirsten and Hannah. Kelly the wolverine tamer from the US is on my right, then there’s Madi from sunny Sumatra and from Finland … Hang on, where’s Professor Tikkanen?’
Terri turned to Hannah’s mum, Kirsten, who shrugged her shoulders. ‘I’m not sure, honey. He went out last night, but I was out like a light shortly after he left.’
Elina was busy serving up a delicious pancake breakfast. ‘Perhaps he went for an early morning walk. There is no snowfall this morning. Please, do not wait for him. Enjoy.’
She returned to the kitchen.
Everyone tucked in, not needing any more encouragement. The cold weather was making them especially hungry.
But Professor Tikkanen didn’t appear at breakfast, and by the time the guests were assembled, ready to leave for the conference, there was still no sign of him.
Alek was waiting outside with a minibus he’d organised to drive them to the venue.
Bindi was a little concerned about the absence of the professor. ‘Alek, where could he be? I know how much he has been looking forward to this conference.’
Alek shrugged. ‘I’m not sure, Bindi.’
‘I’m sure Fredrik will turn up,’ added Elina. ‘He can be a little eccentric at times.’
‘Perhaps he just lost track of time?’ suggested Hannah.
Alek gestured to the group. ‘Jump in. He would be very upset if we didn’t get you to the conference.’
The parents and children trooped on board and with a wave goodbye to Elina and the wolverines, who had come outside to see what was going on, the guests drove away. The children were not scheduled to speak until the afternoon, but would spend the morning listening to various talks and discussions. There was a lot of chatter in the bus. Hannah and Madi were practising their speeches to one another and DJ and Kelly were still trading jokes. The parents were discussing what they hoped would be achieved by the end of the conference.
Once they reached the convention centre, they were overwhelmed by the number of international delegates flooding into the hall. Although there was no snowfall, a thick blanket of white covered the landscape and made everything sparkle in the sun.
Bindi and Kelly squeezed hands through their gloves, exhaling their breath like dragons in the freezing air. ‘I can’t believe we’re here at such an important conference!’ said Bindi.
A moment later, a snowball whacked into the side of her head. DJ and Robert, a couple of metres away, were grinning ear to ear.
‘Don’t worry, B, I’ll defend you,’ said Kelly, racing over to a mound of snow and counter-attacking with not just one snowball, but many. DJ and Robert soon realised Kelly was not a girl to be trifled with. Bindi managed to fire off one or two, but Kelly was catapulting snowballs left, right and centre with extremely good accuracy. She was a snowball-hurling machine!
Five cold and wet minutes later, DJ and Robert held up their hands. ‘We surrender!’
Kelly shot them a triumphant look. ‘You’re safe for now,’ she said dangerously.
As people made their way along various corridors into the main auditorium, Hannah and Madi paused in the reception area, looking at the list of speakers and workshops that were taking place that morning.
Madi pointed to a workshop later in the day concerning the increase in extreme weather events. ‘In Indonesia, we have many natural disasters. Thousands of people die or are left homeless by tsunamis, droughts and fire.’
Hannah nodded her understanding. ‘Africa has similar problems, Madi. And there is serious danger of war over land, food and water if things continue the way they are going now. Our native animals also suffer in these conditions.’
Kelly and DJ entered the reception area, still trying to wipe off the snow all over their clothing. They joined Hannah and Madi. ‘Time for the opening speeches,’ said Kelly, checking her watch. She glanced back at Bindi and Robert, who were still outside the conference centre.
‘Bindi. Robert? Get a move on.’
Bindi grinned at her friend’s limitless enthusiasm. ‘You guys go inside. Robert and I want to wait for Professor Tikkanen. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.’
DJ nodded. ‘Cool. See you in there,’ he said, leading the group confidently in completely the wrong direction. Bindi could see Hannah say something, and the group changed direction and headed towards the other corridor.
Bindi laughed. ‘Same old DJ.’
