The Devil Incarnate (The Devil of Ponong series #2)

by Braden, Jill

  “What? Close the schools?” He was really beginning to hate this conversation.

  “So you didn’t know. I suspected as much. And, of course, you had no part in the attack on the new Ponongese marketplace in Old Levapur. I have many witnesses who will swear you stopped the other soldiers. I’m also aware that you apologized.”

  Voorus’ mouth dropped open. He turned to Hadre. “I never –”

  “Why in the name of the Goddess of Mercy would you deny apologizing?” Hadre asked. “Only right thing to do, given the circumstances.”

  “Thampurians should never break ranks. It gives the natives the wrong impression.” It sounded stupid to Voorus when he said it out loud; but at the time, it had seemed so reasonable. “And why, why did they pretend they didn’t speak Thampurian? Hmm?” He crossed his arms over his chest and dared QuiTai to explain that.

  “That woman wasn’t pretending. She only speaks Ponongese, as do most people in Old Levapur.”

  “They should learn to speak the language,” Voorus grumbled.

  “Yes, you should.” QuiTai’s jaw clenched. She took a deep breath. “You should be glad someone in Old Levapur does speak Thampurian and told the others about your apology. Otherwise, Captain, you and your men might not have been allowed to live.”

  ~ ~ ~

  QuiTai took a glass of rum from Hadre. He offered one to Voorus, but she grabbed it before Voorus could. She didn’t care if it upset him. Against her better judgment, she would protect Voorus even from himself.

  When QuiTai bent down to examine his eyes, Voorus flinched. She fought the urge to slap him. “Your pupils are almost the same size now, but you should wait until the ship’s doctor has examined you before imbibing.”

  “You had no problem giving me a dose of black lotus earlier.”

  “We had to move quickly. Someone else could have heard your whistle. You were in a great deal of pain and carrying you here was bound to hurt more. It seemed safest for everyone involved if you were in dream.”

  “Aren’t those barbs usually tipped with venom?”

  “Yes. But we weren’t hunting food, and none of us particularly wanted to be connected to the mob that attacked you.”

  “Connected?” Voorus’ already suspicious expression deepened.

  She would not show how annoyed she was with Voorus. “For a man who has lived on this island as long as you have, you know very little about my people.”

  “Didn’t seem important.”

  “I hope you’re rethinking that willful ignorance. Or maybe I don’t. Keep living in your little world, Captain. The isolation must be so comforting.”

  Hadre cleared his throat. “Do we have time for this?”

  QuiTai knew Hadre was right. She didn’t need Voorus on her side now that he’d confirmed her suspicions, but it was stupid and careless to make an enemy of a man who could be on the verge of a moral revelation.

  She leaned against the table and sipped the rum Hadre had meant for Voorus. There was less of a chance that it would be poisoned.

  “I promised a story. Get comfortable, gentlemen.”

  Hadre watched her with quiet expectation. Voorus leaned back against the wall. He motioned for her to continue. She almost spoke, but then glanced between the men. Something familiar about them opened a new avenue of thought. While she didn’t think all Thampurians looked the same, the similarities between Kyam and Voorus had struck her before. Now she saw a resemblance between Hadre and Voorus.

  Before she could stop herself from veering off her plan, she asked, “Voorus, why were you exiled to Ponong?”

  “Lady QuiTai! That isn’t a question one asks,” Hadre said.

  “It isn’t a question a Thampurian asks, but I’m not worried about your precious pride. Voorus?”

  He shrugged. “I wouldn’t tell you if I knew. What does that have to do with anything?”

  Hadre looked uncomfortable. He wouldn’t look at her.

  “Does it have anything to do with the current situation, Hadre?”

  Voorus sat up. “Wait! He knows? How could he know?”

  Hadre took intense interest in the drink in his hand. “No,” he finally said.

  “Tell me!” Voorus’ face grew pink.

  QuiTai watched them. She was even more convinced of the connection now. Something was unfolding, but if Hadre said it had no bearing, she’d believe him.

  “Leave it, Voorus.” Hadre gestured to QuiTai. “She has something she wants to tell us.”

