Sect Year 5 · first month · day 1 · the Qingliu river pier, the Tern on the tide
The valley road had taken him a day and a night. He had ridden the last of it in the dark, with the river loud on his left and the lanterns of the ferry landing going past one at a time, and when he reached the town the gate of the Registry house stood open. A clerk met him in the yard with a lamp and a list. The clerk did not ask whether Lin had slept. He held the lamp up to Lin’s face, looked at it, and then looked at the list.
“Witness,” said the clerk. “Lin Cang.”
“Yes.”
“Officer’s copy with the sect seal. Writ under the Court’s closed wheel.” The clerk ran a finger down the page. “The packet sails on the turn of the tide, the first day of the year. Your officer is aboard already. She asked me to say that the record box is in her cabin and is not to be moved by anyone else.”
“Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me. The Registry paid for the berth.” He folded the list along its crease. “Go down to the river. The Tern is at the third pier. There’s light enough to see the planks.”
