As Bill hadn't yet attempted to leave the city, he had no idea that there were larger things at work here, though he had been beginning to suspect, meeting all the unusual people he had been as of late (not to mention the weather). He hadn't been reading the papers, only casually noticing the occasional headline talking about the slew of new arrivals. So this was indeed a strange addition to the conversation, one which Bill wasn't quite sure what to make of.
"You can't leave?" he inquired, "May I ask why? Are you stranded?"
He figured the man was a roustabout out of work, unable to pay for a way out of the city. He seemed well enough to be able to afford beer and cigars, however, but Bill supposed that different people had different priorities.