Chapter 2
Eli was sorting through the potatoes, removing the ones who'd gone too soft and sprouted too much, when the shop door opened behind him. He straightened and turned toward the customer.
Alice's long dark hair fell down her shoulders, and she had a dreamy expression as she looked around.
"Alice." Eli smiled. She was an odd one.
He had the feeling she lived more in her head than in the real world, but he believed her to be a clever woman.
Educated, and not many were. Eli was fortunate.
His mother had been a teacher. School only lasted for six years; that was the law.
Six years of school to give everyone the chance to learn how to read, write, and do some math, then children were sent out to work.
The reason given was that society needed the tax money their income brought, Eli was fairly certain it was because the ruling clique didn't want an educated population.
Sheep were more easily controlled than people who questioned things.
While he only had six years of education, his mother had taught him far more at home.
It had given him enough confidence to open the shop.
It had also taught him to see the bigger picture, or so he liked to believe at least. Protesting too much wasn't safe, but he didn't blindly follow the directives either.
He had the feeling Alice knew far more than the six years of basic education had taught her, but she too did her best to blend in.
"Eli." She dipped her head. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to buy things from me."
Stunned, he stared at her. "Things?" Were they talking about things or favors?
She was an attractive woman, but he wasn't into women--which he had to keep a secret if he wanted to live--and she was Romeo's sister-in-law.
He couldn't mess up their relationship. He'd never believed her to be someone who sold herself, but times were hard, and everyone had to do what they could to survive.
She put a wicker basket on the counter, and Eli hurried around it, so it was between them. When he didn't speak, she lifted the sand-colored kitchen towel she'd spread over the basket and showed off plants. Lettuce, Eli realized.
"Eh..." Greens would be welcome, but he couldn't buy from someone who wasn't a registered business.
If the board sent someone to check his shop, he would lose his license or at least have to pay a hefty fine.
There hadn't been any inspection in over ten months, which had him suspecting someone would be by soon. They never used to wait this long.
Alice grabbed one of the plants and showed the...
pot. It wasn't a pot, it was a tree branch sawed off at about three inches.
She'd drilled into it, or so he assumed.
Without thinking he reached out and tipped it.
There was a small hole in the bottom where roots were peeking out.
Amazing. He'd put plants in every possible container he could spare, but he'd never thought to use branches like this.
"This is amazing, Alice, but I can't buy anything from you unless you're a registered business."
She frowned. "A business?"
"Yes, you have to register at the bank and get a company number and a bank account for your business."
Shaking her head, she stared directly into his eyes. Normal people looked away, but she never did. It was as if she was one of the others, the social cues a little off, though she wasn't scary as the supes were.
"I need money. The rent is due, and Lorenzo didn't get enough hours this month. We don't have enough."
Fuck. "I'd love to help you, but I can't. I can lose my license if I don't have a registered company number tied to every item I sell."
She looked down at the basket filled with lettuce. "So I can't sell them to anyone?"
"Not without a company number, sorry."
She deflated and put the lettuce she'd been holding on the counter. "A gift then." Then she grabbed the basket with the remaining lettuce plants and headed toward the door.
"Alice! Wait."
She did, but there was a defeated look in her eyes.
"Register a business."
"It's too much work for too little income. They'll take most of it in taxes, will they not?"
He grimaced. "There are taxes." Which was why everyone had to have a registered business. How else would they be able to keep track of what people bought and sold and get their cut? "But it's better than not getting any money at all."
She shook her head.
"You're a clever woman. If I can run a business, you can."
"I don't want them controlling us. They'll look into the whole family, and I can't afford to put anyone in danger."
Eli turned her words around in his head. Who was in danger? He didn't think Maria or Teresa, Romeo's mother and sister, did anything illegal, and Lorenzo came across as a hard-working man, doing his best to provide for his family. Which left Romeo.
"Is Lorenzo, Teresa, or Maria doing something they shouldn't?"
She shook her head.
"I don't think you have to protect Romeo anymore."
Her eyes widened a fraction. "It's not unheard of that families get punished for one member's actions."
No, it wasn't. It was a way to keep people in line.
