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'Ah! I knew there was so to learn!' Lu-Tze stood up 'Why you?' he said 'Why here? Why now? "There is a ti" Why this time and this place? If I take you to the dojo, you will return what you stole from me! Now!' He looked down at the teak table where he worked on his mountains The little shovel was there A few cherry blossoround 'I see,' he said 'You are that fast? I did not see you' Lobsang said nothing

'It is a s,' said Lu-Tze 'Why did you take it, please?'

'To see if I could I was bored'

'Ah We shall see if we canfor you, then No wonder you are bored, when you can already slice time like that' Lu-Tze turned the little shovel over and over in his hand 'Very fast,' he said He leaned down and blew the petals away frolacier 'You slice time as fast as a Tenth Djireat thief! And now Oh dear, I shall have to face you in the dojo '

'No, there is no need!' said Lobsang, because now Lu-Tze looked frightened and humiliated and, somehow, smaller and brittle-boned 'I insist,' said the old et it done now For it is written, "There is no time like the present", which is Mrs Coshed and looked up at the giant statue of Wen 'Look at him,' he said 'He was a lad, eh? Completely blissed out on the universe Saw the past and future as one living person, and wrote the Books of History to tell how the story should go We can't iine what those eyes saw And he never raised a hand to any man in his life'

'Look, I really didn't want to-'

'And you've looked at the other statues?' said Lu-Tze, as if he'd co followed his gaze Up on the raised stone platforardens were hundreds of smaller statues, arish colours Figures with as put together as if the creator of the universe had tipped out his box of spare parts and stuck theold, looked down over the valley 'Oh, the dhlang-' Lobsang began 'Demons? That's one word for them,' said the sweeper 'The abbot called them the Enemies of Mind Wen wrote a scroll about them, you know And he said that was the worst' He pointed to a little hooded grey shape, which looked out of place aerous,' said Lobsang 'Look, Sweeper, I don't want to-'

'They can be very dangerous, things that don't look dangerous,' said Lu-Tze 'Not looking dangerous is what erous For it is written, "You can't tell a book by its cover"'

'Lu-Tze, I really don't want to fight you-'

'Oh, your tutors will tell you that the discipline of a martial art enables you to slice tioes,' said Lu-Tze, apparently not listening 'But so can sweeping, as perhaps you have found Always find the perfectit to kick other people on the back of the neck'

'But it wasn't a challenge, I just wanted you to show ain I must keep it, old fool that I am' The nearest dojo was the dojo of the Tenth Dji as they danced across the ht, Lobsang knew Time was a resource You could learn to let it h a crowd and yet beso fast that no one could see him Or he could stand still for a few seconds, and watch the sun andsky He could meditate for a day in a minute Here, in the valley, a day lasted for ever Blossohters became a couple of hesitantthe use of this dojo for a short period while e,' he said 'I really didn't an, but Lu-Tze elbowed hiave the old man a nervous look 'It's yours, Lu-Tze,' said one of the over their own feet as they looked back 'Time and its control is e should teach here,' said Lu-Tze, watching theo 'The martial arts are an aid That is all they are At least, that's all they were meant to be Even out in the world a well-trained person may perceive, in the fray, how flexible time may be Here, we can build on that Co people's kidneys out through their nose is only a foolish by-product' Lu-Tze took down a razor-edged pika sword from the rack and handed it to the shocked boy 'You've seen one of these before? They're not really for novices, but you show promise'

'Yes, Sweeper, but-'

'Kno to use it?'

'I'ood with the practice ones, but they're just made of-'

'Take it, then, and attacknoise above the into the observation gallery above the dojo There were soets around quickly in a little world 'Rule Two,' said Lu-Tze, 'is never refuse a weapon' He took a few steps back 'In your own ti wielded the curved sword uncertainly 'Well?' said Lu-Tze 'I can't just-'

'Is this the dojo of the Tenth Djim?' said Lu-Tze 'Why, mercy me, I do believe it is That y anything is allowed Do you understand? Are you stupid?'

'But I can't just kill someone because they've asked me to!'

'Why not? What happened to Mr Manners?'

'But-'

'You are holding a deadly weapon! You are facing an unarhtened?'

'Yes! Yes, I am!'