71: Mei Yulan

Mother Plum was at the IRL western fountain bench at 6:42 PM IRL.

I knew because I had walked past the IRL western fountain on my way back from the small Tuesday-afternoon errand at the small specific Pingjiang-Road-affiliate small specific Hangzhou-east stationery shop where I had bought, this afternoon, a small careful new pencil for the Suzhou-cotton-paper notebook. She had been at the small carved-stone bench at the western rim in a small clean dark coat with the small careful Pingjiang-Road-shop-front grey scarf at her neck. She had not, when I crossed the small square at fifteen meters' distance, looked at me. She had been at the bench reading a small careful slim paper-bound novel of the small careful Suzhou-vendor-press 1990s edition — the small careful small specific not-looking that the Pingjiang-Road auntie-network protection-protocol's small specific witness convention required a small careful witness to do during the small careful witnessed event.

I had walked back to the dorm without breaking stride.

I had logged in at 6:54 PM IRL.

Wanqing was at the south-gate step at 6:55. Old Wolf was in the small eastern alcove of the south-gate gatehouse at 6:56 with the small wooden tankard, full this evening. Zhao Yiwen was at the small inner curve of the eastern alcove at 6:58 — in the in-game render the same small careful navy-blue-cardigan-over-black-turtleneck she had worn at the IRL western fountain bench Sunday nine days ago, the in-game-character-customizer reproduction of her IRL clothes she had carried over to her small careful in-game character at the launch-week. She had at her small left hand a small careful copper coin. The coin was — at the in-game render — a small careful copper round with a small specific Qing-dynasty mintmark on the obverse and a small careful chip on the reverse. The pinprick on the edge was visible at the small careful distance of the alcove only because the in-game light had been set, at the alcove's small careful in-game-render, to the small careful angle that lit the edge.

We did not, at the south-gate step, speak.

Mei Yulan came up the south road at 7:00 PM IRL exactly.

She was — at the in-game render — a small woman in her late fifties in a small careful Brigade-mourning silver-and-blue. The silver-and-blue was the same silver-and-blue Old Wolf had worn for four IRL months at the south-gate step, but her version had at the cuff of the left sleeve a small careful black band — the small careful Brigade-mourning band a small careful Brigade widow wore for a small careful husband who had died in the small careful original-Brigade civic capacity. She had at her right hand no weapon. She carried, at her left hand, a small careful folded square of green paper, smaller than Sun Xiulan's and larger than the first kind. She had her in-game hair in the small careful low bun the small careful Brigade-leadership-widow convention asked.

She stopped at three meters from the south-gate step.

She did not bow.

The not-bowing was — by the small careful Brigade-leadership-widow convention — the small careful first acknowledgment that the meeting was not envoy-to-commander but principal-to-principal. A bow would have been the small careful diminution. The not-bowing was the small careful equality.

She said: "Bladeless of *Severing Light*. Wanqing. Old Wolf. Zhao Yiwen."

Her voice was the small careful low even voice of an older woman who had spent six IRL years saying the small careful four-word-name acknowledgment without losing the small careful weight of the saying.

I said: "Mei Yulan."

She said: "I have come — at 7:00 PM IRL on the small specific Tuesday I told my small late husband Mei Qing in 2011 I would, when the small careful right small careful guild commander appeared on this server, come to. The wait was three IRL years. I am, this evening, at the small specific south-gate step I told him I would, on the small specific evening, be at."

She paused.

She said: "I will speak briefly. The brevity is — by the small specific small careful Brigade-leadership-widow convention — the small specific kind. Brevity is the small specific kind because the offer I will deliver is the small careful kind that does not require, at the door, the small careful elaboration. The offer requires the small specific consideration. The consideration may take the small specific time the small specific commander needs."

She held out the small folded square of green paper.

I took it. I did not, before unfolding, look at her. I unfolded the small square.

The small square was — at the in-game render — a small careful single-page document in Mei Yulan's careful hand. The document had at the top a small careful title: *Permanent Civic-Affiliate Arrangement — proposed*. Below the title were six small careful numbered clauses.

