Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

The Lamb

It's a quiet morning in the palace of Thempolis when gentle rain falls like cat whispers.

Borscht sits in the Master's study room with the leaders of Thempolis.

"If not for Prince Nien and the Queen's efforts, we would've lost much more lives last harvest. However, we cannot depend on them every year. We need to feed our people the way we used to."

The leaders nod, but one speaks, "What can we do, Lord Borscht? We tried last planting season and only harvested scraps."

"The Master had asked Lord Aguano and I to develop a method to measure the quality of our soil from different locations. It has been a year, and we've developed a method and here are our results," Borscht waves his hand and his attendants give copies to his leaders.

"As expected of Lord Aguano and Lord Borscht," a leader grins with satisfaction.

It is as if something in the results had shocked all of them, and one dares speak, "With all due respect Lord Borscht, but it seems as if our land had become a desert."

"The explosions set off by Fagolan and their effects are to be expected, no?" Borscht sits up and feels a sharp pain from underneath his melon like stomach.

Yet, he ignores it and continues, "While I was in Huca, I've negotiated a deal with them to trade us topsoils. We'll begin with green houses while we clean up our land."

"Then why did we spend the last five months cleaning our water if our land was the problem?" A leader folds his hands in suspicion.

"No. If our land is poisoned and so is our water. Also, I have reasons to believe this poison is the cause of the recent increase in our death rates and homosexual pregnancies aside from the Queen."

The leaders stare at the obvious inflation attached to Borscht but oddly avert their eyes as soon as they caught themselves.

"The explosions were created from a special material that Master Sihipe gave to the King and Queen's marriage. It's the same material used to help the Queen conceive—"

"Not to be rude, Lord Borscht, but what is this special material in which you're referring to?"

Borscht sighs a little, "I do not know much of it other than that it's a special material that can do phenomenal things—"

"Again, not to be rude, why is such special material in Master Sihipe's possession in the first place?"

"That is classified information," Borscht speaks firmly.

The room becomes silent and the leaders eyes one another intensely.

"Anyway, I called you all here today to discuss what type of crops we should grow this planting season. I think it's best if the crops grow well in negligence and harsh conditions as well as producing large harvest."

"If such a plan is in place to return the harvest rate to the way it was before the explosions, should we not also experiment on what we can grow on this poisoned land?"

Borscht gives a delightful nod, "Yes. That is a good plan. We shall also experiment on what grows and what grows well in our poisoned land."

"That aside, what should we do about the cattles? They're also dying," another leader points out.

"Great job on bringing that up. Alright, I'm all ears," Borscht changes his position again, and grunts again.

The leaders discuss among themselves, and one is brave enough to speak up, "Lord Borscht, my pigs are flourishing the same as before the explosions. If this humble Aarthian may advise that we switch our primary meat substance from lamb to pork?"