“Thank you, Dauk-jen,” Anden said, trying to recover from the sudden change in both Dauk and the tone of the conversation. He was still not sure what to expect from this unassuming Pillar, the snug family dinner, the house decorated with false jade.
“Anden-se, tell them what happened,” urged Mrs. Hian.
After Anden told them of his violent encounter in the park, Dauk turned to Rohn Toro. “You know of this Carson Sunter?”
“He’s a coat for Skinny Reams.” Rohn said the word coat and the name Skinny Reams in Espenian. “Boss Kromner wouldn’t bother himself over a small thing like this, but Reams might take issue.”
Mr. and Mrs. Hian looked deeply concerned. “Dauk-jen, the Crews have no principles at all,” Mrs. Hian exclaimed. “Might they come after our home, or even our sons?”
Anden was entirely lost and increasingly alarmed. “That man I fought—who is he?”
To his surprise, Cory answered. “You didn’t know any better than to get into a scrap with a crewboy? They’re gangsters, you know. Boss Kromner runs all the gambling, extortion, drug dealing, and racketeering on the whole south side of Port Massy, and Willum ‘Skinny’ Reams is his number one foreman. That man you beat up, Carson Sunter, is a coat—a foot soldier in Kromner’s Crew. Not very high up, mind you—the sort of guy who shakes down businesses and carries drug money. But the foreman Reams—he might see a Kekonese thrashing a local as something else.”
“Those crooks, they prey on anyone weaker, especially immigrants,” said Mr. Hian. “But they leave our Kekonese neighborhoods alone because we have Dauk-jen as Pillar and Green Bones with jade to protect us. That’s why you don’t see them in our part of Southtrap.”
“We have something of an understanding with the Crews. They stay out of our business, and we stay out of theirs,” Dauk Losun explained. “But I’m afraid things will change as soon as civilian possession of jade is made illegal.”
His words caused a ripple of consternation to go around the small table. Dauk Sana muttered a profanity under her breath. Her husband held up a calming hand. “We might as well accept it. There’ve been too many publicized stories of irresponsible usage, cases of the Itches, and now this swell of interest in jade because of the military involvement in Oortoko. The legislation to ban jade is already in the National Assembly and has the backing of the premier and the biggest Trade Societies. It’s a foregone conclusion that it’ll pass.”
The Pillar reached under the collar of his flannel shirt and pulled out a circular jade pendant on a silver chain. He kissed the jade disc and said to Anden, “This is our Kekonese heritage. My family has worn jade for generations. Today, it keeps our people safe from the Crews and anyone else that would take advantage of us; it binds our community and is part of our identity as Keko-Espenians. Now the government tells me it’s against the law? It’s the law that’s wrong.”
His wife nodded in vehement agreement. “I may not be a doctor, but I was trained as a nurse back in Kekon and I learned enough medical Channeling from my mother to help people who come to me with problems. Now, because of this ridiculous law, they will be afraid of getting involved in something illegal, even though they’ve been coming for years.” As he had with the other Dauks, Anden tried to determine where Cory’s mother wore her jade but could not.
Dauk Losun dropped the pendant back under his shirt, out of sight. “The only thing this upcoming ban will accomplish is to make the Crews hungry for jade of their own. I can tell it’s already happening; they expect a piece of any black market business in Port Massy. They’re already into drugs, so naturally they’ll want the shine trade too. It won’t be long before we have to contend with the Crews targeting us for what we have.”
Dauk Sana blew out sharply. “That day isn’t here yet. Let’s not get off track. Anden and the Hians came to us for help, and we can’t let this silly misunderstanding cause problems for any of them. Let’s ask Rohn-jen to go to Skinny Reams with”—she considered for a moment—“two thousand thalirs. I would say we can go up to three thousand, but not more.”
The Pillar nodded. “As usual, my wife’s smarter than I am. It’s a good thing I have her to keep me focused these days. Toro, you should bring two of your greenest friends with you, and if Reams tries to bargain for higher, remind them that we know all about the Gerting job and have said nothing to the police. Three thousand and our continued silence—they’ll accept that.”
Anden stared around the table. He felt caught in the clutch of two simultaneous epiphanies. The first was that he had not, contrary to his own initial beliefs and those of his cousins, come to a land devoid of jade and clans after all. In Janloon, the question of who would control jade had led to open bloodshed in the streets between No Peak and the Mountain; here it was just beginning, simmering in the Espenian underworld and the shadows of immigrant communities, but it existed nonetheless.
The second realization fell into place as he looked from Dauk to his wife, to the stranger Rohn. This small family dining table was a far cry from the formal study in the Kaul house or the top floor of the tower on Ship Street, but Anden understood now that he was looking at a Green Bone Pillar, his Weather Man, and his Horn. In Port Massy, they were something different than in Janloon. Simple people in the community, neighbors secretly helping neighbors.
He glanced at Cory. The young man soon to be a lawyer was leaned back with his chair tipped against the wall, one leg drawn up on the seat, still paying some attention to the conversation but seemingly more interested in his handful of jam-filled biscuits. Cory was smooth-skinned and tall and had strong calves from biking. He wore a T-shirt with the logo of what Anden presumed was a popular music band and seemed in all ways to be very Espenian. But he was a Green Bone; he wore jade somewhere on his body and had been trained to use it. What was his place in the clan?
Rohn Toro finished his tea and got up. “I’ll find Reams and talk to him.”
“Thank you, old friend,” said Dauk Losun, standing up as well and seeing him to the door. “Also, sometime soon, it would be a good idea for you to pay a friendly visit to Tim Joro. What happens between a man and his wife is his own business, but when it becomes a known problem in the neighborhood that could bring the police—well, that becomes a bigger issue affecting everyone. Be sure to remind him of that, will you?”
Rohn nodded and left the house. As Dauk Sana pressed a casserole dish of leftovers into Mrs. Hian’s hands, Mr. Hian gathered their jackets and again saluted deeply to the Pillar. “Dauk-jen, we can’t thank you enough for taking care of this problem for us. May the gods shine favor on you.”
“Don’t worry,” said Dauk. “Rohn Toro is completely reliable, and we’ve had to deal with the Crews before. Come over for dinner anytime, and bring this one with you.” He leveled a mock stern finger in Anden’s face. “Stay out of trouble from now on, you hear? Now you know dueling is not allowed. There are ways to get around that, but we won’t talk about it right now. I admire your thick blood, though, standing up for yourself and refusing to be talked down to by anyone. A real Kekonese man from the old country, green in the soul, not like our soft Espenian kids these days.” He slid a look at his son.