Sect Year 9 · third month · day 7, afternoon to dusk · Azure Stream Sect, the spring
A white sheet of light lay over the flat stone, and Pei had brought up a second cup of water and a square of linen to shade the record’s pages from the glare. Su drank first and then gave the cup to him. He drank the rest. Nobody spoke at first, and the only sound in the basin was the spring running over its lip into the cleft below.
The Outer Court bell rang for the midday rest. Pei, at the edge of the basin, did not turn round. “Gao Wen says the bread’s gone stale,” she said, “so you’re to eat it anyway.”
“He said that yesterday.”
“He says it every day. It’s how he knows you’re still up here.”
Jiang closed her grey book on her knee and turned her head toward him.
“Six remain,” she said. “Su can read them, if you are tired. It would save the afternoon.”
“No,” said Lin.
