Breakfast was served on the Sea Hall porch, where the wind lifted steam from the rice bowls. An attendant carried a blue glass cup toward Yan. The elixir inside was darker than the one he had tasted, with a sharper green scent.
“This is the stronger preparation for long watches,” the attendant said. “It will help keep your mind clear before the demonstration.”
Yan thanked him and kept his hands on the table. “I’ll pass. I already felt the calming effect and the binding pressure. Another dose won’t give us useful evidence before Qinghe reviews the recipe.”
Muo accepted the refusal. “The invitation to study the scripture remains.”
The attendant set the cup down on a side tray. Qinghe asked Seli for the updated ingredient strip. She examined the measures, then turned it toward Yan.
“The salt is at the same amount,” she said. “This version adds another herb to make the calm last longer.” “How much longer?” Yan asked. Seli had no measured time; the note only said through the long watch. Qinghe asked whether anyone had compared the versions. Seli shook her head. The stronger mixture had been prepared for the keepers who worked the exposed north post, because their watch lasted longer than the harbor shift. The hall had assumed that a longer calm was useful, but had not measured how long the binding pressure remained.
