o'clock."

"Another meeting?" asked Stu.

"This one's different. It's more…official, or something," said Uncle Terry. "From what I understood, some business tycoon from the city is coming into town and he's having a conference at the city hall."

Judy's ears perked up. So did Nick's.

"On a Sunday evening?" asked Stu, puzzled.

"I'm just passing on the news," said Uncle Terry. "I reckon we ought to go and see what it's all about."

"Alright," said Stu. "I'll let everyone know. Thanks."

"See you at eight, Stu."

Judy turned around and looked at Nick from across the room, and they immediately read each other's minds. He was stepping his game up, this Preston Keyes. This would be a perfect opportunity to study the enemy.

The train arrived on time. It was 7 o'clock when Bea stood with her valise on the platform. Stu, Bonnie, Judy and Nick all stood there to see her off.

"Thank you for your help, dear," said Bonnie.

"I hope to help a lot more once I get home," said Bea, patting her breast-pocket. They knew what she meant: she was carrying copies of all the evidence in her portable flash drive.

"We hope you'll come visit us again soon," said Stu.

"Most definitely, Mr Hopps," said Bea. "You've all given me plenty of reasons to come and visit Bunny Burrow as often as I can."

"I can think of one big fat reason," said Nick, giving her a teasing wink. Everyone chuckled, knowing what he meant.

"Oh, Nick," said Bea, rolling her eyes. "There's a difference between fat and big-boned."

"Yup," said Nick. "One's the truth, the other's an excuse."

"You are impossible," said Bea, hugging her cousin. "I'll keep in touch."

"Have a safe trip, Bea!" said Judy.

"Will do!" said Bea, waving as she got onto the train. "See you all again soon!"

The train left. The Hoppses and Nick went back to the house to get ready for the 8 'clock meeting at the town hall.

"I wonder what he's playing at," said Judy as she and Nick waited for Bonnie and Stu in the living room, sitting close together on the sofa.

"Public relations stunt," said Nick. "I'm sure his speech will be just dripping with honey and he'll try and convince your townsfolk that he's a benefactor and wants only the best for the world."

"We'd better keep our eyes peeled and our ears open," said Judy.

"And our wits sharp," said Nick. "Whatever stunt he's trying to pull, we have to make sure the town doesn't buy it. Otherwise, he'll end up buying the town."

"Yeah," said Judy, shuddering at the prospect of her hometown being taken over by a ruthless capitalist.

Kevin Hopps was sitting in the loft, reading a comic book that Garth had lent him. He was keeping watch in case the cameras that he had helped his Uncle Garth install caught anybody walking towards the hole in the clearing.

Suddenly, a beep-beeping sound came from Garth's computer. It was the signal. Kevin looked at the screen and saw someone moving towards the hole.

"Uncle Garth!" yelled Kevin, walking to the edge of the loft and waving at the opossum, who was down on the ground talking with Auntie Amber and Penny. "We got something!"

"Comin' up!" said Garth as he gracefully climbed up the ladder to the loft.

Amber and Penny followed, climbing up the ladder and getting up to the loft just as Garth sat on his computer chair and clicked the RECORD button on his camera software.

"Well, hellooow Mister Mole," said Garth as the four of them watched the screen. "I doubt very much you're spring-cleaning your hole."

They watched as George Jenkins, the mole, looked around to make sure he was alone, and uncovered the hole. He climbed down using his claws, sinking them into the side of the hole and descending with ease.

Down in the tunnel, George Jenkins removed his spectacles and walked straight to the digging machine. He was completely at home underground, being a mole. He got to the machine and sat in the driver's seat, turning the key and switching on the levers. Then he reached for a gas mask which was stashed beneath the seat and wore it, breathing in deeply as he activated the digging mechanism.

"One more town," said Jenkins as he put the machine in motion. "Just one more, and then we'll all move far away, to St Canard or somewhere he'll never find us."

Jenkins suddenly felt a rumbling beneath his seat.

"Huh?"

And suddenly, white smoke started pouring out of the engine.

