Sanctuary of the Odd

Chapter 29: Fruit Crimes

"Now that everything's official," continues Foxman, "I'd like to request permission to build a train line."

"A train line?" Now THAT'S a really good idea!

"I believe it'll be in the town's best interests to create a train line from the bottom of the mountain to the top. We can create a port there and use it to transport goods for trade."

"Creating an easier way up the mountain was actually one of my concerns, so please do that!"

"In that case, I'll arrange a crew to scout out a route!"

"While you're at it," added Lexine, "please find a roboticist for Warehouse 4, and a crew of ship builders for Warehouse 21."

"Ship builders?" Foxman's eyebrows cocked.

She explained about the two warehouses and what we found there. She explained our plans to build whatever ship they were building so we can find out what their purpose was. She also mentioned what the minutian ghost told her about how they were going to give bodies to the ghosts using the robotics lab.

"Alright, I think I understand! I'll go arrange those teams real quick! Be right back!" Foxman ran off and gathered a bunch of animal people and started assigning them jobs. We hung back for a bit.

"If those ships can fly through the storm, we could probably use those to trade as well." Pointed out Lexine.

"And increase tourism." I added.

"You think people would come to the Odd on vacation?"

"I think people will come to SANCTUARY on vacation."

"Huh, quite ambitious. How promising of you."

Foxman returned. "Okay, everything is in motion! They'll deliver their reports when each team has made some progress."

"Excellent! I look forward to it!" I said.

"Now then, I'd like to take a look at your fields, see what you have to trade."

Go figure the business man wants to do business. Well, I didn't mind, so I took him to the groves out of town. Or I say "I took him," but in reality, he pulled out his favorite hover hot rod and I gave him directions from shotgun. Lexine had to go around registering who took what houses, so she left me alone with Foxman.

We arrived at the groves. "We weren't able to identify any of these produce in our initial searches."

The first was a fruit that was grey in color, about the size of a lemon. He broke one in half and a pale blue juice congealed around his finger. He tasted a bit of it and winced, and then he handed me the fruit.

"Try it."

I was hesitant after seeing his reaction, but I needed to know what was growing in my town. I take the fruit, jab the tip of my arm into it allowing the juice to congeal on there, and then I lick it. It was the most bland flavor imaginable. In fact, could you even call that flavor? It was like the "standing in line to pay your taxes" of flavors.

"Now try this." He took a plain slice of bread from his inventory. No toppings, just plain bread. That would be fine to absorb into my arm, but he seemed to want me to eat it.

I reach for it, morphing my hand into a makeshift pincer to grasp the bread by one end. I lift it up to my mouth and bite into it.

The range of flavors, the depth, I've never tasted bread that was this universally good on its own before! It's like I was eating something from a high class bakery.