by Braden, Jill
He rubbed his thigh.
It had to be done. Order had to be maintained. She hardened her heart.
“Get up. Gather your women and older children. You have penance to pay and not many hours to complete it.”
He grinned. She realized he might welcome punishment. So many men who worshipped her did. They hoped it would bring forgiveness.
“Bring about half the sacks of rice stored in the Devil’s old den here. Do it quickly. Oh, and have someone find me fresh clothes. Then tell them to leave me alone. I must think about my next moves.”
On her walk upslope from Levapur, a plan had been revealed to her, but every nuance had to be examined. So much rode on her understanding of Kyam. Would he react the right way? She had more conviction in the predictability of the Thampurian mob, but they too were a risk.
LiHoun limped to the doorway. “It will take us more than an hour.”
“Not much more, I hope. I will be very angry if this entire operation isn’t completed by sunrise, and this is only step one.”
~ ~ ~
LiHoun watched amazement dawn on QuiTai’s face as he showed her the stacks of rice sacks he and his women had piled in the foyer. She’d never gone to the Devil’s old den and seen how much rice she’d bought. The stacks came to her chin.
“There is enough left in the Devil’s den to feed non-Thampurians who need rice?” she asked LiHoun.
“For a day, maybe two. Your lieutenants urged people to buy more than they normally do. As soon as word got out about the rice riots, they sold as much as they could carry, but there’s still much more left.”
“In a couple days, things will be back to normal. Once the price falls and people trust the supply again, we can resume our regular black market business.”
LiHoun felt as if he’d aged ten years over the course of the night. He hoped she didn’t have further plans for him. “Was it worth it?”
“In coin? We’ll see. Probably not. But I’m glad I did it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had a tile in my hand to play against Grandfather Zul.”
She sat on the staircase. LiHoun squatted at her feet. His women hovered in doorways and on the upstairs landing as they anxiously awaited a sign. He wished he could comfort them, but QuiTai was at times unpredictable. She could seem perfectly sociable one moment and then lash out the next. He’s seen what she’d done to others who failed her. He wondered if she toyed with him on purpose. The tension was a seething knot in his stomach.
“I never had a personal stake in this game. That’s what irritates me the most. Enslave the Ponongese on Cay Rhi?” She shrugged. “I wasn’t the one in chains. Close the marketplace? I can buy everything I want from smugglers. Close the school? I have no children. Make Kyam Zul the colonial governor? As Voorus said, ‘Where’s the tragedy in that?’ Spark a rebellion? I could have bought my way on board a smuggler’s ship and gone to live on the continent. You see? Not a single good reason why I should be dragged into this game. He could have found a simpler way to put Kyam in that post. But no. It had to be convoluted and put people in danger, and worst of all, he involved me. No! Worst of all, I did his bidding. I knew I should just walk away, but I bowed to his wishes. Hadre warned me. I didn’t listen.”
LiHoun’s phlegmy chuckle brought a frown to her face.
“You find it amusing, uncle?”
He wondered if she believed her own words or if they were merely part of her act. She always jumped into the thick of things. “Grandfather Zul should watch his back from now on.”
Her expression went blank. Every hair on his body stood at end. She relaxed, but he could tell it she’d forced it.
“Did you know Kyam Zul is married?” she asked.
He knew his shock showed on his face. Thampurians took mistresses, but he’d sensed Kyam had a deeper interest in QuiTai. Perhaps he’d been wrong.
“Grandfather Zul tried to use that to turn me against Kyam. That shows he doesn’t know me as well as he thinks he does.”
“Kyam Zul would have made a good concubine for you.”
Speechless for a moment, she raised an eyebrow. “Concubine?”
“You’re the Devil. The Devil needs a second in command. A companion.”
“I am quite content to be without a regular lover, thank you. Besides, I doubt Colonel Zul would wear a green sarong.”
Despite his caution, LiHoun laughed. “No. I think not. Besides, he’s leaving the island as soon as we find a smuggler who will take him to the continent.”
