His words proved prophetic-and sooner than expected. It was the following weekend---early Sunday morning, shortly after 1a.m. -when a telephone call awakened Martin. Yvonne was still asleep beside him. When Martin answered, the caller was Nigel Bentley. "I'm at the institute," the administrator said.”The police called me. I think you'd better come.”
"What's wrong?" "It's bad news, I'm afraid.”
Bentley's voice sounded grim.”But I'd rather you see for yourself Can you get here quickly?" "I'm on my way.”
By now, Yvonne was awake. As Martin began to throw on clothes, she hurriedly dressed too. They went together, in Martin's car. At the institute, other vehicles were outside, two of them police cars with blue lights flashing. A third flashing light was on a fire engine, just leaving. The institute's front doors were open. Bentley met them inside. A uniformed police inspector was with him. If Bentley was surprised to see Yvonne, he effectively concealed it. "We've been raided," he announced.”By animal lovers.”
Martin's brow creased.”Animal lovers?" "Actually, sir," the policeman said, "the people who did it call themselves the Animal Rescue Army. They've given us trouble before.”
The inspector, approaching middle age, had the resigned, sardonic manner of one who had watched many human follies and expected to see more. Martin said impatiently, "Did what? What's happened?" "They broke in," Bentley answered, "And then they released all the animals. Some are still loose in the building, but most were taken outside, the cages opened, and of course they're gone. Then they collected all the files and records they could find, carried them outside, and poured petrol on.”
"They started a fire, Doctor," the inspector said.”Someone in another building saw it and phoned in an alarm. When the fire brigade came and put it out is when we got here too. We were in time to catch two suspects, a woman and a man. The man's been in prison, he admits, for another similar offense.”
"The two the police caught are being held in my office," Bentley continued. "There seems to have been a gang of six. They overpowered our watchman and locked him in a cupboard. They also knew how to deactivate the burglar alarm.” "The whole operation was carefully planned," the police inspector said. "That's one of the hallmarks of these people.”
Martin scarcely heard. His eyes were on four rats which had scampered into a corner of the reception area and were huddled there. Now, frightened by voices, the rats ran through another open door. Martin followed, heading for the laboratories and animal rooms. Mess and confusion confronted him. Animal cages had either been removed or were open and empty. Loose-leaf reference books were gone. File drawers had been pulled out, some of their contents scattered on the floor. Many files were missing. Presumably they had been burned outside. Bentley, the inspector, and Yvonne had followed Martin. Yvonne murmured, "Oh, my God!" Martin, emotional, despairing, could only ask, "Why? Oh, why?" The inspector suggested, "Maybe you should put that question to the pair we've arrested, Doctor.”
Martin nodded without speaking, and the policeman led the way to the administrator's office. Inside, a young police constable was guarding a man and a woman. The woman, in her mid-thirties, was tall and slim. She had aquiline, haughty features and her hair was trimmed short. A lighted cigarette drooped from her lips. She wore tight jeans, a lumberjack shirt, and plastic, thigh-length boots. As the inspector and the others came in, she regarded them disdainfully, seemingly unconcerned about her capture. The man, of about the same age, was slight and in other circumstances could have been thought of as meek and mild. He looked like a clerk, was balding, slightly stooped, and wore steel-rimmed spectacles. He smiled thinly at the newcomers-and defiantly. "These are the pretty pair," the inspector said.”They've been cautioned legally, but they seem to want to talk. Real proud of themselves, they are.”
"And so we should be," the man said. His voice was reedy and unsteady; he coughed nervously to clear it.”We've done a noble deed.”
Martin exploded, his voice close to shouting.”Do you have any idea what you've done? How much important work you've wrecked and wasted?" "What we do know," the woman said, "is that we've saved some fellow creatures from the vivisectionists-tyrants like you who exploit animals for your selfish ends.”
"If you think that, you're ignorant fools.”
Martin wanted to lash out physically at the two in front of him, but restrained himself.”All the animals you released were born in captivity. Those outside can't survive. They'll die horribly. And those inside will have to be destroyed.”
"Better that," the woman said, "than suffer your inhumane cruelty.”
"He isn't inhumane! He isn't cruel!" It was Yvonne, her face flushed, her voice pitched high.”Dr. Peat-Smith is one of the kindest men who ever lived. He loves animals.”
The man sneered.”As pets, I suppose.”
"We don't approve of animals as pets," the woman said.”That's a master-slave relationship. We believe animal fights are equal to human rights. Furthermore, animals should not be restricted, confined, or have to suffer, merely to make humans happier or healthier.”
Her voice, measured and assured, had the tone of one blessed with total moral certainty. The man said, "Something else we believe is that the human species has no superiority over other species.”
"In your case," the inspector said, "I'd say that's true.”
Martin addressed the woman.”You and your fellow lunatics have just destroyed scientific research which will take years to repeat. And for all that time you'll have deprived thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of decent, deserving people of a medicine to make their lives better, more bearable...”
"Well, good for the Animal Rescue Army!" Scornfully, the woman interrupted, spitting words at Martin.”I'm delighted to hear our effort was successful. And if what you call scientific research, and I call barbarous atrocities, is repeated, I hope you die in agony doing it.”
"You maniac!" The words were a scream, spoken as Yvonne dived forward, hands extended. There was a second's stillness in which no one else realized what was happening, then Yvonne was attacking the woman fiercely, fingernails raking her face. Martin and the inspector between them pulled Yvonne away. Now the Animal Rescue woman screamed.”That was an assault! A criminal =assault.”
As two long red weals, one of them bleeding, flared on her face, she demanded of the two policemen, "Arrest that bitch! She must be criminally charged.”
"Arrest this lady?" The inspector seemed pained. He glanced toward Yvonne who was trembling and seemed in shock.”Arrest her for what? I didn't see any assault.”
He looked toward the constable.”Did you?" The other policeman answered, "No, sir. I reckon the prisoner got those marks on her face from the animals when she was opening some of those cages.”
Martin put his arm around Yvonne.”Let's get out of here. There's nothing to be gained by talking to these people.”
As they left, they heard the inspector ask, "Now how about being reasonable, and giving me the names of those others with you?" "Go screw yourself, copper," the woman said. Bentley had followed Martin and Yvonne. He told them, "Those two will go to jail.”
Yvonne said, "Oh, I hope so.”
"They will," the administrator assured her.”And they'll join others from that Animal Rescue Army who are there already because of other raids like this. The whole bunch see themselves as martyrs. I've read a lot about them. Supposedly they have hundreds of followers around the country.”
He added, glumly, "I'm sorry. I should have foreseen this.”
"None of us could have," Martin said. He sighed.”Tomorrow we'll start cleaning up and see what's left.”