You didn't only risk your own hide, you risked your family as well.
Some days, Eli was glad his mother wasn't alive anymore.
She'd died too young, and he missed her terribly, but at least she wouldn't have to suffer if he ever got caught doing something he shouldn't.
"I think you're safe. Should someone say something, they'll have to deal with a snarling Ciar."
"It's more than that. It's Lorenzo being able to get a job, and Maria and Teresa too. We've lived through this before." She didn't sound bitter, but it was easy to see Romeo being queer had put them all in a difficult situation.
Eli didn't want to think about what would happen if people figured out he liked men. The shop would be trashed, and he'd most likely be killed. A shiver traveled his spine, and he was yet again glad his mother wasn't here. He'd never act on any desires, but sometimes people suspecting was enough.
"I still think you should do it. I could buy from you, and with a business license, you could have a stall at the market.
" On the last Wednesday of every month, the town square transformed into a trading area.
There weren't a lot of sellers, but a few people came over from Fisherman's Lake, and some women sold things they'd knitted or crocheted, and so on.
Before she could reply, the door opened, forcing her to move out of the way or get hit by it. It would soon be warm enough to leave it open all the time.
Thano stepped in for the second time today, and Eli's heart leaped to block his throat. Fuck, this couldn't be good. The others never came to his shop. Twice in one day didn't bode well.
* * * *
Thano noted the way Eli stiffened and focused on the woman in front of him. He knew her. Nodding, he tried to remember her name. She was Romeo's brother's mate. "Alice." He believed it was her name.
"Mr. Moonlight." She curtsied. He hadn't seen a person curtsy in ages and bowed without thinking.
"Thano, Alice needs to register as a business." Eli's voice was a little shaky. "She can do that through the board, right?"
Ugh, more stupid human rules.
"No, I--"
"Yes, Alice. Do it. Even if it's only pennies, it's better than nothing."
Thano didn't know what they were talking about, but it was the first time he'd heard Eli be anything but accommodating.
It piqued his interest. Eli had always aroused his interest. It was the way he moved.
Thano liked his tall frame and broad shoulders, but he'd never spent more than a few seconds admiring him before moving on.
Hearing him talk like this though..."What's the problem?
" He didn't care much about human problems, but for once, he wanted to hear what was going on.
"Alice has made these--" Eli held up a plant. "--but I can't buy them off her unless she's a registered business."
"So register a business."
"But then the board will demand I pay taxes, and they'll inspect me."
Thano understood. He'd bite anyone who demanded to know where he'd sourced his things from. It was none of their business who he traded with. "A stupid system. You should barter your flowers for favors instead."
"Lettuce, not flowers, and I need money to pay rent, or the board will evict us from our house. I'm sure I could find someone who'd trade them for eggs or something, but I need actual money, real money."
Money was a stupid system, made up, and yet the humans allowed it to rule them. "Then I fear you need to follow stupid human rules."
There was a small smile on her lips. It was rare that humans smiled at him in any other way than to conceal fear, but she looked amused.
"I still think you should register." Eli spoke softer now, and Thano watched him touch the lettuce plant. "This is great, Alice. Pots are hard to come by, and this is a clever idea."
Thano noted the piece of branch she'd planted the lettuce in and had to agree, it was a clever solution. It allowed the plant to live far longer than if she'd cut off the leaves. "Maybe Romeo has a book about plants you can put in pots."
"Shh." Both Alice and Eli shushed him at the same time. Thano looked around, confused. What had made them make that sound? He listened for something strange or out of place. Eli didn't have crows around, so maybe there were mice in the shop. He tried to locate where.
"I don't hear anything." And he believed he had better hearing than humans did.
"Hear what?"
"Mice."
Eli stared, his eyes going wider and wider. "You think I have mice?" Worry stole over his face, and he looked around.
"No. I told you I don't hear anything." He focused on Alice again. "You should check the books, there might be--"
"Shh."
Thano bared his fangs and looked around, but there was still nothing. "What?"
"You can't talk about...that." Alice's voice was nothing more than a whisper.
"Can't talk about plants?"