45 THE BARN CONVERSATIONS

CHAPTER 45 THE BARN CONVERSATIONS As winter dragged on, Roz spent more of her time inside with the herd. There were long stretches of quiet. The cows chewed their hay. The robot tapped the farm computer. The wind gently rattled the windows. And then someone would start talking, someone else would chime in, and the quiet of the barn would gradually be overtaken by conversations like these. "I am so bored." Tess was staring at the floor. "I can't wait until spring, when I can wander through tall grass and feel warm sunlight on my back. I just hope I don't die of boredom first!" Old Annabelle snorted. "You young cows are spoiled rotten," she said. "Your lives are so easy, and still you find things to complain about!" Tess rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we should be grateful for what we've got, you've told us before."

"Well, you should be grateful for what you've got!" said Annabelle. "I've lived on other farms, and trust me, you have nothing to complain about." Tess couldn't help being curious, and she said, "What were those other farms like?" "Oh, I'd rather not discuss them," said Annabelle in a low voice. "You see, I witnessed some terrible things on those farms. It was a blessing when I was moved here, but I often think about the animals I left behind. I hope they're okay." The old cow sank into thought for a minute. "I know life here isn't perfect," she said at last. "But we have so much to be grateful for. We have our lovely herd, and we have this beautiful barn, and—" "And we have Roz," added Tess. "And we have Roz." Annabelle turned and smiled at the robot in the corner. "Roz listens to us, and treats us with love and kindness, and she makes our lives as comfortable as she possibly can. We certainly will miss her when she's gone." "Roz, why do humans need so much cow's milk?" said Lily as the other calves crowded around her. It

was a question they'd all been wondering about. "Well, there are billions of humans in the world," explained Roz, "and many of them drink milk and combine it with different ingredients to make different foods." "What kinds of foods?" said another calf. "Butter and cheese and yogurt are made with milk," said Roz. "Many desserts are also made with milk." "What's a dessert?" said someone else. "A dessert is a sweet food eaten at the end of a meal. Popular desserts include cake and custard and ice cream." This answer only raised more questions. "What is cake?" "What is custard?" "What is ice cream?" Roz tried her best to explain these foods to the calves. But it wasn't easy. After all, the robot couldn't even perform the simple act of eating. How could she possibly describe the flavors and sensations of tasting delicious desserts? Lily interrupted. "Just tell me this, Roz. When we're older, will our milk be used to make desserts?" "Yes," said the robot.

The calves smiled. Then they trotted away, happy in the knowledge that, someday, they'd help to bring sweet and delicious things into the world. "It is almost spring," said Roz to the herd. "It is almost time for me to run away, back home to the wilderness. I am sorry that I must leave, but you will all be well cared for when I am gone, I promise." Cows began mooing from their stalls. "Don't worry about us, Roz." "There's no need to apologize." "We understand why you're running away." Lily poked her head through the railings of her stall and said, "I could never run away to the wilderness. I would be too frightened!" "I'd love to roam through the wilderness!" said Tess. "It sounds so exciting!" "No wilderness for me, thank you very much," said Annabelle. "I just want a quiet, cozy life." "I have plenty to fear in the wilderness," said Roz. "However, I have more to fear here. I can never be my true self around humans. And so I must try to return to my home. "I only wish I could do it by myself," she went on.

"But I need help. I could never escape from the farm without the children, and I could never find my way home without my son. I feel bad for asking so much of them." "Don't feel bad," said Lily. "Brightbill and the children want to help you. They love you! We all do. The farm won't feel the same without you, Roz. But we know you're doing the right thing." The herd agreed with Lily. And throughout the barn, cows quietly nodded their heads.