Swamped

You decide to take a closer look at the beetles, in case that clarifies anything.

But it only makes matters more confusing. They're running right up to your boots and then just rubbing against them... almost as if they're trying to push you. Even if two Qlats are arguing, you can't see how that could possibly result in this. The only vague idea you have is that they're trying to move something, but aren't able to understand what it is so they're just trying to move the closest thing they can find. Namely, your foot.

Well. It makes it easier to gather them up, at least. You step away and put down the box, and the beetles just march right into it. Hopefully they don't get hungry. If they do, though, at least they won't ignite near the latrine itself.

Hold on. Maybe that was the idea. It would certainly draw a lot of attention, at the very least. And the doctor didn't mention the board... maybe because it wasn't supposed to be there.

You've got a lot of speculation but not much in the way of concrete proof of anything in particular, though. All you know right now is, these beetles are acting strange. Maybe investigating one of the other latrines will clarify things.

So you put the box down outside, and walk into the next one to see if there's anything unusual there.