Chapter Two: The Deleted Woman Looked Back at Me

"Moon Borrowers. They have lived in this desert longer than Qisha has had its name. Under the full moon, they exchange identities and live one another's lives for a month. Some volunteer. Some do not." "Thirty thousand people forgot a performance tonight." "Not forgot. Their memories were traded for a more convenient version. The Song of Returning Names calls borrowed identities home. Someone in town fears it." "Where is Gu Linchuan?" Granny Qiao glanced at the clock. "If he has not been completely erased, he will go where he first waited for you." "Where?" "You have gone many times. Each time you returned, you forgot the road." She handed Shen Wu a mining map. Shaft Seven was circled in red beside a warning: Do not bring anyone who knows you.