Fire raced through his chest. “And how much I loved her.”
“She never judged.”
With that, Muna Lin faced her adoptive son. “Eat.”
He grabbed the braid and muttered. “For Honorable Gran.”
He tore the braid into segments and dipped into the chutney. It was as delicious as anything that ever crossed his lips. Sweet and buttery, mellow and chewy. Muna Lin sipped tea and watched in silence, which might have unnerved Ryllen were he not filing away this taste to be remembered for years.
“Satisfied?” He asked when finished. “I’ll never eat better.”
“That will depend.”
“On what?”
“Whether you squeeze out a long, productive life.”
He washed down the braid with half his tea.
“Go on, Mother. Explain.”
“Green Sun will be your end.”
He twitched, but not enough to be noticed.
“What’s Green Sun, Mother?”
She sighed. “I assumed you would deny the connection. My people tell me it is considered a betrayal to openly admit affiliation. And yet, they seem to have considerable intelligence about the machinations of these vigilantes. Logic dictates … someone must be talking. Yes?”
“I don’t know who’s filling your ear, Mother, but it sounds like they’re trying to tear us down. More of this endless refinery.”
She betrayed no impatience or frustration. Muna Lin held a stoic pose, her hands resting gently in her lap.
“Refinery might have ruined our family name, but it did not turn me into a fool or an outcast. I court the ear of many Nantou executives who were once public acquaintances. I have known Lan Chua most of my life.
“He is a man who leads from behind. As the fire consumes you, he will walk away. Just as he did with your Father. Do not belittle me with denials, Ryllen. You were recruited into Green Sun by Kai Durin. You have participated in the cleansing of illegal continentals from Pinchon and the neighboring islands. The last four days, you were at sea with these fanatics. Answer me straight: Have you killed anyone in the service of Green Sun?”
Cud!
She was always smarter than he gave credit.
“I don’t know about Green Sun, but I don’t kill people, Mother.”
“Not yet. If you remain bound to these people, you will become a killer. You will disgrace this household deeper than whatever shame we have already endured. Ryllen, their politics will not solve our problems. And in time, when the blood and violence reach intolerable levels, you will no longer be considered patriots. They will call you terrorists, and every weapon will be trained upon you until each member of Green Sun is slaughtered.
“Years ago, the Chancellors solved these disruptions quietly and efficiently. A single platoon of peacekeepers restored stability in days, if not hours. However, Hokkis lack their tools and their merciless desire to kill. We are slow to respond.”
Keep it together. She’s trying to break me.
“Tell me something, Mother. When the Jees were singled out during the reprisals … when we lost almost everything because people were searching for scapegoats … when Father was assassinated … when Honorable Gran couldn’t bear the pain of living … did you never want to kill those who ruined us?”
“If I thought doing so would rehabilitate our family … perhaps. But I will not walk on a carpet infused with the blood of my enemies. I must hold fast to the smallest measure of dignity. I see it in your eyes, Ryllen. You are closer in spirit to the peacekeepers than Hokkis, though we have tried to raise you in the proper manner. You will kill for Green Sun, which is why you are here.”
“So, what now? Cue the family guards to sweep me away to parts unknown until the fighting ends?”
He drew a smile from Muna Lin.
“We lost the guards when we lost our compound in Haansu.”
She opened her right hand and revealed a palm-sized, translucent octagon, which Muna Lin slid deftly across the table. The memory glass banged against the silver plate. Ryllen studied it. No markings, but a perfect fit for a consumer Tachtron reader. Elite families were known to keep their entire histories embedded on memglass, accessible only to descendants bearing their line’s distinct genetic marker.
“What’s on here?”
“Who you are, Ryllen. Your origin. Your truth.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your Father obtained this a year before the Chancellors fell. He established a rapport with the Ark Carrier fleet admiral, a man who was himself acquainted with the people responsible for bringing you to Hokkaido. We made a decision to shield you from this information. You were progressing in your growth as a Hokki citizen, and we felt it would be unnecessarily confusing.”
“Why?”
“As I’m sure you long suspected, Ryllen, you were born on Earth. You came to us as part of a larger, clandestine program to embed the Chancellor gene pool among colonial populations. In return, we received wealth and privilege unprecedented in our family’s history.”
“Except for the part about Earth, none of this is new.”
“Ryllen, most of the data on the memglass is Chancellor encrypted. Even the admiral did not have clearance. Or so he said. I do not believe you were sold to us as part of a campaign for leverage. The Chancellors were capable of asserting absolute military control at any time. We were always at their mercy, even as they smiled and made deals with the elite families.
“I believe you exist as part of a larger plan. Ryllen, you were meant for greater. I have long held a suspicion, but I don’t know whether to be terrified or enthralled. Not
