Thief of Time

Lu-Tze. He hadn’t moved as the dummy had sailed past his ear.
    The door burst open and a plump old monk looked out excitedly.
    “Did you see that? Did you see that?” he said. “And that was with just one spoonful!” He nodded at them. “Oh, hello, Lu-Tze. I was expecting you. I’ve got some things ready.”
    “Got what?” said Lobsang.
    “Who’s the boy?” said Qu, ushering them in.
    “The untutored child is called Lobsang,” said Lu-Tze, looking around the shed. There was a smoking circle on the stone floor, with drifts of blackened sand around it. “New toys, Qu?”
    “Exploding mandala,” said Qu happily, bustling forward. “Just sprinkle the special sand in a simple design anywhere you like, and the first enemy to walk on it—bang, instant karma! Don’t touch that! ”
    Lu-Tze reached across and snatched from Lobsang’s inquisitive hands the begging bowl that he had just picked up from a table.
    “Remember Rule One,” he said and hurled the bowl across the room. Hidden blades slid out as it spun, and the bowl buried itself in a beam.
    “That would take a man’s head right off!” said Lobsang. And then they heard the faint ticking.
    “—Three, four, five…” said Qu. “Everybody duck… now! ”
    Lu-Tze pushed Lobsang to the floor a moment before the bowl exploded. Metal fragments scythed overhead.
    “I added just a little something extra since you last saw it,” said Qu proudly, as they got to their feet again. “A very versatile device. Plus, of course, you can use it to eat rice out of. Oh, and have you seen this?”
    He picked up a prayer drum. Both Lu-Tze and Lobsang took a step back.
    Qu twirled the drum a few times, and the weighted cords pattered against the skins.
    “The cord can be instantly removed for a handy garotte,” he said, “and the drum itself can be removed—like so—to reveal this useful dagger.”
    “Plus, of course, you can use it to pray with?” said Lobsang.
    “Well spotted,” said Qu. “Quick boy. A prayer is always useful in the last resort. In fact we’ve been working on a very promising mantra incorporating sonic tones that have a particular effect on the human nervous syst—”
    “I don’t think we need any of this stuff, Qu,” said Lu-Tze.
    Qu sighed. “At least you could let us turn your broom into a secret weapon, Lu-Tze. I’ve shown you the plans—”
    “It is a secret weapon,” said Lu-Tze. “It’s a broom.”
    “How about the new yaks we’ve been breeding? At the touch of a rein, their horns will instantly—”
    “We want the spinners, Qu.”
    The monk suddenly looked guilty.
    “Spinners? What spinners?”
    Lu-Tze walked across the room and pressed a hand against part of the wall, which slid aside.
    “These spinners, Qu. Don’t muck me about, we haven’t got time.”
    Lobsang saw what looked very much like two small Procrastinators, each one within a metal framework mounted on a board. There was a harness attached to each board.
    “You haven’t told the abbot about them yet, have you,” said Lu-Tze, unhooking one of the things. “He’d put a stop to them if you did, you know that.”
    “I didn’t think anyone knew!” said Qu. “How did you —”
    Lu-Tze grinned. “No one notices a sweeper,” he said.
    “They’re still very experimental!” said Qu, close to panic. “I was going to tell the abbot, of course , but I was waiting until I had something to demonstrate! And it would be terrible if they fell into the wrong hands!”
    “Then we’ll see to it that they don’t,” said Lu-Tze, examining the straps. “How’re they powered now?”
    “Weights and ratchets were too unreliable,” said Qu. “I’m afraid I had to resort to…clockwork.”
    Lu-Tze stiffened, and he glared at the monk. “ Clockwork?”
    “Only as a motive force, only as a motive force!” Qu protested. “There’s really no other choice!”
    “Too late now, it’ll have to do,” said Lu-Tze, unhooking the other board and passing it across to Lobsang. “There you go, lad. With a bit of sacking round it it’ll look just like a backpack.”
    “What is it?”
    Qu sighed. “They’re portable Procrastinators. Try not to break them, please.”
    “What will we need them for?”
    “I hope you don’t have to find out,” said Lu-Tze. “Thanks, Qu.”
    “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer some time bombs?” said Qu hopefully. “Drop one on the floor and time will slow for—”
    “Thanks, but no.”
    “The other monks