122: The Recall

The runner came up at the dawn of the third day after the master had named the *drawing-away*.

He came at the small accumulating *running pace* of an accumulating Wagang-recognized runner who had been at the small accumulating *upper-hills road* since the past week's accumulating departure from Liyang's accumulating sub-camp. He stopped at the gate of the master's hut at the second hour of the dawn.

He carried a small folded paper.

It was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the seal — from Yan Wenshu at the cold-spring camp, which had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler's accumulating saying at the past three months — been at the small accumulating *small accumulating relay-point* of the small accumulating peddler-network's accumulating Liyang-to-upper-hills runner-arrangement.

The letter said in perhaps fifty characters:

*Heizi-zhang. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler's saying at the dusk yesterday — Pei Renji's small accumulating *three-hundred* Sui patrol has been recalled at the past two days. The Wagang has — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — laid in a small accumulating *flank counter-attack* against Pei Renji's accumulating new offensive at the eastern marshes. Pei Renji has — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — recalled the *Wén Déxiū patrol* at the small accumulating *immediate-need* of the eastern marshes' accumulating defense. By the small specific reading I am giving — the patrol has, at the past two days, turned around at perhaps three days south of the bear-back's foot. They will not, by the small specific reading I am giving, come up at this offensive's accumulating cycle. — Yan Wenshu.*

Heizi read it.

He laid it at the small wooden bench.

He looked at Lao Wen at the cot.

The master at the cot — by the small specific accumulating reading at this morning — was at the small accumulating *coughing* shape of the past hour's morning's reading. He looked up at Heizi.

Heizi said in the small low voice: *master. The patrol is recalled. The Wagang has laid a flank counter-attack at the eastern marshes. Pei Renji has needed the three hundred at the marshes' defense.*

The master closed his eyes for one breath.

He opened them.

He nodded — slowly.

He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad. By the small specific accumulating reading at this morning — the master's accumulating *real-end* has, by the small specific reading I am giving, been deferred again.*

He paused.

"By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *Wén Déxiū patrol* will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the next year, perhaps come at the small accumulating *spring of the twentieth year of Da-ye*. Or perhaps the year after."

He paused once more.

"By the small specific reading I am giving — the master will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two years' accumulating cough's accumulating stable shape, perhaps see another spring or two."

He looked at Heizi.

"By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad has, at this morning, been spared the small accumulating *drawing-away* for at least one year. The lad will, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, hold the small accumulating *nineteen-and-master* at the master's hut for the next year."

Heizi nodded.

He filed it.

The country had, at this morning, deferred again.

That night at his watch he sat at the small banked fire.

He filed.

In the small lighter catalog, beside the past dusk's accumulating *naming of the real-end*, he set: *the small specific dawn of the third day of the third moon of the nineteenth year, when the patrol was recalled and the master's accumulating *real-end* was deferred.*

The lighter catalog stood at perhaps one hundred and thirty items.

The dark catalog stood at twenty-five named entries plus the *unnamed thousand+*.

He sat his watch through.