Sunset Peak’s terraces held three thousand picnic tables and more food than Austin had ever seen in one place.
Miners shared ribs with Daoist elders. Dragon Kings asked apprentices to pass the salt. Li Xiaoyao sold hard hats and shirts reading I SURVIVED THE BIG CRUNCH AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS REBUILT UNIVERSE. Zhao Ba told young workers to stay behind painted safety lines, though nobody was sure why a barbecue needed a crane lecture.
Pug ran the grill in a red apron. Chonker turned whole solar oxen over the coals. Whenever Pug served brisket, the guest bowed. He accepted this as proper kitchen practice.
Austin sat beneath the old pine with Tie Kuang, Xuan Ming, Jiang Taixu, Yuan Shi, and Situ Ming. His hands were healing. Tie’s shoulder still stiffened when the evening cooled.
For a while, they talked about the early years: rusted shovels, cold concrete, and the first broken furnace. Then Emperor Yan Ming arrived with an offer of nine thousand palaces and a heavenly throne.
Austin refused.
“Nine thousand palaces is a zoning nightmare. I have a house with a good roof and a porch. Run your kingdom well and keep the water clean. We’ll get along.”
