Sect Year 1 · third month · day 11 · Azure Stream Sect, Outer Court
Hou Meng came to the woodshed after dark with a lantern in one hand and a folded writ in the other. He stood in the doorway without coming in, and the lantern made a small yellow room of the woodpile, the cot, and the notched post beside the door.
“Lin Cang,” he said, and read it aloud, because the Deacon had never once in his life handed anybody a paper without reading it first. “To the Inner Court, under the reformist seal. A cave residence on the north ridge, to be taken from the morning of the twelfth. The Outer bunk to be cleared by the bell.” He lowered the sheet and looked at Lin’s feet. “And your boots are a disgrace. Take the Inner pair from the store. They don’t leak.”
“Thank you, Deacon.”
“Save your thanks for the boots. Somebody has to keep the Inner Court’s feet dry, and it will not be the Elders.” He held out the writ. Lin took it. The ink was still soft at the edges, and the seal at the foot was red and new. It was Elder Xu’s.
