" S'mimasen," Alyss said repeatedly as they brushed against passerby. " What does that mean?" Will asked as they reached a stretch of street bare of any other pedestrians. He was impressed by Alyss's grasp of the local language. " It means 'pardon me,'" Alyss replied, but then a shadow of doubt crossed her face. " At least, I hope it does. Maybe I'm saying 'you have the manners of a fat, rancid sow. "