Irv cleared his throat, shifting pages. The room waited on his response. Or maybe it was just a good excuse to take a break. Water was poured. Spunk speared a chunk of bread with his long fingernail and gnawed at it with his few teeth. Maxine read over Irv’s shoulder, now and then groaning in dismay. Out in the mudroom, Kari’s singers were still at their drunken mourning.

I nudged Rubio. “Three to five months of what?”

“Food and potable water.”

“In the dens?”

“On the island.”

“Come on!”

“If their numbers are right.” He shot me his darkest grin, like, isn’t apocalypse exciting? “And unless we figure out how to increase production and purify more water.”

“What about supply from the Mainland?”

“Didn’t say.” He frowned. “Jeez, could he mean worldwide?”

“He couldn’t! The riots and camps—that’s mostly along the coast. What about inland?”

Rubio shrugged. “One question everyone’s asking is why the Adders, with no food or necessities production of their own, would think that burning out a den that produces well is a good strategy for long-term survival. It’s killing the goose, y’know? They’d be better off encouraging production, especially if they intend to steal it.”

“Maybe they don’t think. Maybe they just do.”

“Rousseau’s convinced there’s something bigger going on.”

Daniel had implied the same.

As if I’d conjured him, air stirred behind me as Daniel brushed past. No one would have noticed the hand he laid on the back of my neck, just long enough for his thumb to sketch a circle around the top of my spine and make every nerve in my body stand on end. He took the chair next to Rubio.

“You’re a nice mess.” Rubio mimed brushing soot off his arm.

Daniel sighed. “Every time I tried to wash up today, something else happened.”

“I’ve had that kind of day.” Rubio swallowed a cough. “Did you lose Breakers?”

“Kayaking back to guard my boat. Said she’s got no taste for politics.”

Rube’s chuckle roused a deeper cough. “Her politics live in the barrel of a gun.”

“Rifle,” I murmured.

“Good thing she’s on our side, then.” Daniel stretched into a listening slouch and folded his arms. Given how tired he was, I worried he’d nod off.

I leaned in to Rubio. “Tell him to go say what’s happening at the Souk.”

“Let the man catch his breath.”

“No, really! He has to. Empire can’t have figured that into their calculations.”

When Daniel started yawning, I got up to pluck at Jake’s elbow, pointing behind me.

“Ah. There you are.” Jake smoothed the rat’s nest he was making of his hair and waved Daniel toward the table. “Got to hear this, Will.”