'Er,' he said.

'We're going to stay together,' said Granny Morkie. She looked hard at Masklin, and then turned back imperiously and waved her hand at Angalo.

'Go away, young man,' she said. 'Masklin, stand up straight. Now... forward.' Who're you, saying forward?' said Torrit. 'I'm the leader, I am. It's my job, givin' orders.' 'All right,' said Granny Morkie. 'Give 'em, then.' Torrit's mouth worked soundlessly. 'Right,' he managed. 'Forward.' Masklin's jaw dropped.

'Where to?' he said, as the old woman shooed them along the dim space.

'We will find somewhere. I lived through the Great Winter of 1986,1 did,' said Granny Morkie haughtily. 'The cheek of that silly old Duke man! I nearly spoke up. He wouldn't of lasted long in the Great Winter, I can tell you.' 'No 'arm can befall us if we obey the Thing,' said Torrit, patting it carefully.

Masklin stopped. He had, he decided, had enough.

'What does the Thing say, then?' he said sharply. 'Exactly? What does it actually tell us to do now? Come on, tell me what it says we should do now!' Torrit looked a bit desperate. 'Er,' he began, 'It, er, is clear that if we pulls together and maintains a proper-' 'You're just making it up as you go along!' 'How date you speak to him like that-' Grimma began Masklin flung down his spear 'Well, I'm fed up with it!' he muttered. The Thing says this, the Thing says that, the Thing says every blessed thing except anything that might be useful!' The Thing has been handed down from nome to nome for hundreds of years,' said Grimma. 'It's very important.' 'Why?' Grimma looked at Torrit. He licked his lips.

'It shows us-' he began, white-faced.

'Move me closer to the electricity.' 'The Thing seems to be more important than what are you all looking like that for?' said Masklin.