‘Now, these cattle were sold to feedlotters and to abattoirs, so we know the ending for them all, unfortunately. We’ll put this footage on our Facebook site and tell people of the animals’ fate. I think we should target the abattoirs that are close to these saleyards next. They will have had some of these cattle go through the killing chain there.’

A few people clapped.

Jack looked around, then slowly stood up and looked at the people sitting around at the tables. ‘You lot are fucking pretenders.’ His voice was strong and clear.

The whole room swung around to look at him. Josh looked like he had just swallowed something nasty. His mouth curled up and his face went bright red.

‘I’m sorry, sir,’ he managed to say. ‘I’m not sure I know you. Are you a member of Voices for Animals?’

‘Nah, mate, and I don’t wanna be part of a group who just gets around silently. You’re like the silent army. Wave placards and say nothing. You’re not achieving anything. Not friends of animals at all. What the fuck do you think you’re going to achieve by wandering through the saleyards filming shit? That doesn’t stop the sheep from getting on the boat. That doesn’t stop the pigs from dying in piggeries. That doesn’t stop the animals from being tortured before they’re murdered for their meat!

‘You need to get out there and make some noise!’ He paused and then pointed his finger at Lee. ‘And some of you,’ his tone was disdainful, ‘some of you are just uni students playing at being activists. You won’t stick at it. This is just to fill the gap until something else takes your fancy—maybe you’ll have kids, settle down, use that as an excuse to do nothing.’ He pointed at his T-shirt. ‘You actually have to do something. Animal activists have been peaceful for so long and it hasn’t got them anywhere. Nothing’s changed.’

Jack stopped as he noticed the older man with the sunglasses looking at him and he wondered what he was thinking. Jack wished he could see his eyes and read his expression.

Nobody seemed to know what to say. There was a general murmuring and people glanced his way, avoiding eye contact. Jack wanted to grin.

‘Well, sir, thanks very much for your point of view. Clearly you love animals, just as all of us do here. Um,’ Josh looked around worriedly, ‘maybe we’ll find you a membership form and you can join us at our rally at the abattoirs, if you think you can refrain from violence. We can’t have you join unless you agree to that.’

Jack looked around with a smirk. ‘Anyone know of any groups that want to pull some serious shit to help animals? That’s the group I want to join.’

Most people looked at their hands.