Tempt the Devil (The Devil of Ponong series #3) (21 page)

She was
insane. “We’re not giving up our charts,” he said.

“Then you
deserve everything that’s coming your way.”

He rubbed
his forehead. “We were talking about why everyone in Thampur wants to get their
hands on you. Wait! I put that the wrong way.”

“I know what you meant.”

“I suppose they want you to help with interrogations of
spies and enemy soldiers. That psychic bond through your venom – if you
injected some of it into a prisoner, you’d feel their physical reactions. At
least, that’s the rumor. So if you were good enough at reading them, you’d know
when they lied, or when they reacted to something. I can see where that would
be useful.”

“And
this, Mister Zul, is why I consider you the most dangerous man I’ve ever met.
In all my life, I’ve never known any other Thampurian to figure that out. They
get as far as the sexual possibilities, and then their minds wander off into
the vast jungle of lust never to return again. But you, you have vision. You
always make that leap beyond.”

He was quite pleased with himself.

“But you’re wrong. I mean, that
should
be why they want me; but as I said, they’re lust-addled
idiots. Your Grandfather has another of my rumored talents in mind for
exploitation, and I’m going to assume someone in Intelligence is after me for
the same reason. The funny thing is that it’s the fake talent.”

“You’re going to have to remind me what this fake talent
is.”

“They think I can see the future.”

“You can’t?”

She shook her head and quietly said, “No.”

“I’ve seen you predict many things that came true.”

“I’m a good guesser, but so are carnival hustlers and con
artists.”

“You know I’m going to deliver you to them even if you are
a fake,” he said.

“As well you should. Deliver what they asked for. If it
doesn’t work out, it’s not your problem.”

“I could swear you almost want to work with them.”

She made a face that made him uneasy. Maybe she did. Who
knew what sabotage she had planned?

The muscles along his spine flexed when he heard something
big move in the far, dark corner. He lifted the jellylantern and took a few
steps toward the sound.

QuiTai spoke so quietly he had to turn back and lean close
to hear her. “Pay attention, because this may be my only chance to share this
information with you.”

“You changed your mind?”

She still seemed reluctant to speak. “I won’t tell you who
murdered Turyat, but I’ll tell you what happened leading up to his death. Late
morning, I found Turyat and Cuulon passed out on the veranda at the Red
Happiness. Turyat woke as I opened the shutters and followed me inside.”

That was what he’d seen.

“Turyat
begged me for black lotus and even threatened me, but I turned him down.”

“Is it
true that you forbade anyone to sell black lotus to him, practically torturing
him with his addiction?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t
hesitate a moment about admitting that. She looked him right in the eyes.
Killing Turyat would have been an act of mercy on her part, and she wasn’t the
merciful type. Torture was more her style. He couldn’t blame her, though. And
Cuulon should be careful. QuiTai might be biding her time, but eventually, she’d
find a way to torment him too.

“While
Turyat was bothering me, PhaSun came creeping down the staircase. She about
jumped out of her skin when she saw me there.”

“PhaSun again? Inattra mentioned he had to practically
pull PhaSun out of the street and hide her from the militia.”

“Inattra
is an excellent employee.” Her voice sounded oddly flat.

“He’s had
a rough day. The militia destroyed the bar and drank all your liquor. He’s
trying to get the place ready to open by tonight, but he’s stopped to help me
several times.”

“The militia reminds me of Petrof’s werewolves. Thugs, all
of them. Criminals, really, trying their hand at intimidation. One wonders who
their shadowy overlord might be.”

“Yes, yes. The militia are bad. I get it. I thought you
wanted me to focus on Turyat’s murder.” Kyam wiped away the bead of sweat
trickling down his temple. “Inattra said PhaSun was actually trying to summon
the militia. Does that sound right to you?”

QuiTai paced the cell as she pulled at her bottom lip. “It
fits my theory. Yes, I can see it. It was a stupid thing to do, but she isn’t
the smartest person, obviously. I strongly urge you to find her, and soon.”

“We’re trying. I have RhiHanya and LiHoun working to lure
her out of Old Levapur.”

“They will,” she promised.

His relief at her renewed sense of urgency must have
shown.

“You were talking about the Red Happiness. Go on.”

“I told PhaSun that I had to go meet a passenger on the
Golden Barracuda
this morning and didn’t
have time to listen to her try to get Inattra in trouble. I went into my office
to change out of my soiled dress – something that I’m surprised you knew
about, or did you simply guess from what you know about me?”

If he admitted he’d watched her from behind a tree, it
would sound like he’d been spying on her. “I believe I mentioned that you were
seen by a witness.”

“Oh, yes. I forgot.”

The hell she did. She never forgot anything.

