Rather had to squeeze past Clave circling the other way. The house was roomy: as big as a Citizens Tree hut, though much harder to build. The public room was lined with handholds and with hooks for outer garments and weapons, and a rack for a teapot. The outer wall of the kitchen had long slots in it for ventilation, a concrete fireplace with a bellows attached, and racks for wood and cookware. Rather found Carlot making tea. He asked, "You already know?" She nodded brightly.

The sleeproom: tethers and some wiry foliage padding four of the walls. What was this next room? Curtains fixed across both interior doors, handholds and tethers mounted next to small windows with hatches over them . . . Ah. This was the treemouth. And the fifth was a storage room, with another oversized door and moorings for tethers, but nothing stored yet. Rather returned to the public room. Debby was moving slowly around the perimeter. She seemed more cheerful than she had been lately. "Hi, Rather. Grag brought me back. I gather we're looking for some secret hiding place. Any luck?"

"Not yet. Booce, how do you get rid of the treefodder after you feed the tree?"

Booce stared. "What? -Oh. The wind floats it away and fisher jungles gather it in. Now you know why everyone doesn't just tether his house to the Market. Find anything?"

"I didn't see any hiding places. I've never seen a house before."

"You were all somewhere else, so I searched here," Debby said. "Nothing. Booce, are there holes in the concrete?"

Booce laughed. "I could have done that. Access through the walls? Well, any burglar could tear the core apart and all he'd find is concrete and two chunks of sporing fringe buried along the hub. Meanwhile, what do you think of my door?"

“Thick. Like you're afraid someone might kick his way through."

"We tend to make them massive. Not just for burglars. It has to stand up to rough treatment when you're moving heavy stuff."

Clave shook his head in disgust. "We'd know who our thief is. We'd kick him into the sky. Booce, your trouble is, you've got too many people in the Clump."

Booce was taken aback. "I never thought of it that way. Anyway, let me show you what I did-"

When the door was fully open, one could slide aside a panel in the edge that faced the hinges. The half-meter thickness of the wood had been hollowed out. The silver suit went in easily. The helmet was barely small enough.

"Now we need a hole," Booce said.

"Kendy for the State. Jeffer, would you rather sleep?"

"Mpf? No. Hello, Kendy." Jeffer stretched. "If I didn't want you waking me up I'd sleep outside." He looked at the view in the bow window. "Oho!"

It was dark, but Jeffer could make out Clave's anxious face. His voice sounded faint, distant. "Jeffer? Talk to me, Jeffer."

"Prikazyvat Relay to pressure suit. Scientist here."