Sect Year 1 · tenth month · day 6 · Ninefold Pass, the relay hut
They had left the shelf the morning after the carter came, with the lamp still burning in its cracked glass behind them. The far road had been kind until the early afternoon. Then the snow came down, fast and wet, and by the time they reached the upper switchback the road had gone white, and the walls on either side had vanished into it. Lin went first, feeling for the edge with his boot. Pei came behind him with one hand on the back of his coat, which was how she had said she would walk if the road went strange. Su came last, counting the bends under her breath because she could no longer see the stone.
“That’s six,” said Pei.
“That’s five,” said Su.
“I’m sure it’s six.”
“Then it’s six.” Su did not argue. She had given up arguing about counts with Pei some weeks ago, Lin had noticed, because Pei always stood her ground and Su always gave way to a figure she could check later.
The snow made no sound. That was the strangest thing about it. The wind went over the top of the pass with a long hollow note. But down on the switchback the flakes came straight through the still air and settled on Lin’s shoulders and eyelashes, and every footfall was swallowed before it finished. He could hear only Pei breathing behind him, quick and pleased…
