Romeo waved a hand."Of course you can look in the box."Then he focused on Eli."But tell no one."
Eli had no idea what was going on, but he promised not to tell a soul.
Thano reached into the bag, took out the Jerusalem artichokes, and put them on the kitchen table while Romeo grabbed mugs from one of the cupboards.
"What are those?"Romeo stared at the tubers.
"I got them for you from Eli's shop.For story night."
Romeo breathed loudly."How many times have I told you, you don't need to trade for story night."
Tuur placed his five onions on the table."For story night."
Romeo stared at him."Onions for story night."
"For your garden.Eli said if you plant them, they'll flower, and you'll have seeds for next year."
Romeo turned wide eyes at Eli."Really?"
He nodded."Onions grow over two years.In the first year, they grow the bulb, the second, they produce the flower.So if you plant them now, they'll most likely flower this summer."
"Great!Thank you, Tuur.Mom got me some onion seeds last year, but I messed it up somehow, and they never sprouted."
He grabbed the pot and poured the now boiling water into a teapot and shook some leaves out of a jar into it."What about those bulb things?"
"Jerusalem artichokes."Eli looked at Thano.He nodded to Eli to continue, so he did."They're prolific.I got them from Fisherman's Lake this morning."
"Oh, I think I know which ones they are!"Romeo more or less yanked open a door to what Eli had assumed was a cleaning closet--it was, but what he pulled out wasn't related to cleaning.It was a thick gardening book.Eli's heart jumped to his throat and made it hard for him to breathe.He looked around the room, but the others showed no signs of surprise.
"I know I saw them in here.Yellow flowers, right?"He plunked down on the chair next to Eli and opened the book about halfway through.The headline saidKaleand there was a photo of dark green curly kale plants next to a row of yellow marigolds.
"K."Romeo turned back a couple of pages and Eli almost protested."Here's J.Jalapeno.Jerusalem artichokes."Romeo angled the book so Eli also could read."Oh, this is awesome.Winter hardy.Maybe I should become a Jerusalem artichoke farmer.I could keep you stocked all through the winter."He grinned at Eli and continued to read, as did Eli.He tried to soak up every piece of information--alkaline soil, best grown in a sunny place.
Before Eli had finished the paragraph about harvesting, Romeo got up and grabbed the teapot."How many want tea?"
Thano declined with a head-shake, but Tuur narrowed his eyes as he looked between Romeo and the teapot.Without a word, Romeo poured a cup and placed it in front of the chair closest to Tuur."Sit."
Eli barely noticed Romeo placing a mug near his hand, he was too engrossed in the book.
* * * *
Thano watched Eli read in Romeo's book.He hadn't brought him here for gardening stuff.They needed to figure out cupcakes before he bit Fala out of sheer frustration.Her constant questions were driving him mad.He didn't know anything about cupcakes.Simply because he'd been the human contact didn't mean he knew things.
Hopefully, they'd start asking Conal about all things human-related after this.
He was about to hurry things along when Eli's stomach growled.Everyone looked at him, and color painted his cheeks."Sorry."
Romeo smiled."Would you like something to eat?"
Eat.Thano should've thought of that.Humans ate often, and he suspected Eli ate too little as it was."Yes, feed him."
Eli stared at him."No, no he doesn't have to...I'll grab something when I get home.It's no problem."
"Feed him.It's my fault he didn't eat after work.Where is Ciar?"Ciar ate a lot.If he was here, Thano was sure there would be food soon.
"He and Draven went out for a run, or flight for Draven, I guess."
Before Thano could say anything else, the terrace door banged open, and Humbert rushed into the kitchen.His bear feet slapped against the floor as he more or less tumbled into the kitchen table.