A few stragglers were hastily making their way into the reception area now, but most of the delegates were already in the auditorium. Bindi and Robert could hear the dull murmur of the first speaker. The conference had begun.
Bindi shook her head. ‘Why isn’t he here?’ she asked, frustrated.
‘I think you’re right to be worried, B. He was really looking forward to the conference,’ said Robert.
She sighed. ‘I know. And remember, he’s making that special announcement after lunch. The one that should attract all the media. There’s no way he’d miss that unless –’
‘Unless something has happened to him,’ finished off Robert, sharing a concerned look with his sister.
Bindi and Robert decided to return to the farmhouse to ask Elina about where the professor may have gone last night, and were on the way back to Alek and the shuttle bus when they were almost taken out by a large bus that screeched into the parking lot. The words ARCTIC-PET were painted along the side.
‘Watch where you’re going,’ muttered Robert, as they quickly moved out of the way.
‘They’re running a bit late for the conference,’ commented Bindi.
‘Arctic-Pet?’ said Robert. ‘D’you reckon it’s a company that sells arctic foxes as pets?’
Bindi didn’t answer. She was watching the passengers getting off the bus. They were dressed in business suits, and carrying placards.
‘They look like protestors. I wonder what they’re protesting about?’ asked Bindi.
She didn’t have to wait long for an answer. The protestors formed a barrier outside the convention centre and Bindi saw that their signs were written in English:
‘THE WORLD ISN’T
GETTING WARMER, IT’S
GOING MAD!’
‘BICYCLES DO NOT
PRESERVE ICICLES’
‘CLIMATE CHANGE
IS INCREASING
UNEMPLOYMENT,
NOT SEA LEVELS’
‘Well, they got here too late to be noticed by the arriving delegates,’ observed Bindi.
‘Maybe they ran out of petrol,’ suggested Robert.
‘Huh. It would serve them right,’ said Bindi sharply. She’d read the smaller writing on the side of the bus. The company’s name was Arctic Petroleum, Inc. They were an oil company! That would explain why they were opposing a conference on reducing usage of non-renewable fossil fuels such as petrol and oil.
At that moment another vehicle spun into the car park. Again, Bindi and Robert had to move fast to get out of the way. This time it was a TV-news van. As the camera crew began unpacking their equipment, a very pretty woman with big blue eyes and a long blonde plait stepped from the ARCTIC-PET bus, talking on her mobile phone. Like the other protestors, she was wearing a smart business suit. She rushed over to the TV crew and began talking animatedly, while still keeping the phone to her ear. She led the crew over to the protest
ors.
The protestors became a lot more energetic. They shouted out their slogans, both in Finnish and in English. Moments later, the cameras started rolling. The woman moved off to the side, and let the reporters take over. She gave a satisfied smile, still talking into her mobile phone.
Alek had noticed Bindi and Robert’s close shave with the TV van and came out to speak to them. ‘I think you two should stop standing in the car park,’ he suggested, rubbing his hands together against the cold. ‘I’m about to return to the farmhouse. Why aren’t you in the conference centre?’
They quickly explained their concern for Professor Tikkanen. Alek nodded. ‘Yes, I’m worried too.’ It was decided that Robert would go back to the farmhouse with Alek and talk to Elina. Bindi would stay at the conference centre to see whether the professor turned up there, and perhaps have a chat with the blonde woman who, her intuition was telling her, might help uncover the mystery of the professor’s disappearance.
Bindi made her way over to the woman. She glanced at Bindi, a little annoyed. ‘Niin?’
Bindi smiled sweetly. She mouthed, ‘I’ll wait until you’ve finished.’
The woman frowned, spoke quickly into the phone, and then flipped it shut.
Bindi didn’t waste any time. ‘Hello, my name’s Bindi Irwin and I’m from Australia.’
The woman continued to frown, and said nothing.
