85: The Reply to Li Mi
Heizi wrote the reply to Li Mi at the small wooden bench inside the *guest-officer* tent at the noon of the second day of the eighth moon of the ninth year.
He wrote it slowly, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months at the southern command and at the past five years at Lao Wen's small wooden table. He wrote it in the small specific even strokes Lao Wen had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two years' writing-of-letters teaching — laid in his hand. He laid it on a single small folded piece of paper Bing Yuanzhen had — at the small specific saying of the previous evening — sent to the brothers' tent against the small specific accumulating reply.
He wrote, in the small specific accumulating shape of perhaps eighty characters:
*To the small specific accumulating reading of the small specific Wagang's accumulating leader Li Mi, by the small specific accumulating reading at the small specific letter of the past dusk's runner — the small specific seven-man-unit of the small specific accumulating southern command thanks the small specific accumulating reader for his small specific accumulating recognition. By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — the small specific seven-man-unit will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months' accumulating training with the small specific southern command's small specific accumulating veterans, lay in the small specific accumulating *real* reading at the small specific Sui-veteran-shape for some small specific accumulating further months. The small specific seven, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, will be at the small specific accumulating *fuller* shape for the small specific main stronghold's accumulating engagement at the small specific accumulating spring of the next year. By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — the small specific seven-man-unit asks for the small specific accumulating *patience* of the leader at perhaps six months. The small specific seven will, by the small specific reading I am giving, come to the main stronghold at the spring of the tenth year, ready. The lad, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past five years' teaching at an old man's small wooden table, has not — by the small honest measure — yet reached the small specific accumulating shape his old man asked of him. The lad will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the next six months, reach it. — Zhang of the eastern half of the small specific household at the small specific southern command.*
He folded the paper, slowly, in the small specific careful even fold of an old scholar's small specific accumulating reply.
He sealed it with a small drop of the small specific accumulating clay-and-pine-resin seal Bing Yuanzhen had also sent at the previous evening.
He laid it at the small wooden bench.
He looked at the brothers.
"By the small specific accumulating reading at this noon — I will not, by the small specific reading I am giving, take the seven of us to the main stronghold at the small specific accumulating *now* of the past dusk's letter."
He paused.
"By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months' training — Lu Jingzhi was right at the small specific dusk we arrived. The small specific *imbalance* of the narrow place was the small specific *easy* shape. We are, by the small specific reading at the past two months' training with the southern command's veterans, at the small specific accumulating *four-of-six* against the small specific real Sui-veteran-shape. We will not, by the small specific reading I am giving, be at the small specific *real* shape of a small specific Wagang main stronghold's small specific engagement until the small specific accumulating reading at the next six months."
He paused once more.
"By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — the small specific accumulating *Li Mi's eye* on the seven of us is — by the small specific honest measure — at the small specific accumulating *interest*. The small specific *interest* will, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, hold for six months. By the small specific reading at Lao Wen's small specific accumulating saying at the past two years' political philosophy — the small specific *interest* of a small specific accumulating leader at a small specific *real* military shape will, by the small specific accumulating reading, hold against the small specific accumulating *patience* of a small specific accumulating *not-yet*. The small specific accumulating *not-yet* is — by the small specific reading I am giving — the small specific accumulating *correct* response."
He paused.
"That is — by the small specific reading at this noon — the small specific accumulating reply."
The brothers nodded.
Wang Er, at the small specific *thrust-and-set* position of his accumulating slow honest weight, said in the small low voice: *brother. The reply is the reply.*
Tie-zhu, at the small low pad with the small specific old militia spear at his right hand, said in the small low voice: *yes, big brother. The lame brother — by the small specific reading I am giving at this noon — agrees.*
An Ashi, at the small slab with his accumulating political-eye ledger, said in the small low voice: *big brother. By the small specific accumulating reading at the small specific *political* response — the small specific *patience* is, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two years' political philosophy reading, the small specific *correct* response. Li Mi will, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving at this noon, hold the small specific *interest* through the next six months. The small specific accumulating reading at the lad's six-month *not-yet* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, increase the small specific *interest* — not decrease it.*
Ah Chou, at the small specific *seeing-without-being-seen* position, did not speak. He nodded.
Lu Jingzhi, at the small specific *third position*, bowed at the small specific *equal-stance*.
He said in the small low voice: *yes, big brother. The reply is the reply.*
Heizi nodded.
He took up the small folded paper.
He went to the small specific *runner-tent* at the small specific accumulating eastern edge of the southern command's accumulating compound. He laid the paper at the small specific accumulating runner-officer's small wooden bench. He paid the small specific accumulating string of cash Bing Yuanzhen had sent.
