Читать книгу The Last Family in England - Matt Haig - Страница 23

meal

I went back downstairs and sat in my basket to observe everything, as I always did. Halfway through, Charlotte put her knife and fork down. Kate noticed she had left her fish. ‘You’ve left your fish,’ Kate said.

Charlotte took a deep breath, and announced: ‘I’ve decided to become a vegetarian.’

‘But, Charlotte,’ protested her mother, ‘you don’t like vegetables.’

‘I don’t like eating dead animals either.’

‘One in ten people in Britain are vegetarian,’ said Hal, as he swallowed a mouthful of fish.

Adam placed a hand on Kate’s arm. ‘If Charlotte doesn’t want to eat meat, that has to be her own decision.’

‘Adam, she’s thirteen.’

‘And out of all population segments, teenage girls are most likely to be vegetarian,’ continued Hal. ‘I think it’s because they like to take control over their own diet. It’s a power issue, basically.’

Charlotte tutted at her brother in disdain. ‘In a hundred years’ time everyone will be vegetarian because everyone will realise how disgusting and primitive and barbaric it is to eat other animals. We should all be equal.’

‘But Charlotte, you need to eat fish and meat to get all your vitamins and protein,’ said Kate.

Charlotte looked at me. ‘Well, Prince has got a lot of vitamins and protein so why don’t we eat him?’

Hal snorted in amusement. ‘Because he wouldn’t fit in the oven.’

‘Charlotte, you’re being ridiculous,’ said Kate. ‘Dogs are different.’

Adam sat forward in his chair. ‘But she does make an interesting point. I mean, we only find the idea of eating Prince more repulsive because we humanise dogs more than other animals.’

Kate stared at the ceiling, while Adam carried on. ‘I mean, dogs have their own therapists now, don’t they? And their own perfume ranges. I read in the paper that in London there’s even a restaurant for dogs. It probably won’t be too long before they even have their own vegetarian restaurants. Imagine that.’

‘Yes,’ said Kate, disappointed but unsurprised by her husband’s lack of support on this issue. ‘Imagine.’