Gabriel and Eddie try to open George’s shepherd’s van

Gabriel and Eddie’s attempt to open George’s shepherd’s van is a failed effort to gain access that also reveals how strongly the humans around the flock are drawn to George’s locked possessions. Gabriel comes with tools, a prospective locksmith, and a second key; he leaves the van unopened. To the sheep, the episode sharpens a contrast between George, who had been interested in them, and the other humans, whose attention keeps returning to the caravan and what it might contain.

The Attempt at the Caravan

The scene follows the sheep’s defense of George’s Place. They find the memorial ground unharmed in the morning, notice that the trampled grass is beginning to recover, and see Gabriel’s flock back behind the fence. Feeling proud of their success, they expect Gabriel to come and recognize the other flock as useless mouths to feed. Instead, when he arrives late, Eddie is beside him, carrying a black bag. They stop in front of the caravan.

Gabriel presents the practical reason for wanting access: he could leave his belongings inside and perhaps stay there overnight. Eddie answers with conspicuous enthusiasm, but the sheep register the purpose beneath the practical proposal. They already understand that Gabriel wants to get into the caravan, and Eddie’s presence makes the attempt concrete: he takes tools from his bag and examines the lock.

The effort fails not because the door is impossible to enter by any means, but because its security cannot be defeated casually. Eddie says that ordinary tools will not open it and that a specialist with time would be needed. He explains that the lock requires a second key obtained through the firm, which will first demand a secret code. Eddie admits that, although he once learned this kind of work, he does it only on the side alongside farming. His expertise is therefore limited, and the lock’s design—not a lack of interest—stops the immediate attempt.

A Locked Door and a Second Key

Eddie proposes breaking down the door, treating the damage as unimportant. Gabriel does not take that option. When he asks about the windows, Eddie says entry would be possible there but visible to other people. Gabriel concludes that the lock was George’s idea and says they will leave it alone. The decision is a practical retreat: the caravan remains secure because the alternatives would either require more specialized work or expose the intruders.

The sheep feel how much both men want to enter. Their response is not simply curiosity about a locked object; it is a comparison of human priorities. In their view, George had cared about his sheep, while the other humans seem interested in little besides the caravan. The contrast makes the lock significant beyond its mechanical function. George’s security measures preserve a boundary around his property, while the flock watches outsiders test that boundary without knowing what lies beyond it.

The encounter takes a more pointed turn when Gabriel produces another shiny metal object from his pocket. Eddie recognizes it as a key to a safe, and says the safe must be sophisticated and expensive, perhaps requiring a combination or several keys. He cannot infer its exact size: it might be as large as a microwave or a fridge, and size alone would not establish how it was secured. The object therefore raises the possibility of another protected container without revealing its contents. Gabriel’s tense expression, noted by the sheep as unusual, gives the exchange a charge beyond casual discussion, but the scene does not disclose what the safe holds or establish that the key belongs to the caravan’s lock.

What the Sheep Understand

Gabriel insists that nothing is going on and that he is making sure of it. The sheep find this assertion difficult to square with the activity of the previous night, when, in their judgment, Gabriel was the last person to do anything. Their confidence in him diminishes. The sequence is carefully ironic: Gabriel speaks as if he controls events, while the flock recognizes a gap between his claim and what it has witnessed.

That gap matters because the sheep assess people through observable conduct rather than accepting human explanations at face value. They see the tools, the security lock, Eddie’s suggestions, the key, and Gabriel’s tension; they also see him choose not to force the door once visibility becomes a risk. Their knowledge remains incomplete, especially concerning the safe, but they can still judge priorities and inconsistencies. The attempted entry thus advances the flock’s investigation of human behavior without solving the mystery of what the caravan or safe contains.

Authority and the Flock’s Choice

Later, George’s will gives the sheep a formal stake in their future: his remaining fortune is left to them so that they can go to Europe as promised. The lawyer explains that the flock needs an authorized representative to accompany them as shepherd, and that the representative’s rights and duties are specified in the will. Those duties include having stories read aloud to the sheep for at least half an hour each day. The will also prohibits selling or slaughtering them and makes dense fleece the priority in breeding. The lawyer is to check that the conditions are followed, while the representative receives a salary that decreases whenever a sheep dies.

Gabriel stands beside the lawyer as the villagers consider the position, but he is not the sheep’s preferred choice. When Rebecca volunteers, the flock gathers around her despite Gabriel’s attempt to draw them with soft Gaelic speech. Othello steps toward Gabriel, looks at him, then calmly goes to Rebecca; the others follow. This later choice does not unlock the van or explain the safe. It does, however, extend the earlier scene’s question of who may claim access and authority. Gabriel can arrive with tools and argue for entry, but the sheep’s own movement identifies whom they are willing to follow. The contrast between the locked caravan and the will’s conditions places human control beside the flock’s capacity to express a collective preference.