The runner-officer looked at the paper.
He said in the small low voice with the small specific accumulating accent of a southern Henan lower-country man: *to the main stronghold. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past dusks — perhaps four days' run.*
"Yes."
The runner-officer nodded. He laid the paper at the small specific accumulating outgoing stack.
Heizi went back to the small specific *guest-officer* tent.
That afternoon, Bing Yuanzhen came to the brothers' tent.
He came at the second hour after the noon.
He sat at the small banked fire.
He said in the small low voice: *brother. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past hour — the small specific reply has been sent.*
"Yes, brother."
"The small specific reply is — by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving at this hour — at the small specific accumulating *deferring* of the small specific main stronghold's small specific accumulating call."
"Yes, brother."
Bing Yuanzhen looked at him.
He nodded slowly.
He said in the small low voice: *brother. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two years' accumulating reading of Li Mi — the small specific accumulating *deferring* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, be at the small specific accumulating *interest* of Li Mi's eye. Li Mi will, by the small specific reading I am giving, *like* the small specific accumulating *not-yet*.*
He paused.
"And — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months' watching at the southern command — Bing Yuanzhen is — by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — also glad. The seven of you, at the small specific accumulating *staying* for six months, will at the small specific accumulating reading of the southern command's accumulating engagements be at the small specific accumulating *useful* shape of a small specific *seven-man-unit* I would, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months, like to keep at my hand."
He paused.
"By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months — the small specific *moment*-teaching of the small old man at the grove has, in two months, given the southern command's accumulating veterans a small specific accumulating *new* reading they had not, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three years, had at any small specific accumulating engagement before."
He paused.
"By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving at this hour — the small specific seven-man-unit will, in the next six months, also *teach*. The small specific *moment*-teaching is, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months' watching, at the small specific accumulating *kind* of teaching the country needs. The small specific southern command's accumulating veterans will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the next six months, lay in the small specific accumulating *moment* alongside their accumulating *Sui-veteran-shape*. By the small specific accumulating reading at the spring of the next year — the small specific southern command will, by the small specific reading I am giving, be at the small specific accumulating *better* engagement at the spring's accumulating campaigns."
He paused once more.
"That is — that is the small specific accumulating reading I am giving."
He bowed at the small specific *equal-stance*.
He said: *brother. The seven-man-unit's small specific accumulating *staying* is — by the small specific accumulating reading at this hour — welcome.*
Heizi bowed back.
He said in the small low voice: *thank you, brother.*
That night Heizi at his watch sat at the small banked fire of the *guest-officer* tent.
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 *seven-man-unit* whose small specific *eldest* had — at the small specific noon today — laid the small specific accumulating *not-yet* at the small specific accumulating *real* leader of the small specific rebellion.
He filed it.
In the small lighter catalog of moments, beside the small specific dusk of Li Mi's letter, he set: *the small specific noon of the second day of the eighth moon of the ninth year, when the lad laid the small specific accumulating *not-yet* in eighty characters and sent it to Li Mi.*
The lighter catalog stood at perhaps fifty-four items.
The dark catalog stood at six named names plus the small specific accumulating *unnamed*.
He sat his watch through.
That winter — the ninth winter of the brothers on the road, the third winter of Heizi's twenty-first year — the small specific *seven-man-unit* at the small specific southern command did, by the small specific accumulating arrangement of the past two months' accumulating *staying*, the small specific accumulating *teaching* and the small specific accumulating *training* of the southern command's accumulating veterans.
By the small specific reading at the dusk of the first day of the eleventh moon of the ninth year, perhaps fifteen of the southern command's accumulating veteran-officers had, by the small specific accumulating noon's accumulating teaching, laid in their hands the small specific accumulating *quarter-circle* and the small specific *cut at the recovery* at the small specific accumulating shape of a young apprentice's first month.
By the small specific reading at the dusk of the first day of the second moon of the tenth year, perhaps thirty of the southern command's accumulating veteran-officers had — by the small specific accumulating noon's accumulating teaching — laid them in.
The small specific *moment*-teaching of an old militia officer at the grove of twelve pines had — by the small specific accumulating reading at this dusk — moved into the small specific accumulating *real* military of the small specific accumulating Wagang Rebellion.
By the small specific accumulating reading at this dusk, the small specific old officer's small specific *seven-man-unit* had — at the small specific accumulating *teaching role* — begun the small specific accumulating *carrying-down* of the small specific accumulating *moment*-teaching the country, by the small specific accumulating reading at the next ten years, would need.
The work, by the small unhurried way of an accumulating rebellion, went on.