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'Yes, that kind of thing happens,' said Susan Unity stared at her, wild-eyed 'Life is full of surprises,' said Susan, but the sight of the creature's distresswas one of the- Well, at least had started outa body as a kind of coat, but now After all, you could say that about everyone, couldn't you? Susan had even wondered if the human soul without the anchor of a body would end up, eventually, as so like an Auditor Which, to be fair,like a hu and, if it caan and where it finished? 'Coht?' Like shards of glass, spinning through the air, fragments of history drifted and collided and intersected in the dark There was a lighthouse, though The valley of Oi Dong held on to the ever-repeating day In the hall aliant cylinders stood silent, all time run out Some had split Some had melted Some had exploded So Thanda, the oldest and largest, ground slowly on its basalt bearing, winding ti as Wen had decreed that the perfect day would never end Ra beside the turning stone in the light of a butter larease onto the base A clink of stone made him peer into the darkness It was heavy with the sain and, then, the scratch and flare of a match 'Lu-Tze?' he said 'Is that you?'

'I hope so, Raht and sat down 'Keeping you busy, are they?' Handisides sprang to his feet 'It's been terrible, Sweeper! Everyone's up in the Mandala Hall! It's worse than the Great Crash! There's bits of history everywhere and we've lost half the spinners! We'll never be able to put it all-'

'No, you look like a ot a lot of sleep, eh? Tell you what, I'll take care of this You go and get a bit of shut-eye, okay?'

'We thought you were lost out in the world, and-' thehim on the shoulder 'There's still that little alcove round the corner where you repair the smaller spinners? And there's still those unofficial bunks for when it's the night shift and you only need a couple of lads to keep their eye on things?' Handisides nodded, and looked guilty Lu-Tze wasn't supposed to know about the bunks 'You get along, then,' said Lu-Tze He watched theback and added, quietly, 'and if you wake up you ht turn out to be the luckiest idiot that ever there was Well, wonder boy? What next?'

'We put everything back,' said Lobsang, e that took us last ti around the stricken hall and heading towards the podiu'

'I wish you sounded more certain,' said Susan 'I'ers over the bobbins on the board Lu-Tze waved a cautionary hand at Susan Lobsang's mind was already on the way to soe a space it was occupying His eyes were closed 'The spinners that are left Can you move the jumpers?' he said 'I can show the ladies how to,' said Lu-Tze 'Are there not monks who kno to do this?' said Unity 'It would take too long I a questions,' said Lobsang 'You will not'

'He's got a point right enough,' said Lu-Tze 'People will start saying "What is thedone' Lobsang looked down at the bobbins and then across at Susan 'Isaw, all in pieces But I aood And all the pieces areBut because they were once linked, they have by their very nature a memory of that link Their shape is the ht position, the rest will be easier Oh, and iine that all the bits are scattered across the whole of eventuality, and rasp all that?'

'Yes I think so'

'Good Everything I have just said is nonsense It bears no resemblance to the truth of the matter in any way at all But it is a lie that you can understand, I think And then, afterwards-'

'You're going to go, aren't you,' said Susan It was not a question 'I will not have enough power to stay,' said Lobsang 'You need power to stay human?' said Susan She hadn't been aware of the rise of her heart, but noas sinking 'Yes Even trying to think in a mere four dimensions is a terrible effort I' called "now" is hard You thought I was hed If only I could tell you what everything looks like tostared into the air above the little wooden bobbins Things twinkled There were coainst the blackness It was like looking at a clock in pieces, with every wheel and spring carefully laid out in the dark in front of him Dismantled, controllable, every part of it understood but a nu into the corners of a very large rooood, then you could work out where they'd landed 'You've only got about a third of the spinners,' ca couldn't see hi show before his eyes 'That is true, but once they hole,' he said He raised his hands and lowered the noise and sa after row of colu out of the dust and debris They stood like lines of soldiers, rubble cascading from them 'Good trick!' Lu-Tze shouted to Susan's ear, above the thunder 'Feeding time into the spinners theed to do it!'

'Do you knohat he's actually going to do?' Susan shouted back 'Yeah! Snatch the extra time out of bits of history that are too far ahead and shove it into the bits that have fallen behind!'

'Sounds simple!'

'Just one problem!'

'What?'

'Can't do it! Losses!' Lu-Tze snapped his fingers, trying to explain tience! All sorts of stuff! You can't create time on the spinners, you can only low around Lobsang It flickered over the board, and then snapped across the air to for to all the Procrastinators It crawled between the carved sy layer, like cotton winding on a reel Lu-Tze looked at the whirling light and the shadoithin it, allow '-at least,' he added, 'until now'

The spinners wound up to their working speed and then went faster, under the lash of the light It poured across the cavern in a solid, unending stream Flames licked around the botto, and the noise fro scream of stone in distress Lu-Tze shook his head 'You, Susan, buckets of water frorease pails!'

'And what are you going to do?' said Susan, grabbing two buckets 'I' to worry like hell and that's not an easy job, believebutter There was no ti but to run fro and back, and there was not enough time even for that The spinners turned back and forth There was no need for the ju uselessly from their hooks as ti up as red or blue glows in the air It was a sight to frighten the knoptas off any trained spinner driver, Lu-Tze knew It looked like a cascade running wild, but there was sos squealed Butter bubbled The bases of so held, Lu-Tze thought He looked up at the registers The boards sla lines of red or blue or bare wood across the wall of the cavern There was a pall of white sently charred Past and future were streah the air The sweeper could feel thelow The bobbins were not beingon noas on some other level, which didn't need the intervention of crudechairs and whips but one day, if he's really good, he can go into the cage and do the show using nothing ood, and you'll know if he's really good because he'll co the thundering lines because there was a change in the sound One of the biggest spinners was slowing down It stopped as Lu-Tze watched, and didn't start again Lu-Tze raced around the cavern until he found Susan and Unity Threeit! He's doing it! Come away!' he shouted With a jolt that shook the floor, another spinner stopped

The three ran towards the end of the cavern, where the s, but the halt was already speeding down the rows Spinner after spinner sla the humans until, when they reached the little chalk spinners, they were in tiently to a halt There was silence, except for the sizzle of grease and the click of cooling rock 'Is it all over?' said Unity, wiping the sweat fro a trail of sequins Lu-Tze and Susan looked at the glow at the other end of the hall, and then at one another 'Idon'tthinkso,' said Susan Lu-Tze nodded 'I think it's just-' he began Bars of green light leapt froid as steel They flickered on and off between the colu snapped back and forth across the cavern The te roll of overpowering sound The bars brightened, expanded and then the air was all one brilliant light Which vanished The sound ceased so abruptly that the silence clanged The trio got to their feet, slowly 'What was that?' said Unity I think he es,' said Lu-Tze The spinners were silent The air was hot S to the routine of huan to pick up the load It caently, like a breeze And the spinners took the strain, froain into their gentle, ponderous pirouette 'Perfect,' said Lu-Tze 'Alood as it was, I'll bet'

'Only al the butter off her face 'Well, he's partly human,' said the sweeper They turned to the podium, and it was empty Susan was not surprised He'd be weak now, of course Of course, so like this would take it out of anyone Of course, he'd need to rest Of course 'He's gone,' she said flatly 'Who knows?' said Lu-Tze 'For is it not written, "You never knohat's going to turn up" ?'

The reassuring rumble of the Procrastinators now filled the cave Lu-Tze could feel the ti, like the sht to spend ht 'He broke history and repaired it,' said Susan 'Cause and cure That makes no sense!'