"Don't do that, boy," Arch said mildly.
"Then take us Outside—today!"
"It's winter, my boy. We'd freeze."
"You've said it's pretty in winter! You took the money for the certificate."
"I suppose you'll grow away from your parents soon anyhow; I suppose you have to.... Get your warmest clothes and meet me at emergency exit four."
My grandfather talked it over with his sister Annie and of course they didn't have any warm clothes, but they'd heard so often from Old Arch about the cold that they put on two sets of tights apiece, and two pairs of sox, and then they hunted for the emergency exit.
They'd never been there before. They didn't know anyone who had. The signs pointing to it were all worn and defaced.
And it was a long way to go. After a while Annie began to hang back.
"How do we know the exit will work?" she asked. "And how will we get back in if we ever do get out?"
"You don't have to come," my grandfather said. "But you'll have to find your own way home from here."