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'Sorry? You don't have to be sorry I don't knohat you are, son You're too quick You're taking to this place like a duck to water You don't have to learn stuff that takes other people years to get the hang of Old Shoblang, may he be reincarnated somewhere nice and warm, even he couldn't balance the load down to a second I mean, a second Over a whole damn world!' He shuddered 'Here's a tip Don't let it show People can be funny about that sort of thing'

'Yes, Sweeper'

'And another thing,' said Lu-Tze, leading the way out into the light 'What was all that fuss just before the Procrastinators cut loose? You felt so rong for a moment'

'Ever happened before?'

'No-o It was a bit like what happened in the Mandala Hall'

'Well, don't talk about it to anyone else Most of the high-ups these days probably don't even kno the spinners work No one cares about the that works too well Of course, in the old days you weren't even allowed to beco and cleaning and fetching And ere better for it! These days it's all about learning obedience and cosmic harmony Well, in the old days you learned that in the halls You learned that if you didn't juot a couple of years where it hurt, and that there's no hare rose into thearound as they headed for the Mandala Hall 'You're sure you can look at it again?' said Lu-Tze 'Yes, Sweeper'

'Okay You know best' The balconies overlooking the hall were croith monks, but Lu-Tze worked his way forward by polite yet fire Rinpo caught sight of him 'Ah, Sweeper,' he said 'Some dust delayed you?'

'Spinners cut free and went overspeed,' muttered Lu-Tze 'Yes, but you were summoned by the abbot,' said the acolyte reproachfully 'Upon a tied it down to the hall when the gongs went'

'Yes, but-'

'BRRRRbrrrrbrrrr,' said the abbot, and Lobsang sa that he was being carried in a sling on the acolyte's back, with an embroidered pixie hood on his head to keep off the chill 'Lu- Tze alas very keen on the practical approach BRRRbrrr' He blew lad matters have been resolved, Lu-Tze' The sweeper bohile the abbot started to beat the acolyte gently over the head with a wooden bear 'History has repeated, Lu-Tze DumDumBBBRRRR '

'Glass clock?' said Lu-Tze The senior asped 'How could you possibly know that?' said the chief acolyte 'We haven't rerun the Mandala yet!'

'It is written, "I've got a feeling in my water,"' said Lu-Tze 'And that was the only other time I ever heard of when all the spinners ild like that They all cut loose Tiain'

'That is quite impossible,' said the acolyte 'We removed every trace!'

'Hah! It is written, "I'!"' snapped Lu-Tze 'So like that you can't kill It leaks back Stories Drea looked down at the Mandala floor Monks were clustered around a group of tall cylinders at the far end of the hall They looked like Procrastinators, but only one s, slowly The others werethe mass of symbols that were carved into theht arrived in his head That is where the Mandala's patterns are kept, so that they can be replayed Today's patterns on the little one, long-ter ones Below him the Mandala rippled, blotches of colour and scraps of pattern drifting across its surface One of the distant , and the srains were stilled 'This is how it looked twenty o,' said Rinpo 'See the blue-white dot there? And then it spreads-'