Moonstones and Madness

Twenty

   Kah Chul, the newly minted leader of the Slack-harbor gang, stared at the thick ropes tying his hands and feet. He rolled his shoulders and shifted his weight from one but-cheek to the other to forestall the inevitable cramps. He frowned at his lieutenant, "Why didn't you say anything about those other boys?"

"Thought they'd be going on their way after losing the match. Who helps out the competition? Makes no sense." The wiry man scratched his shaved head as he looked around.

"Do we have anything on them?"

"Not anymore. Remember, we returned the marker after the race. Two of their team are in the infirmary, and I am surprised the other one is still on his feet, never minded wading into a fight like that."

"Right. Do you think the others got word to our allies, yet?" Kah Chul shifted again, this time to see if he might be able to loosen the ropes. The pins and needles in his hands marked some success but it was not enough to break free. Two city guards came over, dragged him to his feet, and along a passageway where a man in a palace uniform waited.

"By what right did you enter the competitor's rest area?" The stouter of the two guards leaned in.

"None. It was a mistake. I was in a hurry to congratulate Bang Sie Woo," Kah Chul kept his features neutral.

"And do your congratulations usually come with a stabbing?" The inflection made the contempt of the palace representative clear.

"More of an accidental reflex when someone who is well armed moves to suddenly," Kah Chul said with a half-hearted shrug.

"You might want to use your time in the lock up to dream up a better explanation. Nobody takes an attack on a competitor lightly. Especially, after all the carnage on the race-course and the flash bomb." The guards shared a look of concern at this observation.

"You better send a message out to your boys that they are not welcome on site." The guard went out and beckoned one of the young gang members who milled around the entrance to the tent that served as the guard's headquarters. He stood close enough to overhear the entire conversation, and reinforced the gang's banishment with direct threats.

Kah Chul's eyes narrowed. It was one thing to be caught out through bad timing and nosey bystanders. Threatening his young associates, who were all family to him, was something else. He studied the guard's face and insignia closely so he would make no mistake when it was time to get even. His thoughts of revenge were interrupted by the prince's man.

"Your colleagues are starting to understand the gravity of your situation. No doubt you expect one of the noblemen you have collected markers from to smooth your way out of the mess you landed yourself in. I'm afraid it won't be that easy."

With a flash of temper, Kal Chul, muttered, "Shows what you know."

"We know quite a bit. Like how two years ago someone on the Council-of-Five paid your passage and set you up as a runner on the riverfront and greased your way into the Slack-harbor gang. How you scratched and scraped your way into the inner circle and bought enough allies you could make safely your challenge. Six months ago, you won the fight but nearly lost an eye." The investigator ran a finger in a pattern mimicking Kal Chul's scar, then continued, "Now you control the action from the docks to the main market, and have ambitions for the western half of the city. Your sponsor's aims are of a different sort. Gambling debts are a chisel of influence, sharpened with extortion. We will soon learn whether you are an errant knight with aligned interests, or just another pawn." The palace man turned away to give the guards more instructions.

Even though he kept his features still, Kal Chul could not stop the tops of his ears turning red. He glanced over at his lieutenant to see if any of the revelations had come as a surprise and met a hostile stare. The man spat at his feet saying, "We don't have no truck with traitors. Chances, they'll leave us all out to dry."

Kal Chul could only nod. He understood the risks he had taken but was confident the remaining members of Council-of-Five would still want to protect the secrets he was privy to and understood the precautions he took against assassination. He just had to hope his allies could come up with a viable rescue plan before the interrogation escalated beyond his considerable pain tolerance.

Across town, in an establishment catering to the most refined tastes, the former regent of Psyonan province, brooded over the messages he just received from the competition grounds. The eviction of Slack-harbor boys was inconvenient. He did not imagine it would stop their betting pools but it might make timely collection harder. No what irked him was Park Junseo interfering yet again and he still did not have the evidence his northern associates demanded. Last year's set-backs, and especially Lord Sun-Gye's banishment, slowed down the plans for the original principalities to break free of the Lei family's rule. Now fresh rumors of a twice-royal heir eroded separatist sentiment.

Abilities across a wide spectrum of stones would be the surest sign of Park Junseo's special heritage. Far more important than any tokens he wore, or the unlikely possibility of a guardian appearing. The High Priestess swore the boy should have no crystal affinity left after his collection was knocked out of balance yet he obviously still has some abilities. Enough to sense the flash bomb but not enough disarm it.

The palace's interest, with the dowager appearing on the first day, and now the prince bringing along his pet rainbow-maker, raised more questions about the boy. Kal Chul claimed to have hooks on more than one of Knight-Master Lei's team but did not have any more information than what could be purchased in most bars. He wondered if the alliance with the Slack-harbor gang was worth the trouble but then put together the necessary bribes. He would not discard a potentially useful tool just yet.