  “I have a right to know.”

  She swore she could sense Grandfather Zul’s hand in this. Who else could put Hadre into such a wrestling match with his conscience?

  ~ ~ ~

  QuiTai organized her thoughts. She’d allowed this interesting thread to lead her off her path. It was probably nothing more than one of those prickly matters of Thampurian face-saving. They worked themselves into such a state over silly secrets. Sinking into their little domestic intrigues was like getting mud on your sandals. It only slowed you down. Greater danger deserved her full attention.

  “The story, gentlemen, as promised. After the last great war between the Ravidians and Thampurians, an ambitious Thampurian looked at a map of the Sea of Erykoli and realized that even with the Ravidians beaten back to their southern harbor and their Erykoli fleet utterly destroyed, the continental market offered limited opportunities. Vast, yes, and rich, but it wasn’t enough for him. And even though the Ravidian’s sea power had been curbed, they had harbors on the Te’Am Ocean , giving them access to the rest of the world, while the Thampurians were limited into the Sea of Erykoli. He wanted to beat the Ravidians to those markets across the Te’Am. All he needed was a portal to reach them. An ocean portal, since sea dragons don’t care to march across dirt.”

  “The Ponong Fangs,” Hadre said, as if the thought had just occurred to him.

  “He could have sailed around the Ponong archipelago, but it took a long time and there were few outer islands with fresh water or food, and fewer places where an ocean-going junk could harbor. So he explored the archipelago until he found his portal, the Ponong Fangs.” She inclined her head to Hadre. “The only deep water passage through the archipelago to the Te’Am Ocean. The only problem was that it was seemingly impassible. The currents are strong and can shift in seconds. The monolith stones a captain can see are nothing compared to the ones lurking under the waves. None of that stopped him. He lost three ships –”

  “Four,” Hadre said. “But how did you –”

  “I have sources of information beyond this island.” She didn’t want to get into that. “So, he lost four ships in his quest to chart a safe passage through the Fangs. Such tenacity. If his success hadn’t been so disastrous for my people, I’d admire him.”

  Voorus looked bored.

  “Stay with us, Captain. I’m not relating this history for my amusement,” QuiTai said.

  “Or for mine,” Voorus said.

  She smiled weakly at him before continuing. “He charted the passage, and suddenly he alone had the key to the portal. The outside world and all its markets were his to trade with. The problem, of course, was that he’d wrecked four ships, and the partners in his joint venture demanded he make good on those losses, especially since he refused to share the chart of the Fangs with them. The harbor in Ponong was perfect for ocean-crossing vessels, but unless one were sailing through the Ponong Fangs, there was no reason to come to it. His charts were for Zul ships only – proprietary information – so only Zul ships came to Ponong, and he couldn’t very well charge his family to use the harbor. Not to mention that he didn’t own it.”

  Her temper rose as it always did when she thought about the theft of her home, but it was of no use now.

  “Other than fresh water and food, there wasn’t much he found worth trading for on Ponong. Worse, he was buying goods from the natives, not selling to them. He tried exporting fruits and cloth back to Thampur, but the fruit spoiled during the trip, and Thampur is too cold for
our thin sarongs. Then he saw a jellylantern. Inexpensive lighting was valuable. Even though he’d cut the sailing time to and from the Li Islands by a month or more, juam nut oil was still pricy. Worse, it was dangerous, especially on board a wooden ship. Imagine the market potential on Thampurian vessels alone for jellylanterns, much less every dark hovel across the continent! So he brought a private army to Ponong, took over, and magnificently handed the charter to the king to make sure no jealousies arose. That’s how Ponong became a royal colony.”

  “Everyone knows this. I mean, not that a Zul did it. I thought the king was behind it. But why does it matter?” Voorus asked.

