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 Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:40 pm
With one final wave, Rigel was gone.
"It looks like it's going to be one of those days," Soronume smiled. "But you won't find me complaining. As busy as we are, it's good for us. Truth be told, we've been thinking about training Starr to take over completely so that we can go on holidays sometime. We would love to visit the plantation again and see how things are doing."
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:48 pm
"That sounds like a great idea," Miyuki smiled, "The plantation is really nice and so many different fruits that grow there...."
Sure they could get fruit here, but there wasn't as much of a variety as could be found on the plantation.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:53 pm
"Where do you think we get our fresh fruit from?" Soronume winked at Miyuki, grinning widely. "Now, I grant you, some fruit doesn't travel as well as others, but when we can keep it cool on the trip it does very well. It's one of the reasons we're the busiest inn in the city. I think for Rigel it's a matter of pride that we have such fresh fruit here."
Of course, the supply varied throughout the year, but that went without saying.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 9:12 pm
"Which fruits don't travel well?" Miyuki couldn't help but ask.
She had a hard time imagining anything traveling well in a desert, but they must have been able to keep them cool somehow.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 9:19 pm
"Most," Soronume admitted. "Unless they're properly packed. Otherwise they bruise, they go soft, they go dry ... if the trip were more than two days across the desert, we would never be able to bring them."
She took a moment to think about it. "Let me see ... grapes are particularly vulnerable ... we grow our own apples here, though we could always do with more ... the things like watermelons and other melons and gourds travel very well, since we don't eat the outsides of them."
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 9:39 pm
"And their skins are really thick and heavy," Miyuki nodded having eaten those fruits before, "So I guess nothing with a soft skin would really well..."
That meant no peaches (which were her favourite), or plums and things like pears would be as difficult as apples.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 6:44 am
"Not really, no," Soronume agreed. "Sometimes we can bring small quantities, but overall, because of the climate here, it's very difficult to get the fruit that we'd like to have here. On the other hand, the plantation, because of its unique situation, is very spoiled in their choice of fruits."
She smiled as she said this, as if the thought amused her for some reason.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 1:27 pm
Miyuki giggled, "I guess that's one way of putting it. They use fruit quite a bit in their cooking...."
Which she liked, it was good, but she saw all kinds of fruit really traveling really.
"What fruit would grow well out here?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 1:34 pm
Soronume didn't even have to think about that. "Peaches, pears, apples, pomegranate," she listed. "Grapes, cherries, nectarines, apricots ... at least, if we had just a bit more water, they could grow well. But space is the other factor, and that is something that we really don't have."
She motioned towards the back door. "We do have a few apple trees, but we don't grow nearly enough to serve in the inn, even seasonally."
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 1:48 pm
"So you could grow all those things, but it's the space..." Miyuki nodded at this.
Well that made sense, she wondered if there were any places in the farming level that could grow these things. It was really amazing what one could grow when there is a water source.
Though she was sure it was also hot enough to grow the more tropical fruits here, but when she thought about it, she wasn't sure if there was enough water. Some of those plants came from places where it was very humid all year around (if it didn't rain to the point of flooding).
"It's kind of interesting how those fruits could seem to grow in a lot of places..."
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 1:54 pm
"Plants can grow just about anywhere given the proper care," Soronume said seriously. "Conditions can be created, and as long as they are maintained there should be no reason that they can't grow. Obviously there are exceptions - we could not grow cold climate plants in the desert."
A wistful expression came over her face. "A long time ago, I used to experiment to see what I could grow ... unfortunately, since we don't have the space here, or the availability of a variety of seeds, I can't really do that anymore."
"What if we were to bring you samples from our journeys?" Iorlas spoke up.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 2:02 pm
"That would be a great idea," Miyuki nodded, "There are some plants that do very well in hot weather."
She had seen them and it would be interesting for Soronume to be able to grow them.
"Though it would be finding the space for some plants...."
Especially the tree plants.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 2:47 pm
"That is exactly the problem," Soronume nodded at Miyuki's comment. "We could try to find some space to rent on the farming levels of the city, but even there space is scarce because they simply need all that space to feed the city. Without it, the city would not survive."
"What if you were to go beyond the lowest level?" Daeron asked curiously. "The city doesn't go all the way down the mountain, after all."
Soronume considered that seriously. "There's an idea ... we would have to apply to buy the land ... or rent it ... it would be a lot of work to prepare the land ... hire on some men to work it ..." She shook her head. "Rigel is the one who keeps track of money, I would have to talk to him to find out if it would even be feasible. Although with the additional income it would bring in, he just might agree."
It if worked out, at any rate.
"The only problem then would be water, since the further down the mountain you go, the more scarce water is."
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 3:09 pm
That was true, which meant either they would have to find a good way to get water down the mountain or it could only be fruits that normally grow in a desert climate with little water.
The last one was hard though... at least Miyuki thought so.
"And some plants need a lot of water," Miyuki added, "I'm not sure how that could be done..."
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 6:40 pm
"I don't know either," Soronume admitted. "But it will be something to look into."
"We'll ask around, too," Daeron volunteered. "I think it would be a worthwhile pursuit. We're a bit wanting in variety for food around here, I've noticed."
Iorlas nodded, but didn't add anything.
Soronume stood and began to collect the empty plates. "If you'd like more, help yourselves," she told the three, "but I do think I should be getting out to the dining room to help Rigel."
"You go ahead," Iorlas spoke up. "We can bring our dishes to the kitchen."
"You're certain?" Soronume asked, though she was clearly relieved by Iorlas's suggestion. "Thank you ... and as Rigel said, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. Don't feel you have to leave just because we're getting busy."
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