Bindi reached forward to shake hands with her. She kept her hand out until the woman reluctantly shook it, but still she said nothing.
‘And what’s your name?’ prompted Bindi.
‘Marjo,’ she answered reluctantly.
‘My friends and I are taking part in the climate change conference.’
‘How fascinating,’ said Marjo, sarcastically. ‘Look, I’m busy, so if you wouldn’t mind –’
Bindi interrupted. ‘And the thing is, I’m a little worried, because our host, Professor Tikkanen, should be at the conference, but he seems to have disappeared.’
Marjo took a closer look at the young girl in front of her, before saying rudely, ‘Well, it’s not like Professor Tikkanen to miss an opportunity to toot his trumpet about clean green energy.’
Bindi was surprised. ‘So you know him?’ she asked.
Marjo rolled her eyes. ‘Kuhmo is a small town. Everyone knows everyone.’ She continued before Bindi had a chance to say anything, ‘Don’t worry, Fredrik’s a grown-up, he can look after himself.’
She took out her mobile phone once again, signalling the end of the conversation.
Bindi noticed Marjo had called him by his first name. Perhaps she knew him better than she was letting on. ‘Umm, excuse me, Marjo. Could you tell me where you were last night?’
Marjo looked up from her phone, her clear blue eyes boring into Bindi. ‘That is none of your business,’ she said sharply.
Back at the farmhouse, Elina had been ringing Fredrik’s mobile phone but there had been no answer. She was worried about the professor’s whereabouts, but when Robert asked her who he may have spoken with the night before, Elina seemed unsure whether to voice her suspicions or not.
‘Please, Elina, we’re just worried about the professor,’ encouraged Robert.
‘Well …’ Elina stalled. ‘I don’t know for sure who it was, but for the past two weeks, there have been a few tense phone calls going back and forth.’
‘Okay. That sounds promising. Have you overheard anything?’ asked Robert.
Elina shook her head. ‘Oh no, I’m not one to pry,’ she said.
Robert corrected himself. ‘Of course not. But if you happened to be in the room when he was talking?’ he prompted.
Elina smiled at Robert. ‘Well, I may have once overheard him shouting – I was in the kitchen, and he was talking loudly on the phone to Marjo.’
‘Who’s Marjo?’ asked Robert.
‘His ex-wife,’ she answered. ‘She manages a big oil company, and the two of them fight over climate change often.’
Robert was putting two and two together. ‘Is the oil company called ARCTIC-PET?’
Elina was surprised. ‘Yes, it is.’
‘Do you think it may have been her he was talking to on the phone last night?’ continued Robert.
‘It’s possible,’ said Elina. ‘I think they have been discussing something to do with the professor’s announcement at the conference. Marjo has been campaigning hard to make sure any changes to policy do not damage Arctic-Pet and petroleum use in general, and I suspect Fredrik has been trying to change her mind. This is not something they would do in the public eye.’
‘So if he was going to meet her somewhere private,’ asked Robert, ‘do you know where they’d go?’
Elina thought. ‘Well, in happier times, they used to enjoy visiting Marjo’s cabin by the lake.’
Robert interrupted. ‘Is it far from here?’
‘No, not too far. Only about a 10-minute drive. It is secluded but it is very icy at this time of year –’
All of a sudden Robert was not only worried about the professor, he was thinking about Bindi. If Marjo was to blame for the professor’s disappearance, what else could she be capable of?!
Back outside the conference centre, Marjo’s phone rang. She was trying her best to get rid of Bindi. ‘Now I have work to do, so please leave,’ she said rudely to Bindi, before taking the call.
A moment later, looking totally bemused, she handed the phone to Bindi. ‘It’s for you,’ she said.
Bindi took the phone, surprised. ‘Hello?’ She started laughing when she heard her brother’s voice, but stopped when he explained what he’d found out. ‘Are you sure about this, little buddy?’ she asked, keeping an eye on Marjo.
