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of
tablets
    'This one is
good,' he said.
    'Good', said
Brave, 'we'll steal ten tins.'
    Terr looked
anxiously at the tins which were as big as him.
    'How will we
take all this?' he said, 'it's not possible.'
    'I'll
explain. Come near this window.'
    Terr moved
nearer docilely. Brave showed him a stream of dirty water spewed out by the
plant.
    'We're going
to drop the tins in the water. They'll float far away from here pushed by the
current. I know where. All we'll have to do is collect them with other Oms.'
    'But then,
why only ten tins?'
    'Because it would get noticed! They'd get
wary and put the factory under surveillance. We wouldn't be able to come back
without getting caught. Whereas with ten tins every so often they don't notice
a thing; you understand now? Come on, lay them on the ground one by one and
roll them towards me, it's not hard. I'll lift them and push them out of the
window.'
    Terr grabbed
a first tin with his arms, pulled with all his strength, managed to tip it over
and with a shove sent it rolling towards Brave who bent down, clutched the
bottom of the tin with his fingers and pushed it up the wall groaning. He
hoisted it up to the window ledge and sent it falling into the empty space.
    During that
time, Terr was sending him a second tin and was already turning around to grab
another when a Traag's voice froze him to the spot.
    'Caught you, ruffians!'
    'Jump,'
shouted Brave , 'jump out of the window!'
    Stricken,
Terr saw the angry Traag's huge stature coming towards him. As the giant's hand
stooped down towards the ground, the little Om jumped and ran to the window.
Brave held him under the armpits and sent him down to the furrow running half a stadia below .
    Terr dived
into the dirty water, came to the surface, got swept along at high speed but
managed to look back and see Brave falling into the
water. He swam with all his strength against the current but was soon caught up
by his companion.
    'I thought
he was going to catch you', said Terr.
    'He did
catch me', Brave smiled through his beard, 'he caught me by the hair, but I bit
him and he let go.'

7
    At the
entrance to the park where the free Oms nested, a rectangular shape could be seen
shining in the night.
    It puzzled
Terr. Even though Brave told him the rectangle was a sign for Traags and that
their business was of no interest to the Oms, the young boy let his companion
go back alone and wandered cautiously near the Traags' entrance.
    He soon
understood. The sign was saying:
    Park closed
tomorrow - Deomisation.
    Terr ran
through the shaded parts of the park as fast as his legs could carry him. When
he reached the bottom of the tree he had to rest a little to catch his breath
back before climbing.
    He finally
jammed his fingers in the bark's ridges and rose amongst the branches.
    When he
emerged at camp level he found his companions laughing and feasting in the
moonlight. 'Well Terr', asked Brave, 'has the entrance fee gone up?'
    They all burst
out laughing, but Terr stood still, his arms dangling.
    'The park
will be closed tomorrow', he said simply.
    'What
dreadful news!' yelped Valiant in between more laughter.
    Terr was not
moving. He added: 'Closed for deomisation.'
    The laughter
abated. Three children babbling in their nest were quietened down.
    'What are
you saying?' enquired Brave , 'deomi...'
    'Deomisation',
repeated Terr. 'It means they're going to try to eliminate all the Oms in the
park.'
    He rested
his arm on the leader's hairy arm. 'Brave, one day you told me two other tribes
of free Oms lived in the park. They must be warned.'
    Brave stood
on his branch and spat in the open. 'You're mad! This is a good chance to be
rid of them! The Red Bush gang has the best spot in the park. We'll take their
place once the alert is over. As for the others, they're nothing but a bunch of
disorganised stupid vagrants. It's because of them the Traags are de-om...
de-omising.'
    'How do they
go about it?' asked Charcoal looking worried, 'by laying traps or