Thief of Time

walls?”
    “And the ceiling, yes. The one that’s like being inside a giant porcupine turned inside out.”
    Lobsang looked horrified. “But that’s not for practice! The rules say—”
    “That’s the one,” said Lu-Tze. “And I say we use it.”
    “Oh.”
    “Good. No argument,” said Lu-Tze. “This way, lad.”
    Blossom cascaded from the trees as they passed. They entered the monastery and took the same route they’d taken once before.
    This brought them into the Hall of the Mandala, and the sand rose like a dog welcoming its master and spiraled in the air far below Lobsang’s sandals. Lu-Tze heard the shouts of the attendants behind him.
    News like this spread throughout the valley like ink in water. Hundreds of monks, apprentices, and sweepers were trailing the pair as they crossed the inner courtyards, like the tail of a comet.
    Above them, all the time, petals of cherry blossom fell like snow.
    At last Lu-Tze reached the high, round metal door of the Iron Dojo. The clasp of the door was fifteen feet up. No one who did not belong there was supposed to open the door of the dojo.
    The sweeper nodded at his former apprentice.
    “You do it,” he said. “I can’t.”
    Lobsang glanced at him and then looked up at the high clasp. Then he pressed a hand against the iron.
    Rust spread under his fingers. Red stains spread out across the ancient metal. The door began to creak and then to crumble. Lu-Tze prodded it with an experimental finger, and a slab of cookie-dough-strong metal fell out and collapsed on the flagstones.
    “Very impress—” he began. A squeaky rubber elephant bounced off his head.
    “Bikkit!”
    The crowd parted. The chief acolyte ran forward, carrying the abbot.
    “What is the wanna bikkit BIKKIT meaning of this? Who is wozza funny man this person, Sweeper? The spinners are dancing in their hall!”
    Lu-Tze bowed.
    “He is Time, Reverend One, as you have suspected,” he said. Still bent in the bow, he looked up and sideways at Lobsang.
    “Bow!” he hissed.
    Lobsang looked puzzled. “ I should bow even now?” he said.
    “Bow, you little stonga , or I shall teach you such discipline! Show deserved respect! You are still my apprentice until I give you leave!”
    Shocked, Lobsang bowed.
    “And why do you visit us in our timeless valley?” said the abbot.
    “Tell the abbot!” Lu-Tze snapped.
    “I…I wish to learn the fifth surprise,” said Lobsang.
    “—Reverend One—,” Lu-Tze supplied.
    “—Reverend One,” Lobsang finished.
    “You visit us just to learn of our clever sweeper’s fancies?” said the abbot.
    “Yes, er, Reverend One.”
    “Of all the things Time could be doing, you wish to see an old man’s trick? Bikkit! ”
    “Yes, Reverend One.” The monks stared at Lobsang. His robe still fluttered this way and that in the teeth of the intangible gale, the stars glinting when they caught the light.
    The abbot smiled a cherubic smile.
    “So should we all,” he said. “None of us has ever seen it, I believe. None of us has ever been able to wheedle it out of him. But…this is the Iron Dojo. It has rules! Two may walk in, but only one can walk out! This is no practice dojo! Wanna ’lephant! Do you understand?”
    “What? I didn’t know—” Lobsang began, but the sweeper jerked an elbow into his ribs.
    “You say, ‘Yes, Reverend One,’” he growled.
    “But I never intended—”
    This time the back of his head was slapped.
    “This is no time to step back!” Lu-Tze said. “You’re too late, wonder boy!” He nodded to the abbot. “My apprentice understands, Reverend One.”
    “Your apprentice, Sweeper?”
    “Oh, yes, Reverend One,” said Lu-Tze. “My apprentice. Until I say otherwise.”
    “Really? Bikkit! Then he may enter. You too, Lu-Tze.”
    “But I only meant to—” Lobsang protested.
    “Inside!” Lu-Tze roared. “Will you shame me? Shall people think I have taught you nothing?”
    The inside of the Iron Dojo was, indeed, a darkened dome full of spikes. They were needle-thin and there were tens of thousands of them covering the nightmare walls.
    “Who would build something like this?” said Lobsang, looking up at the glistening points that covered even the ceiling.
    “It teaches the virtues of stealth and discipline,” said Lu-Tze, cracking his knuckles. “Impetuosity and speed can be as dangerous to the attacker as to the attacked, as perhaps you will learn. One condition: we are all human here. Agreed?”
    “Of