11 Butter

In the school, one of the fifth class guys kept stealing glances at Zayne.

As the lunch bell sounded, the guy came up to Zayne's desk, tapping on it. 

" Rooftop. " That's the only word the boy left. 

It's enough of a code between guys for Zayne to follow him wordlessly. 

On the rooftop, Zayne looked at the awkwardly shuffling guy in front of him in annoyance. 

He was invited to the rooftop, he came. 

What is this 'shy maiden about to confess' act in front of him ? 

If he really does confess, I will roast him into charcoal. Zayne decided, looking at the sturdy muscles, five foot eleven frame coupled with a square jaw, that just begged punching. 

The phone of the guy beeped, indicating a message. 

" Did you g uys have fish and chips for dinner ? " the guy asked, looking like he was about to go to war. 

" So ? " Zayne snapped, his annoyance on display. The utterly random question totally put brakes on his anger, increasing his annoyance even more. 

" Want to swap oil for fish ? " The guy did not beat around the bush. 

Zayne paused. 

Towns around bases are created for a specific purpose. They have a designated department store, which sells stuff on ration. The oil they can buy is about two kg per family. So, for him and Claire, that's four kgs. 

But the question is .. is that too much or too little ? Zayne had no idea. 

After all, the most he has known about cooking is how to boil water. 

How big is a kg of oil ? 

He doesn't know. 

' Damn ! If it's something as simple as this, why didn't you ask it in the classroom ? Are you trying to annoy me to death ? ' he grumbled inside his head. 

So, Zayne did the only thing he could in this situation. 

He looked down on the guy, then walked out of the rooftop silently. 

The guy who asked him that question looked like a fool, standing there doing nothing. 

Zayne arrived at his desk, sat down. 

Claire retrieved their lunch box. Sushi with mixed fish. Fish chowder, and an arugula salad. 

They both sat together for lunch, and none of the other students approached them. 

" Percy wants to exchange fish for oil. " Zayne told her in his usual not one word more than needed speech. 

" Oh ! That's not a bad idea. Does he only have oil ? nothing else ? " Claire wondered. 

" I Don't know. " Zayne answered. 

" Then, tell him to meet us in the forest, at the pinbend cave. " Claire commanded Zayne. 

Despite the base's firm control of trade, it is impossible for the black market to exist. 

Claire wanted the key to black market, so she could sell her excess. However, she can't do all of these things just by herself. She needs a partner. It's good to start scouting from now onwards. 

Fish is something she could provide on a regular basis, even if not for the paradise beach. 

So, she needs a stable partner. 

" Or, let's just discuss in the classroom to decide on a rate, and we will do the exchange in our vegetable garden. " Claire decided. 

Despite the black market person being here, right now, Zayne and her are just high school kids. They want to look like they had a windfall, not like they had a supply channel. So, she will do things a little furtively in an open ground. Sooner or later, the black market person would bite this bait. 

Zayne nodded. 

The last she heard him talk so much is on the day when they had dinner together. Looking at his word volume these days, Claire is starting to re-evaluate the value of her cooking. 

Claire returned to the class, while Zayne walked side by side with the guy who called him to the rooftop. 

" Stay behind after the class. " he told him. 

Percy, who was gulping in fear when Zayne lined up with him, nodded his head nervously at Zayne's command. 

Two other guys remained behind with Percy. 

" You wanted to change fish for oil ? " she asked Percy. 

Percy nodded a little bewildered. 

" We go one to four by weight. " Claire informed him. 

Zayne stood behind her like a bodyguard, glaring down at the guys. 

" Come to my vegetable patch in an hour. " Zayne added. 

" If you have any other food items, we will also exchange those. Seeds at a higher price, based on variety. Same with food stuff. " Claire added. 

" look for the vegetable garden by the pavilion. " Zayne informed the guys. 

They need not tell them where it was. The community here is very specifically divided. The long term workers who handle more than hundred acres of land live in the upper half, which is elevated. The ones recently joined as farmers live in the lower end. Then, there are the outliers who are here for various reasons other than farming, who stay in the apartments, which is the tallest building, with almost seventy floors. They also acted as school dorms, past a certain floor. 

