Wen spoke up quickly, as if an exciting thought had occurred to her in that instant. “I heard that Danny Sinjo would be at this party. Is that true, Mr. Lucanito? I would love to meet him.”
Lucanito was happy to confirm that, indeed, Sinjo was here, and he brought Hilo and Wen out to the poolside, where he introduced them to the Keko-Espenian jadesports star, his girlfriend, and his manager. Danny Sinjo was indeed movie-star handsome, with arresting eyes and a flawless jawline, but he had the build and posture of a real fighter. Like all Keko-Espenians, he wore his jade out of sight, but Wen could imagine him passing as a Fist on the streets of Janloon, if not for his jagged overlong haircut and a face that was a bit too pretty to appear credible.
Sinjo was caught off guard by the introduction. After setting down his drink and shaking their hands, he said, “Wow. This is sure something.”
Wen said, “Congratulations on your big win.” Sinjo had recently defeated a Shotarian fighter to retain his title as superchamp in Spectacle One’s televised World Warrior event. Wen had first heard about Danny Sinjo from Anden, who’d described the underground jadesports training culture in Resville after his first trip to that Espenian city. Since then, she’d followed Sinjo’s rise with interest. He might not be a proper Green Bone in Hilo’s eyes, but there was no denying the man’s jade abilities. He’d come from an expatriate Green Bone family. He’d been well trained and had made trips to Kekon to learn from the best private coaches there. Now he was an actor; he’d already appeared in a recent Shotarian film and was in talks about future roles.
“Do you speak Kekonese, Sinjo-jen?” Hilo asked.
The man blinked. Wen suspected that Sinjo, for all of his growing fame, had never been addressed with the respectful Green Bone suffix before. It surprised Wen as well, to hear Hilo use it, and to see her husband smiling, sincerely this time. Sinjo said, in Kekonese, “My Kekonese is okay, but not great.”
“No problem,” said Hilo. “You speak it well enough, and I know enough Espenian to get by. I’m glad to see another Kekonese face in this crowd. My cousin saw you years ago, in Resville. And now my own wife is a fan and insists I have to meet you.”
Sinjo did not seem like a modest man. Wen had seen him posing and prancing for the audience on television. Now he glanced at the Kauls and seemed at a loss for words. “Seer’s balls, I’m flattered.”
Hilo said, “Have you ever thought about coming back to Kekon?”
“Honestly, no,” Sinjo said. “No offense, but there’s nothing for me there.”
“There might be more than you think. No matter how many sport fights you win for Lucanito, or how many bad guys you play in the Shotarian movies, your face will always be Kekonese. No one will ever appreciate you as much as your own people.” Hilo put a friendly hand on Sinjo’s shoulder and handed him a drink from the tray of a passing waiter, taking one for himself as well. “It’s crowded by the pool. Why don’t we walk over there and have a quieter conversation? Bring your manager if you like.”
Wen smiled encouragingly and struck up a conversation with Sinjo’s girlfriend—a thin, pale-haired Espenian woman—so that the men could take a stroll and talk about serious matters. The party was getting increasingly crowded and noisy—a band had started playing, and several people had fallen drunkenly into the massive blue swimming pool—but Wen was relaxed now. She’d seen Sinjo’s awestruck expression. For the most part, everyone who wore jade, no matter their upbringing, nationality, or bloodline, viewed the Green Bones of Kekon with a certain fearful reverence. The up-and-coming young movie star Danny Sinjo was not so far removed from his heritage that he could fail to appreciate the significance of receiving personal attention from the Pillar of the No Peak clan.
Wen had complete confidence in her husband’s ability to compel any man he befriended. Tomorrow morning, she would call her sister-in-law in the Weather Man’s office. By the end of the week, Sian Kugo would be a Lantern Man of No Peak, Cinema Shore would belong to the clan, and Danny Sinjo would star in its films.
CHAPTER
24
It’s Finally Happening
Bero was surprised when he received a phone call one evening and heard Ema’s voice on the other end. He’d never spoken to her on the phone before, even though he’d asked for her number many times. At Galo’s urging, he’d tried to make friends with her, even taking her out for noodles and paying the bill, yet he still hadn’t managed to get between her legs. Nor had Bero gotten closer to uncovering the details of Vastik eya Molovni’s plans, much to the displeasure of his Espenian handlers. He was still considering forcing himself on Ema, but if she was fucking Molovni, that ugly Ygutanian bastard might kill him, or at least kick him out of the group, which would mean the end of his lucrative arrangement with the Espenians.