She made a face. He suspected something had changed in her plans, but she rarely shared details with him.
“Tomorrow, it would be convenient if Governor Turyat and Chief Justice Cuulon continued to cower in their compounds,” she said.
“I’ll see that they get their black lotus earlier than usual. That should keep Governor Turyat busy. Chief Justice Cuulon is a bit trickier. Perhaps if I escorted SuYan to his bedroom, he’d find a reason to stay.”
“SuYan?”
“One of PhaJut’s workers. She tries to fill the role you left behind.” LiHoun didn’t think QuiTai needed to hear that there would never be a woman her equal, even from her days in PhaJut’s brothel, but it didn’t hurt to flatter her a bit. “SuYan goes through the motions, but her heart isn’t in it. Her customers put up with it but they still ask if you’ll ever return.”
“Not unless I grow very bored, and I doubt that will happen.” She tapped her bottom lip. “Did you tell Grandfather Zul about my estate, or that I had you steal the sea wasps from the Ravidian’s bioweapons breeding grounds?”
“Never. Never.” LiHoun shook his head vehemently. He hoped she believed him. He tensed again and saw his women react with despairing looks. He signaled for them to be patient. There was still hope. There was always hope. QuiTai was probably weighing the ramifications of killing him. He’d give her as much time to mull it over as she needed.
QuiTai let the silence stretch. She covered her mouth when she yawned. “It’s late.”
“The sun will rise in several hours.”
She stood.
He wanted to plead with her, but his dignity wouldn’t allow it. One of his women keened as she realized QuiTai had reached her decision.
“We’re going upstairs to have a little chat with Grandfather Zul. He’s going to send his soldiers here so I can make good on my oath to him.”
That wasn’t what he’d expected. He groaned as he rose. He was too old for this. “I will, of course, do anything you ask, but may I ask a favor, grandmother? I accept my death, but please, just tell me my fate. The uncertainty is torture for my wives and children.”
She seemed to consider his regret before speaking. “This is the crux of my problem. The Devil would execute you as a matter of principle. QuiTai would weigh intent and the value of the relationship against the resulting harm. I am both. You understand my difficulty. If word gets out that the Devil allowed someone to betray him and live, it sets a bad precedent. But we have history, uncle. You called me daughter. You’re my right hand.” Her voice filled with sorrow. “I’ve thought about this quite a bit. The only way to reconcile the Devil’s needs with QuiTai’s is to get your solemn oath that no one will ever know you sold information to Grandfather Zul. This stays between us. You never betrayed me, so I have no reason to kill you. Understand? We will never speak of it again. And from now on, you are completely mine.”
Relief sent him staggering back a few steps. He couldn’t believe his luck. Overwhelmed, tears welled in his eyes. He would have killed for her at that moment. He would have erected shrines and offered sacrifices to thank her, but he knew she’d hate such a display. Sometimes QuiTai was more Thampurian than Ponongese. It wounded him to show only a little of his gratitude, but he bowed until his forehead touched his clasped hands because he knew it was the only thanks she’d accept.
“Tell your women my word is good. Tell them I choose to forgive, but that they, too, must keep our quarrel private. Tell them and set their hearts at ease.”
Her expression hardened as she quietly spoke for his ears only, “Forgiven, little brother, but never forgotten.”
Chills stabbed his heart, even though he admired her now more than ever. He barely nodded.
“Let’s send that message to Grandfather Zul. I’m running out of darkness,” she said curtly as she headed up the stairs.
~ ~ ~
“You don’t need to wait with me, uncle. I know you’re in pain,” QuiTai told LiHoun. They sat on the steps of his home. Levapur stretched below them.
“Cats suffer from curiosity. I’d rather you know I’m eavesdropping.”
QuiTai wrapped her arms around her knees. She smiled at him. “You want a story, uncle. I’ll tell you tomorrow. I promise it’s a suckling pig to go with your rice.”
“I’ve had enough rice this week to last me many months.”