Everyone in the farming community knows one another, whether it's a lower or upper village. The apartment's residents are changing every other day. 

Percy and his friends are from the lower village. 

" We will be there in an hour. " Ernest Gu, " called Gu Ernie lovingly by the rest, answered. 

The third one only looked at both of them oafishly. 

" Don't come early. " Zayne warned from behind her. 

Claire just turned back and gave him a playful glare. 

As the boy's eyes started wandering across her figure, a wide chest covered their vision. 

Zayne made the gesture for I am watching you.. As he back-walked to the entrance door Claire exited from. 

" Wow.. he's whipped. " Gu Earnie commented. 

" Claklalk" the third friend added, clicking with mouth, making the whipping motion. 

Percy is too in awe of their discovery of a secret that only he discovered. Both Claire and Zayne were wearing a ring on their hands. Black, unadorned, matte rings on both their fingers ! 

Nobody was around to tell him it's a mistake, that the rings are actually storage and dungeon rings, very much different even in their function. 

▬ ●◘● ▬

Zayne and Claire waited in the garden, which is covered with plastic film all around now. Fall rains wet the leaves, filling the drains dug by the greenhouse. She put the slimes saved with their nucleus intact in these drains. In no time at all, the slimes were puffed up, and the leaves started vanishing altogether, leaving the drains as clean as ever. 

I digress… 

Percy and Ernie arrived right on time, with A-frame bamboo baskets on their backs. 

They brought a whole lot of oil and flour. 

After they exchanged, they did not leave, but lingered on. 

Zayne's annoyance index is increasing visibly. Claire can see why. If a rough guy shuffles around like a young maiden, casting shy looks at you, you will also feel just as annoyed. 

Percy just had this sort of look that calls for a beating. 

" Just speak. We don't eat people. " Claire spoke. 

" Do you have more ? " he asked. 

It's a bit of a taboo question. If she says she has more, as locals, they could oppress her any time to grab her goods. Claire frowned. 

" What if I have, what if I don't ? " she said lightly. 

Percy shuffled once more. Claire warned before he took another ten minutes. 

" I think it's better for you to speak. Longer you delay, the more our thoughts run wild. " 

Percy made a determined face, and spoke before he could lose his courage. 

" My uncle, he runs a stall in the base. He is injured. I will be running the stall instead of him for a few months. I was wondering if you would be willing to sell the fish to me. I will pay the market price. " Percy added. 

Claire frowned. 

Not because of the fish, but because she remembered some bad news in their village. A group of high schoolers assaulted a young mute girl. The brother of the girl was also a high schooler, who was away on business. The girl opened the door to who were seemingly her brother's friends, resulting in the tragedy. 

Base let them off with community service for a month. The girl's brother tracked down all three of the guys, killing them brutally. The base shot him in the end. It has become a major controversy, because the girl was civilian, the boys were hunters. The resulting internal tension was half the reason they failed to notice the Sea is changing. 

By any chance is Percy this high schooler ? 

" Do you have family members ? " Claire asked. 

Percy was taken aback by the question. 

" Yes. " he answered hesitantly. 

" Will you take them with you when you work ? " She asked. 

" No ? " he answered doubtfully. 

" Take them with you. Let them help you wait tables, let them help you wash the dishes or let them help you collect the money. Keeping family under your supervision is important in these troubled times. " Claire added. 

Percy nodded. 

" Your uncle… Can he get us butter ? " she asked. 

" butter ?! " Percy looked shocked. 

It is expected. Cattle need far too big of an area. They run the risk of turning wild, they run the risk of diseases. Unless you have a beast tamer, you can not keep them effectively. So, these days, true butter is a super luxury product. What they put on their toast is made from plant oils. 

" I think he probably could. " Percy answered hesitantly once more. 

" Alright. I will sell you fish five percent less than market price as long as you can get me butter. I will pay the market price for the butter. " Claire declared. 

Percy nodded hesitantly.