  “Just to remind you of the very personal interest Grandfather Zul takes in Ponong. He got his first taste of real power here, and I’m sure he liked it. For the first years of the colony, he was the governor. No Thampurian really wanted to come here, but there were business opportunities, so the thirteen families got into the habit of shipping over their embarrassments to get them out of the way while still establishing their interests. That in turn got embarrassing for Grandfather Zul, as he was no remittance man. He’d made the Zul clan the most powerful and richest clan among the thirteen families. Rumor has it that his personal fortune exceeds the king’s. So over fifty-five years ago he turned over control of the island to Governor Turyat and went back home to take his place at the head of the Zul clan – and, more importantly, as the right hand of the king. He couldn’t sit on the throne, but he could have the nearest thing to royal power.”

  “Lady QuiTai! Please!”

  “If you find the truth offensive, Hadre, think for a moment how terrible it is for the Ponongese. Your patriarch is a man of business who epitomizes the Thampurian ideal. My people lost sovereignty, land, and justice in the deal. Don’t expect me to admire your grandfather’s accomplishments without mentioning the cost.”

  “It cost him four ships.”

  “Four ships that were joint ventures. Not Zul family ships. His investors lost money. The Zul clan got all the reward and let everyone else pay for it.” She dared Hadre to protest those facts.

  “Typical Ponongese whining over the past,” Voorus snapped. “Get to the part that matters.”

  “This all matters, Voorus. Maybe not to you, but it does matter.”

  Despite her admonishments to herself, she let her temper take the story down side paths. She took a deep breath. Then she sipped her rum. The bite of the alcohol was nothing compared to how sharp her tongue felt.

  “So Grandfather Zul sails back home and into the history books as the greatest merchant of all time. He’s ensured a steady flow of income and spurred the king to colonize the Li Islands as well, so they have a monopoly on jellylanterns and juam nut oil. All very well and good. He now has position, power, and incalculable wealth. What he doesn’t have that he once owned and was forced, to his mind, to abandon, is control over Ponong. That rankles, I’m sure. And this, Captain Voorus, is where things get interesting.”

  “About time.”

  “His grandson, Kyam, is forced into exile. Or at least, it looks that way. Something about the Oin Affair, Hadre?”

  “That’s supposed to be top secret.”

  “So of course, everyone knows. Maybe not the details, but knowing there was a scandal is enough. Ponongese aren’t the only people who like a good story. There isn’t much to do on this island except gossip.” She fixed her gaze on Voorus. “Nothing goes beyond this room. You have my word on it, Hadre. How about you, Captain? Can you keep confidence?”

  “Who would care? You’re talking about things everyone already knows.”

  “Not as seen from this angle. Give us your oath, Voorus,” QuiTai said.

  The center of the storm had moved, but loud thunderclaps still shook the kitchen building. The rain still poured. Chances were that anyone would wait until it was safe to ford the flooded streets, so she had some time left, but as soon as the rain let up, she would have to flee. She didn’t think anyone was after her, but this was no time to get careless.

  “All right. I won’t breathe a word of it,” Voorus grumbled.

  Hadre sighed. “It shouldn’t have been such fuss. Kyam made a mistake, yes, but his superiors in intelligence were willing to censure him and let it go, but Grandfather insisted on exile.”

  She already knew that. Poor Hadre. He really would have made a terrible spy. He’d spoken freely at the Red Happiness, and every word of that conversation had been reported to her. Still, it was nice to know he was being honest.

  “Then a few Ravidians show up in Levapur, and Kyam works himself into a froth over their activities. I have no proof of it, but I suspect Grandfather Zul goaded him into it. After all, up until that point, Kyam had been content to drink away his days and dabble at painting. Suddenly, he’s a man of action again. He sees the potential to escape exile. I wonder if Grandfather Zul also hinted that he should get my help.”

  Voorus leaned forward, his face contorted as he tried to figure it out. “Wait. You were working with Kyam?”

  She missed Kyam. At least he could keep up with the twists and turns of a conspiracy. Whichever branch of the Zul family Voorus was descended from, it wasn’t the brightest one. “You knew we were working together, Voorus. It wasn’t as if we hid that from you, from anyone, which is why I suspect you were told to take me to the fortress and hang me before I helped Kyam uncover the full truth about the Ravidians.”

  He sputtered outrage. “Any patriotic Thampurian would have helped you against the Ravidians.”

  “Patriotic? Yes. But one taking money from them? No. Don’t look so shocked, Voorus. Oh, and you too, Hadre? Really? Neither one of you see it?”

