Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to a special taster of our new
premium only story. We hope you like it. Hey Yale, Hello,
I'm Josephine and this is the Animal Tales podcast, home
to over four hundred stories written just for you. Our
Friday story is especially for our Premium subscribers only. Ahlus
is a Premium member from Maryland in the USA, and
she would like a story with a blue axe Lottle
of a loss raptor and a cat. Don't forget to
listen to the animal facts after the story to learn
more about these creatures. For now, it's time to sit
back and get comfy, because it's time to begin the
Big Boss and the Beast. Ahlus was not having a
good day. It had started out all right when the
small blue axe Loottle had headed out to her job
at the university. ALUs studied quantum physics, which is the
mind bending world of the tiny atoms that make up
everything around us. Most people understand very little about the
quantum world, but to ALUs it was endlessly fascinating. She
was just waiting to cross the street when a large
white van screeched to a halt before her. She thought
it must have been making an urgent delivery, until a
bulldog and a honey badger leapt out and bundled her
into the back. I've been kidnapped, said the blue axelottle
crossly as she bumped along the rainforest city streets. I
don't have time for this. I've got important work to do.
Side of the van was very dark, so when the
sliding side door was eventually opened again, Aloose found herself
blinking into the bright light. Once again, the bull dog
and the honey badger were dragging her through a doorway,
up a flight of bare wooden stairs, into a carpeted corridor,
and then into a richly decorated room where all the
windows were obscured by blinds. Lounging on a very expensive
sofa was a mean looking cat sipping an espresso coffee. Ah,
so this is the boffin? The cat asked. This is
her boss, said the bulldog. Good good, grinned the cat. Listen, boffin,
Now you work for me, I most certainly do not,
said a loose defiantly. I work for the university. I
have a very important experiment to run to day, and
you're stopping me from doing it. Yes, yes, nodded the
cat as he set down his cup. But you see,
I have a problem. My rivals are causing me a
lot of problems. My business is in trouble, and you're
going to help me sort it out. What rivals? What
sort of business? Asked a'luse. Are you some sort of criminal? Now, now,
let's not start name calling, chuckled the cat. Some of
my operations might be on the shall we say, shady side,
and I certainly wouldn't enjoy the police poking their noses
into my affairs, but let's not use the word criminal. Well,
if it's illegal or wrong, I won't do it, said
a'luz firmly. I'm a highly respected scientist I know, nodded
the cat. I know all about you, which is why
you are going to help me. Otherwise, some shall we
say accidents are going to start happening to your friends
and family. Do you understand? Ehlous gulped as she realized
what serious trouble she was in. They were threatening those
she held dear and what could a small axe lot
ll do about it? When faced with a burly bull
dog and a hefty honey badger. What exactly is it
you want me to do? She asked quietly. Apart from
my two boys here, said the cat, gesturing to his henchmen.
The animals of this city are too civilized. I need
a ruthless assassin to do my dirty work for me,
and you're going to reach into the past and get
one for me. I don't understand what you're suggesting, said Eloose.
I want one of them vicious dinosaurs, said the criminal cat.
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