She chuckled. When she was this weary and fate seemed to have all the tiles, what could she do but laugh?
LiHoun looked around the front of the building as if seeing it for the first time. “I always wondered why you didn’t burn this place to the ground. Your ghosts live here.”
“My ghosts live inside my head. They have no need of verandas and steps to haunt me.” She stretched her arms as she looked up at the sky. “I never realized you could hear the Pha River from here. It was never quiet enough to hear it when… before.” She sniffed. The scent of the jungle filled the air. “I wanted to get them out of Old Levapur, so as soon as the Red Happiness turned a profit, I moved them to this place. It wasn’t much nicer then, but at least the roof didn’t leak.”
“I remember when you did that. The roof leaks now.”
“For the past few years, I let guilt eat at me because I thought it was my fault that they were here, right in the path of the werewolves for the Full Moon Massacre. But Petrof told me he was paid to kill my family, so he would have gotten to them no matter where they were. It doesn’t make me feel any better, though.”
“Did he say who paid him?”
“I didn’t give him a chance.” She rested her cheek on her knees. “Whoever it was, they also paid him to kill me. When I came back to Levapur last week, my goal was to find out who it was and put an end to this.”
“Did you?”
“I have a good idea. Governor Turyat and Chief Justice Cuulon were afraid the Oracle would tell me they’d sold out to the Ravidians. Or, at least, I think that’s why they wanted all the Qui on Ponong killed.”
“Are you going to kill them?”
That seemed like such a distant concern to her now. “I gave Captain Voorus of the colonial militia enough information that he might take care of them for me. If not, I’m not in any great hurry. Knowing your enemy is half the battle sometimes.”
“You’re going to give them a chance to hire another killer to come after you?”
She laughed. “Who would they go to if they wanted to hire an assassin?”
“The Devil,” they said in unison as they grinned at each other.
~ ~ ~
QuiTai met Grandfather Zul’s men in the street before they reached LiHoun’s place. They weren’t in their uniforms, as she’d requested. “Which of you is the leader?” she asked.
The tall one in front took a step forward.
She didn’t care to know his name, and he didn’t offer it. “You have your orders from Grandfather Zul?”
“Yes.” He obviously wasn’t happy about it, but his little ego didn’t concern her.
“Just so we are clear, you will do as I say without question. Do your men understand?”
He nodded. She met the gaze of each of the men so she could see their agreement.
“There are sacks of rice in the house over there.” She pointed to LiHoun’s. “You will carry them downslope. It will take a few trips.” The work she planned for them was hard, but they had many sins to atone for.
The leader fought to control his sneer. “Where are we taking them, snake?”
Perversely, his rudeness pleased her. The corner of her mouth curved up as she ran her hands over the front of her sarong. “To the governor’s office in the government building on the town square.”
He clearly thought she’d lost her mind. “But it’s the middle of the night! It’s closed.”
“Then you will have to break in. And please, don’t be sloppy about it. No breaking down doors or anything as crude as that. I also suggest you make your trips as stealthy as possible. If anyone sees you with rice, they’ll probably kill you for it.”
QuiTai passed between them as she headed down the road to town. She paused to look over her shoulder at them. As she’d expected, to a man, they watched her. From anger to undisguised loathing, their feelings for her were clear. “Once the rice is delivered, I’ll give you the rest of your orders. Be quick about it. The dawn of a new day approaches for Levapur, gentlemen. I’m sure your master wants you to witness it.”
Chapter 21: The Hero of Levapur
QuiTai thought about sitting behind the governor’s desk but decided that perching on the stacks of rice sent a better message. They were the fulcrum on the balance of power. She arranged the sacks of rice directly across from the governor’s desk into a throne of sorts. From that elevated position, she could look down at even the tallest Thampurian. Satisfied with her effort, she climbed into place and waited for the rest of the players to arrive.
