It came.

"What did you say?" said Gurder, slowly.

"Only what everyone's been thinking," said Angalo. Many of the nomesstarted to stare at their feet.

"And what do you mean by that?" said Gurder.

"Where is Arnold Bros. (est. 1905), then?" said Angalo. "How did he helpus get out of the Store? Exactly, I mean? He didn't, did he?" Angaloshook a bit, as if even he was terrified to hear himself talking likethis. "We did it. By learning things. We did it all ourselves. We learnedto read books, your books, and we found things out and we did things forourselves."

Gurder jumped to his feet, white with fury. Beside him Nisodemus puthis hand over his mouth and looked too shocked to speak.

"Arnold Bros. (est. 1905) goes wherever nomes go!" he shouted.

Angalo swayed backward, but his father had been one of the toughest nomesin the Store and he didn't give in easily.

"You just made that up!" he snorted. "I'm not saying that there wasn't, well, something in the Store, but that was the Store and this is here andall we've got is us\ The trouble is, you Stationer! were so powerful inthe Store and just can't bear to give it up!"

Now Masklin stood up.

"Just a moment, you two-" he began.

"So that's all it is, is it?" growled Gurder, ignoring him. "That's theHaberdasheri for you! You always were too proud! Too arrogant for yourown good! Drive a truck a little way and we think we know it all, do we?

Perhaps we're getting what we deserve, eh?"

"This isn't the time or place for this sort of thing-" Masklin went on.

"That's just a silly threat! Why can't you accept it, you old fool, Arnold Bros. doesn't exist! Use the brains Arnold Bros. gave you, why don't you?"

"If you don't both shut up I'll bang your heads together!"