The Lotus Thief novel · Chapter 15 of 32

Chapter 15: The Road to the Gate

The man in brown and gold didn't move.

He was forty paces up the path with the crossbow on his back and the rope in his hand.

Bua let go of Ton and turned to face him.

Ton's hand went to his knife.

"Don't," Bua said.

The man looked at them both for a long moment.

Then he turned and walked away into the trees and was gone.

"That was one of Khem's."

"Yes."

"He saw us."

"He saw me kiss you."

Ton picked up the bud.

"Then he's running back to tell them."

"Yes."

They walked all day and all night.

They took turns sleeping in the afternoon under a fallen tree, one of them holding the stalk while the other lay down.

The bud stayed shut the whole way. It didn't warm and it didn't cool. It was just weight.

By the second evening the trees were thinner and there were fields.

By the third morning they could see the walls.

The capital sat in the flat land with the river on one side and the temple roofs behind it.

The west gate was the busy one, with the market road running into it.

From half a li out, Ton could see the carts.

They were stopped in a line four deep.

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