Jade War

Hilo motioned for Tar to offer the visitors some water. “Is there anything the clan can do to help your family right now?” Hilo asked. “You don’t have to worry about medical expenses; that’s already taken care of. Is there anything else you need?”

“Vengeance,” Mr. Eyun whispered fiercely, his voice breaking. “The Espenian dogs who did this deserve worse than death.”

Hilo had nothing but sympathy for the poor Eyun family, but he knew this would be a difficult conversation in which he could not promise everything that he would want to. “The two soldiers have been taken into custody by their own government and are being held in the base on Euman Island. They can’t be touched right now.”

Mrs. Eyun began to cry, and Mr. Eyun burst out angrily, “The lawyers say that the Espenians have negotiated for the soldiers to be tried in civil court and to serve their sentence in their home country. They offer us money as compensation. For beating and raping my daughter—money

!” Mrs. Eyun clutched her husband’s arm and wept harder, but Mr. Eyun, flushed and maddened, seemed not to notice her as his voice climbed. “The Royal Council can’t stand up to the Espenians, but I thought I could count on the clan to deliver justice. You were the Horn and now you’re the Pillar. You’re supposed to be the fearsome Kaul Hiloshudon of No Peak. Are you saying that even you’re toothless against these foreigners, these animals?”

Hilo gave Mr. Eyun a minute to regain control of himself, then he said, calmly but a little coldly, “Because of your grief, I’m not offended by anything you say. If these two men were Kekonese, they’d already be in far worse shape than your poor daughter. Unfortunately that’s not the case, and with all that’s happening in the world these days and all the foreign powers our country has to deal with, there are limits to even what the clan can do.”

Hilo placed a box of tissues in front of Mrs. Eyun. “I said those men can’t be touched right now

. Sometimes we have to wait for justice, but the clan doesn’t forget offenses. Let’s see what happens. I can’t make you any promises, but I’m a parent myself so you should know that I consider the crime against your family to be unforgivable.”

Mr. Eyun’s mouth trembled and he lowered his face; Mrs. Eyun wiped her eyes with a handful of tissues. Hilo said, “My advice is to take the money that the Espenians offer; take as much as you can get from them. It may feel like dirty money that’s being used to bribe you out of what you really deserve, but don’t think of it that way. Let them feel as if they’ve made amends—that’s how their people do it—and use the money to take care of your daughter and the rest of your family.”

Hilo’s tone was kind as he said this, but also firm. Tar showed the heartbroken parents out the door, and the Pillar asked for a couple of minutes to be by himself. He felt bad about not being able to give the Eyuns greater assurances, but the Oortokon War and the large ROE military presence on Kekon was like a weeping sore on the bottom of one’s foot; it seemed like no one on Kekon, not even the Green Bone clans, could take a single step without feeling it and wincing at the trouble and pain it added to even the simplest tasks. Just last week, following a conversation with Eiten in the Double Double, Hilo had sent Kehn to shut down a dozen illegal money-changers taking advantage of the foreign servicemen frequenting the casinos on Poor Man’s Road, as well as to bolster security in the Armpit following a string of drunken incidents.

“Do you want me to send in Hami and the others, Hilo-jen?” Tar asked. Hilo grimaced and was greatly tempted to say no, but if he did, the problem waiting outside his door would not go away and would only get worse, which it seemed likely to anyway. “Fine,” he said.

Tar admitted four men into the study. One of them was Hami Tumashon, the Master Luckbringer of the clan. Hilo recognized another as Councilman Kowi by his turnip-shaped head. The other two were senior Lantern Men whose names Hilo did not remember offhand. They saluted Hilo respectfully; Mr. Kowi said, “Kaul-jen, may the gods continue to shine favor on No Peak. We know you’re very busy, especially with two small sons at home, so we appreciate you taking the time to meet with us to hear our concerns.”

“You’re right, it’s been very busy; you all have children, so maybe you remember how it is. Thank you for coming to my home instead of forcing me to make the trip to Wisdom Hall or somewhere else.” A reminder to everyone in the room that he had not even wanted to take this meeting and had acquiesced only on account of Hami, whom he liked and respected. Hilo sat down in one of the armchairs and his guests seated themselves as well. Without any further preamble, Hilo said, “So what is it that you’re here to ask me?” He already knew the answer, but he wanted them to have to speak their minds out loud, to justify themselves to the Pillar.