“Earth native trucks bring in goods from farms run by Intuits or Others, and the Others mostly buy products made in Intuit and Simple Life communities,” Burke said. “Those aren’t items that have ever been on the shelves in city shops.”
“Anger and reason are rarely partners,” Chen replied. “And do the Others not purchase things like gasoline for their vehicles?”
Monty sat quietly, but it took effort. Before the storms and the primal terra indigene who ripped their way through the city, Lakeside had had a population of approximately two hundred thousand people. What humans didn’t consider, despite recent events, was that if people tried to stop deliveries, if they prevented the Others from buying gas for their vehicles, if they interfered with bringing in food that belonged to the Courtyard . . . From the Others’ point of view, there were two hundred thousand meals within easy reach. And most of those meals would be easier to catch than the deer the Wolves hunted now.
“I’ve been reviewing the reports submitted by the station chiefs, including the monthly bills for supplies and utilities,” Alvarez said. “The Chestnut Street station no longer pays the water tax that everyone else in Lakeside has to pay?”
“The water tax was lifted on that station and the Lakeside Hospital as thanks for our assistance when the Courtyard’s Human Liaison was injured,” Burke replied.
Alvarez and Chen looked at Burke, then at Monty, but neither man asked about Meg Corbyn. Did they know what she was?
“In that case, a courtesy for a courtesy,” Alvarez said. “We expect there will be some gasoline shortages since getting anything across regional borders is an exercise in diplomacy these days, but I’ve already received a directive from the governor that the gas pumps connected to the municipal garages will have first rights to any gasoline that reaches the city since that’s where the police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances fill up. Captain Burke, why don’t you and Lieutenant Montgomery approach the Courtyard leaders and offer to let them fill their vehicles from that source?”
“That’s generous,” Burke said.
Alvarez smiled. “It’s also practical. Our survival depends on the goodwill we can generate.” His smile faded. “I don’t think people have truly taken in how much was lost in recent weeks—or how much more we could lose if we’re not very careful now.” He focused on Burke. “As a young police officer, I, too, spent some time in a village located in the wild country. There was another village about an hour’s drive away. One night there was trouble between humans and Others, and we were called to assist. I still wake up some nights with my heart pounding and my hands shaking because of what I saw in that village after the more aggressive forms of terra indigene retaliated. Whatever help you need to prevent that from happening here . . .” He stopped. “Or happening again, since I understand that some officers learned the same lessons you and I did.”
O’Sullivan blew out a breath. “Governor Hannigan would like me to set up an official office for the Investigative Task Force here in the government building.”
“But . . . ,” Monty began, then stopped. O’Sullivan worked for the governor, and it wasn’t his place to comment on O’Sullivan’s decision—or the governor’s order.
O’Sullivan nodded as if he’d heard the rest of Monty’s protest. “Oh, I’m going to keep the desk in the consulate because it was offered and I don’t want to lose that connection with the Courtyard. But I suspect I’ll be dealing with some people who feel hostile toward the terra indigene, and it would be better to meet them on human ground.”
“I can arrange that,” Chen said. He studied O’Sullivan. “A foot in each camp. Not an easy place to be.”
“No, it’s not, but when the Wolfgard were attacked in the Midwest and Northwest, the governor responded to the information I provided fast enough to prevent similar attacks in the Northeast.
“That was a real danger?”
“We’ll never know,” Burke said. “But considering the way the Wolves in the Courtyard responded, I’d say the Wolfgard in the Northeast had been under a similar threat, but the attacks were successfully blocked before they could begin.”
Chen seemed lost in thought. “We are lucky,” he finally said. “So many places are isolated now. We don’t even know yet how many places, how many people were lost. As Captain Burke pointed out, we are within reach of three other communities and are not so isolated. And we have working telephone and telegraph lines connecting many towns in the Northeast Region, so we have access to information instead of wondering if we alone survived.” He looked at Burke and Monty. “Could you arrange a meeting with the leaders of the Courtyard? A goodwill visit?”
“I would like to be included in that, if possible,” Alvarez said.
When Burke looked at him, Monty said, “I’ll ask.”
That ended the meeting. Burke gave O’Sullivan a lift to the Chestnut Street station while Monty and Kowalski headed back to the Courtyard.
“Let’s patrol the neighborhood first,” Monty said when the Courtyard was in sight.
Kowalski turned left on Crowfield Avenue and passed the two-family house and apartment buildings that now belonged to the Courtyard.
“Anything I should know about?” Kowalski asked.
“Our new mayor wants to meet the leaders of the Courtyard.”