The vegan allegiance - John Jones (reading rainbow books txt) 📗

it? Is it really? How ever did our ancestors survive? just ate sodding berries did they? Meat mate, meat, people have been eating meat since day one. Suddenly it's bad for you is it? Been reading too many tabloids. One week somethings good for you, the next it's bad, now it's meat's turn".

"Science," said Carrot. "Backed up by science. Meat isn't good for you". The butcher nodded in a sarcastic manner.

"Right, science eh, funny how people always discover scientific evidence to back up what they want to believe. Anyway, moderation lad, meat in moderation is good for you. Bloody water is bad for you if you drink too much of it".

"Check the science, it can give you heart disease and all sorts of health problems. Also they pump hormones and weird stuff into it".

"Maybe lad, with all the processed stuff you get in supermarkets, not even I know that, but at least I know where my meat has been, you won't find it filled out with anything. Pure, proper fresh meat, that's what you'll find here, none of your sodding rabbit food that you lot eat".

"How do you kill them anyway? I bet it's cruel".

"Can you hear any animals out the back waiting for this blood thirsty butcher to slaughter them? No you can't. Surely you would know that. I don't kill animals here".

"I know exactly how they are killed and it's cruel".

"I don't suppose there would be any way to kill an animal you would be happy with".

"Not if it's to eat them. What about the poor lambs as well. Just emerged into this world and then they get chopped".

"That's my fault is it? Lambs that taste so nice and succulent is down to me. I'll just stop selling it shall I? I'll ring up all the farms and say stop killing lambs because some fruit-cake thinks its cruel".

"It 'is' cruel".

"While I'm at it, stop killing all other animals as well because its cruel and meat is bad for you".

"Exactly, I'd like for you to do that but your just another money grabber".

"Money grabber? I think you mean businessman. Meat is business mate, and as long as it makes profit, and people demand it, animals are going to be bred for it".

"Well that's wrong".

The butcher shrugged, "Nothing to do with me, I just earn a living from it".

"Blood money. Meat is murder".

"Oh, murder now is it? Animals are murdered. Yes, well, it doesn't matter how many of you pansies protest. If it makes profit then big business will exploit it. Animals are still going to be killed. People are still going to eat and demand it. Just because one fairy hippy decides to stop eating it doesn't mean the farms are going to start crying, 'Oh, we'd better not kill any more animals then, cos those vegans are really starting to make us cry'".

"Clearly you have no compassion. It's just a trade to you isn't it? Just a business," the butcher nodded.

"Happy to simply slaughter animals and hold your hand out and take the profits, don't care how many are bred to die, or how they are treated, how they are killed. You are proof that meat is murder, that meat is bad for you. All meat-eaters are moronic, that's a fact. They just consume it without thinking. Happy for it to be packaged up so it doesn't look too bad, but if they had to kill the animal themselves then they'd think twice wouldn't they? Proof that meat-eaters are lazy, braindead zombies that just consume and consume. Consume that cancer, consume diabetes, consume those growth hormones. Consume that brain rotting flesh".

"You really are clueless arn't you? You're one of those idiots that just believes what he wants to believe no matter what the evidence. Meat, incase you hadn't noticed, is a source of nutrients, protein and has fed people since we lived in the oceans. But you don't want to hear that do you? You're like a verbal tabloid newspaper".

"When those animals are killed, they are terrified, terrified".

"No they're not, they have no idea what's going to happen to them".

"They do, and what happens when they're terrified? Adrenaline pumps through their system, fear, and that comes out in the taste making it taste nasty".

"Would you like to try some of these meats? See what they taste like". He gestured to the shop window.

"How about some pork ribs, some duck, or lamb chops? No-ones ever complained to me about the taste. I've never heard anyone complain about the taste of meat before. I'm guessing it tastes a lot nicer than your bloody birdseed".

"Think I'll stick to science, to the facts".

"Yes, mate, and so will I".

Carrot threw the rest of the leaflets up the air and turned and stormed away.

Elisa just looked at the butcher who shrugged and walked back into the shop. She hurried to join Carrot who suddenly snapped at her:

"Why didn't you back me up? I'll just handle that all on my own shall I? Why didn't you have a go? If you're gonna be my girl, then you'll need to get with the programme, cos there's plenty more fish in the sea. I'll see you at the meeting place tomorrow. Don't forget you can only be a member if you're fully vegan. So I want you a hundred percent when you show up tomorrow. It's time you joined properly. I'd be ashamed to call you my girlfriend if you wouldn't commit. Then you can go and marry a meat-eater, and lets see how that would turn out".

He turned and walked away, and she simply stood there for a few moments, outside a row of shops near a taxi rank.

Was that a deal-breaker? she wondered, the moment in a relationship after you have been all loved up, been on dates, kissed and cuddled and declared an item, when one of them does something that shows a side to their personality that essentially means, the deals off. We're breaking up. Are they racist? homophobic? or did they just pick a fight with somebody? Do they get angry and lash out at the drop of a hat? Something that says, goodbye, you're not 'the one'.

