After finishing her call with Ethan Dawson, Evelyn Ford walked over to Ronan Kendrick.
"Ronan, I think these poisonous rats are just like the beast tide from before. They've appeared all over the Northwest, and we probably won't be able to wipe them out anytime soon."
"There's another possibility," he said. "This *is* another beast tide."
Ronan Kendrick's words made Evelyn Ford's scalp tingle. "I have a good idea, though. We can dig a trench outside the quarantine fires. We'll fill it with wood and gasoline and set it on fire. If the rats come, they'll fall into the trench. At night, everyone stays inside the cabin. As long as they fall in, they can't cross the firebreak, and we'll be safe."
The others gradually finished washing up and came out. Meanwhile, Aunt Crane and Claudia Schultz had breakfast ready. Everyone was starving after a fierce night of fighting. The grain, stored in the kitchen cellar, hadn't suffered any losses.
