Chapter 25
Twenty-Five
“Wait, that’s it?” Kayden stared at the bottles. “That’s what all the fuss is about? It doesn’t even look nice.”
No, it really did not. Mira had all but forgotten how boring of a product this was, even compared to some of the other things Golden River was selling.
Like the exceedingly beige welcome mats where the entire first batch had spelled ‘weclome’ in a slightly different shade of beige.
Very small bottles, too, for a price Rue had complained about twice, though she had acknowledged the money Mira had sent along with her request. She had also sent back several questions that Mira could not comfortably answer just yet. Though after today, maybe she could.
“It might not be the final version, I think they’re testing if there is a market for it.”
“A market for our water,” Yoni muttered. Kayden nudged her.
“We don’t know that yet.”
“Hopefully, we will once we get to the spring,” Mira said. “You really think Poppy can do this?”
“She once smelled her favourite cheese in the neighbours’ ice box and kept whining at their back door until she could have a piece,” Kayden said dryly. “Yes, I’m sure she can.”
“What’s that on the label?” Yoni picked up a bottle and inspected it. “Is that the fountain?”
“What?” Mira leaned in, squinting at the label – and immediately leaned back the second she realised how close she was. “Uh. Sorry. It might be? It’s so small, it’s a bit of a blob.”
The shape did look familiar, and now that Yoni had said it, Mira thought she could make out the tiers of the fountain, and the shape on top might be a honeycomb, if one was generous with the definition of a honeycomb, and a shape.
Yoni put the bottle back on Mira’s kitchen table with a little more force than necessary. “If that is the fountain, they have some brass balls, advertising their thievery like that.”
“How about we stop speculating on that until we know for sure?” Kayden suggested. He held up his hands when both Yoni and Mira looked at him. “Come on, I’m just saying, we can’t draw any conclusions that might land us in a solicitor’s office if they reach the wrong ears.”
Mira huffed. “Fine.” She grabbed two of the four bottles and put them in her bag. “Let’s get going then, so we know for sure if we’re mad at the right people.”
They set off on what from the outside probably looked like a leisurely walk.
The atmosphere was a little tense though, and even Poppy picked up on it.
Contrary to her usual habits, she didn’t run far ahead.
Instead she stayed close, looking back every so often to make sure her humans were, in fact, still there, seeing as they didn’t talk much on the way to the spring.
A little ways away from their destination, Kayden slowed, then stopped.
“All right. I’ll send her from here.”
Mira eyed the trail ahead. “All the way? We’re at least five minutes away.”
Kayden shrugged. “I figured if she can smell it from here, it’s a safe bet that it’s the same stuff, and she didn’t just smell ‘water’.”
“All right then.” Mira took out a bottle and opened it. “Here goes nothing.”
Kayden crouched down, bottle in hand. “Poppy!”
The dog, who had stuck her entire head into a bush, perked up and obediently trotted over.
“I need you to find something.” Kayden held out the bottle. “Find, you know that, don’t you, girl?” He waited for Poppy to sniff around the bottle a few times. “Find!”
All four of Poppy’s ears went up, and she went very still for a moment. Then, like an arrow loosed from a bow, she turned around and shot off along the trail, deeper into the forest. Towards the spring. Kayden quickly put the cap back onto the bottle.
“All right, let’s go.”
They dashed after the dog, who by this point was almost out of sight. Still, she kept stopping, waiting for them to catch up before she darted away again.
“Does she know we all only have two legs?” Mira grumbled. Yoni gave her a sidelong look.
“I thought you built up some stamina since you moved here.”
“To walk around town, not run after a tireless goblin.”
“Hey, the goblin has feelings!” Kayden piped up.
“I thought she doesn’t speak human?”
“I’m not taking any chances.”
It took them less than Mira’s estimate of five minutes to reach the glade where the spring sat in the midday sun. And at the edge sat Poppy, tongue out, looking immensely proud of herself.
“Did you find it?”
“Woof!”
Poppy pranced along the edge of the pool, sticking her head as far down as she could without sliding in. She didn’t manage to reach the surface, which was concerning in and of itself, but the gesture was clear.
She had, indeed, found it. Tracked the smell of the bottled water straight to the Sweetwater Spring and its unique water that made the whole region, forests and farms and everything, what it was.
If Mira’d had any doubt left, it would be gone now.
Whatever was in that bottle was also in the spring, and there was only one way that could have happened.
They stood behind Poppy, Yoni and Mira staring into the low water while Kayden showered Poppy with praise and fed her some jerky from his pocket for good measure.
“So I guess you were right, then.” Yoni sounded defeated. “It’s the same stuff. They really are pumping our water and selling it.”
“I’d say I wish I wasn’t,”Mira said. “Then again, at least now we know?”
“Probably.” Kayden got to his feet, looking pensive. “I’m not claiming that Poppy has perfect accuracy, but the evidence is pretty damning. Especially with how bold they are with the label.”
Yoni snorted. “Bold, but it still looks like someone drew that up during their lunch break. That does not look like a honeycomb at all.”
“Doesn’t matter, does it.” Mira sat down on a rock.
“So they’re stealing the water, but all we have to prove it is a dog.
A very good dog,” she hastily added, and made sure to give Poppy an appreciative pat on the head.
“Who has a very good nose. But still a dog, who I don’t think is qualified to make any sort of official statement on the matter. So where do we go from here?”
The other two sat down as well, flanking her. Kayden picked up a rock and tossed it into the water.
“I suppose we’ll have to figure out how to convince someone with authority to look into this?” He glanced at Mira. “You said you already spoke with the mayor?”
“I have,” Mira said, dispirited. “He wouldn’t hear a word I was saying, just said that everything was fine, and we’re just having a drought.”
“Drought my behind!” Yoni snapped. “Look at this! That doesn’t look like a drought to anyone with at least one working eyeball!”
“Of course not, but that’s what he insisted was happening.”
Yoni wrapped her arms round her knees. “So we’re going to have to prove it. Which would involve some sort of science, I assume, as opposed to letting a dog sniff out whether this water is the same as that water.”
Both she and Kayden looked at Mira, who realised with a start why. “Wait, me? I’m not doing science, I make spicy drinks in a pot!”
“That is a form of science,” Yoni pointed out.
“Not that kind. Besides, didn’t you say you had some books to consult?”
“I did,” Yoni admitted glumly, “but they didn’t have what we need. I wouldn’t know how to test water for its source.”
“Let’s just dye the water,” Kayden suggested sarcastically. “Nobody can say they have no clue where the water’s from when it’s purple.”
“Oh, please.” Yoni scoffed. “Even if that somehow worked without compromising the water, you don’t really think they wouldn’t notice, do you.”
“Of course not, but if you have a better idea, I’m all ears.”
“At least I’m not being actively unhelpful.”
Mira was barely listening to their bickering. She was still looking at the pool while something was scratching at the window of her mind. Purple water. There was something here, but what was it?
“…just saying that, if none of us know the first thing about this… water science-”
“Some of us know something, we just have to make that-”
“Dye the water!”
Mira jolted upright. Of course. That was what this reminded her of. That was how they could prove it!
“Mira?”
She turned to find herself the centre of wary stares. This time, she didn’t care. Grinning, she got up, because she could not simply sit around now.
“I know how we can prove where Golden River is getting the water from.” She spun around to face them. “It’s a long shot, and we’d still have to look a few things up, but I think I know how to do it, in a way that even the mayor can’t ignore.”