If he found an opportunity and acted on it, he might get them all killed.

• • •

Steve Ferryman handed Tolya’s letter back to Simon. “Are you limiting the potential settlers to Intuits and terra indigene?”

“Who else did you have in mind?” Simon asked.

“Simple Life folk.” Steve looked at Henry, Tess, Vlad, and Elliot before focusing on Simon. “I hadn’t realized they were following what was happening in the Midwest so closely until James Gardner asked Roger Czerneda about who was going to resettle the empty towns. Simple Life families have the same challenges as any human group—limited space and opportunities for their children. There are folks on Great Island who are interested in resettling. A few Simple Life youngsters are going to resettle in the River Road Community and are happy about having their own place that still isn’t far from home and family. But others . . .” He sat back. “I have a feeling some of the Simple Life folk don’t want to abandon their way of life altogether, but they’re looking to expand what is available to them. The Intuit way of life is somewhere between Simple Life and what most people living in Lakeside would consider the necessities of life.”

“Do any of the Simple Life youngsters know about livestock? About cattle?” Henry asked.

Steve nodded. “Dairy cows. Horses. Some sheep and goats. Chickens.”

Simon scratched behind one ear. None of the humans on the ranches between Prairie Gold and Bennett had survived the Elders’ wrath. But not all the houses and outbuildings had been destroyed, and the animals were still out there. The Intuits who worked on the Prairie Gold ranch couldn’t handle all the livestock, but Simple Life humans occupying the empty ranches might not provoke the Elders into another attack. “We’ll consider them.”

“How do you want to do this?” Steve asked. “Hold a job fair?”

They all stared at him.

“You mean have a hoard of humans descend on us looking for work?” Vlad finally asked.

Steve winced. “Not exactly. Well, sort of. If I can have a copy of the list of desired skills, I’ll ask Lois Greene, the editor of the Great Island Reporter, to print a special page with the information, and I’ll see it’s distributed to the Simple Life folk as well as the Intuits in Ferryman’s Landing.” He blew out a breath. “You should know I’ve been receiving some queries from Intuit settlements in the Midwest asking if the terra indigene are going to allow the empty towns to be resettled. Obviously they can’t come here for a personal interview, but it’s something for the terra indigene leaders to think about.”

“None of those places will be human only or human controlled,” Simon said. “Not anymore.”

“I think everyone who is inquiring realizes that ‘empty’ means empty of humans, not empty of everyone,” Steve replied.

“I want to hear more about this job fair,” Tess said. “Telling the Intuits and Simple Life folk about potential work in Bennett is one thing, but word will spread to the humans out there, and what do we do with the mob who thinks they’re entitled to work whether they’re qualified or not—or whether the terra indigene want them?”

“We’re not going to advertise it beyond Great Island,” Steve said.

“Humans will notice that many humans are gathering at the Courtyard,” Henry said. “Some will be curious and join them, will find out why they’re there and apply for work.”

“The people who have approached me have been thinking about this for a while,” Steve said. “Maybe they’ve been wanting a change for a lot longer but didn’t see how to make it happen. And maybe this is an opportunity for some of your people too. Is there anyone here who is able to run a business but will remain subordinate if he or she stays in Lakeside?”

Simon sat up, thinking hard about the question and about the Courtyard residents. There was at least one who fit that description.

“I’ll specify that this job fair is about taking a job in Bennett, and that the interview here is a preliminary one. The final decision will be made by the leaders in Bennett, so there is the possibility that a person will be sent back to Great Island if they aren’t suitable.”

“Or if they’re uncomfortable when they get there,” Vlad said.

Young Intuits had already traveled to Bennett to help clean up the town—organizing food supplies and discarding food that had gone bad being some of the first things that had been done. Some of those youngsters, mostly male, had remained in Bennett hoping to find other kinds of work. Some had expressed interest in going on to the next town that needed cleanup and had been reassigned. Others had returned to Great Island, unnerved by the feel of the Elders who were watching the town.

“The Sanguinati control Bennett for the most part, but the new sheriff is a Wolf,” Simon said. “It might be helpful if we could find some kind of human to be his deputy.”

“I can package up résumés and send them to you,” Steve said. “You can review them and invite the people you want to interview.”

Simon shook his head. “We won’t be able to tell enough from paper to decide if we’re going to send them on to Bennett for Tolya to look at.”

“Then spread the job fair over several days, each day being given to a specific kind of work.”

Vlad nodded approvingly. “One day for farm and ranch workers and the support people like cooks and such. Another day for shops, and another for professionals with the medical and legal skills Jesse Walker felt should be included.”