That evening Couderc and Fernand organised a meeting outside the mairie. All the women gathered whilst the old people looked after the children. Couderc and Fernand reiterated that the storms had not been more violent since the German had been living up there on the hill; the German was not responsible for the torrential rain and sudden squalls, any more than he was responsible for declaring war on France. On the contrary, he was the only German in the world they need not fear: not only had he turned his back on his own country, he was also, like them, exclusively devoted to his animals. His priority, like theirs, was his livestock. From now on, no one should be worried about a man who had made the choice to distance himself from his people and concentrate on his animals. Enquiries had been made and it had been established that he had lived with his lions and tigers for years and years. For twenty years he had moved from circus to circus, from show to show across Europe, and also, according to Fernand, in America, and in Monaco. He had been selling dreams and delighting children for decades. That proved that he was an entertainer, an artist and what could be threatening about an artist? ‘Circus people are benefactors, magicians …’ But instead of calming the women’s fears, Fernand and Couderc provoked a storm of objections.

‘You obviously like him a lot, but you can’t deny that he needs far more than a handful of ewes or goats to feed his monstrous beasts, and he hasn’t bought any animals from us for two months now!’

Couderc did not reply and, anyway, no one gave him the chance.

‘Apparently he went to Limogne to get carcasses from the butcher,’ shouted Angèle. ‘But the butcher wouldn’t help because meat is already rationed for humans, so there’s nothing left for wild cats …’

‘On Tuesday he went to the market in Limogne,’ added the Berguelles’ daughter. ‘He ordered tar from the hardware shop, two drums of oil and blocks of salt – what’s he going to do with that?’

‘It’s true, I saw him on the road on the way back. And there weren’t two drums of oil in his cart, there were ten!’

‘He’s not going to feed his lions oil!’

‘Of course not, it’s to make flaming torches!’

‘What does he want with those?’

‘To set fire to us, I tell you!’

‘That’s it! He’s going to grill us and eat us, but before that he’s going to eat all our goats and sheep and children …’

‘Stop seeing evil everywhere,’ countered Couderc.