Hilo called the entire family and its closest friends together for dinner. After a leisurely meal consisting of all the traditional seasonal favorites—gingery seafood soup, thrice-glazed smoked pork, spicy pickled vegetables, and sticky fruit paste cakes—the Pillar said, “It’s a nice evening, still warm outside. You should all stay as long as you want.” A gentle signal to those not in the inner circle of the clan’s leadership to take their leave. They did so promptly, knowing the Pillar and his advisors would be talking for hours to come.
Sulima helped Hilo’s mother back to her room. Kaul Wan Ria was eighty-five years old now, the longest-lived member of the family, though mentally and physically feeble. Woon Papi, Juen Nu, Juen’s grown sons, and Maik Cam went out into the courtyard with a bottle of hoji, decks of cards, and a relayball. Kehn’s widow, Lina, and Juen’s wife, Imrie, took their conversation into the garden. Tia wanted to play a movie in the home theater. When Jirhuya offered to join her, Anden looked relieved and a little surprised. Ever since the violence on Euman Island, Jirhu had behaved more nervously around the family than usual. Hilo suspected it had caused some friction between him and Anden, but what did they expect? If they intended to stay together, Jirhu would eventually see his partner’s relatives for the Green Bones they were, no matter how much distance he tried to maintain from the clan.
Hilo looked around at those who remained at the dinner table: Shae and Wen together on one side, Lott and Niko on the other, Anden at the far end. He wrapped a hand tightly around the armrest of his chair, warding against the familiar but undiminished pain that closed over his heart every time he felt Ru’s absence. One peach cake remained on the plate in the middle of the table, and Hilo imagined, as clearly as if it were really happening, his son jumping up out of his chair to claim it. The only other person missing was Jaya, who’d returned to Toshon. Everyone else was gazing at him expectantly. For a few seconds, he didn’t speak, overcome by a sense of poignant pride.
Then he said, “Ayt Atosho has asked for a meeting between our clans.”
He let Shae explain further. “The Mountain wants to discuss a pledge of friendship,” the Weather Man said. “They made the request properly and with all the expected assurances, although they want it to happen soon, and privately, with only the Pillar and two attendants from each side. We would choose the time and place.”
No one was entirely surprised by the news, although Lott noted, “That happened quickly.” Ayt Mada had resigned only three weeks ago. For her successor to so quickly reach out to his aunt’s enemies might be regarded as hasty and weak, signaling a lack of savvy on the part of the new Pillar. If Hilo were to offer counsel to the Kobens, which he assuredly would not, he would say it was a bad idea to meet with one’s enemies before being sure of one’s friends—something he doubted the Kobens could claim with confidence.
Wen poured tea for everyone out of a fresh pot. “They must feel they don’t have a choice. Stepping into the shadow of Ayt Mada, the Kobens have to move as quickly as possible to prove they’re in charge.” Many in the Mountain were still loyal to Ayt Mada and considered the Kobens to be a second-rate Green Bone family undeservedly rising to the top because of their size, traditionalist zeal, and media darling scion as opposed to any real merit.
Ayt Ato, no doubt aware of his detractors, had already cleaned house. Aben Soro and Iwe Kalundo, Ayt Mada’s Horn and Weather Man, had both been asked to follow their Pillar’s lead and resign from their positions, which they had done immediately. Aben had been Horn for so long that retirement was no surprise. Iwe was also an oldtimer, too closely connected to Ayt Mada and too deeply embroiled in the years of activities that Iyilo had detailed in his interview.
Shae accepted the cup of tea her sister-in-law placed in front of her and eyed the remaining cakes but resisted taking one. “Right now, the only people Ayt Ato can trust are the members of the Koben family.” The new Pillar had named his second cousin Sando Kin as his Horn, and one of his uncles, an experienced but relatively unknown Lantern Man named Koben Opon, as Weather Man. “Everyone knows Ayt Mada passed the leadership onto her nephew reluctantly and doesn’t truly support him, so that might leave the door open for potential challengers.”
“He’s afraid we’ll take advantage of his inexperience as Pillar and the disunity in his clan,” Lott reasoned. “We have the public on our side right now, and the Kobens are afraid more of the Mountain’s Lantern Men will defect to No Peak.”