Put it all back! (Narrative)
It had not, actually, taken the City two weeks to figure out that the planet was not another being like itself, and that the stealing of citizens had not been purposeful, but rather reactionary to the City's closeness. What the planet had done was not an act of war, rather just the drawing in of people that it needed and happened to be close by.
But it still hadn't sent those people back right away that it had taken from there. Whether it was from compassion or some other reason, it didn't know itself. But it let them roam the streets for two weeks before it decided that they needed to go back to the planet they'd come from. There was the issue of the doubles, mostly. Having two of the same face within it's wall was too strange. Too hard on others.
The City didn't let them go back empty handed, of course. Not when it knew the state of things, and not after it had seen Beauty so lovingly help, and heard her concern for those planet-side. It sent back with them food, fresh clothing, medical supplies, and various other items that it thought they might need or at least appreciate having. It couldn't stock them with enough to see them through to the end of their lives, but it could send enough to make things more comfortable for a little while. It even bestowed some gifts on those who had walked it's streets. Little things for them alone.
When the strange faces were back in their strange places, the City turned and moved away quickly. It didn't want to risk more of this back and forth happening. The planet wouldn't understand what had happened, wouldn't be generous in the future in response to the City's generosity. It didn't want to risk more of it's own having to face that wasteland.
But it still hadn't sent those people back right away that it had taken from there. Whether it was from compassion or some other reason, it didn't know itself. But it let them roam the streets for two weeks before it decided that they needed to go back to the planet they'd come from. There was the issue of the doubles, mostly. Having two of the same face within it's wall was too strange. Too hard on others.
The City didn't let them go back empty handed, of course. Not when it knew the state of things, and not after it had seen Beauty so lovingly help, and heard her concern for those planet-side. It sent back with them food, fresh clothing, medical supplies, and various other items that it thought they might need or at least appreciate having. It couldn't stock them with enough to see them through to the end of their lives, but it could send enough to make things more comfortable for a little while. It even bestowed some gifts on those who had walked it's streets. Little things for them alone.
When the strange faces were back in their strange places, the City turned and moved away quickly. It didn't want to risk more of this back and forth happening. The planet wouldn't understand what had happened, wouldn't be generous in the future in response to the City's generosity. It didn't want to risk more of it's own having to face that wasteland.