Bindi nodded. ‘Yeah, you’re right. And we’re running out of time. Okay. See you there.’ She gave the phone back to Marjo. ‘Thanks.’
Marjo was still unnerved by the turn of events.
Bindi took her chance before Marjo started blasting her again. ‘I’d like you to take me to your lakeside cabin now.’
Before Marjo had a chance to reject the idea, Bindi continued. ‘And if you choose not to, I will have to call the police and tell them I think Professor Tikkanen’s ex-wife is responsible for his disappearance.’
The colour drained from Marjo’s face. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she breathed.
‘Perhaps I don’t, but what I suspect may be of interest to the media,’ said Bindi, glancing over at the TV camera crew, who had now finished reporting on the protestors and were beginning to pack up. ‘Environmentalist goes missing. Head of petroleum company suspected? It might make for an interesting headline, don’t you think?’ asked Bindi, not so innocently.
‘Keep your voice down,’ hissed Marjo. Her nerves were beginning to fray. ‘I have done nothing with Fredrik, all right? But we did meet last night.’
Bindi was relieved her hunch was beginning to pay off. ‘We don’t think he returned home afterwards. Please, Marjo, he may be in real trouble.’
Concern flickered in Marjo’s eyes. ‘Come with me then,’ she said. She barked some orders at the protestors and then she grabbed a set of car keys from her handbag, making her way over to a four-wheel drive.
Bindi took a deep breath. She knew she was taking a risk. But Robert and Elina knew who she was with. And she had to find the professor and make sure he was all right.
A short time later, Marjo took a turn onto a small track that was still covered in snow. She drove slowly, making sure the car didn’t skid over the slippery ground.
‘My family has had this cabin at Lake Kanninlampi since I was a child. It is very secluded and a good meeting place if you … are trying to keep your affairs private,’ she said pointedly.
They reached a dead end in the track.
‘Look, there’s the professor’s car!’ said Bindi, pointing to the Audi that was parked over to the left. Fresh snow covered the roof of the car.
Marjo was confused. ‘But there’s no reason he would have s
tayed here. If you really must know, and it seems you must, we have been trying to come to an agreement about using green energy rather than fossil fuels in this area, and Fredrik was pushing Arctic-Pet to make changes to its business that we are not prepared to make. We had one last chance to discuss it before he announced the changes at the conference, but as usual, we ended up fighting. I got angry and left. And that’s the last I saw of him.’
They walked over to the Audi, and wiped away the snow on the windows. The car was empty but the professor’s mobile phone was on the passenger seat.
‘I’m telling you the truth, Bindi,’ said Marjo, as they started up the path towards the cabin. ‘I wouldn’t wish any harm to come to Fredrik.’
Bindi nodded. ‘I believe you, Marjo. It’s just that it’s freezing here, and I’m worried that the professor may be suffering from hypothermia … or worse.’
They both walked faster along a heavily wooded track, surrounded by hundreds of silver birch trees reaching high into the clear sky.
A moment later, the silence was shattered by the distinct sound of two energetic wolverines racing past Marjo and Bindi. Marjo screamed. Bindi gasped, and then joined in the chase.
‘What are you doing, Bindi?’ yelled Marjo. ‘Be careful.’
A moment later, Robert Irwin ran up behind Marjo. ‘Hello,’ he said breathlessly, and continued running in the direction of Bindi and the wolverines.
‘WHAT IS GOING ON?’ yelled Marjo into the wilderness, before quickening her pace to follow the circus.
Seppo and Sophie the wolverines were already digging at the snow piled up against the door of the rustic log cabin by the time Bindi and Robert had caught up to them. Robert explained quickly to Bindi that Alek had dropped him and the wolverines off at the main road, as the minibus couldn’t fit down the small lane.
It was obvious to the children that a large cornice of snow had dropped from the cabin’s roof, blocking the door. But the wolverines were on the job, and began whining as they caught the scent of their beloved owner.