Chapter 6 #2
"Great! Thank you, Tuur. Mom got me some onion seeds last year, but I messed it up somehow, and they never sprouted."
He grabbed the pot and poured the now boiling water into a teapot and shook some leaves out of a jar into it. "What about those bulb things?"
"Jerusalem artichokes." Eli looked at Thano. He nodded to Eli to continue, so he did. "They're prolific. I got them from Fisherman's Lake this morning."
"Oh, I think I know which ones they are!
" Romeo more or less yanked open a door to what Eli had assumed was a cleaning closet--it was, but what he pulled out wasn't related to cleaning.
It was a thick gardening book. Eli's heart jumped to his throat and made it hard for him to breathe.
He looked around the room, but the others showed no signs of surprise.
"I know I saw them in here. Yellow flowers, right?" He plunked down on the chair next to Eli and opened the book about halfway through. The headline said Kale and there was a photo of dark green curly kale plants next to a row of yellow marigolds.
"K." Romeo turned back a couple of pages and Eli almost protested.
"Here's J. Jalapeno. Jerusalem artichokes.
" Romeo angled the book so Eli also could read.
"Oh, this is awesome. Winter hardy. Maybe I should become a Jerusalem artichoke farmer.
I could keep you stocked all through the winter.
" He grinned at Eli and continued to read, as did Eli.
He tried to soak up every piece of information--alkaline soil, best grown in a sunny place.
Before Eli had finished the paragraph about harvesting, Romeo got up and grabbed the teapot. "How many want tea?"
Thano declined with a head-shake, but Tuur narrowed his eyes as he looked between Romeo and the teapot. Without a word, Romeo poured a cup and placed it in front of the chair closest to Tuur. "Sit."
Eli barely noticed Romeo placing a mug near his hand, he was too engrossed in the book.
* * * *
Thano watched Eli read in Romeo's book. He hadn't brought him here for gardening stuff.
They needed to figure out cupcakes before he bit Fala out of sheer frustration.
Her constant questions were driving him mad.
He didn't know anything about cupcakes. Simply because he'd been the human contact didn't mean he knew things.
Hopefully, they'd start asking Conal about all things human-related after this.
He was about to hurry things along when Eli's stomach growled. Everyone looked at him, and color painted his cheeks. "Sorry."
Romeo smiled. "Would you like something to eat?"
Eat. Thano should've thought of that. Humans ate often, and he suspected Eli ate too little as it was. "Yes, feed him."
Eli stared at him. "No, no he doesn't have to...I'll grab something when I get home. It's no problem."
"Feed him. It's my fault he didn't eat after work. Where is Ciar?" Ciar ate a lot. If he was here, Thano was sure there would be food soon.
"He and Draven went out for a run, or flight for Draven, I guess."
Before Thano could say anything else, the terrace door banged open, and Humbert rushed into the kitchen. His bear feet slapped against the floor as he more or less tumbled into the kitchen table.
"Romeo!" He blew out a breath before his gaze landed on Eli. "There is a human here."
Silence descended, then Romeo smiled. "Yes, I know."
Humbert stared at Eli, and Eli's eyes were so wide Thano suspected they'd dry out soon.
"Mom said I couldn't come."
Romeo chuckled. "I see. Will she come by and get you soon?"
"Maybe, but I wanted to see. Byrd says he has the shop."
Thano sighed. They'd never get to the non-fiction books. Humbert would have a million questions.
"Eli, this is Humbert. Humbert, say hi to Eli." Romeo gave Eli a small smile. "I think I've mentioned him a time or two."
Eli nodded. "Nice to meet you."
Humbert's already round eyes got rounder. "You know me?"
"Eh...no, but Romeo has mentioned you."
Humbert pulled out the chair next to Tuur. "Do you know any stories about bears?"
Eli looked around the group. "I...eh...know Goldilocks and the Three Bears."
Grunting a bear grunt, Humbert all but slumped in his chair. "Romeo has already told it a hundred times."
"Romeo has been pestered into telling it a hundred times." Romeo sounded grouchy, but his eyes were sparkling.
"Don't you know another bear story? Bears are the best."
Tuur nodded in agreement, and Thano rolled his eyes. Eli caught the motion and laughed. It made Thano shiver for some strange reason.
When silence fell anew, Humbert looked expectantly at Eli.
"I don't, sorry."
"Not a single bear story?"
The whiny tone annoyed Thano. It wasn't Eli's job to keep Humbert entertained. "If he says he doesn't know any, then he doesn't know any."
Eli gave Thano a questioning look, and Humbert flinched.
"I know a fable."
"What's a fable?"
Romeo took a sip of tea and grinned at Eli over the rim of his cup. "Welcome to my world."