The clauses were:

*1. Severing Light retains full tactical autonomy. The Brigade-leadership-residual line will not, by this arrangement, command, advise, or veto Severing Light tactical decisions.*

*2. The Brigade-leadership-residual line provides corridor protection through the Continental One campaign. Corridor protection includes: defensive perimeter monitoring on cross-server trade routes, civic-historical-context advance-warning DMs at twelve hours' minimum, and small specific neutral-zone arbitration when Severing Light requests.*

*3. Severing Light retains the small specific four-things charter unchanged. The Brigade-leadership-residual line acknowledges and respects the four things.*

*4. The arrangement is permanent. The arrangement does not have a small specific termination clause. The arrangement may be small specifically dissolved by either party with thirty IRL days' notice, in a small specific written communication delivered at the south-gate step.*

*5. The arrangement is, on the Brigade-leadership-residual line's side, signed by Mei Yulan as principal. Mei Yulan signs as the small specific Brigade-leadership-widow convention's principal because she is, by Mei Qing's small specific civic-charter succession, the small specific principal of the small specific Brigade-leadership-residual line.*

*6. The arrangement carries no financial component. The Brigade-leadership-residual line offers no payment, no equipment, no small specific guild revenue share. Severing Light offers no payment, no equipment, no small specific guild revenue share. The arrangement is — by the small specific Brigade-leadership-residual line's small specific principle — a small specific civic arrangement, not a small specific commercial one.*

I read the six clauses twice.

I folded the small square.

I said: "Mei Yulan. The arrangement, at its six clauses, is — by my own small careful read — the small careful kind of civic arrangement *Severing Light*'s small specific four-things charter is most easily compatible with. I would like to defer, however, the small specific signing for one IRL week. The deferral is — by my own small specific commander's-judgment — the small specific exercise of due care in a small specific permanent arrangement that has no small specific termination beyond a thirty-day-notice clause. I will, on the small specific Tuesday twenty-fifth at 7 PM IRL at the south-gate step, deliver the small specific signed-or-deferred-again decision."

Mei Yulan held my eyes for the small two seconds.

She said: "Bladeless. The deferral is the small specific deferral I had — by my own small specific small careful Brigade-leadership-widow expectation — expected. The seven IRL days are yours. I will, at 7 PM on the Tuesday twenty-fifth, be at the south-gate step. I will, between now and then, not — by my own small specific commitment — send a small specific intermediate communication."

She turned to Wanqing.

She said: "Wanqing-of-the-Pingjiang-Road. The small specific tactical-merits-only acceptance, which I read at the small specific four-clause level on the bonded-aura signal you have been radiating at the small careful eight-centimeter mark since I started reading clause two — is registered. The small specific tactical-merits-acceptance, by the small specific Hangzhou-9 first-cycle adjunct-training convention, does not, by itself, sign the arrangement. It is, however, the small specific endorsement the small specific tactical officer's bond-aura is required to give for the small specific commander's deferral to be the small specific commander's deferral and not a small specific small specific weakness. Your endorsement is registered. I read it. It is the small specific endorsement I had hoped to read."

Wanqing said: "Mei Yulan."

She said: "Yes."

Wanqing said: "Sun Xiulan is, by my aunt Su Lan's word, your flatmate since 2008. She is also your flatmate by your own small careful word. By the small careful Hangzhou-9 first-cycle adjunct-training convention I came up under, I would like to ask you, on behalf of the small careful adjunct-training-line that runs through Sun Xiulan, the small careful one question that the small specific tactical officer asks the small specific Brigade-leadership-residual principal at the small specific first principal-to-principal meeting."

Mei Yulan said: "I expected the question. Ask."

Wanqing said: "Did Mei Qing, on the small careful day he died, name the small careful guild commander."

Mei Yulan was quiet a long moment.

