Page 58 of Monster's Pet

The crops, according to Wade, were spread out around the town in every direction. It took a lot of food to feed all the people in the town. They had hunters as well, which he was also in charge of, but he said that we wouldn’t get to meet them until that evening when they returned for the late meal. They traveled far afield to hunt, only going out every other day and going to a different sector each time to allow for the fish to repopulate.

One of my classmates asked if eating fish was cannibalism, prompting a disgusted expression on Wade’s face. “I notfish,” he signed emphatically.

I agreed with him. The fish seemed to live in harmony with the Atlanteans, but they weren’t alike at all, other than their fins.

Wade explained that some types of fish were better suited as pets, like the tropical colored fish that lived on their homes, but others, like the sea bass, tuna, and trout, were for eating.

“Difference between cows and dogs,” I signed to my class.

Wade looked confused, not knowing either animal. “Sea cow not food,” he signed.

I nodded in agreement. “Land cow food,” I signed back, attempting to explain.

He signed an agreement and we swam on to the fields. “Here rest, North,” he explained, the sea floor visible as far as I could see. I liked that they included a rest period for the fields. He gestured to the east. “New growth,” he signed. Then to the South, “Almost ready.” And to the west, “Ready for food. Takes four moon cycles.”

“What if problem?” I asked. “Drought, sick, damage?”

“What drought?” Wade asked.

“No water,” I signed, and then laughed when I realized. “Not problem here.”

Everyone laughed with me. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten I was under water!

“Gather food, check damage. Always careful.” Wade shrugged gracefully. “Much space. Easy extra rest, if needed.”

He brought us closer to the ground, where we could easily see that the fields sloped down, toward the town. On land, we would have them slope away from the town to avoid flooding, but again, not a problem here. Wade showed us the little trenches dug into the ground, very similar to an irrigation field.

“Encourage water to flow here,” Wade explained. “Go out, find easy way, spread through field. Nutrient rich.”

So it is exactly like an irrigation field.They use currents to spread the plant food via the irrigation channels. Clever.

Wade showed us each section of the field, and we got to see the farmers in the new growth crops encouraging the currents through the irrigation fields. It looked a little like they were doing tai chi, the slow-moving arms and precise motions almost soothing.

When we returned to the town, Aiden and I switched groups to follow Breese, the Atlantean in charge of the youth in the town. He also kept up a running commentary as he led us through the streets, but he talked about the people, what they did for fun, and what a day generally looked like for them. It turned out he looked younger than he was, a couple years older than us instead of a teenager.

“Home for sleep, for alone time,” he signed. “Community important. Eat together, work together, learn together, play together.”

Every few homes, there was a larger building that was a gathering space for several families. Breese explained that they would share the chores of preparing food and cleaning amongst them. Anyone was welcome, especially if they helped clean up afterward. Courting couples were introduced to their families at mealtimes.

“What dates?” Aiden asked.

“Moon?” Breese asked, confused. “Any moon.”

“Courting activities?” Aiden tried again.

Breese brightened. “Learn new skill together, build home of friend together, gather food together.” He grinned. “Mate together. After many moons happy, build own home. Not happy, find new partner.”

“Like,” I signed. “Together good.” I took Aiden’s hand and squeezed it.

Breese grinned. “Courting?” he asked us.

I finger-spelled, “Soulmate,” since I didn’t know the sign for it.

Breese showed me the proper sign, a hand over the heart brought up to the lips. “Few soulmates. Congratulations. Look courting area?”

I nodded eagerly. “Look good.” I wanted to see some of the young couples as they got to know each other.

“Skill area, or mate area?” Breese asked, grin turning mischievous.

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