Elijah stared at him.Seconds ticked by, and his gaze grew distant."Do you think they would?"
"I want to say no, but if they can make more of a profit elsewhere..."He let it hang in the air."I wouldn't blame them.Everyone has to live."
"Yeah, but they buy from you too.If your shop closes, there is nowhere for them to get food."
Eli nodded."Yeah, and this is where I might have fucked up."The glass shook in his hand as he brought it to his lips.The wine was sweet, and he suspected the alcohol content was pretty high, at least for wine.
"What do you mean?"
"I told Thano we can't feed ourselves, explained how we're dependent on Fisherman's Lake for our survival."
Elijah nodded."It's true."
"Yeah, but Thano took it to mean there are too many humans in Last Hope."Eli took another sip of the wine, ignoring the tremors traveling through his body.
"Oh..."Elijah swallowed hard.
"Who's Thano?"The man by the table spun his bottle, his foot resting on his knee as he leaned back in his chair.
"The vampire leader at The Moonlight Ranch.He's on the town board."
"A supe on the board?"
"The majority of the board are other."Elijah's voice was soft and even, and the man scrunched his face in distaste.
"You have monsters on the board?"He almost looked angry.Not the reaction Eli would've expected from a visiting person.
When neither Eli nor Elijah responded, he removed his foot from his knee and leaned forward with his elbows resting on the table."So what's the problem with this bloodsucker believing there are too many people in Last Hope.It's none of his concern.They deal with the thingsoffthe paved roads, we deal with the thingsonthe paved roads."
Eli had always considered himself a people person.He might not hang out with anyone in his spare time, but he cared for the inhabitants in Last Hope and held compassion for them.This man, however, was quickly making a place for himself on Eli's dislike list.
"In Last Hope, it's more intricate.The others have an active role in the decision-making."
"They shouldn't have.The law is humans rule the settlements, and the supes rule everything else.They're not civilized, more animal than human.Most of them can't write their name if they have one.Their brains can't handle analytic thinking.They're driven by their urges, animalistic.You'd never allow a dog to make a decision for you, would you?"An angry flush took over the man's face, and Eli glanced at Elijah.He wanted to speak to Elijah in peace, not have to listen to some human supremacy bullshit.
"If you believe the monsters will attack, you should sound the alarm, call in the defense."The man took a gulp of his cider.
Eli shook his head.They didn't have a defense, and there was no use to try to fight the others.It would only anger them and lead to more casualties.
"Maybe the only thing that'll happen is Thano voting against the toll."Elijah looked hopeful.
"Maybe."Eli wasn't sure he believed it.
This time it was Elijah who reached across the bar and covered his hand with his."Either way, I'm sure you'd be spared.The others like you."
The man huffed, and Elijah quickly removed his hand.
Eli drank the last of his wine."I don't know if hiding helps, but if you have a storm cellar it might be a good idea to bunk there."
Elijah smiled."I do, but it's filled with rubble."
"Oh, any interesting rubble?"Sometimes, Eli could find jars or bottles or something similar.Fabric to sew bags from was also welcome.
"Nah, mostly stuff I've pulled out from here.When I bought this--" He gestured around."--it looked like someone had dropped a bomb in the foyer.I do not want to know which creature wrecked it."
No.Eli suspected there were things lurking in the shadows that didn't look like a known animal in their shifted form.Or maybe it was their true form.He wasn't sure everyone could shift forms.Since the others appeared to have societies similar to what the humans had, he assumed they all had a shape able to communicate.
"I should get going."Eli handed Elijah a bill for the wine.When he tried to give the change back, Eli waved it off.He might need those coins, but he suspected Elijah needed them more.Hopefully, this one guest would tell people about the hotel, and word would spread and generate more customers.
