superiors—men who weren't fit to polish
his boots. He had suffered almost thirty years of that kind of crap
to get where he was now, in a position of real power. He would tell
his young men this and see in their eyes the reflection of his own
dark indignation. And then he would ask them, "Join me. Be part
of my secret brotherhood." And they would nod, or whisper yes.
And they would be his: alone no longer.
So now he had
his own organization; men loyal to him before all others; who would
hesitate neither to betray their T'ang nor to lay down their lives if
he asked it of them. Like the young officer who had been on duty the
night of Lwo Kang's assassination. Like a hundred others, scattered
about the City in key positions.
He looked back
at Lehmann. "Are the trees real?" He pointed outward,
indicating the stand of mulberries at the far end of the meadow.
Lehmann laughed.
"Heavens, no. None of it's real."
DeVore nodded
thoughtfully, then turned his face to look at Lehmann. "You're
not afraid to use Wyatt?" His eyes, only a hand's length from
Lehmann's, were stern, questioning. There was the faintest hint of
peppermint on his breath.
"If we
must. After all, some things are more important than friendship."
DeVore held his
eyes a moment longer then looked back at the figure of Wyatt down
below. "I don't like him. You know that. But even if I did—if
it threatened what we're doing ... if for a moment. . . ."
Lehmann touched
his arm. "I know."
DeVore turned
fully, facing him. He smiled, then reached up and held his shoulders
firmly. "Good. We understand each other, Pietr. WeVe always
understood each other."
Releasing him,
DeVore checked his wrist-timer then went to the middle of the room
and stood there by the table, looking down at the box. "It's
almost time to call the others back. But first, there's one last
thing we need to talk about. Heng Yu."
Lehmann frowned.
"What of him?"
"I have
reason to believe he'll be Lwo Kang's replacement."
Lehmann laughed,
astonished. "Then you know much more than any of us, Howard. How
did you come by this news?"
"Oh, it
isn't news. Not yet, anyway. But I think you'll find it reliable
enough. Heng Chi-Po wants his nephew as the new minister, and what
Heng Chi-Po wants he's almost certain to get."
Lehmann was
quiet, considering. He had heard how high the Heng family currently
rode. Even so, it would use all of Minister Heng's quite considerable
influence to persuade Li Shai Tung to appoint his nephew, Heng Yu.
And, as these things went, it would be a costly maneuver, with the
paying off of rivals, the bribery of advisors and the cost of the
post itself. They would surely have to borrow. In the short term it
would weaken the Hengs quite severely. They would find themselves
beholden to a dozen other families. Yet in the longer term . . .
Lehmann laughed,
surprised. "I'd always thought Heng Chi-Po crude and
unimaginative. Not the kind to plan ahead. But this. . ."
DeVore shook his
head. "Don't be mistaken, Pietr. This has nothing to do with
planning. Heng Chi-Po is a corrupt man, as we know to our profit. But
he's also a proud one. At some point Lwo Kang snubbed him. Did
something to him that he couldn't forgive. This maneuvering is his
answer. His revenge, if you like."
"How do you
know all this?"
DeVore looked
across at him and smiled. "Who do you think bought Yang Lai? Who
do you think told us where Lwo Kang would be?"
"But I
thought it was because of Edmund. ..." Then Lehmann laughed.
"But of course. Why didn't you tell me?"
DeVore shrugged.
"It didn't matter until now. But now you need to know who we are
dealing with. What kind of men they are."
"Then it's
certain."
"Almost.
But there is nothing—no one—we cannot either buy or
destroy. If it is Heng Yu, then all well and good, it will prove
easy. But whoever it is, he'll remember what happened to Lwo Kang and
be wary of us." He laughed softly. "No, they'll not deal
lightly with us in future."
"And Li
Shai Tung?"
DeVore
his boots. He had suffered almost thirty years of that kind of crap
to get where he was now, in a position of real power. He would tell
his young men this and see in their eyes the reflection of his own
dark indignation. And then he would ask them, "Join me. Be part
of my secret brotherhood." And they would nod, or whisper yes.
And they would be his: alone no longer.
So now he had
his own organization; men loyal to him before all others; who would
hesitate neither to betray their T'ang nor to lay down their lives if
he asked it of them. Like the young officer who had been on duty the
night of Lwo Kang's assassination. Like a hundred others, scattered
about the City in key positions.
He looked back
at Lehmann. "Are the trees real?" He pointed outward,
indicating the stand of mulberries at the far end of the meadow.
Lehmann laughed.
"Heavens, no. None of it's real."
DeVore nodded
thoughtfully, then turned his face to look at Lehmann. "You're
not afraid to use Wyatt?" His eyes, only a hand's length from
Lehmann's, were stern, questioning. There was the faintest hint of
peppermint on his breath.
"If we
must. After all, some things are more important than friendship."
DeVore held his
eyes a moment longer then looked back at the figure of Wyatt down
below. "I don't like him. You know that. But even if I did—if
it threatened what we're doing ... if for a moment. . . ."
Lehmann touched
his arm. "I know."
DeVore turned
fully, facing him. He smiled, then reached up and held his shoulders
firmly. "Good. We understand each other, Pietr. WeVe always
understood each other."
Releasing him,
DeVore checked his wrist-timer then went to the middle of the room
and stood there by the table, looking down at the box. "It's
almost time to call the others back. But first, there's one last
thing we need to talk about. Heng Yu."
Lehmann frowned.
"What of him?"
"I have
reason to believe he'll be Lwo Kang's replacement."
Lehmann laughed,
astonished. "Then you know much more than any of us, Howard. How
did you come by this news?"
"Oh, it
isn't news. Not yet, anyway. But I think you'll find it reliable
enough. Heng Chi-Po wants his nephew as the new minister, and what
Heng Chi-Po wants he's almost certain to get."
Lehmann was
quiet, considering. He had heard how high the Heng family currently
rode. Even so, it would use all of Minister Heng's quite considerable
influence to persuade Li Shai Tung to appoint his nephew, Heng Yu.
And, as these things went, it would be a costly maneuver, with the
paying off of rivals, the bribery of advisors and the cost of the
post itself. They would surely have to borrow. In the short term it
would weaken the Hengs quite severely. They would find themselves
beholden to a dozen other families. Yet in the longer term . . .
Lehmann laughed,
surprised. "I'd always thought Heng Chi-Po crude and
unimaginative. Not the kind to plan ahead. But this. . ."
DeVore shook his
head. "Don't be mistaken, Pietr. This has nothing to do with
planning. Heng Chi-Po is a corrupt man, as we know to our profit. But
he's also a proud one. At some point Lwo Kang snubbed him. Did
something to him that he couldn't forgive. This maneuvering is his
answer. His revenge, if you like."
"How do you
know all this?"
DeVore looked
across at him and smiled. "Who do you think bought Yang Lai? Who
do you think told us where Lwo Kang would be?"
"But I
thought it was because of Edmund. ..." Then Lehmann laughed.
"But of course. Why didn't you tell me?"
DeVore shrugged.
"It didn't matter until now. But now you need to know who we are
dealing with. What kind of men they are."
"Then it's
certain."
"Almost.
But there is nothing—no one—we cannot either buy or
destroy. If it is Heng Yu, then all well and good, it will prove
easy. But whoever it is, he'll remember what happened to Lwo Kang and
be wary of us." He laughed softly. "No, they'll not deal
lightly with us in future."
"And Li
Shai Tung?"
DeVore
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