Chapter 11: The Lamp's Attempt

At 12:35 on Thursday, Woo-seok lay down across the back seat of Chil-seong's taxi outside the Blue Crane and slept for ten minutes.

He woke at 12:45 to Chil-seong humming in the front seat.

That was his door back, if he needed one.

The Lamp Guild had brought six hunters, a catering truck and two news vans.

Twenty lanterns stood in a line on the bathhouse steps in new Lamp Guild vests.

Kwak Do-han shook each lantern's hand for the cameras, and then he led them inside through the front doors.

Woo-seok's crew went in with the lanterns, because they were lanterns.

Woo-seok went in behind them as an independent party of one, with Ha-yeon beside him.

At the cold room door, Kwak took off his gloves.

"Lanterns, first line," he said. "Bags. Everything on the floor by the door. Thirty seconds. Then I go in."

One of his hunters slid the bar.

The lanterns went into the white tile with their sacks.

Woo-seok went in with them.

"Lamps off," he said.

Twenty lamps went dark.

Then the room turned white as noon.

Kwak stood in the doorway with light pouring out of his bare hands, so bright it hurt.

The master came up out of the pool toward him, the biggest light in the room.

Kwak stepped backward into the hall.

"Bar it," he said.

The door swung shut on twenty lanterns in the dark with the master.

Woo-seok heard the twins calling to each other, and then he didn't.

The cold found him by the wall.

He woke up across the back seat of the taxi.

[Return. Paid: one year.]

Chil-seong was humming in the front seat.

It was 12:45.

Woo-seok sat up and looked at his hands for a moment, and then he got out of the taxi.

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