The Lotus Thief novel · Chapter 12 of 32

Chapter 12: The Sweet Mushroom

Chan Bua put her hand on the black water and it went back.

It ran off the grass and out of the island and back into the lake like something told to go home.

"Take the bud," she said. "Both hands. Go now."

Ton reached for the stalk and Bua reached at the same moment and their hands met on it.

The bud lifted out of the water without a sound.

It was light. Lighter than it looked.

The red drained out of the water behind them and the pool went clear again.

"Walk," Anantaka said, from above. "Do not set it down."

They walked.

The black path was still there and the walls of water were still standing on either side.

At the far shore the path ran up onto grass and the grass ran into trees and the trees were the Chandra Forest again.

Ton looked back once.

The lake was gone.

There was only forest, and sun coming down through the leaves in long yellow bars.

"How long were we in there?"

"I don't know."

"It was midday when we went in."

Bua looked up at the light.

"It's midday now."

They walked east with the bud between them.

Ton had one hand on the stalk and Bua had the other and they went sideways through the trees like men carrying a table.

It was slow. Roots, branches, wet ground.

By the time the light went orange they had gone maybe three li.

"We stop here," Bua said.

"Another hour."

"Your hands are shaking."

"So are yours."

They set the bud down on a flat stone and both of them let go at the same time and both of them watched it.

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