“First the government asked them to take care of the red-eye, and then they ended up taking care of the government. They run the country now, from hospitals to schools. Including this one. I don’t know why making food or killing animals makes you good at running schools as well, but the first thing you learn in a Facto school is: never argue with Facto.”
The story revolves around the worst-case scenario of corporatocracy where a single conglomerate controls the nation. This quotation illustrates the process in which Facto was able to take over all aspects of society. With the arrival of the plague, the government seeks the help of a commercial entity with its own interests. Lack of basic needs puts the government at the mercy of the corporation followed by a complete shift of power. Consequently, the control of information becomes necessary to prevent the people from protesting the poor conditions. As Kester and the animals look for the cure, they learn how the company quickly took over control.
“The berry eyes are themselves the final mark before a great heat savages them from within. These ones do not have long. The plague moves from beast to beast with the greatest of ease. No water, no leaf, no amount of rest can bring relief.”
The red-eye plague sets up the conflict in the story because the animals want the cure before they go extinct. Environmental conscience is at the core of the story with a protagonist possessing the ability to communicate with animals. The declaration allows the animal to express the pain and discomfort of the illness to a human being. Through this, the protagonist understands what is at stake, extending the message of animal welfare. The inability of animals to speak to humans, who are supposed to be their caregivers, creates a terrible experience for the wildlife. The same distress that humans experience during an epidemic is similar to what the animals are undergoing in the story.
“The stag was right – we can’t trust any other humans. How can you ever trust someone who wants to eat you?”
The animals are under threat, not only from the plague but from cullers—the humans who exterminate the sick animals. In this world, all animals are almost extinct except for the few ones still surviving through the plague. They are the last hope for the animal kingdom with help of a few humans willing to risk their lives to preserve them. In the quote, Kester realizes the lack of trust that the animals have is completely warranted. The story demonstrates the human impact on the natural world and the callousness in exterminating all animals.
