” He frowned slightly. “It seems the general populace are completely neutral about them. They generally ignore them but the few interactions we ha...ve heard about seem to be generally favourable.”Thorn frowned. “They are trying to undermine the Patrol.”“The problem is that too many at the bottom end of the Patrol are petty criminals. They were minor drug dealers, shop lifters, pick-pockets and petty thieves. Some had convictions for violence, generally not too serious, but still. Some people. Where possible she even started planning for the spring planting, and transplanting food plants that survived. Where certain varieties of local plants had been wiped out she searched botanical gardens around the world to return them to the region. She was the undisputed ruler of the Middle East.Some didn’t want to return to the region at all, so she built new cities in North Asia to house them. As a groups of refugees from Russia were escaping to the East, she picked them up, and moved​ them. TJ attacked Fenton and the two fought for a moment as I dealt with two more males, lightly tapping them on the tops of their heads, counting coup more than anything else."How's the food supply holding up?" I asked. One of the females, an elderly and sterile baboon I called Fannie Mae, came forward submissively chattering something. I got the gist. Dictators, whether human or baboon, create perpetual shortages in the midst of plenty. You don't need to believe me. The United Kingdom used to have. I'd been concentrating so hard, trying topush the fears out of my mind by studying the hand-out. But it was nowtime for class! The other kids were going to see me! I had only aninkling of the future ahead of me, but it was about to begin."You'll be fine, Joey, don't worry," Mrs. Hall said. I tried to returnher smile.The first few kids to walk in were the nicer girls of my age. They'dnever teased me themselves but did laugh sometimes when others did it.They always dressed so prettily, so.