160. Doing the farming right (2)- Oil Before Night

Mira was ready before the Sunseed crop was.

She had two baskets beside her, one lined with cloth and the other empty.

A Hearthkeeper waited near the path with a small board, while Sela stood by the last marker and checked the timer every few minutes.

Carlos watched them from the edge of the field. Yesterday, most of these people had been afraid Rowan might explode something else.

Now they were waiting for him to harvest cooking oil.

The last few minutes seemed slower than the whole afternoon.

"Can we cut it now?" Carlos asked.

"We waited eight hours," Mira said. "You can wait four more minutes."

Rowan bent over the nearest plant. The white cloth around him brushed above the leaves without touching them. He examined the heads, then let his fingers rest near the thickest stalk.

"These are healthy. Better than the first batch."

"Does that mean more oil?" Carlos asked.