The Visitor (19 page)

“
Come on!” interjected the Rachaldomac representative. “It's a no-brainer! A chicken's life is less important than that of a uma, because a chicken is much less intelligent. Umas have a complex life. They tend towards a goal. They have hopes, projects, and... A chicken doesn’t do much more in his life than eat and sleep.”
 

“
And you, Mister Akkoronta,” replied Okkala in an affable tone, “what else do you do with your life other than pecking money and sleeping? Do you really think that your life has more meaning than that of a chicken? One fills its gizzard with grain, the other his bank account with money. Does this single difference of container and content suffice to make you superior? Can you explain to us why? Enlighten us please, because, at first glance, we can’t help but think that the essence of these two activities seems identical.”
 

“
Madam...”
 

“
But in any case, it’s not about measuring the value of a life according to any criteria whatsoever. That’s not the issue at this time. It’s obvious that the life of a mosquito is of lesser value that of a uma, if only from the sole fact that the first is much more ephemeral than the second. But like I said, that is not the crux of our debate, it’s entirely different. It’s about being aware that a certain amount of suffering is always the same amount of suffering, regardless of the victim. In suffering, all beings are equal. In addition, there is ethically a huge difference of intent between crushing a mosquito to avoid its
bite and raising a sentient being in the worst living conditions in order to use its body as a simple resource. I remind you that this isn’t about making the choice between the life of a uma or that of a fly, but only to become aware that we produce suffering by exploiting creatures endowed with sensitivity, at the same level as ours. No, no uman interest justifies the production of this suffering. Ask Madam Kkmura what she thinks of the sensitivity of animals other than uman. Are they not also as sentient as us?”
 

The ethologist took the floor:

“
I can only endorse the words of Madam Okkala. Animals have a nervous system that makes them feel pain like us. I hope that everyone knows that as a certainty. Dressage is proof since very often sanctions of pain are used to impose behavior in animals, which means that they also feel fear. In fact, they certainly can feel as many things as we do. Sadness, joy. Love for their offspring, for a mate. Compassion too. Even compassion for a member of another species, I’ve had the opportunity to see that. It’s not easy to realize how much that animals feel, because they don’t always have facial and body language that we can read easily. It can be very different from ours! For example, we umas, we express our sorrow by weeping, which is done through particular vibrations of our beaks. Bovs though have no beak, but they cry in their own way.”
 

“
How so?” said the host astonished.
 

“
It's going to surprise you, but I’m convinced. They manifest their moral or physical suffering by filling their eyes with tears. Indeed, I noted that when they have reasons to be sad, their tear glands gushed. So somehow, that’s their way of crying.”
 

After a short moment of silence filled with surprise or disbelief, the ethologist added:

“
Another difficulty that doesn’t promote our empathy towards them: the sound spectrum in which they speak lies partly in infrasound to our ears. It’s possible on the other hand that our voices are very high pitched for them. So we
hear only about half of their speech. Finally, I would add that we ourselves are animals. And I can confirm that, as alleged Madam Okkala, non uman animals are like uman animals, they’re endowed with sensitivity.”
 

Okkala continued:

“
You see, Mister Akkoronta, you who take pride in being smarter than a chicken! No need to have great intellectual capacity to feel pain, fear, sadness. If intellectual capacities were a criterion for discrimination, the most intelligent of us should be eating simpletons. What do you think? Should we start by slaughtering and devouring our mentally disabled?”
 

The ethologist’s crest waved in a knowing smile addressed to Okkala.

“
What horrible words I’m hearing!” said Bishop Ikkroya outraged. “Devour our mentally disabled! Is it really necessary to say of such horrors to make a point, Madam?”
 

“
The church is so quickly upset about words while staying aloof before acts of torture?”
 

“…
Madam...”
 

“Since you’re doing me great honor by speaking to me, Monsignor, I’m taking this opportunity to send a message to all those who pray to God, asking Him for particular favors, to make their trade prosper, to cure some illness for themselves or for someone close, to provide rain for a crop, to win the lottery, to give them glory , wealth, love, health... all these kinds of requests that they address Him. All that I want to tell them, to open their minds, is that, themselves, they are gods for creatures that are at their mercy. Why would God quickly make their wishes come true when He sees them deaf to the suffering of other creatures that He is supposed to have created? Of those that they dominate without the slightest pity. Of those that they have reduced to slavery. Of those that they make into clothing. Of those that they eat. Of those with terror filled eyes imploring compassion before being slaughtered or mistreated. Of those that they could give a better fate by simply wanting to, by simply stopping their exploitation. Yes, I’m talking to those who dare ask from above far more than what they’re willing to do for those below. In response to all their prayers, they should be happy that God doesn't eat them!”

Okkala got a little carried away, but she had still managed to keep calm. She had spoken with passion but without real anger. Her last sentence however aroused some unworthy whispers.

“
Madam, you say dreadful horrors! God forgive you!”
 

“
Oh! I’m not the one that has the most to forgive. I have a lot less need for His absolution than those that endorse all these crimes!”
 

 “
I acknowledge that your faith in the animal cause seems quite authentic and that this sincerity makes it quite touching. But you are also far from being convincing, Madam. I wouldn’t say that the subject is without any interest, but the strength of your commitment makes me wish that you spend all this beautiful energy for umanity.”
 

“
But, Monsignor, I swear to you that all those who struggle for animal liberation, equally and simultaneously, care for creatures that umanity exploits and umas themselves.”
 

“
Oh yes? How so?”
 

“
By trying to convince consumers to no longer eat meat, we’re caring for umas on at least three points of the utmost importance.”
 

“
Three points of utmost importance?” repeated Monseigneur Ikkroya visibly intrigued and captivated.
 

