I looked at the watch he had handed me and asked curiously, "Then if this watch can run, does that mean time is allowed to exist in this world too?"
Master Qi looked at me as though I were some kind of monster. "Who told you time doesn't exist here? Does time cease to exist just because there are no tools for measuring it? Time has always been here. You just think it isn't."
There was nothing wrong with what he said. Time had always existed. Even without tools to measure it, it had never stopped.
"But you'd better keep that thing hidden. Don't let anyone else see it, or you'll be in serious trouble. It could very well get you killed." His expression turned grave, and I glanced at Sister Lin.
Sister Lin gave a bitter smile.
"Sister Lin, didn't you say this wouldn't cause any trouble?" I asked.
She said nothing. Master Qi looked at her as well. "Did you really tell the kid that?"
Sister Lin looked somewhat embarrassed. "He said time was very important to him."
I had indeed said that. When Sister Lin heard that I wanted to make an hourglass to keep time, a flash of panic had seemed to cross her face too. Could it be that no one here was truly allowed to have any concept of time?
Master Qi sighed. "All right, kid, I'll tell you. People who possess time here are easily targeted, and that puts them in danger. There's an unwritten rule here: no one is allowed to control time. That's why timekeeping tools are forbidden in this place. Don't ask us who forbids it. The answer is that we don't know. We really don't know. But the danger is real, so don't take chances. Even for me, no