"I think it broke."

"I guess we might not have a little piece of vacuum in a tchotchke, then."

"Alas, that's one of the things I can't make, since it isn't a thing."

"We shall have to acquire our empty symbols of rebellion against the natural order elsewhere.  Or go without them."

"...okay. Uh, anyway, I'm mostly just here to check in with Princess and see how her hardware's working out but if you guys need anything other than vacuum I can help you with that before I go build myself a cabin in the woods."

"Might be nice to have a way to contact you if anything came up?"

"Sure. I can't make satellites under the circumstances but I'm not going too far for grounded repeaters." He gives her a phonelike object.

"Thanks."

"What does 'woods' mean?"

"Area with lots of trees."

"That's what I'd thought!  You aren't saying anything about the forest cats, right?"

"Right."

"Oh good.  Why did it come up?"

"I'm going to put a little house out there."

"Won't the forest cats be mad about that?"

"I wasn't going to put it particularly near any of them."

"I think they have pretty strong feelings about all of their territory.  And you can't smell where the borders are . . ."

"Do you think you could show me? Or tell Cricket how it smells?"

"I know what ThunderClan smells like but not the other three."

"Is there a side where ThunderClan doesn't border anyone else?"

"Just the one right out there, that I know of."  She noses in the direction of the glass doors.

"And this is how far from their border?"

" . . . It's right out there.  I could see it if the fence wasn't in the way."

"Okay, well, maybe I will have to find somewhere else to put my house without stepping on any toes."

"I've had my tail stepped on by housefolk!  It hurt.  You shouldn't step on anyone's anything."