"No!" said Jenkins. "No, no, no, not now!"

Loud popping noises followed, and the engine stopped. Then it caught fire.

The smoke was starting to fill the tunnel. Jenkins ran for it, abandoning his task and heading back towards the exit of the hole.

He climbed up out of the hole and onto the surface once more, taking off his gas mask and breathing in the cold, clean night air.

"Oh no!" he said to himself after he had taken a few deep breaths. "What am I gonna do now? What am I gonna tell him?"

He paced around in a circle in the moonlit clearing, talking to himself.

"Mr Keyes, the machine had a little problem…no, no, no….Um…Mr President, sir, we may have a slight delay…no, no, he can't stand delays," wailed Jenkins as he rehearsed what he would say to his boss. "Mr President, sir, we might have to consider rescheduling certain goals…no! He'll kill us!"

Jenkins started trembling. His paws went to his face, and a look of grief replaced his fearful expression.

"I…can't…I won't!" said Jenkins after a while. "Yes, that's it! I won't tell him. He's not going to come down here and check for himself. He'll never know. I'll just say…mission accomplished. And that's it. And everything will be okay."

Jenkins made up his mind and walked away from the clearing, disappearing in the woods beyond, completely unaware that in the loft of a barn not far away, Garth had recorded him, including every single word of his conversation with himself.

There were fewer people at the 8 o'clock meeting than there had been that morning. Judy and Nick walked behind Mr and Mrs Hopps as they entered the building and found a seat near the middle. Several people who had been at the meeting that morning were present. Cletus Hareington glanced at them and nodded, not smiling, and giving Nick a clear look of disapproval. They said nothing, just nodded in acknowledgement.

Sheriff Shepard was near the stage, standing beside his deputies Old Ben and Barkins. Nana Bernardine was sitting in the front row with Mama McCotton and her older daughters.

As everyone found a seat and settled down, two rabbits walked onto the stage from the backroom. They were the Mayor of Bunny Burrow and his assistant. The Mayor stood on the podium. Everyone went quiet and looked at the stage, waiting for what was coming.

Mayor Honeysuckle, a greying brown rabbit with a waistcoat and a golden pocket watch, welcomed everyone to the meeting. Then after a few words, he introduced the guest of the evening: President Preston Keyes of Terra Firma Incorporated.

Everyone watched as a white rabbit with an impeccable business suit and a self-confident expression walked onto the stage. They could see that he was a rabbit who was accustomed to giving orders and having his way. Several low murmurs were heard.

"A very good evening to you, my fellow bunnies and respected folks of this lovely town," said Preston Keyes with a voice dripping with syrup.

Judy saw with satisfaction that many of her townsfolk didn't look convinced. City rabbits always caused a certain amount of suspicion among country rabbits. They believed that rabbits raised in the city were spoiled and conceited and lacked the values that good folk from the countryside learned from hard work and toil in the fields and being raised by a numerous and tradition-keeping family. City rabbits were soft-pawed and soft-witted, the older rabbits said.

"It is with great pleasure that I stand here tonight," said President Keyes. "My firm started as a single room in a dingy corner of an office building, just me and my partner working long hours into the night, striving to make a better tomorrow…"

Nobody looked convinced. One look at his clothes and demeanour made the good people of Bunny Burrow doubt very much he had ever known the first thing about hardship.

"I have heard of your troubles," went on President Keyes, "and was moved by your plight. Tonight, I am here to propose a solution to all your hardships. One that will help move Bunny Burrow into the future, and make you become the new model for an exemplary farming community."

Several of the older bunnies murmured in disapproval. They already considered themselves an exemplary farming town. Who did this two-bit city slicker think he was insinuating the contrary?

"I know the prospect of progress and advancement is daunting, but as my firm has proven time and time again, our new model has revolutionised agriculture and made life easier for both farmers and consumers alike."

Two city hall employees brought in a white screen and a BunnQ projector, and shortly an image of the 'model farms' that Keyes was talking about appeared on the screen via the projector.

"Twenty-one farms have already implemented the

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