'Oh, dear,' said Dorcas.

'Who're they?' hissed Masklin. 'Bandits. That's always a problem in Corsetry,' said Dorcas, raising his hands. 'What's bandits?' said Masklin blankly. What's Corsetry?' said Grimma. Dorcas pointed a finger at the floorboards over­head. 'It's up there,' he said. 'A department. Only no one's really interested in it because there's nothing in it of any use. It's mainly pink,' he added. 'Sometimes the elastic-' 'Orr ossessionz orr orr ife,' said the head bandit impatiently.

'Pardon?' said Grimma.

'I edd, orr ossessionz orr orr ife!' 'I think it's the knife,' said Masklin. 'I think we'd understand you if you took the knife out.' The bandit glared at them with his one good eye, but took the knife blade out of his mouth.

'I said, your possessions or your life!' he repeated.

Masklin gave Dorcas a questioning look. The old nome waved his hands.

'He wants you to give him everything you have,'he said. 'He won't kill you, of course, but they can be rather unpleasant.' The Outside nomes went into a huddle. This was something beyond their experience. The idea of stealing was a new one to them. Back home there had never been anyone to steal from. If it came to that, there had never been anything to steal.

'Don't they understand plain Nome?' said the bandit.

Dorcas gave him a sheepish grin. 'You'll have to excuse them,' he said. 'They're new here.' Masklin turned around.