Thief of Time - Socks

They reached the edge of the valley and stepped out of the perpetual springtime into the real world of the snows. Now the cold crept in, slowly, like a sadist's knife. Lu-Tze strode on ahead, seemingly oblivious of it. Of course, that was one of the stories about him. Lu-Tze, it was said, would walk for miles during weather when the clouds themselves would freeze and crash out of the sky. Cold did not affect him, they said. And yet- In the stories Lu-Tze had been bigger, stronger... not a skinny little bald man who preferred not to fight.

'Sweeper!'

Lu-Tze stopped and turned. His outline blurred slightly, and Lobsang unwrapped himself from time. Colour came back into the world, and while the cold ceased to have the force of a drill it still struck hard.

'Yes, lad?'

'You're going to teach me, right?'

'If there's anything left that you don't know, wonder boy,' said Lu-Tze drily. 'You're slicing well, I can see that.'

'I don't know how you can stand this cold!'

'Ah, you don't know the secret?'

'Is it the Way of Mrs Cosmopilite that gives you such power?'

Lu-Tze hitched up his robe and did a little dance in the snow, revealing skinny legs encased in thick, yellowing tubes.

'Very good, very good,' he said. 'She still sends me these double-knit combinations, silk on the inside, then three layers of wool, reinforced gussets and a couple of handy trapdoors. Very reasonably priced at six dollars a pair because I'm an old customer. For it is written, “Wrap up warm or you'll catch your death.”’

***

The Thief of Time - p146-147