The Land of Echoes

The cargo ship didn't enter the harbor; it stopped outside the light line. A gondola came to pick them up, with lights hanging at both the bow and stern. An old man rowed the gondola, gesturing with his chin but saying nothing.

Sigelica saw a white light drift past the ship's side, her hand went to her holster, then slowly released it.

"Echo," Dania whispered, "Sister Chengxia said, don't draw your sword yet."

"I didn't pull it out."

You touched the gun.

Sigelica put her hands behind her back.

As the gondola turned into the waterway, the city opened up. Bridges stretched one upon another, and people sang on them, their voices drifting across the water. On the windowsills on both banks, white Chop Chop lay in a row, waving in unison as the boat approached.

Dania leaned over the gunwale and waved back at each bridge in turn. She stopped at the third bridge.

A tall, porcelain-like Echo stood under the bridge arch, holding a knife in its arms, standing ramrod straight. As the boat passed, it nodded to it.

"It's on duty," Dania said, "Just like Chisa."

Chisa didn't reply. Her eyes followed the Echo all the way behind the bridge.

The immigration registration office was located by the pier; the window was small, and the line was short. When it was their turn, the priest at the window flipped through their documents three times.

"A letter from the Flamebearers' Academy," he said. "The letter says it's an inspection team. There are four of you, three of whom are students."

"Yes," Zhou Yu said.

"Students entering the country require a declaration from their guardian."

"I'm an adult," Sigelica said.

"Adult students need a travel guarantor."

"Where can we find a guarantor?" Zhou Yu asked. "We just disembarked."

"Article 11 of the regulations stipulates that the guarantor must be Order clergyman of the religious order, or pay a security deposit." The clergyman pushed the documents forward. "Come back tomorrow. The window closes at five."

The wall clock pointed to 4:56.

Just as Zhou Yu took out the schedule, someone outside the line spoke up.

"Article 11 applies to those with a history of overstaying." The speaker was a young woman wearing a white wide-brimmed hat with a thorn-like decoration around the brim, and holding an unfinished copy of a form. "The four of them—the ship's stamps are complete, their accompanying letters are on file, and their itineraries have been reported. All three are clean; they won't be subject to Article 11."

The priest in the window stood up, his hat askew.

"Master."

Zhou Yu repeated the word "seat" to himself. The person in front of him looked no more than two years older than Sigelica.

Phoebe tucked the form under her arm, took the materials, and started flipping through them from beginning to end. She flipped through them slowly, page by page. When she finished, she looked up at Dania.

"You're Dania?"

"Um."

"The letter from Star Torch says you repaired the broadcasting tower for Ashihara at the last stop," Phoebe said. "I've reviewed all the materials. For a customer like that, Order vouch for them."

She took out a stamp from the window, dipped it in ink, and stamped it one by one. The priest counted for her, and when she counted to the fifth one, she pushed the materials out.

"Welcome to Ragunna," she said. "May love and light always shine upon your journey, Sentinel."

After stamping the document, she didn't leave. She stuffed the half-copied form back into the priest's hand and said that she was going to the docks on her way and would take them into town.

The priest called out half a sentence from behind, but she waved her hand and didn't turn around.

"We're short-staffed during the reconstruction period," she said. "The chief priest is also a member of the Order. And members of the Order have to stand guard at the windows."

She walked ahead, knowing the way very well. She pointed out which bridge had newly replaced lights, which wall had been patched three times, and so on. When she pointed to the Echo holding a sword under the bridge, she paused.

"The Lottie Lost," she said, "Are the blessings of the Sentinel, and also the guards of Ragunna. They guard the bridge, charging no fees, only listening to the songs. Whoever sings well gets to stand there a little longer."

"It just nodded at us," Dania said.

"Then it remembers you," Phoebe said. "Those remembered by Daoling don't need to carry a lamp when walking at night."

"Are all these Echo under the Order?" Sigelica asked.

"The whole city is responsible for its management," Phoebe said. "The Order only records the names of the Sentinel. Each Echo has a nameplate around its neck with a number engraved on it. If Echo goes missing, the whole city helps to find it."

She raised her chin slightly as she said this.

"Carnival is at the end of the month," she added, "The first one since the rebuild. The whole city's going out; you've caught the Echo."

Zhou Yu stopped her. "Master, how will you repay this favor?"

"The Order doesn't keep accounts," Phoebe thought for a moment. "Coming to the carnival show counts as paying back."

She led us to our accommodation, the Margaret Family Restaurant, where four rooms on the second floor were empty.

The proprietress, still wearing her apron, came out to greet them, first checking their luggage, then their appearance, and finally fixing her gaze on Chisa's knife.

"The one carrying the knife lives on the second floor; the dining room is downstairs," she said. "I'll hang the knife behind your door for you. Don't bring it with you to the table; it'll scare the children."

Chisa untied the knife and handed it over.

The food was served quickly: stewed fish, flatbread, and a pot of iced tea. Sigelica was halfway through her meal when she remembered her business and asked the landlady for advice.

"Madam, I have a question for you. Where is the Sunspeakers Agency located here?"

"Sunspeakers?" The proprietress thought for a moment. "Is it a job where you air out the quilts?"

Sigelica's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

"Not in the whole city?"

"Why don't we ask the Order?" the landlady suggested enthusiastically. "The Order has a lot of responsibilities."

Sigelica ate a couple of mouthfuls of rice and didn't say anything more. Zhou Yu added a piece of fish to her bowl.

"Don't think about work while you're eating," he said. "Worry about tomorrow when you're at work."

After the meal, Chisa stood at the door for some fresh air. A group of four puppets came from the other end of the alley, one Echo a zither, the other playing a drum. They walked and stopped, their performance fragmented. When they reached the restaurant entrance, all four stopped and turned to look at Chisa.

Chisa stood still.

The puppets circled around her for a long time. The lead one trotted up and stuffed a small flower into her hand. It was made of cloth, with crooked stitches. After stuffing it in, the four of them lined up and walked away, continuing to play as they went.

Dania clung to the doorframe and watched the whole thing.

"She put it away," she whispered, "She put it inside her clothes."

"I saw it," Zhou Yu said. "Don't make a sound."

At night, Dania's window was left a crack open.

A white, round, Chop Chop perched on the windowsill, watching her. She looked at it too.

After watching for a while, the Chop Chop moved closer and pressed its two little hands against the glass.

Dania moved closer, mimicking its actions, and placed both hands on the glass, meeting its gaze through the glass. The glass was cool to the touch.

The Chop Chop was happy and tapped its head against the glass repeatedly, making a very soft sound.

After the fifth thud, it turned to leave. Moonlight swept across the back of its neck, and Dania saw a small plaque hanging there. It was made of bronze, with polished edges, and had a line of words engraved on it.

She opened the window, Chop Chop had already drifted far away, heading towards the other side of the waterway.

She remembered the words on the nameplate.

It has no name.

There is only one string of numbers.