Sect Year 4 · third month · day 6 · Azure Stream Sect, the outer court gate, first light
Gao Wen was at the gate before anyone else. Lin had not expected that. He came down the outer court path in the grey before dawn and found Gao Wen already standing at the top of the gate steps, his bag buckled over one shoulder and his stick in his other hand. He was looking down the valley road as if it owed him money.
“You’re early,” Lin said.
“So are you.”
“I didn’t sleep.”
“No.” Gao Wen shifted the bag higher on his shoulder. He nodded at Lin, and said nothing about the broom, and Lin was grateful for that in a way he didn’t mean to examine.
The rain had stopped in the night. The terraces stood dripping under a low sky the colour of wet slate, and the stone steps were slick with it. Somewhere below in the east lane a rooster gave up on the weather.
Pei came down the outer court path with the old bucket on her hip.