She’d dressed in deep Thampurian velvets for the coming interview. The embellishments on her cropped jacket and waist scarf were subdued and matched the velvet. Her heavy mourning veil pulled back over her hat to reveal her face, but her outfit would still inspire somber thoughts. Costuming was so important when setting the tone of a scene.
The governor’s office was spacious and quite opulent, although it smelled faintly of stale water and black lotus. Some of Grandfather Zul’s men slouched on chairs with delicately turned legs; the others leaned against book shelves full of tomes that had never been opened. Their muddy boots streaked the inlaid wood floor.
On the large map behind the governor’s desk, sea dragons coiled around Ravidian ships and pulled them under waves. The Thampurians had the nerve to paint the king’s chop on every island in the Ponong archipelago when no Thampurian had ever set foot further than the boundaries of Levapur. Such arrogance would play into her hands.
QuiTai stifled a yawn. It had been a long week, but the end was in sight. Before Kyam had intruded in her life, she’d always woken refreshed. She promised herself a respite from Thampurian matters as soon as this bit of business concluded – and an even longer break from Kyam.
The sun had just risen and brought heat with it. Suffocating humidity pressed against her chest. A sea breeze could have flowed through the typhoon shutters leading to the veranda overlooking the town square to cool the room, but she didn’t order Grandfather Zul’s men to open them. She could survive the heat far better than they, and she liked watching them sweat.
Although she’d expected a crowd to gather outside the building eventually, she was a bit surprised to hear so many Thampurians had come to the town square already. Their punctuality did them credit.
Another angry voice carried up to her from inside the building. She pictured Kyam and his escort in the building’s middle courtyard, where jewel fish swam in placid circles around a floral sea dragon. The soldiers who’d been sent for him had been warned not to say anything to him beyond the summons. That didn’t stop Kyam from bellowing questions at them as they drew closer to the governor’s office.
The door banged open.
“You!” Kyam said when his gaze found QuiTai.
“Really, Colonel Zul, have you no other way of greeting me?”
“What’s the meaning of this?”
“We should wait for the other guests. I suspect the growing mob outside is making
it difficult for them to enter the building. They should have come around to the back entrance as you did.”
The voices in the town square rose.
“Ah, I believe that’s Captain Voorus and his men arriving now.”
“Do you have a death wish?” Kyam asked.
“I am flattered beyond words that you care for my safety, Colonel Zul, but believe me, I am well protected.”
He glanced at his grandfather’s private army. “Them? You’re working with Grandfather now?”
“Very much against my wishes, I assure you. I should have listened more carefully when Captain Hadre warned me that no matter how hard a person resists Grandfather Zul, somehow one ends up doing exactly what he wants you to. Words I advise you to take to heart.”
In another part of the building, big brass doors slammed shut. The footsteps of men running up the stairs to the governor’s office echoed in the courtyard. Moments later, someone knocked on the door.
QuiTai gestured to Kyam, but he said nothing. “Come in, Captain Voorus.”
Voorus didn’t have the entire colonial militia with him, but he’d taken her message seriously enough to bring most of them. Between his men, Grandfather Zul’s private army, Kyam, QuiTai, and the stacks of rice, the governor’s office was now quite crowded. The stifling air made it worse.
Voorus’ lieutenant lost his patience with the confused silence. He rushed across the room. “Arrest her!”
Her gaze slowly moved from his face to his boots and up again. She took a deep breath as if preparing to sigh. A hint of a sneer pulled at her upper lip.
He lost his nerve and looked to Voorus for guidance. “Sir?”
Voorus moved though the crowd to draw closer to her. His grim face gave away his thoughts. He didn’t want to trust her, but he sensed something important was going on. “Not yet.”
“Wise choice, Captain Voorus,” she said.
“What are you playing at?” Kyam asked her.
“Playing is such an excellent choice of words, Colonel Zul. Only this is no game. Think of it as the final act of a rather complicated – I suppose you’d call it a tragedy. In my eyes, it’s a dark comedy, although I’m not inclined to laugh. For everyone else here, this is the conclusion of a rather dull morality play.”