Elisa had serious musings regarding that, but, she thought, he's passionate about his cause. He's driven, and believes it wholeheartedly.

 

So it was her giving him a second chance.

 

The second the kettle clicked off, Ian made tea, a traditional one for him, and camomile for Elisa. He handed it to her and she looked down at an egg sandwich he had made for her.

"You know Carrot wants me at the meeting tomorrow a fully fledged vegan, so if he could see me now," she said, as she picked it up and took a bite, "I think he would dump me".

"Egg," said Ian, "Don't worry, I won't tell him. D'you think you will though, go vegan? Do it because you want to, not because of him".

"Maybe after this sandwich".

"So, what's his plan then? What's this message he's going to send to get everyone vegan?" Elisa smiled.

"People are not going to go vegan because of it. If anything they're going to be extremely annoyed, but Carrot has got this idea that people will come together, will bond and become a tight-knit community where he can introduce veganism and everyone will embrace it".

"The vegan allegiance," she continued with a slight hint of sarcasm, "Are going to break into the electric power-plant on the outskirts of this town, find a sub-station and shut off the electricity in the town, and he's confident of doing this because one of the security guards knows one of the allegiance, Dizzy....".

"Wait, so is this security guard a vegan or vegetarian?" Elisa nodded, and Ian burst into laughter.

"A veggie security guard? Are you serious?" Elisa smiled, nodded and carried on eating her sandwich.

"How is he expected to tackle anyone? Oh sorry mate, have a weak slap on the wrist and don't do it again...veggie security guard, honestly".

"Anyway," said Elisa, "Once he lets them in, he's also going to let them into the sub-station where they can shut off the electricity on most of, I don't think all, of the town".

"People's wi-fi, internet is going to be affected isn't it? He's certainly brave in doing that. Brave, or a head-case. Have a guess at which one I think he is, and anyway, how are people going to know that it's him, that it's this vegan alliance?".

"He and the others are going around the town beforehand putting up leaflets basically telling them".

"Everyone will see the error of their ways, and live as a hippy," said Ian. "Everybody be like 'me'. Come on Elisa, how long are you going be with this barmpot? Sorry, but he is".

"That's okay. Well, I'm going to give him a bit longer. I think if I had to make him choose between me or the allegiance, he wouldn't think twice and choose the allegiance. Still his heart's in the right place, but I'm not sure that that heart includes me as well. Oh, and 'when' we have kids, he said, not 'if', 'when' we have kids there's no way they're going to eat meat".

"I think I can tell you exactly right now", said Ian, "he's not a keeper".

"No," said Elisa, "he's not," and continued to eat her sandwich.

Sparkle was eighteen years old, had been influenced by her friends, by the media, and by rebellion. The same rebellion her parents, and her grandparents did when they were the same age, proving they weren't really rebelling against anything. They were growing up normal.

She was sat cross-legged by the oak tree, looking up at Carrot.

All of the allegiance were lounging in the grass as the sun bathed the park in its warmth.

"I thought I could just join," said Sparkle, "I didn't know I had to have an interview".

"I need to know you're serious, and that you are a vegan. I can't allow anyone in. Ok, why do people become vegan?"

"Well, I'm a vegan because animals have rights," she said. Carrot nodded.

"Yes, good enough. Name a disease that meat is known to cause?"

"Obesity".

"Is obesity a disease?" asked Carrot, "Yes," said Sparkle, "It can cause all sorts of complications".

"Heart-attack, diabetes..." called over Vixen.

"This is Sparkle's interview," said Carrot, "She needs to answer. Anyway she's already got further than you did when I brought you in".

"Yes, and how did I prove I was serious when I joined?" Carrot smiled.

"Oh yes, you went down to the lake just down there and shoved a fisherman into the water. Must admit it was funny, that got you in".

"Name me an animal by-product that a vegan can eat". Sparkle answered quickly.

"None," she said, "none whatsoever".

"Correct. That'll do. Welcome to the vegan allegiance. Welcome our new member folks, Sparkle".

"Yay," called Sausage.

"Now just to let you know, tonight, me and the others are going to deliver a message by cutting off electricity. Only temporary until they work out how to turn it back on, but I don't expect you to come along, and I wouldn't want you to".

"Message?" Sparkle asked.

"It's a message to everyone to let them know we're here, and it will tell people you can live off the land. You can become self-sufficient, and if it makes the news it might even get as far as government, and it will tell them that we don't need them. If we can get a community that doesn't need money, can generate its own electricity, can grow its own food, that will send a message to parliament saying we don't need them".

"They won't like that," said Bonk, walking over.

"They certainly won't".

"Welcome Sparkle," Bonk said, shaking her hand, "One in, one out".

"What do you mean?" Carrot said, frowning. Sparkle wandered away to join the others.

"Listen Carrot, I can't really abide by this, by this activity. I'm all about promoting veganism and that's what I joined for, but this electricity thing is too much for me, I mean where will it stop? Mass murder of all meat-eaters and vegetarians?"

"Obviously you're petrified," said Carrot, his voice raised slightly. "Scared