Chapter Ten #2
We were both silent for a moment, remembering where board games had led us.
“Yeah,” I said finally. “But I need someone else for those.”
Aster nodded. “The drag shows are the main thing I miss from Sacramento, that and my friends.”
“Anything else?” I wanted the easy conversation to continue, the tension was all but gone even with the mention of board games. Aster sighed. “Movie theaters. I miss going to see a movie on the big screen.”
“We have Hartsville.”
“Yeah, but that’s a drive, it’s not the same.”
“I guess not.” I flipped the grilled cheeses on my cast iron pan and pressed them down with the spatula. “Seeing all the new releases must have been nice.”
“And art house stuff, foreign films, you know. Weird shit.”
“I haven’t seen too many movies like that.” I shrugged. “I guess I’ve stuck mostly to classics of Hollywood.”
“Well, you’re missing out.”
I smiled at Aster and served up his grilled cheese. “I’m beginning to think that staying on the farm here has meant I’ve missed out on a lot of stuff.”
“Maybe,” Aster said slowly. “But maybe I’ve missed out on stuff too, not staying around, not putting down roots.”
“So, what exactly is the plan?” Aster had put on workboots and was following me into the pasture.
“I’ll head over to where they’ve left all their planning stuff, and you open the gate here. The herd will follow me and cause havoc.”
"Wouldn't it be easier to pull them up ourselves?” Aster pulled his borrowed cowboy hat further down on his forehead.
“I believe it’s called plausible deniability.” I grinned at Aster. “Sometimes alpaca escape the field, and there’s nothing I can do about that but get them back, right?”
Aster laughed, a wild gale of music.
I hated how much I loved that sound.
I wanted to hear Aster’s laugh every day for the rest of my life.
Focus, Mickey.
I climbed over the fence and examined the stakes and markers the workers had left in the ground. Pulling them up would be easier, but I didn’t want to leave evidence of human tampering.
By the time the alpaca had wandered through here, they couldn’t even track me by my boot prints.
Aster opened the gate, and held out carrot sticks to attract the herd. It worked like a charm. Soon Aster was leading the alpacas out like he was the pied piper.
I called to the herd as well. “Daisy! Aladdin! C’mere Mulan! Stitch!” The alpacas looked between the carrot sticks in Aster’s hand and me and moved quicker.
It worked like a charm, the alpacas crowded around me, and then mingled around the area, kicking over wooden stakes and stomping all over the spraypainted markings on the ground.
“This was a genius idea, Mick.” Aster nodded, chuckling as another stake went down.
“Thanks,” I said. “The tricky bit will be getting them back into the field. Sometimes I wish I could let them wander free and trust them to return to me in the evening, but much as I love them, they’re not quite smart enough to be trusted. Plus, there’s bears and things in the woods.”
Aster dug in his pocket for more carrot sticks. I loved that he’d thought of that, and that he knew not to stand directly behind the alpacas. It was a lesson we all learned early when caring for hoofed mammals. Standing directly behind one was the best way to get kicked.
“I don’t know if I’ve got enough to get them all back.” Aster started backing up the track to the open gate. “C’mere guys, Huey, Dewey and Louis!”
I chuckled. “You lead them, I’ll bring up the rear. Together we can sheepdog them, I reckon.”
As Aster started the parade of curious alpaca, I took a more serious look at what the workmen had left.
The size of the demarcated area was huge, far larger than any barn or feedhouse in the area.
I felt a chill up my spine. If we couldn’t stop this being built it really was going to ruin everything in my farm, probably Haye’s farm and the Meadery as well.
Like Aster said, it would probably ruin the whole town...
What I’d achieved today was good, but realistically, it wasn’t going to do more than slow them down a day or two.
Hopefully, whatever Aster had been doing would be more disruptive.
The alpacas towards the back of the pack weren’t so interested in following Aster, so I really did have to do some sheepdogging, herding them back with arms outstretched.
“Come on, Gus Gus, we had a nice outing didn’t we? But it’s time to get home again. You want some hay? You have to be in your nice, safe, fenced in field for that.”
Aster had the majority of the herd already inside the fence, so he pulled the gate closed and came to help me with the stragglers. “Which ones are these? I can’t tell them apart, yet,” Aster said. “I just guessed at Huey and Dewey before.”
“Well, you guessed right. Just ahead of me is Gus Gus, he’s a sweetheart.
Here I have Aladdin, my chief trouble maker, and Baloo, who’s kind of the laziest.” I patted the flanks of a deep brown alpaca and then a chestnut one.
