130: The Spring Patrol

By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the second day of the third moon of the twenty-first year of Da-ye, a runner came up the path from the cold-spring camp's accumulating relay.

He carried the small specific accumulating *spring's first news*.

The Sui southern command's accumulating *Yu Wenhuo* had, at the past two weeks, sent his small accumulating *spring's first patrol* of perhaps eighty Sui troops south from the southern garrison. The patrol was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — at the small accumulating *real* size of an accumulating *cautious-but-real* reconnaissance.

Eighty was — by the small specific accumulating reading at Heizi's accumulating *staff-officer's accumulating arithmetic* — at the small accumulating *manageable* shape against the *thirty* of the cold-spring camp at the small accumulating *southern fold's accumulating cut* — perhaps a small accumulating *cost-of-twenty-five* and the *thirty* taking a small accumulating *cost-of-six*. The accumulating *thirty* would, by the small specific reading I am giving, hold.

The Sui patrol was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — perhaps four days from the southern fold.

Heizi laid the small accumulating *coordination* with Yan Wenshu's accumulating *thirty* at the small accumulating *one-runner-relay* at the dusk. By the small specific reading at the runner's accumulating return at the noon of the third day — Yan Wenshu's *thirty* were, at the past dawn, at the small accumulating *southern fold's accumulating preparation* shape. They would lay the *bottlenecking* at the *first cut* at the small accumulating *expected approach* of the Sui patrol.

By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the seventh day of the third moon — the small accumulating *southern fold's accumulating engagement* came.

By the small specific accumulating reading at the runner's accumulating *post-engagement saying* at the dusk of the eighth day — the *thirty* had, at the noon of the seventh day, intercepted Yu Wenhuo's accumulating *eighty* at the small accumulating *first cut*. The *thirty* had held the cut. The *eighty* had — by the small specific reading I am giving — taken the small accumulating *cost-of-twenty-eight*. The *thirty* had taken the small accumulating *cost-of-five* (with three at the small accumulating *non-fatal wound* shape, two dead).

The *eighty's* remaining fifty-two had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past dusk — withdrawn at the small accumulating *defeated* shape.

The patrol had not — by the small specific accumulating reading — reached the foot of the bear-back.

Heizi at the small clear ground at the dusk of the eighth day filed.

The dark catalog took two more named names — by the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating list at the runner's accumulating saying — *Liu Tongnian* (Hebei, twenty-eight, four years at the rebellion, taken at the second wave's accumulating block-and-set's accumulating recovery) and *Wei Diaolong* (Henan, thirty-one, six years, taken at the third wave's accumulating thrust-and-set's accumulating thrust). Two more brothers laid at the cold-spring camp's accumulating burial slope.

The dark catalog stood at thirty-seven named names plus the *unnamed thousand* plus the small accumulating *unnamed Sui dead* (perhaps four hundred ninety so far).

Heizi laid the *one-mark-knowing* of Liu Tongnian and Wei Diaolong at the catalog at the small wooden bench.

He went to the cot's-side that dusk.

He said in the small low voice: *master. Yu Wenhuo's accumulating *first spring patrol* of eighty has, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two days, been held by Yan Wenshu's *thirty* at the southern fold. Two brothers down. The master holds.*

Lao Wen at the cot looked up.

He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad. By the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — the *thirty* have, at the small accumulating *eighty's accumulating cost-of-twenty-eight*, laid in the small accumulating *real seasoned* shape. The cold-spring camp's *thirty* are, by the small specific reading I am giving, at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *seasoned defensive sub-unit*.*

He paused.

"By the small specific reading I am giving — Yu Wenhuo will, by the small specific reading at the past peddler, perhaps lay the small accumulating *second spring patrol* in two months at the small accumulating *one-hundred-and-twenty* shape. The cold-spring camp's *thirty* will, by the small specific reading at the small accumulating *one-hundred-and-twenty's accumulating real strength*, hold but at the small accumulating *cost-of-twelve* — perhaps a third of the *thirty* lost. By the small specific reading I am giving — the *thirty* will, after the second engagement, be at perhaps a small accumulating *eighteen-of-thirty* shape and will not hold the third engagement against an accumulating real Sui patrol of *one-hundred-and-fifty or more*."

He paused once more.

"By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *summer's third engagement* is, by the small specific reading I am giving, the small accumulating *unfound moment* the master named. By the small specific reading I am giving — the master will, in the late summer or early autumn of this year, walk."

Heizi nodded.

He filed it.

He could not — at the small wooden stool — say more.

He went out of the hut.

He sat at the small wooden bench at the small clear ground for a long beat.

He filed.

By the small specific accumulating reading at the past five years and a half at the cot's-side, the master had — at this dusk — laid the small specific accumulating *real* moment of his own accumulating end at the small accumulating *late summer or early autumn of this year*. By the small specific reading at the past three years and a half — the master had named the small accumulating *unfound moment* perhaps eight or nine times. Each had been deferred by the small accumulating *real circumstance* (peddler-saying, Wagang counter-attack, recall, intervention, weather, Ah Chou's tea). At this dusk — by the small specific reading at the past three days' Yu Wenhuo's *eighty* and the small specific reading at the past four months' Sui-court's accumulating *post-Yang-Guang* shape — the small accumulating *real circumstance* had, by the small specific reading I am giving, become the small accumulating *real circumstance of an accumulating Sui-court whose accumulating Mandate has ended at Yang Guang's death and whose accumulating local commands are, by the small specific reading I am giving, at the small accumulating *Yang-Tong-loyalist's accumulating real engagement* against the rebellions*.

The small accumulating *Yu Wenhuo* would, by the small specific reading I am giving, lay the small accumulating *real* sequence: eighty, then one-hundred-and-twenty, then one-hundred-and-fifty or more. The Wagang's accumulating *fifty* of the *eighty* were committed at Li Mi's winter offensive. The cold-spring camp's *thirty* could not — by the small specific reading at the past three engagements — hold the small accumulating *real* third. The master would walk.

The small accumulating *unfound moment* was — by the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — late summer or early autumn of this year.

Five months. Perhaps six.

Heizi sat at the small wooden bench for a very long beat.

He laid one hand once at the bench's accumulating edge.

He filed.

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

He listened.

The shape of the silence on this watch was — by the small specific reading at this evening — the shape of a small specific *staff-officer-and-apprentice* whose accumulating master had, at the dusk, named the small accumulating *real moment* at five or six months ahead.

The lad did not weep.

He filed.

He sat his watch through.