"She's right. The smallest patch of soil can grow far more than we might think. What you grow in it can give back nutrients the last plant took away." Perhaps an obsession, but not unfounded. Mantis likes that kind of thinking.

The description interests Mantis greatly. He nods quietly and quickly associates it with the mechanics of how kangaroo joeys work. Perhaps not quite the same, but it's the closest comparison he can manage for understanding. "No wonder Aletayria is so focused on her care. I thought humans came into the world fairly undone, but your people surpass in that regard too."