One Second After [107]
"No, damn it, no," Tom snapped. "I'll burn in hell before I'd go home and in front of my kids take Rags outside and blow his brains out. No way. If they're running loose and proving to be a danger, sure, but not that."
"What did the father do with the bodies of the dogs he shot?" Kellor asked quietly.
"Jesus, I never thought of that," Charlie replied.
"How many dogs in this town?" Kellor asked. "At least a couple of thousand. That's enough meat for full rations for three or four days at least, half rations for a week and a half."
"You can go straight to hell, Doc!" Tom shouted, and John was surprised to see tears in Tom's eyes. For the first time since this crisis had started, from the initial panic, the executions, the fight at the gap, it was now Tom who was breaking into tears.
"We got Rags the week my youngest was born. He's been with us ten years, as much a part of the family as any person. He'd die to defend us, and frankly, I'd do the same for him. I'm not giving him up and that's final."
"Tom, what I was talking about earlier," Kellor said, "that's only the first starve-off. I didn't even have the heart to talk about the second starve-off. Those that survive into the fall, chances are by the end of the winter most will be dead anyhow. Do you think any dogs will still be alive by then? And if so, they'll be feral, reverting back to packs of wolves, killing people to survive."
"Help will be here long before then!" Tom shouted. "It's starting already; you heard what John said.
"Charlie, I don't care what the hell you order, I will not do it to Rags or any other dog that the owners are still taking care of."
Tom was red faced, in John's eyes almost like a boy in a sentimental movie about a dog or other beloved pet, the obligatory scene when the kid is about to lose the dog, but we all know that at the end of the film, except in Old Yeller and The Yearling, things will be OK. And as for those two films, John had seen both as a kid and refused to ever see them again.
He was in tears now thinking of Zach and Ginger. How would Jennifer react? Ginger was her buddy, the two inseparable. It was terrifying enough trying to avoid the fate looming for Jennifer, but to do that to her, to kill Ginger? No, John would refuse as well. And he knew, as well, that in his heart, even without Jennifer, he would reach the same conclusion.
"I'm siding with Tom," John said.
"John, we have to leave sentiment behind," Kellor said.
"It's more than that," John snapped back. "It's yet another step backwards in who we are."
"John, ten minutes ago you agreed to letting some people starve faster than others. What in hell do you mean about stepping backwards?"
"I know this is illogical. It's just that we're Americans. We and the Brits especially are alike in this. We see something more in our pets than just brute beasts. For old people alone, they're a final source of comfort and love. For children, the beloved buddy that understands even when adults don't..."
He was ashamed, he was starting to cry.
"I'd kill every dog in the town if I could save one life by it," Kellor snapped back.
"That will take something out of us forever, maybe a line I don't want to cross, would rather not live in ... No."
"The line is there," Kellor replied. "It is there no matter what." Charlie stirred.
"How about this then? Loose animals will be shot and given to the communal food supply. Owners must keep pets inside or leashed. If an owner decides to dispatch a pet on their own, they can keep it for their own food supply. Is that agreeable?"
Tom jumped on it and nodded.
"Fine then."
"And every day they'll lose weight, that could be turned into food," Kellor snapped, "and eat food that people will give to them, even as they're starving."
"That's their choice," Tom replied.
He seemed ashamed of his emotional display, wiped his face, and stood up.
"Anything else, Charlie?" Charlie shook his head sadly.
"John, that broadcast we should monitor from now on. We'll pull an old car radio, get