“Ma, do you want dessert?” Wen asked her mother-in-law.
“No, give more to the kids. I’m going to watch television and go to bed.” Kaul Wan Ria rose creakily from her chair and Sulima helped her out of the room. Hilo’s mother was still in good health at age seventy-eight, but her hair was completely white and she seemed to be shrinking and softening, fading even further into the background that she had always occupied. His grandfather had aged into a leathery cobra spitting venom, but his mother was causing no one any trouble.
Wen asked Ru, “Have you thought any more about what you’re going to study?”
“Aunt Shae suggested a business degree,” Ru said. “She says that’ll open up a lot of job options in the Weather Man’s office and in our tributary companies.”
“Your aunt’s very smart and practical,” Wen pointed out.
“A lot of the course requirements in business look boring, though,” Ru said. “The social sciences seem a lot more interesting to me. Sociology, or public policy, maybe. It’s not that I don’t want to work in the clan,” he added quickly, “but I want to do something that helps people outside of the clan too—like other stone-eyes.”
Ru could be a bit too optimistic and unselfish for his own good, but Hilo said encouragingly, “I’m sure you’ll do well in politics or law or whatever you put your mind to. You’ve got time to figure it out, that’s what college is for. And your backup plan can be making it big as a movie star like Danny Sinjo, since you’ve got your mother’s good looks.”
Jaya burst out laughing, catching a spray of cake crumbs in her hand.
Wen shook her head, smiling. “Everyone knows who Ru looks like.”
“Da, come on,” Ru said.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me,” Hilo said, teasing, but with an undercurrent of seriousness. “And don’t ever let any superstitious asses stand in your way. You’re my son. You’re a Kaul. If you’re not a Green Bone, it means you’re meant to do something else, something great.”
“Yeah, okay, Da,” Ru said, waving his father off, although everyone could see how much Hilo’s words made him glow. He prodded Niko. “Hey, maybe next year, we’ll be on campus together.”
Niko glanced at his brother, then back down at the napkin he was twisting into a knot. “I think you’re the college kid in this family, Ru.”
“What do you mean? You’re still going to go to Jan Royal after you’ve spent a year as a Fist, right?”
Jaya tried to catch Ru’s eye and cut him off with a warning hand motion, but it was too late. The conversation came to a sudden icy halt. Ru looked around, confused. He wasn’t well connected into the military side of the clan, and he’d been so busy with final exams and graduation that he hadn’t heard the news that the Horn had given out rank promotions and jade a week ago.
“I’m not going to be a Fist,” Niko said. “And I’m not going to college either.”
“Of course you are,” Hilo snapped. “Lott Jin says you’re doing fine, you carry your jade better than anyone else at your rank. You just need to put in the effort. By now, you should be taking more initiative, setting an example for junior Fingers. You can’t expect to become a Fist by doing the average amount.”
“A college education is important these days, of course,” Wen added, “but it can wait another year or two until you’ve earned more jade. Even if you’re a little behind on rank compared to where you expected to be, you can catch up if you put your mind to it.”
Niko remained mute, as was his habit when he was upset. When criticized or disciplined, Ru would cajole and argue; Jaya would storm off in tears. Niko would withdraw, as he was doing now, staring sullenly at the table with his jade aura pulled in like a black cloud. Hilo felt his temper rising. “Do you think everything should come easy to you just because you’re the Pillar’s son? That you don’t have to work as hard to prove yourself and can get away with disgraceful stunts, like that thing with the car?” Hilo caught himself; he’d already punished his nephew for that incident and had promised himself he wouldn’t continue to bring it up.
Instead, he said, in a calmer voice, “Did you know that when I first met Lott Jin, I wasn’t sure about him? It’s hard to believe now, but when he was young, he was badly behaved, he sulked and talked back. His father was a top Green Bone and he hated following after him. Fortunately, he found his own footing. He changed his attitude and worked harder than anyone. Now he’s the Horn of the clan. My point is that even if you didn’t have the best start, even if you made some mistakes, it’s not too late to turn things around. You just have to commit to doing it.”