"If I'da gotten to it first, that mighta been different. Seems I'm polarizing; some people are happy to pool around me, others avoid me on sight for reasons I don't know."

He saw the other people in town. The other people that had no name and no interest in him. That was fine. The way of the world and all, but that didn't stop him from seeing them.

"But I'm pleased with what we got goin' on here, our little community. And we coulda moved that still anywhere; don't underestimate the power of redneck willpower," he said, grinning. Between him and Doc, they could more than well manage the still just about anywhere. "Moonshine's the only thing keepin' us drinkers sane."