Jo is busy being a cat in a particularly abandoned area. Good rats here.

"Afternoon, Floofy."

"Myau." She sits on the end of a cargo container and tilts her head questioningly.

"Ice fair, food will be a thing. Think you could manage?"

She runs off and comes back after a few seconds, clothed. "That really depends. How many people? What kind of facilities are there gonna be?"

"I figure most of the kids at the distro, and Terence says he can supply some power."

"I mean like, if there's an abandoned and only kinda-looted fast food place near where you're holding it, I can use their cooking stuff. The power is good news though."

"There's a KFC full of delicious, nutritious rats."

She makes a quiet pleased 'eee' sound. "Well, cleaning up the vermin is pretty important, isn't it?"

"Yes, for humans do not appreciate the taste of the noble rat."

"Disease and stuff too. But mostly I'm after the yummy rats, you're right."

"Speaking of rat appreciators, have you seen Tabby anywhere?"

"She went punker-herding a couple miles north, I think. Something about a bridge."

He remembers something. "Oh. I should probably check on her. You wanna come?"

"Sure!"

They head north until they catch Tabby's scent.

Tabby, decked out in her fur cape and battle crown, is discussing something with the leader of what Zeke had taken to calling the bridge trolls.

"And people have been telling me you're being mean."

"Oh really? Well, you have to be tough to lead in times like these. But what exactly are 'people' saying about me?"

"That your toll is too high, and you're not letting some people through even if they can pay."

"You met Dennis, then. I knew him before the bug, he's a huge bully. No way am I letting a bully on my bridge."

"And that you're not letting people leave."

"Huh? I let people leave. Let Rush leave, your brother knows about that. It's trying to leave with my stuff that I don't let happen. That's theivin'."

"Um, Rush said she had to be sneaky."

Shrug. "She took one of the brooming spears with her. Maybe that's why. But I let it go as, like, back pay."

"Would you at least consider lowering the toll?"