“The black one ahead is Mulan. She’s the one with the white patches, and her son Mushu, all black, is behind her. ”
Aster smiled, nodding. “You’re adorable. I mean, it’s adorable, naming them like this. With you at the center like Mickey Mouse.”
I felt a warmth in my cheeks and nodded. “Thanks.”
We got the alpacas back inside their field with few mishaps, and lots of laughs.
“Good work, everyone,” I said as I closed the gate. “That’s some good, harmless, political disruption right there.”
Aster beamed at me. He’d hopped up to sit on the fence and looked every inch a farmer. “They’re such a nice herd, not a one of them has spit at me.”
I chuckled. “They only do that if they’re really scared or really pissed off. I’ve worked hard to show them they’re safe when I’m around.”
Stitch nuzzled up to Aster, nosing at his pockets for more carrot sticks. Aster patted the short fur at the back of his head. “Good work, buddy. I’m out of carrot though.”
My heart flipped over and swelled up. I wanted to grab Aster, pull him to me and kiss him hard.
I held myself back.
Should I come clean and tell him everything? Then he could make his own mind up. Then we’d have our cards on the table... but I was enjoying hanging out too much, and if I did that, if we told each other everything, there was a high chance Aster would leave.
Selfishly, I wanted him here as long as I could have him.
Selfish and greedy and messed up, maybe. But... that’s what I wanted.
Aster
That night, I started a group chat. I needed everyone on the same page.
Aster: Hi all, you’re lucky enough to be in my inner circle of folks I trust so you’re in a group chat with me. Here’s the thing, we’ve uncovered a conspiracy. Someone is trying to build a Gen AI data center in Foggy Basin and I’m organizing a protest.
Harlow: a what now?
Tane: I’m in! Gen AI stole my music and I hate it
Dillon: hi, what?
Mickey: yeah, we have a mission. There were guys staking out a new construction right by my fields and I can’t have that. They’ll upset my alpacas.
Aster: yes, plus they’ll pollute the lake, and they’ll produce smog and drain a ton of energy off the local grid.
When it comes to winter, we can’t maintain that amount of energy.
Going by reports and articles from towns this has already happened to, the costs of the power just get passed on to residents!
I added in a few links to articles backing up my claims. I didn’t know if any of the rest would actually read them besides Dillon would. My brother would want to know that I’d done my research and he’d want to know all the details too.
I loved my big dork of a brother.
Tane sent a thumbs up, which... I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.
Harlow: okay, a protest where and when? I can recruit the community center staff. Is there a poster? I’ll put it up on the noticeboard.
Dillon: I would also like a poster
Aster: working on it. I’ll send something to be printed tomorrow and bring it around, but we have to move fast on this because I think they’re trying to sneak it through under the radar, like before people notice
Tane: so dodgy!
My phone buzzed with a separate private thread from Harlow. I tapped on it.
Harlow: so, how’s things out at the farm? I’m sorry I haven’t been back to visit I’ve been so busy
How were things? Well, ‘Low, I’ve been sleeping in your brother’s bed and last night we got tipsy and made out and then made each other come, like, how do you think?
My cheeks flamed, I couldn’t say anything about that to her. She’d lose her shit. Rightfully so.
Aster: all good, glad to have this project to work on
Harlow: Mickey treating you okay? I’m so glad you’re there, he gets really lonely, even if he never actually says that.
I thought of Mickey, how happy he was to cook for me, how quick to suggest games and movies... My chest ached. I didn’t want him to be lonely. I wanted to stay forever and be his husband.
I shook my head.
Stop it, Aster. You’re getting so ahead of yourself nothing even makes sense. Focus on the task at hand.
Aster: yeah, we’re having fun
The other chat had moved along with the suggestions of different people from around town we could recruit for the protest, and ideas for a good time and place.
Dillon: it’ll have to be at the next council meeting, which according to the schedule online is the day after tomorrow. That soon enough, bro?
Aster: yes, perfect. What time? I’ll get the poster together now
Mickey: I’ll help!
Aster: awesome, thanks team!
I nodded, feeling amped, and opened my laptop to get started on a poster design. I came up with something super simple that would print cheaply since I wasn’t exactly rolling in dough, and sent it to a print shop in Hartsville, to collect in the morning.
That night Mickey made a nice dinner of beef casserole. I mentioned to him Joel’s idea of an X-Files act and how I’d never seen an episode. Mickey insisted I be educated properly and dug out the DVD boxed set of season one.
After a few hours of episodes and me getting thoroughly hooked on Agent Mulder’s body language, we went to bed separately.