  Kyam would have. Certainly, he’d dismissed her hints, but deep down, she knew he’d believed her. She looked up at the ceiling so they wouldn’t see her roll her eyes. It was excruciating to lead people through every tiny detail.

  “Governor Turyat and probably Chief Justice Cuulon are corrupt. You know that. You just don’t want to admit how corrupt they are. They were, and maybe still are, taking payments from the Ravidians. They probably picked the plantation on Cay Rhi for the Ravidians to set up their secret bioweapons project since they knew this area marginally better than the Ravidians. The one they picked was remote and rarely visited by Thampurians. I’m sure the fact that the plantation owner had married a Ponongese woman had some influence on their decision to doom him. They, and the harbor master, were in it up to their ears.”

  “They’ll hang for that,” Voorus growled.

  “I hope so, Captain. I genuinely hope so. But I wish they’d hang for allowing the Ravidians to enslave the Ponongese on Cay Rhi. Oh, I realize that we’re splitting legal hairs here. Execution tends to have the same result despite the charges. But of all the people on this island, Voorus, you should appreciate the application of law.”

  He almost blushed. “I’ve really just started my studies.”

  “I’ll see to it that you get better instruction.”

  Voorus frowned. “I don’t want the Devil’s help.”

  “Help from Thampurian legal scholars, Voorus, with no strings attached. No favors, no tricks, no special treatment expected. In fact, I prefer as much neutrality as you can muster. Believe me. I genuinely want you to succeed in the study of law.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Why? I thought you didn’t like me.”

  “I don’t, but that’s personal. I’m looking at the bigger picture.”

  That was too much for Voorus. He laughed bitterly. “You expect me to believe that you won’t ask for favors?”

  “That which is good for society is often disastrous for the individual.”

  Voorus looked confused. She bit back a sigh.

  “I have a deep interest in justice. Sometimes the law is applied in such a manner that justice prevails, but not often, and certainly not here in Levapur. But let’s not get into that right now.”

  He stared at her for a long time. “You are the strangest woman I’ve ever
met.” Then he sighed. “So why didn’t you just parade the escaped slaves in the town square and denounce Governor Turyat? You said turning the Thampurians here against him was the point of taking the slaves.”

  She felt like patting Voorus on the head. He had been paying attention. “I didn’t want to give the other plantation owners any ideas. Plenty of countries on the continent proudly talk of their anti-slavery laws, but still allow it in their colonies. Shifter races feel superior to any race that’s shift-less, which is probably why the Thampurians and Ravidians hate each other so much. Slipping into the mindset of enslaving the Ponongese isn’t that far of a step for a Thampurian who already feels that Ponongese are a lower form of life.”

  Shifting uncomfortably, Hadre wisely chose not to argue that with her. “What about Kyam?”

  He certainly looked after his cousin. He hadn’t been joking when he mentioned that he often came to Kyam’s rescue. She hoped Kyam appreciated it, but suspected he didn’t.

  “Kyam was beautifully set up to be the hero of the hour on Cay Rhi, but even that wasn’t enough insurance. So the colonial militia received orders to keep the enslaved Ponongese in chains when they seized control of the compound. The colonial militia didn’t all agree with the order, but they’re so desperate to return to Thampur that they’ll sacrifice almost any personal honor to win forgiveness for their prior sins. To a point. That was the biggest risk he took.”

  “He who?” Voorus asked.

  “Grandfather Zul, of course.”

  “Of course? Nothing is ‘of course’ in this, this...” Voorus looked to Hadre for support but didn’t get any.

  “Grandfather Zul gambled that ultimately, the colonial militia would turn against Governor Turyat over the matter of the slaves. Oh, not open rebellion, but you wouldn’t sacrifice yourselves to protect him when the Ponongese found out about the slaves and all hell broke loose.”

  “But that didn’t happen,” Hadre said.

  “Not yet.” She held up a hand. “Let me show you the big picture. It really is a marvel how quickly Grandfather Zul adapted. I admire him, although I’d surely rejoice if he fell dead. No offense, Hadre.”