“
Indeed, three points. First, this would release huge amounts of plant food resources produced by the poor regions of our planet and that only serve to feed the sensitive creatures that we eat. As it takes four times more vegetable proteins to produce a single amount of animal protein, the amount of food available would be multiplied by the same factor. It would be the answer for hunger in the world.”
 

“
And the second point?” the prelate wanted to know.
 

“
The second point concerns health, Monsignor. The poor creatures bred by the flesh and the milk industry are gorged
with antibiotics, hormones and anabolic steroids which are then found in food placed on the market. And even without these substances, it is now recognized that proteins of plant origin are better for uman health.”
 

“
Okay! But what are you going to give us as the third point?”
 

“
The third isn’t physical, Monsignor. It’s to elevate the uma. Raise them ethically and spiritually if you prefer. It’s certainly the one that should touch you the most.”
 

“
That’s very interesting! I’m listening carefully.”
 

“
The only law that authorizes umas to exploit creatures that share their world is called the survival of the fittest. Everyone knows that this law may not be just. Because if we did find it just, we couldn’t blame a tyrant to rule brutally, we couldn’t blame a uma that beats a partner physically weaker than himself and it would be considered normal that the strongest of us reduce to slavery the feeblest and even the disabled. If this idea is revolting, it’s because of the examples that I’ve just mentioned that we believe that the law of fittest is unjust. There's no reason not to also find unjust all forms of domination, if it’s only custom and culture that prevents us from seeing it that way. We must increase the radius of our moral sphere. If umas realize this and definitively abandon the law of the fittest for all situations, they will grow. They will become better ethically or spiritually; call it what you like, but they’ll be better.”
 

“…”

“
To summarize, Monsignor, we simply need to cease to exploit non uman populations that are our companions, to suppress hunger in the world, to eat more healthily and to raise us morally.”
 

“
Believe me that your words give food for thought, Madam. And you claim that it’s possible to be fed without eating meat?”
 

“
Without flesh or any animal resource, Monsignor. I stand before you as living proof.”
 

“
Why do you say ‘flesh’?”
 

“
Because we must call things by their rightful name. 'Meat' is a speciesist term, because it’s only used for non umans. We never say uman meat, it’s rightfully called uman flesh. We must remove from our vocabulary terms that make us forget that the things that we are talking about come from the body of a living being. For example, leather is skin.”
 

“
All that’s only obscure philosophy,” intervened Akkoronta, the Rachaldomac representative. “In reality, to deserve consideration equal to that given to umas, beasts should be our equals. But the difference in intelligence will never allow an animal will rise to the level of an uma.”
 

“
But it’ll never fall as low, replied Okkala. It’s an average. As I’ve already said, it isn’t the intellectual performance that counts, but the ability to suffer. But since you want to stay on the basis of what you call intelligence, Mister Akkoronta, I invite you to not confuse yours with those of the elite of our species. What you consider as your own intelligence is only what you have learned from them. We are almost all like that. Tell us what you’ve invented, all by yourself, which can place you above one of these simple chickens that you despise so much.”
 

“…”

“
Umas have a bad tendency to measure the intelligence of a creature by its faculty to resemble them. If wild bovs did the same thing with you, they would measure your intellectual capacity by your ability to live in a jungle with only your body available as a tool. Do you think they would find you very intelligent? Migratory birds would watch how without any help you could cross thousands of kilometers without getting lost. You would they take to be a genius?”
 

Mister Akkoronta grumbled some answer which had difficulty to get across his beak.

“
So, and you, Mister Ukkosal?” said the host. “You haven’t asked many questions tonight for a Mister Candid. It’s surprising because you were the one who spontaneously contacted us proposing your role in this program. Ourselves, we hadn’t planned on a Mister Candid. But upon your insistence,
we thought it might be interesting to liven the debate. How is it that...”
 

“
Don't worry, I'll be very useful. Most useful, I'm sure,” he answered with a surprisingly strong voice. “Because, indeed it’s true that I don’t have questions. But I’ve got a solution!”
 

“
A solution?”
 

Ukkosal appeared to deliberately change the conversation:

“
Our enemy cannot be found on any front. No, no! Like terrorists, he’s among us. We don’t see him. Isn’t it true, that we don’t see?”
 

Ukkaire was visibly struggling to understand where his interlocutor was going.”

“
Er?...” He mumbled.
 

“
Our enemy is our culture, our customs, our traditions. They prevent us from seeing clearly. We are suffering from moral blindness. For this reason, we need a great public debate to change an element of our civilization that’s keeping us in ignorance and cruelty. We need a shock to rattle our consciences and force us to climb up the stairs of the progress. That’s the solution.”
 

Ukkaire hesitated:

“
Solution? Such as, Mister Ukkosal?”
 

 “
Yes, a shock! The solution is a shock! We’ve got to have one.”
 

Having said that, he stood up abruptly, brandished a weapon and fired several times on Akkoronta and Ykkypol. Both collapsed under the horrified and surprised eyes of Okkala and the others.

There were screams from all those who were on the plateau and different technicians to the surrounding area. The host and guests all ran away, except for Ukkosal and Okkala. The first stood facing the second. For the first time tonight, he looked into her eyes:

“
That’s the solution,” he told her dropping his weapon. “That’s the solution...”
 

She was sorry for him and took the blame. What a mess! She should have seen that he was too fragile. What a mistake! She never should have entrusted him with that mission. Luckily her brother had delegated someone else to participate on this show.

Night had well fallen when Okkala left the building of channel 2. She was about to take a taxi to get to the railway station, but she changed her mind.
It’s been a long time since I last had physical exercise
, she said to herself, she finally decided to go there on foot. She had only made about a hundred steps when she heard her name being called preceded by and followed by short honks: