"It was not human flesh," Chief Gao said quickly. "I never fed human meat to the village."
"Then what was it?" Ouyang Jin asked.
"Mutated animals."
"Where did you get them?"
"The soldiers brought them."
"Commander Qiu's soldiers?" Leng Pan asked.
Chief Gao nodded.
"They came every few weeks. They delivered supplies and collected information from the Mother."
"What information?"
"Changes in the villagers. Ability development. Control levels. How long the seeds could remain dormant."
The villagers began shouting.
"You knew?"
"You said the water was safe!"
"My son died after drinking it!"
Chief Gao stepped backwards, but the mist barrier stopped him.
"I didn't know everything!"
"You knew enough," Old Chen said.
Chief Gao turned towards him.
"I was trying to keep everyone alive."
"You keep saying that as if it could erase what you did."
"We would have starved without their supplies."
