Hami plowed on. “How many of the clan-sponsored students who’ve gone to study overseas are Green Bones? I’m guessing not many. What family wants to send their son or daughter to Kaul Dushuron Academy for eight years to become proficient in the jade disciplines, only to have them move away to a place where wearing jade is a crime? Yet it’s Green Bones we would most like to sponsor. They’re the ones who’re most loyal to the clan, who would return and use a foreign education for No Peak’s benefit.” Hami blew out a loud breath. “This pointless and ignorant law in Espenia is creating far too much costly business friction for us.”
Shae cupped her hands around the warm teacup her secretary set down in front of her. She was disheartened but not surprised by all that Hami had said so far. The former Master Luckbringer was not done, however; he took a noisy sip of his coffee and said, “It might get even worse, Kaul-jen. There are rumblings that the law could change again and there will be heavy penalties placed on Espenian companies who do business with whatever the Espenian government deems as ‘criminal organizations.’ Since civilian ownership of jade is illegal, and the Green Bone clans hold and distribute jade, they could declare No Peak a ‘criminal organization’ and not only prevent other companies from working with us, but in the worst-case scenario, bar us from operating in that country altogether if they wanted to.”
Woon drew his head back in disbelief. “The Espenian government itself purchases jade from Kekon for military use. If they can declare us to be criminals for something that has been in our culture for thousands of years, wouldn’t they have to also declare their own government to be illegal?”
Hami threw his hands up. “It’s Espenia,” he exclaimed. “They do what they like and why should hypocrisy stand in their way? They use money and tricky laws like we use the jade disciplines—as a kind of fighting science. While I was there, I heard a story of a landlord in their country hundreds of years ago who outlawed taking water from a certain river so he could hang the leaders of an entire town. Maybe it’s just a myth, but I would believe it.”
There was a knock on Shae’s door. Woon’s secretary opened the door partway and put her head inside, bobbing it apologetically. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but, Woon-jen, your wife is on the phone. I told her you were in a meeting with the Weather Man, but she insisted I find you.”
Woon’s face tightened with embarrassment and uncharacteristic irritation. “Unless it’s an emergency, tell her I’ll call her back,” he said. When his secretary backed away in chagrin and closed the door, Woon said to Shae and Hami, “I apologize.”
“There’s no need to do so.” Shae glanced at her aide in concern. The brief perturbation in Woon’s expression was gone and he seemed fine again, but she was so familiar with his jade aura that she could Perceive the faint static hum of disquiet that had come into it.
“We were close to finishing anyways,” she said, and turned back to Hami. “You’re right to bring this issue up. I agree it’s a long-term problem that we need to address, though one that’s too big for us to solve today. For now, do you feel like you have what you need to get settled back into Janloon and started in your new position, Hamijen?” Out of habit, she addressed him with the respectful Green Bone suffix even though he was not wearing jade, and realizing her error, she amended, a bit awkwardly, “It’s your decision, of course, whether to put your jade back on.” She understood more than anyone that it was a personal choice, one that might be more difficult than other people realized.
Hami pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I think I will, but not right away. I need some time to deal with family things and get back into a routine before I’m ready to carry jade again.” Hami’s family had moved into a new house and Hami’s eldest son would soon be entering Kaul Dushuron Academy as a year-one student. “Also, I expect I’ll continue traveling to and from Port Massy regularly, so to prevent all the legal hassle we’ve discussed, the less green I am, the better, from a practical standpoint.”
Starting today, Hami would be the clan’s Rainmaker—a new and necessary position Shae had created, one that her former Belforte Business School classmates might’ve called a director of international business development. Hami and a few subordinates would be responsible for improving communication and coordination between the Janloon office and the clan’s Port Massy branch, as well as seeking out additional growth opportunities overseas, something that seemed even more important now.