Chapter Five: The Space a Lie Leaves Behind

Lin Xi became a temporary substitute and sealed it. The city forgot her. Lin remembered only because she had sewn her own right-to-be-remembered into his mind. “You knew,” Lin said. Ye neither risked truth nor offered a lie. A typewriter began striking by itself. Zhou's name vanished letter by letter from the memory ledger. Archivists walked around him as if avoiding cleaning equipment. Lin looked at his friend and, for one terrible moment, could not imagine why the stranger was there. The fifth person had been forgotten. “Earlier than I calculated,” Zhou said faintly. “I must have understood today's rule.” “Who are you?” Su asked.