She said: "He named no name. He named, instead, three things. The first was: *the right commander will, by his own small careful patience, refuse three small specific kinds of offers in three small specific kinds of weeks*. The second was: *the right commander will be small carefully bonded with a small specific tactical officer who will, by the small specific tactical officer's own small specific cadence, have come up under a small specific Hangzhou-9 first-cycle adjunct-training receipt*. The third was: *the right commander will, by the small specific November Tuesday in the small careful year the right small careful continental-precursor-formation has, by its own small specific four-IRL-month preparation, brought the small specific four civic lines to the small specific intersection — be at the small specific south-gate step ready to be met*. He died at the small specific 6:42 PM IRL on the small specific Tuesday the eighteenth of November IRL 2011 with the small specific three things in the small specific small careful sealed envelope at the small specific corner of his small specific desk. I opened the envelope at the small specific seven PM IRL of the same evening. I have, since then, been small carefully waiting at the small specific intersection of the four civic lines for the small specific Tuesday the eighteenth of November to come — by the small specific count of the small specific small careful continental civic-historical-context-precursor-formation's small specific accumulated small specific small careful preparation — to fall on the small specific year a small specific commander would, by the small specific three things, be at the small specific south-gate step."

She paused.

She said: "This year. This small specific Tuesday. The small specific seven PM. You and Bladeless and Old Wolf and Zhao Yiwen at the small specific south-gate step. The three things are — by my own small specific count of this small specific evening — confirmed."

Wanqing said: "Thank you, Mei Yulan."

Mei Yulan said: "Don't thank me. Thank Mei Qing."

She turned.

She walked west down the south road toward the lower-city night market in the small careful silver-and-blue with the small careful black mourning band at the cuff of the left sleeve.

She stopped at twelve meters' distance.

She turned.

She said, in the same small careful low even voice that carried — through the small careful in-game-render distance the in-game-acoustic engine attached to the south-gate step at this small careful in-game evening: "I have come — by my own count — to meet the small careful guild commander my husband Mei Qing would have, on the small careful day he died, wanted me to meet. The wait was three years. The meeting was worth the wait."

She walked west.

When her bond marker had gone off the south-gate map Old Wolf came out of the small eastern alcove. Zhao Yiwen came out behind him with the small copper coin still in her left hand.

Old Wolf said: "Bladeless."

I said: "Yes."

He said: "The deferral was the small careful right commander's-judgment exercise. The seven IRL days will, by my count, be small carefully used by all four civic lines at the small careful four-civic-line intersection to small carefully observe how a small careful commander uses a small careful seven-day window. The observing is the small careful kind. By the small careful Tuesday the twenty-fifth the small careful four civic lines will, by their own small careful counting, have read the small careful seven days. The reading will inform the small careful Tuesday-twenty-fifth signing or deferring."

I said: "All right."

He said: "Get some sleep. The seven days begin tomorrow at six AM."

He walked west.

Zhao Yiwen, before walking west: "Bladeless. Tell my mother — when you next see her at the small specific Sunday tea-shop two doors east of Su Lan's flat — that the small careful copper coin is, this evening, back in Sun Xiulan's left pocket. The pinprick is still where I put it."

I held that.

I said: "Your mother is at the Pingjiang Road tea-shop on Sundays."

She said: "She has been there since the small careful launch-week. She is the small careful third pair the small careful Pingjiang-Road auntie-network protection-protocol has been waiting for the small careful 1962-Pingjiang-Road-cadence-line to come to. She and the small careful chestnut vendor's mother have been the third pair's two hands since 2009. They are, this small careful November, the small careful third pair Mrs. Su will, on the small careful Sunday twenty-third, name to her daughter at the small careful kitchen table. I am — by my own small careful Coalition-retainer geography — at the small specific Hangzhou western fountain bench on Sundays, not the small specific Pingjiang-Road tea-shop. My mother carries the cadence; I carry the small specific eyes. Tell her, the small careful next time you are at the small careful tea-shop with the small careful Wanqing on a small careful Sunday: I am still at the small careful bench."

I held that for the small two seconds.

I said: "I will tell her."

She walked west.

Wanqing and I sat on the south-gate step at the eight-centimeter mark for the next thirty-eight minutes without speaking.

She did not, at the gap, close it.

I logged out at 7:46 PM IRL.

At 7:54 PM IRL I was at the IRL western fountain bench.

