Of course he's got no right to cross our border and steal women, but, on the other hand, he's made himself boss of a district that no other government pretends to control.
"If we can catch him our side of the line he's our meat; but that's reciprocal; if he can catch us on his side there's no law to prevent his doing what he likes with us.

We've got to use our heads with Master Ali Higg." I think that was the first time it really dawned on me that this venture was going to be dangerous.

Even so, the calmness with which Grim considered leaving law and all the means of its enforcement behind and crossing deserts with a gang of known thieves for accomplices took most of the edge off it.
You simply couldn't feel scared when that fellow smiled and exposed the risks in detail, even with dark coming on and the sound of camels being made to kneel outside the window.

For Ali Baba had become convinced at last that Grim really intended to start that night, and, making a virtue of necessity, was better than punctual.

The camels were groaning and swearing, as they always do at the prospect of a night's work.
"As I see it, any tribe out there has as much right to elect Ali Higg leader as you and I have to elect a president," said Grim.
"I don't suppose they did elect him, but they'll claim they did.
The point is, he's got himself elected somehow.