Afterward, Woon said, “It was a nice party, Shae-jen. Thank you.” He hesitated, then confessed, “I would drive you home as usual, but I’ve had a few drinks. I should wait awhile.”
“I’ll drive,” Shae said. “You can clear your head in the car.” Woon handed over his keys and Shae drove to the Kaul estate in his car. Splatters of intermittent rain turned into the season’s first heavy downpour by the time they arrived. Shae waved to the guards as she drove through the gate and past the main house, parking Woon’s car at the front of the Weather Man’s residence. Woon got out with an umbrella and walked Shae to the door with it held over both their heads. She let them into the house and took off her coat while Woon shook out the umbrella.
“Wait until this rain lets up and you feel okay to drive,” Shae told him.
She made a pot of tea and brought it over to the sofa, where they sat down together. Woon accepted the cup she poured for him. “I’ll probably drive here after work next week without thinking,” he said. “And I’ll jerk awake at night in a panic that I forgot to remind you of something in your schedule.”
“Don’t do that,” Shae laughed. Turning serious, “I’m glad you’re moving on to a new challenge and will hopefully have more time to spend with Kiya.”
Woon nodded and drank the tea. He hadn’t said any more about his wife’s miscarriage, or whether they were still trying for children. “How did things go this morning?”
After Shae told him what had happened, he leapt to his feet and paced around her living room. “Turning Six Hands Unity would be a huge coup,” Woon said. “Their tribute payments alone would be a significant financial boost, not to mention the manpower we would gain in Lukang. That city is growing fast, and taking control of it would be a far bigger win than the Mountain turning Fuyin Kan or any number of our Lantern Men.” Woon’s brow creased, the dimple appearing on the right side of his forehead as his mind chewed through the same calculations Shae had made earlier in the day. “Could it be a setup? A way to lure us into disclosing information or letting down our guard in some other way?”
Shae said, “I’ve been wondering the same thing.” Tyne had seemed sincere, though. He wouldn’t have been so tense in the elevator if his clan’s fate was not truly at stake.
Woon reversed the direction of his pacing. “We have to pursue this carefully and step by step to be sure it’s genuine before we meet with their leaders or make any commitment. And of course, we’ll have to keep it entirely secret. I’ll start gathering all the information we have about Six Hands Unity, and making discreet calls to our own people in Lukang to learn more.”
Shae nodded and began to agree out loud, then caught herself. “No,” she said. When Woon stopped and turned toward her in bewilderment, she reminded him, “That’s not your job anymore. You have other responsibilities now.” She smiled, trying to soften her answer. “You’ll have plenty of other things to deal with on behalf of the clan as soon as you start in your new position on Firstday. Leave this work to Luto.”
Woon would be the clan’s Sealgiver, a newly created role they’d decided was overdue and would free some of Shae’s schedule from endless meetings. As No Peak’s spokesperson and dedicated political liaison, he would be the primary point of contact with the Royal Council, foreign government representatives, tributary minor clans, and the press. It was a good job for Woon, who could be counted on to convey messages precisely, to understand and hew to the clan’s priorities, to speak carefully to outsiders and never too much.
Her chief of staff had seemed pleased and grateful with the new assignment, but now he protested, almost angrily, “This is too big and important to leave to Luto.”
“You helped to hire him, Papi-jen,” Shae reminded him. “You said he was exceptionally clever and organized and you were confident I’d work well with him.”
“Yes, but—” Woon struggled for a moment. “He’s brand new to the job. I’ve been training him as much as I can, but it’ll still take time for him to learn how to be your Shadow. Turning a tributary clan is risky and difficult—we can’t afford any mistakes. At least let me stay involved and oversee Luto’s work.”
Shae laughed weakly. “Don’t you remember why you asked to leave in the first place? You’re supposed to be working less from now on, not more.” She hadn’t been able to forget what Hilo had said to her in the car that morning. I don’t know why he tortures himself working for you. Woon was insisting on remaining her aide in some capacity because he believed she needed him—which she did. “All right,” she relented, “but have Luto do as much of the work as possible, and don’t let it take time away from your real job.”