Il suffit parfois d’un cri… - Ludovic Deblois

Ludovic Deblois, to judge by his previous novel Inversion - a frighteningly realistic portrayal of technological innovation and advances when placed in the hands of corrupt powers - doesn't have a particularly rosy outlook on the future. His latest novel Il suffit parfois d’un cri… (which you could maybe translate not literally as 'A Cry in the Wilderness' or 'A Voice in the Wild'?) is again set in the immediate future and, inspired by animal life and our relationship with nature, you would have to say it does not appear to be any more optimistic about our future. And you would have to conclude that it might be for a good reason. Concerned about the climate and mankind's lack of willingness to confront serious ecological and environmental issues, the author's lates novel again forces us to think seriously about some important matters that, having seen how quickly things have changed in the last few years, might not be that far away from becoming  reality.

But the novel is also more than just a warning of impending doom: it's also in part a murder-mystery, opening with the discovery of Portuguese anthropologist Marcelo Oliviera murdered in Aquidauana in Brazil. Commissioner Lorenzo Ferreira in charge of the investigation makes some surprising deductions. It's clear from the manner of the killing that this is not a simple burglary, as someone has gone to the trouble of removing recording devices which, as someone working on the reintroduction of Amazonian native tribes back into their lands, would be one of the victim's essential tools. Well, they have removed all recording devices except for one; the speaking parrot. Suspecting that there is a cover-up and a convenient scapegoat has died in prison, the case is taken up by Dorothy Johnston working for the High Commissioner of Human Rights at the UN.

No one would imagine it, but the story in Brazil has far-reaching global implications, and perhaps most surprisingly, the speaking parrot and the 'voice' of animals is to play an important part in what is to come. One of the first to become aware of a strange new phenomenon related to this is Amaya Quintero, a naturalist working for Météo-France. At Saint-Brieuc in Brittany in north-west France, she and a colleague are investigating the migratory habits of birds and their capacity to anticipate storms, bemoaning the failure of humanity to see the link between the climate and nature. Sadly their warnings suggested by the behaviour of ocean wildlife that a serious storm is on the way is not heeded by her boss or her scientific peers, mainly due to the influence of an influential pro-hunting lobbyist, de Mutigny, who is opposed to any concessions being made to animal rights.

Amaya engages the assistance of Nassim, a young man who has been paralysed after a mountain climbing accident, who is working on artificial intelligence projects. Frustrated with lack of progress in technology that will help him overcome his disability, he is on a path to self-destruction with drugs and alcohol, but has dreams related to the animals and wants to understand what they are telling him. There is only one way to find out and that is to be found in Africa, where Amaya and an America scientist Bob have also identified strange behaviour in the elephants of Namibia. Nassim might be able to develop technology to examine what seem to be 'warnings' that they have witnessed expressed by several diverse species of wildlife.

Those incidents have been witnessed not only in the wild, but in populated western cities and capitals. Bertrand Chabert, newly elected President of France, is aware that there is a growing problem with incidents of what are termed “hystéries”, episodes of wild animals invading cities and even domestic pets behaving strangely. As president, he has a tough balancing act to maintain support of his cabinet colleagues while trying to appease the interests of two extremes - the pro-hunting lobby on one side and the animal rights protesters on the other, but there is another voice that perhaps is more important to him; that of his daughter who has remained mute since he accepted the role of premiership.

There are a couple of narrative drivers here that lead us through the novel, a murder mystery in Brazil, the strange behaviour of animals, the family problems of the French president, but the situations and their wider implications and inter-connectedness is developed by Ludovic Deblois over the course of the novel. And that's as it should be, because the entire purpose of the book is to make us aware of our failure to see the signs and make connections in relation to the climate and nature. The quotes chosen at the start of the novel then prove to be very apposite, particularly a well-chosen one from Victor Hugo “C’est une triste chose de songer que la nature parle et que le genre humain n’écoute pas” ("It's a sad thing to think that nature speaks and the human race doesn't listen").

It doesn't take long to see from the varied viewpoints presented that this is the central focus of the novel and where its purpose lies because, yes, it's good and important that a novel dealing with such matters has a purpose and meaning. The welfare of animals is at the centre just as much as humans and there is a reason for that. If we don't care for animals, don't recognise what their existence (and extinctions) and behaviours tells us, we are ignoring the warning signs of the catastrophe that is to come. We have become detached from nature, caught up in other concerns, unaware of the danger that lies ahead and we ignore those warning signs at our peril. 

It might seem obvious but it's a warning that can't be stressed enough and Deblois makes a convincing case in a narratively compelling way. It might seem a little preachy at first, there are a variety of characters and many situations (or warning signs), but the key is in making the connections that might otherwise be missed. It's a global event and the author handles that scale remarkably well, but the real key lies in how successfully Deblois delineates and connects these situations realistically and convincingly to his character's personalities and problems. Much as he did in his previous novel Inversion, there are various ways then for the reader to relate to the message, like Nassim here being shaken out of a comforting but destructive habit that is blocking out the reality, forced to confront what should already be evident. Once that is established, Deblois takes that into speculative territory that is shocking and worrying enough to be a warning to us all.

Reading notes: Il suffit parfois d’un cri… by Ludovic Deblois is published in France by‎ Les Éditions Candela. I read a paperback first edition sent to me by the author. Watching this play out in real time as I read, with serious storms and floods affecting Spain, France, Morocco and Portugal, it's more evident than ever that - as the fictional French president here finds out - it's time to put aside arguing among ourselves that is getting us nowhere, take a firm stance and start listening to a more intelligent voice in the world around us.