The Roaches Have No King

A colony of cockroaches lives in harmony with the human couple who share their apartment; when the tempestuous woman hurls meals against the wall, there is food for all.

But one day she disappears. Her successor, who is compulsively tidy, has the kitchen redone; cracks and holes are sealed, and all food is stored in impenetrable containers. The colony is threatened with starvation.

Numbers (his name derives from the Bible, where he grew up) leads his peers in an intricate yet costly campaign to try to drive her out and save themselves.