Zara shook her head. ‘I’d really like to know what their end game is.’

Liz looked at her quizzically.

‘The animal rights activists. I know today’s court case was about what should happen to people when they trespass, but all of the farmers who have stock have been watching the case closely because of just what you’re talking about. I heard about a farmer in Queensland who had five or six of them come in the driveway of his farm and just start taking photos of his feedlot. I’m sure they don’t understand they could be putting the animals’ lives at risk by not going through proper protocols.

‘So, let’s just say for a moment all the farmers do throw their hands in the air. They say, “Mate, you’ve got us beat. We’re giving up farming. Leaving our farms. You do what you think is right with these animals we’ve been caring for.” What’s going to happen to the stock that’s left? Who’s going to take care of all those animals? I bet groups like Voices for Animals won’t. Or, if they try, they won’t be able to do it properly. There’ll be millions of animals in a worse position because of what the extremists are trying to achieve.’

Liz nodded. ‘That’s a good point,’ she said.

‘It’s one thing to make sure animals are treated humanely. That’s got to happen, without a doubt. But to trespass on private land is absolutely unacceptable.’ Zara’s phone buzzed in her back pocket and she took it out. ‘Shit,’ she muttered, turning the screen around to show Liz. ‘Mum.’

Liz reached out and touched her arm. ‘It’ll be okay.’

‘Hi! Mum, sorry I haven’t got back to you.’ Zara made her voice as cheery as she could. ‘It’s been crazy here, waiting for the verdict and—’

‘It’s not good news,’ her mother broke in.

Zara’s breath left her body and her shoulders slumped. ‘Oh.’ She felt Liz put her hand on her shoulder.

‘The cancer has gone into his liver. The treatment hasn’t worked.’ Silence. All those weeks and months of the two-hour drive to and from Port Augusta to access chemo treatment, and it hadn’t worked. Not to mention the four-hour drives to Adelaide to see the specialist.

For once Zara didn’t know what to say. She felt numb. The doctors had warned this could happen. The bowel was close to the liver, so if the cancer was going to spread, that was a spot it could end up. And then the whole thing would get tricky.

‘Oh no, Mum.’

There was a silence, then a little gasp and Zara realised her mother was crying.

‘Is there more?’ A feeling of dread began to drip into her stomach. There couldn’t be more news. Other than to say when the next round of treatment would start. Or when the next operation was. What the next plan of action would be.

‘Zara? Zara, where the hell are you? I need you to …’

Lachy’s voice filtered through the mist that seemed to shroud her, but she couldn’t respond. Liz patted her shoulder and left to speak to Lachy.