Shae nodded and went to do as he asked. Anden knelt next to the unconscious Ayt and ran his Perception through her body, making quick note of the worst injuries. Placing his hands over her torso, he began Channeling into her, slowly and steadily, so as not to overload her weakened system. The immediate problem was blood loss; he set to work shutting down the bleeding from the ugly stab wound as well as the invisible internal bleeding from physical trauma, likely sustained from falling out of the building or being thrown by the explosion. By the time Shae returned with the bandages and hot water, he’d gotten the worst of it under control, but that hardly meant Ayt would live. Blood pressure was still alarmingly low; circulation was extremely poor; dehydration and infection were distinct possibilities. He couldn’t do any more until he got equipment and supplies from the clinic without rousing suspicion.
He gave his jade abilities a needed rest while he cleaned and stitched the knife wound. He’d already been exerting himself at the clinic and didn’t have enough energy to keep Channeling without exhaustion. Shae hovered nearby, then went into the kitchen. Anden could hear her using the phone. After a few minutes, she came back into the living room. “I’m going back to the house for a while,” she said. “The kids are there now, and Wen is on her way. And I need to feed Tia.”
“Sit down for a few minutes, first, Shae-jen,” Anden insisted. “You need to eat and drink something, and I’ll check your heart and lungs before you go. You can’t afford to cause any harm to yourself.”
Shae glanced at Ayt on the sofa. “You have enough to deal with. Save your own energy.”
“You think I care about Ayt Mada’s life?” Anden demanded, more harshly than he’d intended. “I’ll treat her on your orders, but I’m not going to put her life over yours.”
Anden went into the kitchen and made two bowls of instant soup laden with as much protein as he could find in his cupboard and fridge—wheat noodles, boiled eggs, seaweed, and shredded dried fish—and made his cousin sit and eat with him. Shae turned on the television. Every news channel was reporting the breaking news that two men implicated in the bombing of the Kekon Jade Alliance building had been killed in a shootout with police. A tip from an unidentified source had unexpectedly led to the Docks, where Guriho and Otonyo—Oortokon-born ex-convicts and leaders of the Clanless Future Movement—were found attempting to escape the city by boat. Guriho had gone down in a furious exchange of gunfire, and Otonyo had shot himself before he could be apprehended.
The bombers were being hailed as heroes by violent supporters who’d incited a wave of smaller attacks in the wake of the bombing. Gunmen waving the black flag of the clanless and chanting, “The future is now! The future is clanless!” had attacked government institutions and prominent clan-owned properties in the city. Green Bones of the Haedo Shield clan were staunchly protecting the Kekon Treasury and Wisdom Hall, but there were reports of weapons fired, tear gas grenades and pipe bombs set off near the Factory, on Poor Man’s Road, and in the Financial District. Shae sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of the lower floor of the No Peak tower on Ship Street wreathed in smoke.
The news returned to Toh Kita in the KNB studio, who reported that the current casualty toll from the KJA bombing rested at eightyseven dead, a hundred and twenty-two wounded, and sixty-four missing, including the Pillars of both the No Peak and Mountain clans. Confirmed dead included the chairman of the KJA, the Pillars of the Jo Sun and Black Tail clans, and the well-known Mountain Green Bone Koben Yiro.
Toh Kita read a statement released by young Ayt Atosho on behalf of the Mountain clan. It expressed shock and grief, praised the work of the rescue workers, and declared that anyone, domestic or foreign, connected to the unconscionable acts of terrorism was a sworn enemy of the Mountain clan and the entire country. Aisho did not apply to those who dared to strike at the very fabric of Kekonese society. The Mountain would come down from the forest to destroy the Clanless Future Movement and anyone who aided it.
There had been no statement yet from the No Peak clan, Toh Kita told the viewers. Anden glanced at Shae worriedly. The Mountain’s announcement was surprising not for its content but for its swiftness. Ayt Mada’s body had not been found, but the Koben family was hurrying to ensure that the first official clan communication positioned Ayt Ato as the new Pillar—no doubt to dissuade other influential families in the Mountain who might consider challenging for the leadership. Now that the Mountain had spoken, however, it would not be long before No Peak was expected to do the same.