Mother Plum was at the small carved-stone bench at the western rim in the small clean dark coat with the small careful grey scarf. She had set the small slim Suzhou-vendor-press paper-bound novel face-down on the small bench beside her. She had at her right hand a small paper cup of the small careful Pingjiang-Road-vendor-style hot soybean milk. She had at her left hand a second small paper cup of the same.

She handed me the small paper cup at her left hand.

She said: "Bladeless. Sit."

I sat at the small bench at the small twenty-eight centimeters of carved stone.

She said: "I was here from 6:42 to 7:54. The small careful witness convention required the small careful one IRL hour and twelve IRL minutes. I have, by the small careful Pingjiang-Road auntie-network protection-protocol's small specific Tuesday-evening witness-convention, been at the bench for the small careful one hour and twelve minutes I was required to be. The witness is recorded. The recording is — by the small careful protocol — at the small careful Pingjiang-Road auntie-network's small careful Wednesday-meeting third-row-table tomorrow morning. By tomorrow afternoon the small careful seven-pair line — by my count, eight including Mei Yulan and the small specific entry the witness adds — will know the witness was here."

I said: "Thank you, Mother Plum."

She said: "Drink. The soybean milk is from the small careful Pingjiang Road vendor. The vendor's mother taught my own mother and Mrs. Su's mother and Auntie Wu's mother and your own mother the small careful soybean-milk recipe in the small specific 1962 Pingjiang-Road kitchen. The recipe is — by the small careful 1962-Pingjiang-Road origin — the small careful sister to the cadence."

I drank.

The soybean milk was the small careful soybean milk of my mother's small careful early-childhood mornings in two timelines.

Wanqing — who had logged out at the same 7:46 — came down the western boulevard at 8:02. She crossed the small lower-city night-market square at the small steady walk. She stopped at the small bench. She did not, at the bench, sit down. She stood at the small bench at the small twenty-eight centimeters from Mother Plum's small left side.

She said: "Auntie Wang."

Mother Plum said: "Wanqing."

Wanqing said: "Was the witness recorded."

Mother Plum said: "The witness was recorded. I will, tomorrow morning at the small careful Wednesday-meeting third-row table, file it."

Wanqing said: "Thank you."

She said: "Auntie Wang. Cangtian and I will, in the small careful seven IRL days between now and the small specific Tuesday twenty-fifth, walk the small careful Pingjiang Road on the small careful Sunday twenty-third. The small careful walk is the small careful walk to the small careful kitchen table. By the small careful kitchen table the small careful third pair will, by my mother's small careful timing, be named."

Mother Plum said: "I know. I will, by my own small careful timing, be at my own small careful stall on the small careful Sunday twenty-third morning. I will not, by the small careful protocol, be at the kitchen table. The kitchen table is — by the small careful protocol — Mrs. Su's. I will be at the small careful stall. If you and Bladeless walk past my small careful stall on your way to the small careful kitchen table, I will sell you a small careful paper bag of mooncakes for the small careful kitchen table."

Wanqing said: "We will walk past."

Mother Plum said: "Good."

She picked up the small slim novel. She picked up her own small paper cup of the soybean milk. She stood up.

She said: "Walk safely, both of you."

She walked east toward the small east-side trolley stop at the small late-October-going-into-November steady walk.

When she had crossed the small east-side trolley intersection Wanqing sat down on the small bench beside me at the eight-centimeter mark.

She did not close it.

In my chest the second voice — *three months and three weeks* — was quiet. The first voice — the old counter — said:

*Mei Yulan named the three things Mei Qing named on the day he died. The third thing was the small specific November Tuesday at the small specific four-civic-line intersection. The Tuesday was tonight. By the small specific Tuesday twenty-fifth I will have, by my own small specific seven-day-window judgment, decided. The deciding will, by Old Wolf's count, be observed by all four civic lines. The deciding is mine. The witness is recorded.*

I drank the rest of the soybean milk.

I walked Wanqing to the dormitory north corridor at 9:14 PM IRL.

I walked west to A-7.

I slept.