This 99 word story comes from the Carrot Ranch word prompt ‘by design’.

“So”, he began, “we designed the dam to help the irrigators.”

“Irrigators that grow cotton and not food?”

‘Absolutely!” he replied warily.

“Cotton to sell to Asia to be turned into T-shirts in sweat-shops?”

“Well, we don’t dictate the market ….”

“And the fact that the food farmers downstream have ended up as peasants in their own country is dictated by the market as well?”

“We’re running workshops for them on how they can adjust their business model.”

“To businesses that don’t rely on water?”

“Absolutely!”

“And you did all this by design.”

“I’m sorry, where is this heading?”