In a tower of glass, the powerful gathered.
Outside, pigeons wheeled past the Duomo. Inside, they made decisions.
The thorny growth had made headlines and was due for attention as Item Eight on the agenda. Having long considered earth a mere resource to be carved and commodified, the board members were intruiged by this new opportunity. By the time the morning meeting began, it was the main item of interest.
“Can it be patented?” asked one executive.
“Harvested?” offered another.
“Weaponised?” asked a third.
“Brand it as luxury forest bathing,” advised a consultant from the end of the table. “Public buy-in with private returns.”
They never reached Item One: the South American mines where workers collapsed from heatstroke. Item Two: oil spill choking the Adriatic, went similarly unaddressed.