“Well, only the things I liked.”
Time to let something else sink in, including the really bad feeling I was getting about all of this. “Um . . . did the bunnies and squirrels and horses and elephants come from Earth, too?”
“Of course.” Said so matter-of-factly. “Where else would I find them?”
Felt the rage begin to build, but ensured it didn’t show in my voice or expression. “Oh, I don’t know, I just thought this planet would have had its own life on it.”
“It did.” He shrugged. “They weren’t anything to speak of.”
“What did Grumpy think of them?”
He smirked. “She liked them. Thought they had potential.”
Interestinger and interestinger. “Save the World” by Bon Jovi came on. Nice to know we had to rescue everyone, not just ourselves and SuperBun. I loved a challenge. Apparently and at least as far as the cosmos seemed concerned.
“So, you reengineered elephants and horses?”
“Yes. The elephants are now mostly water containment—all their necessary organs are in their hides. So they can fill up and water the world as needed.”
“And the horses? What do they do?”
“They’re for hauling heavy loads and for the rabbits and squirrels to ride, the squirrels in particular.”
Managed to refrain from making a Planet of the Apes joke, but it took effort. “Ah. Gotcha. Yeah, I’d imagine that it’s easier for the squirrels to ride than the bunnies, though I’m sure the bunnies can do it if they try.” Not that I could think of a reason why they’d want to. “So, um, do they ride into battle or something?”
“No, they’re for when we need to expand our holdings.”
“What do you mean? Don’t you have the whole world?”
“Yes,” Dopey said patiently. “But the space you saw on your way here is expanded as we’re able. The horses help with all of that.”
“No moles and such for digging? No mini-oxen for the hauling?”
“No, but those are good ideas!”
“What are you doing on this planet?” Jeff asked, Commander Voice on Full, before I could say that I hadn’t been suggesting that Dopey steal more Earth animals to do whatever twisted things he could come up with to them. “As near as I can tell, you’re controlling the sentient life. Life you stole from Earth.”
“What you left alive, that is,” Christopher added.
“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” I added quickly. Really hoped White and Chuckie were kicking Jeff and Christopher where Dopey couldn’t see. “Rabbits and squirrels reproduce quickly.”
“They do, especially when there are no predators to harm them. I’m caring for them,” Dopey said to Jeff and Christopher. “Their lives are far better because of me.”
“What about rain or oceans?” I asked before Jeff or Christopher could open their mouths again. That was the problem with guys who’d been protectors all their lives—they were ready to protect. But we still needed info. “Where do you get the water from for the elephants to use?”
“Oh,” Dopey waved toward the big door behind him. “There’s a giant underground water source. We use that.”
Managed not to ask how close to the door the water was, because I figured it was just on the other side. My music changing to “Black Water” by The Doobie Brothers was also something of a clue. “Salt water?”
“No, fresh. No salt on this world.”
Thought about the moon or small planet Tim had mentioned. “What about the moon? Does that have salt on it?”
“What moon?” Dopey asked sharply.
“The one that’s in your orbit. It looks kind of dead.”
“Oh, that. Yes, it had salt on it, I believe.”
Filed this away for use later. Had no idea what I could do with this information, just knew that I’d need it later because that was how my life rolled. “Where’s Grumpy now?”
“With those creatures on another planet in the system. She replanted them.”
Replanted. “Were they botanical in nature?”
“Yes, actually. Tree-people, though not like the ones from your myths. And other plants that were all barely sentient.”
“What about the predators that were here? Did you bring them from Earth, too?”
“No. They were just those who lived with the tree-people. In harmony, per Grumpy.” Dopey shrugged. “They weren’t efficient, any of them.”
“Why not?” Chuckie asked carefully. “We’ve always understood that trees are very efficient. Where is our thinking wrong?” He sounded like we were in class and he was asking a top-level professor a question. Hoped that Jeff and Christopher would take a clue if they wanted to speak up again.
Dopey appreciated the buttering up. “They need too much in order to survive.”
“Soil, water, sunlight,” I ticked off. “Why would that be inefficient?”
“Because this world isn’t going to have a sun too much longer.”
CHAPTER 35
WE ALL LET THAT one sit on the air for a bit. “Um, why not?”
“Because this sun is dying.” Dopey said this as if it were obvious. However, based on what our science knew, there was no way a sun as yellow as the one for this system was could be close to dying. At least, not a natural death. And, per Sandy, the star wasn’t the issue—the war Dopey and Grumpy were having was.
“Is it?” White asked politely. “How can you tell? We’re not as advanced as you, so we don’t have the means to determine this.”
Dopey smiled at him. Yep, he liked being buttered up. “Well, it’s really all Grumpy’s fault. She’s tinkering with the sun, and that’s going to cause its destruction.”
My music changed to “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden and I got a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. “Um what’s Grumpy doing with the sun?”
“She’s trying to make it stronger.”
“Why is that, Lord Dupay?” Jeff asked, only this time, he sounded totally fascinated and not like he was ready to try to bust Dopey’s head. Either he’d caught on or Chuckie had kicked him really hard. Possibly both. “Wouldn’t it already be strong enough as is, in order to have created life out here?”
“This system didn’t have life. Not until she and I decided to create it.”
“I thought you weren’t gods,” Christopher said quietly.
Dopey’s head snapped toward him. “Why would you say that?”
“Because you told us you weren’t, when we first met,” Christopher replied. “And only gods can create life.”
“That’s ridiculous. Life creates itself all the time.”
White cleared his throat. “There is a difference between creation and procreation, though. I believe that’s what’s confused Christopher.”