There was also, slung under the lift's floor, a small wire basket tied on with bits of string.

'If you think,' said Granny Morkie, 'that I'm going to get into a, a wire nest on a string, then you've got another-' 'Is it safe?' said Masklin.

'More or less, more or less,' said Dorcas, stepping across the gap and fumbling with another little bundle of switches. 'Hurry up, please. This way, madam.' 'Er, how much more than less?' said Masklin as Granny, astonished at being called madam, got aboard.

'Well, my bit I'm sure is safe,' said Dorcas. 'The bit above us was put together by humans, though, and you never can tell. Hold tight, please. Going up!' There was a clang above them, and a slight jerk as they began to rise.

'Good isn't it,' said Dorcas. 'Took me ages to bypass all the switches. You'd have thought they'd notice wouldn't you? They press the button to go down, but if I want to go up, we go up. I used to worry that the humans would think it odd that the lifts seemed to go up and down by themselves, but they seem powerful dense. Here we are.' The lift stopped with another jerk, leaving the nome's basket level with another underfloor gap.

'Electrical and Domestic Appliances,' said Dor­cas. 'Just a little place I call my own. No one bothers me here, not even the Abbot. I'm the only one who knows how things work, see.' It was a place of wires. They ran under the floor in every direction, great bundles of the things. A few young nomes were taking something to pieces in the middle of it all.

'Radio,' said Dorcas. 'Amazing thing. Trying to figure out how it talks.' He rummaged among piles of thick paper, pulled out a sheet, and sheepishly passed it to Masklin.