Jingyi takes time, though not unreasonably much, escorting the old woman home. The drag of the river doesn't lessen with time, only stays blessedly short, so that no matter the tug, no matter how tightly the conscious ones cling or try to let go, he can get them over before anything disastrous happens.

With the old woman released to the light of her home world, he's back at the opposite bank, leaning out and holding his hands toward the youth Jin Ling's brought over this time.

"Here," he says, "I'll help you across, okay?" With an additional note, to Jin Ling. "Jin Rulan, have you seen any of the rest of us?" Though he's gone again before an answer comes, leaving it for the next time he pops out of the light himself to take another person across the river.