Howard notes that Cedric's possibly even more tense than he is, quite the feat given than Howard's default state is a hair away from panic. It's hard to determine whether Cedric's overreacting or whether Howard's just gotten lax from having gotten away from that first monster.

The night air is cold and dry and terrifyingly silent. At least it's a yard where grass used to grow, mostly dried up now, and they've learned from experience that the creatures have difficulty moving over such terrain.

It occurs to Howard that the lawn may have a sprinkler system. If the houses aren't getting water odds are the sprinklers aren't, but it's a better shot than none.

"If we don't find something tomorrow, we will die. And it needs to be something drastic." Killing one of the monsters might work. It's made of meat, after all, and blood is better hydration than nothing at all. And so it's partially with honest curiosity and partially because he's planning ahead that he asks Cedric, "how did you get away?"

And he is glad Cedric got away. Truly. The half-smile that flits over his mouth should tell Cedric that much, along with an unspoken apology for cold-shouldering him earlier.