Thief of Time - Give Time

Lu-Tze stocked his travel bag with food from some of the houses, making sure to leave little copper tokens in their place.

'It means we're obliged to them,' he said, filling Lobsang's bag as well. 'The next monk through here might have to give someone a minute or two.'

'A minute or two isn't much.’

'For a dying woman to say goodbye to her children, it's a lifetime,' said Lu-Tze. 'Is it not written, "Every second counts"? Let's go.’

***

The Thief of Time - p167