Obligingly, Polyphemus had just sat there purring like a motor and nuzzling at Marius, protecting him while Rat attended to making food. Already, he had a pot of red sauce on the table, using up the last few of the cans he'd had left after raiding empty rocery stores in November. For the first time in months, he'd have to actually go shopping for canned goods.

"I'm here," he said, forgettig to sound gruff as he strained pasta from the pot. "Go sit down."

Already, he'd set plates on his rickety table.