said as my stomach growled, âIâve always been partial to Vienna sausages and Froot Loops,â I said, pointing to the colorful box with the toucan.
âVienny weenies and Fruity fowl!â he proclaimed as if calling out an order in a restaurant. He dumped a can of Vienna sausages on an iron skillet and they began to sizzle. It wasnât exactly bacon or sausage, but I was so hungry I didnât care.
The cook reached down under the table and produced a large bowl covered with a white cloth. He set it on the table then leaned forward and whispered as if he held a deep secret.
âI picked these this morning. Want a scoop or two on your cereal?â
He lifted the cloth and revealed a bowl brimming with blackberries. I enjoyed wild blackberries as a kid and I jumped at his generous offer.
I sat down by Barbara and Abbs while I finished my breakfast. I listened with great interest to the conversation. It seemed things were going to be moving a little faster than I anticipated.
âEurope is a little more humane than us,â Derek said. âThey are sending Impals to the island of Cephalonia and Lemnos off the Greek coast. The British and French are sending theirs to the fourteen Channel Islands, half of which are uninhabited.â
âWhat are they doing about the ones that are inhabited?â Burt asked.
âI hear the European Union is offering anyone who has to relocate a very generous settlement. Most will probably be living better than they were,â Danny said.
âWhat about the rest of the world?â Barbara asked.
âNot really sure,â Danny said. âWe havenât had a whole lot of contact lately from Asia or Africa. All we can hope for is that they handle the situation by keeping the best interest of all involved in mind.â
âWe are the only ones who have anything like the Tesla Gate?â Charlotte asked.
âYes, I believe so,â Danny replied.
I decided to jump in because I asked a question burning at me since I first heard of the infernal contraption.
âWhere did the Tesla Gate come from?â I asked.
Danny stared at me for several moments with a stoic frown. He then he jerked his head to suggest later was a more appropriate time to address it. I saw by the disappointed faces around the table that the question was on everyoneâs mind. It seemed strange to me that these things, these Shredders, could have come into existence and implemented so fast.
âSo what does Europe have to do with our situation?â Taylor asked.
Danny finished the last swig of his water bottle before he answered. âI have been in contact with an old buddy of mine, Admiral Jack Dyson of the British fleet, since this whole thing began. Iâve kept my ear to the ground in Europe, so to speak. I talked to him a few days ago and he was horrified by what I told him our government was doing.â The colonel paused and took a deep breath before continuing.
âHe told me that whatever Impals I could get out of the country; they would be welcomed at the island of Guernsey in the channel. It is the only place where any space is available.â
âHow many do we have here?â I asked. I calculated a rough estimate in my head based on what I saw last night.
âRoughly about one hundred-twenty,â Danny said.
âGood God, the government has been putting that many through the Shredder every fifteen minutes ⦠and we only have one hundred-twenty?â I asked in disbelief.
âItâs the best we can do in a short time, Mr. Garrison. We donât have the resources the government does when it comes to rounding them up. Besides, every Impal here is here by choice.â
âSo how are we getting them out of the country?â Taylor asked.
Danny turned his agitated gaze into a wide smile as he turned to face the rest of the table. âBoats,â he said.
Before anyone could ask him to elaborate, he did. Sam
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley