Thief of Time - Warm

'It's just a trick?'

Lu-Tze looked surprised. 'What?' he said. 'Well, I mean, it's all tricks, isn't it? Everyone thinks you're a great hero and... you don't fight, and they think you possess all kinds of strange knowledge and... and it's just... tricking people. Isn't it? Even the abbot? I thought you were going to teach me... things worth knowing...'

'I've got her address, if that's what you want. If you mention my name- Oh. I see you don't mean that, right?'

'I don't want to be ungrateful I just thought-'

'You thought I should use mysterious powers derived from a lifetime of study just to keep my legs warm? Eh?'

'Well-'

'Debase the sacred teachings for the sake of my knees, you think?'

'If you put it like that-'

Then something made Lobsang look down. He was standing in six inches of snow. Lu-Tze was not. His sandals were standing in two puddles. The ice was melting away around his toes. His pink, warm toes.

'Toes, now, that's another matter,' said the sweeper. 'Mrs Cosmopilite is a wizard with longjohns, but she can't turn a heel worth a damn.' Lobsang looked up into a wink. 'Always remember Rule One, eh?' Lu-Tze patted the shaken boy on the arm.

***

The Thief of Time - p147