"We have the corn. Keep it from the rats. Fumes build up while it sets. Poison, o' course, so we sleep in shifts. People start coughing and puking, we get out the guns and open the windows till it airs out."
Angela was horrified. "Why?"
The big man's tone was rough, but his eyes said he too hated it. "Why? To eat. Can't hunt anymore. Damn wolves get ya or there's no meat close enough cause o' them. Gotta eat. Gotta last 'em out."
"You could leave," Marc suggested, which was met with silence.
Angela shook her head when he would have repeated himself. "Not our business. Maybe you should look at their radio now."
It was enough to fool the man, who immediately responded to the tone, getting up. Angela hid a grin at the warning look Marc slid her way. Up to a point, this could be fun.
There was quiet except for the wind outside, but all of them tensed suddenly, sure the wolves were out there. Angela turned to Lenore as she stepped back through the curtains. "You vent the corn?"
The woman handed her a list. "Yes, but the generator is out of diesel. This is what I need and what I have to trade. I'll throw in cornbread only if you got the last one on there."
Angela went over the list quickly. When Lenore handed her a pen, Angela understood the male here wasn't allowed to know how much of what they had. To keep down thievery? Control was more probable, and the fact that Max had none, was likely more responsible for his impotence than the diabetes.
"I can spare this much of each, and you can find that one here. This one, I haven't seen in over a month."
Lenore creased her brow. "And the last?"
Angela grinned. "Six months worth sound good?"
The giantess' eyes said it would go faster than that. "Deal. I'll bake while you sleep with your man."
Unprepared for the probing comment, Angela flushed and saw the woman's eyes light up with speculation. She hurried to distract.
"You have room?"
"Too much. You'll stay?"
Angie didn't like the hungry look the woman gave Marc, as he removed his coat to work on the radio, big arms flexing. "Yes, but let's have this clear now. The man is not for trade."
Lenore studied her coolly. "Things not for trade are often taken by force."
Angela felt the Witch surge forward and knew it showed in her eyes when the woman paled. "And often, people die in the trying. Perhaps Mankind will be smarter this time."