THE HUMAN ZOO

A future visit to the zoo and the creatures in its cages...

The day was beautiful. The sulphur clouds that usually hung over the industrial sector of the city were barely in evidence and a misted sun was shining hotly down. It was time for Sophie to give her daughter a treat. But what would it be? Zoo or park? Maybe she should teach the child something, maybe even something of value.

“We'll go to the zoo,” she decided.

And that's where they went. To the zoo. Entrance didn't cost too much and they made their way to the first cage. Not far off a guard shifted his feet irritably and stared at them.

“Let's see what there is here,” murmured Sophie.

Rachel's mother shifted her spectacles so that she could see out of them properly and concentrated on the label on the cage door.

“Caucasian,” she read, and glanced at Rachel, shaking her head sadly. “Says this specimen went on a rampage, shooting kids as young as three as he charged through the streets. Says he's a mental case and not to be addressed by anyone.”

“That's horrible, mummy,” whispered the daughter, a pretty young thing of about eight, with curly black hair and wide open eyes.

“That's why he's in this zoo,” sighed the mother. “Says here he's to stay here for life, and that life will really mean life. Says not to feed the exhibits, either. Says he's on a special diet that keeps him calm.”

“But it don't seem right, being on display like that, even though he's horrible and mean,” said Rachel. “I wouldn't like to be in a cage like that.”

“Come on, dear, let's look at some of the other exhibits,” encourage Sophie, the mother. “There are lots more to see and the zoo closes an hour before dark.”

“Why's that, mummy?”

“Oh, nothing's left to chance,” explained Sophie. “The beasts can't get out, but if one of them was to somehow escape he'd be especially dangerous after dark, and might even get clear away if the gates were left open. Come, look at this one. Let's see what he's been up to.”

They stood by a second barred cage and stared at the creature lurking as far from their eyes as it could get. Sophie concentrated on the plaque.

“Says here he poisoned the water supply of a whole city,” she said, pointing at the words one at the time. “Says here the whole population might have died had it not been for a courageous police officer who tackled him single-handedly. Says here the creature will be in this cage until the day he dies, which will be...” she squinted, “...in about a month,” she added slowly.

“You mean they know he's going to die in a month?” asked Rached.

Sophie held her daughter's hand and squeezed her fingers reassuringly. “It's for the best,” she said quietly so that the creature hopefully wouldn't hear. “After all, if he'd had his way a whole city full of people would have died. Think of that! Everyone drinks water and if it's got stuff in it... well, he'll have a special drink of water in about a month. It seems fair enough to me.”

“Is that why we only have bottles of water, mummy?”

Sophie nodded. “I wouldn't want anything to harm a hair on your head,” she murmured affectionately.

“Let's look in the next cage,” suggested Rachel. “I don't like this one if he was going to kill so many people.”

They wandered to a third cage.

“You don't really want to know about this beast,” said Sophie quietly after she'd read the sign. “It says he's a rapist...”

“What's one of those, mummy?”

“It's … he does things to ladies, nasty, dirty things,” replied the mother. “I'll tell you more when you're a bit older.”

“You mean, like daddy?” asked Rachel innocently. “You told me daddy does that sometimes, when you're playing with him.”

“Not like daddy at all,” said Sophie firmly. “That's as different as chalk and cheese! Now, come on, let's check on another.”

They stood in front of a fourth cage. The sign had more writing on it than any of the others and Sophie had to concentrate.

“This one's a bad lot,” she told Sophie when she'd finished reading it. “He's a whistle-blower. The swine! Says here he'll die in this cage when he's old and stupid!”

“What's a whistle-blower, mummy?”

“Oh, I don't know. Something bad, something so rotten we don't like to talk about it,” said Sophie.

The exhibit cleared its throat and leant towards Rachel, he on his side of the bars and she on hers.

“It's a person who sees something rotten at the heart of Government and tries to warn the people about it,” he said in very precise, educated tones.

“Hey! Is it talking to you?” barked a guard, a surly individual lurking in the shadows. “The exhibits are not allowed to speak to customers! Now move along, there, quick as maybe, or you'll end up in a cage yourselves, for listening!”

“What does he mean, mummy?” asked Rachel as they scurried off.

“Nothing dear,” soothed Sophie.

“But the guard was so cross,” began Rachel.

“Sshhh!” hissed Sophie, “they've got ears everywhere! They'll be listening! Come on, let's go to the park instead. I've brought sandwiches and we can sit on the grass and talk about merry things, and tell each other jokes and have a wonderful time...”

“And not blow whistles,” murmured Rachel, slowly. “Mummy, what's so awful about that?”