“I could use help with that,” Sisay agreed.
I nodded, glancing between the three of them. “Have your people coordinate with him, and for every trailer they load and drive there and then return back, I’ll let you have a full trailer of food raiding from stores. No factory silos or whatever. That’s a different thing.” I tapped my fingers again when they nodded. “And I think we should discuss sending live animals.”
“Oh?” Nora asked, glancing at the others.
I nodded. “You’ll need to repopulate eventually. Cerdic was saying there was some overpopulation that needed to be handled in Texas and added wild boar to the list. That’s not actually a native species to there, but it is for you guys though. I mean, I know we’ve been focused on short-term survival and doing better goals, but maybe it’s something to discuss long term.”
“We thought it overstepping as you could keep making deals with us for meat forever,” Hanna admitted.
“No, I’m not that big of a bitch,” I drawled. “There’s too much to do to be that childish.” I twirled the bottle of water I had on the table with my fingers. “Besides, it takes away time from other endeavors that are important. Say someone who has an affinity with plants common in her house would be more effective helping grow new trees to replace the ones decimated.”
Nora bit back a smirk as she spooned out some more gelato. “Is that right? That’s a tall order.”
“As I said, I’m learning there are long-term and short-term goals. Long term, we’re planning on refilling the areas with craters from bombs and maybe with some fertile ocean dirt.”
“That won’t really do much for the sea level that rose too high,” Olivia muttered.
“No, but it’s better than it was,” I replied easily. “We’re making that river and we have ideas. I’m just saying I’d rather let you have the damn wild boars that are actually a problem here and say we need help with trees instead of the games that just bore me.” I winced. “We did tell the humans there we wouldn’t be raiding Texas, though we did say we’d help the animal problem.”
“But not the hogs which they would want for meat,” Nora sighed. “Would you turn a blind eye to some being absconded with in the night? Say one left dead for them as meat for every twenty four taken live?”
“And hopefully some trees we can plant that were native to the area would come on return trips?”
“Absolutely,” she agreed, but then flinched. “It might take a bit. We need to find another greenhouse. Starting saplings now is fine, but they need protection in winter.”
“Funny you should mention that,” I purred. “Would you prefer twenty-four-by-eighty feet or thirty-by-sixty?”
She shot me an amused look. “You have greenhouses?”
“We found a massive warehouse with hundreds of kits, the company that made them even.”
“And you would like?”
“Increase your production of cheese,” I moaned. “That cheese is so good, all of it. We’re making cheese now, but all the blue cheese culture things with the things and bacteria went bad, and it wasn’t what the clan knew anyway. It would be so much better if we all did more of whatever we’re good at instead of all of us doing a little of it all. We’re going to be going back and forth anyways.”
“Agreed, and we’ve already started after Sebastian said how much you all liked it. I agree it’s better to divide and conquer some of the more intricate items and processes that we have as a forte. We might be able to make sausages and brats, but Hanna’s people do it so much better, like their beer.”
“Thank you, Nora,” Hanna replied.
She shrugged. “You were miffed I didn’t let you know sooner about the miracle my son found. Now she has that twinkle in her eye as she undoubtedly wants beer, and more for her people.”
“Yes, and not to complain we have meat as that would be crass, but there’re only so many ways we’re currently able to eat it all, and we’ve also had some overpopulation problems.” I shook my head. “Fucking turkeys. There has to be something in the water there. It’s not rabbits that go at it like crazy; it’s the fucking turkeys.”
“Or just being left alone as we found that chicken farm that was crazy too,” Sisay reminded me.
“Fucking chickens,” I groaned, but smiled at him. “They were tasty.”
“Says the woman who bounces in her seat as she eats a turkey leg and moans the whole time,” he teased me.
“That’s Nick’s cooking more than anything, but yes, I love turkey legs, just not the mean birds. We’re going to get overrun by the damn things if we don’t clear out that area completely.”
Nora reached over and patted my hand. “You poor, poor dear. Say the word and we will handle those mean creatures and take them off your hands.”
I snickered. “Yeah, I know. I’m just cranky as we went for some to serve this weekend, and I swear some had that look in their eyes like they were corrupted and came after me.”
“They knew you ate their cousins’ legs,” Sisay threw in, most of us bursting out laughing. It was such a goofy thing to think about.
We finished with the ice cream, everyone agreeing on the five flavors that would be the biggest winners among a crowd. Once Olivia promised she’d handle the toppings, Jacob fired up the navigator with possible locations where to pull it all together along with the bowls Matilda said
