Flicker's territory is Crimson Canyon, and his job is processing ore, smelting it into alloys and turning it into tools. The Canyon is hazardous; it's not just the molten metal or the fire-bursts from leaking gas lines, but the grinders, hammers, and assemblers don't care if anyone's in the way. This is on purpose; Flicker is both clever and lazy enough to want his job to be fully automated, and the danger keeps anyone from messing up his careful arrangements so he can "work" while he sleeps.