"The quarry buildings don't have spaces under the floors, except in thecanteen and the office," said Dorcas gloomily. "It's not like the Store.

There aren't many places to hide. We need the sheds. If humans come here, we'll have to leave."

"So the barn will be a good idea, won't it?" repeated Angalo.

"There's a human on a tractor who goes up there sometimes," said Masklin.

"We could keep out of its way. Anyway," said Angalo, looking around atthe rows of faces, "maybe the humans will go away again. P'raps they'lljust take their stone and go. And we can come back. We could send someoneto spy on them every day."

"It seems to me you've been thinking about this barn for some time," saidDorcas.

"Me and Masklin talked about it one day when we were hunting up there," said Angalo. "Didn't we, Masklin?"

"Hmm?" said Masklin, who was staring into space.

"You remember, we went up there and I said, 'That'd be a useful place ifever we needed it,' and you said 'Yes.' "

"Hmm," said Masklin.

"Yes, but there's this Winter thing coming," said one of the nomes. "Youknow. Cold. Glitter on everythin'."

"Robins," another nome put in.

"Yeah," said the first nome uncertainly. "Them too. Not a good time to go movin' around, with robins zoomin' about."

"Nothing wrong with robins," said Granny Morkie, who had nodded off for amoment. "My dad used to say there's good eatin' on a robin, if youcatched one." She beamed at them, proudly.

This comment had the same effect on everyone's train of thought as abrick wall built across the line. Eventually Gurder said, "I still say weshouldn't get too excited right at this moment. We should wait and trustin Arnold Bros. (est. 1905)'s guidance."

There was more silence. Then Angalo said, very quietly, "Fat lot of goodthat'll do us."

There was silence again. But this time it was a thick, heavy silence, andit got thicker and heavier and more menacing, like a storm cloud buildingup over a mountain, until the first flash of lightning would come as arelief.