Sect Year 3 · tenth month · day 6 · Azure Stream Sect, the core students’ hall, then the outer court gate
The core students’ hall had a long table of pale elm that someone had scrubbed so often the grain stood up in ridges. Su sat at its near end with the rationing ledger open under her left hand and her pen in her right. She didn’t look up when Lin came in. She finished the line she was writing, blotted it, and then read the day aloud as though the numbers had been her idea and she was sorry for them.
“Nine buckets drawn at the east well yesterday. Fourteen households served from the lower tank. The thread at the sump stands a finger’s width above the lowest mark.” She turned the page. “Two families on the lower terrace have asked for their children to be counted with the grown ones. I have not counted them yet.”
“Pei will want to know that.”
“Pei has already asked. She wanted to know whether the children would be counted for the water or for the Registry. I said I didn’t know, which is true.” Su turned the page again. “A family at the sump asked for a second bucket this morning. I said no. I wrote the no down, with the reason beside it. It is the first refusal I have put in this book.”