“Alas, I didn’t have another continental style dress in my
wardrobe, so I was forced to change into a sarong. When I came out of my
office, Turyat was still there. I’m fairly certain he and Cuulon were waiting
on the veranda for PhaSun. My workers don’t rise before noon unless there are
many coins involved.”

He pushed his bangs out of his eyes. It was like standing
in an oven down here. He had no idea how QuiTai could look so composed after
several hours in the dungeon, especially since she’d been wearing two layers of
clothing when he’d brought her here. If it had been acceptable, he would have
taken off his jacket.

She was speaking so quickly he was afraid he’d miss
something important. He had to solve this mystery and bring the real murderer
to the fortress as soon as possible, or the military would execute her for the
crime. If only he knew what questions were the right ones to ask. If only she’d
answer. If only he’d be able to figure out the truth in spite of her answers.

“Do you think PhaSun was planning to sell Turyat black
lotus despite knowing you’d cut him off?”

“I had my suspicions that’s what was happening, but since
I had to leave and no one else was awake, I didn’t feel it was a good time to
fire her. She destroyed drapes and a chair when I announced that Inattra would
take Jezereet’s position as Madam. Quite the temper, that one, and no attempt
at self-control. So I didn’t tell her that I knew what she was up to. I thought
I’d have time to take care of the matter this afternoon.”

Every word counted, he reminded himself. He hoped he could
remember all this, because she wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation to
hide clues for him in her story. All he had to do was pick them out.

“I told her that when I returned from the harbor, Turyat
had better still be itching for vapor, or someone–” She caught Kyam’s
gaze and held it. “Someone would lose their job. My exact words: someone.”

“Then?”

“I left. Turyat was still alive.”

“PhaSun can verify that?”

She spread her hands. “I’m in a difficult spot here. If I
want you to believe her when she swears Turyat was alive after I left, I
shouldn’t mention that she’s a troublemaker and a liar. If I want you to ignore
aspersions she might cast on Inattra, then I’d want you to know her true
character.”

“I see. And she won’t cast aspersions on you?”

That clearly troubled her. “I can’t imagine why she would.
If she does, let me know. I may have to reassess.”

“If I can’t find her soon, you may have to rethink this
noble but stupid stance of yours and tell me the solution to this mystery.”

“What good does my version do you if you don’t have proof?
I’m telling you to find the clues – find the proof. Then, if you still
have trouble figuring out the story they tell, I will give you my
interpretation. But you know as well as I do that you’ll never believe I’m
innocent unless you prove it to yourself.”

“Why does that matter to you?”

“I’m taking the long view here, Kyam. It’s a risk. I know
that. But it’s one I’m willing to take because things are going to get very
complicated from here on out. The arrival your wife in Levapur proves that. So
does this race to recruit me.”

“I don’t get it. You want me to start trusting you again
because Grandfather sent my wife here?”

“Find PhaSun. Hurry, Kyam. Time is ticking away.”

He wanted to ask her so many more things, but she made him
feel as if he were falling behind, so he reluctantly left.

By the time he was on the beach, doubt was nagging at him.
It seemed as if she’d wanted him to leave her. He couldn’t put his finger on
any exact thing, but he was sure she’d tricked him somehow. Again.

Voorus had
never
given much thought to his living quarters before. He didn’t have
visitors. But now that Mityam sat in his sagging best chair, the apartment
embarrassed him. A dusty spider web hung from the ceiling. His plates were
gaudy. The prints that hung on his walls hadn’t been popular in a decade. He
should have paid extra for a white light jellylantern rather than his usual
green, but once he opened the doors to the veranda, natural light overpowered
the sickly glow.

Mityam clutched a teacup in his curled fist and stirred in
sugar. Voorus thought about offering help, but hesitated. That might be an
insult. Not offering to help might be an insult. The entire day had been full
of moments like this. He was so on edge that he almost wished QuiTai hadn’t
hired Mityam to tutor him.

They’d only met several hours before, so the subject of
how much help was wanted seemed embarrassingly personal. Maybe in the thirteen
families they taught you how to gracefully work through this situation, but the
only thing he’d been taught was repulsion for anyone who seemed ill.

He sank into the wingback chair opposite Mityam and kept
sinking until his knees were higher than his backside. Maybe he should have
picked up some cakes to serve.

“You have something on your mind, Captain,” Mityam said.

Voorus immediately blushed. Was he supposed to acknowledge
that it took forever for Mityam to climb the stairs? Did a proper Thampurian
ignore his guest’s struggles? “I’m going to say something that might offend
you, but I’m not sure how else it might be said. Unfortunately for us both, it
is a matter I feel must be addressed.” He rubbed his thighs as he tried to
figure out how to say it. “It appeared to me that three flights of stairs were
a difficult climb for you, although you know yourself better than I, so please
correct me if I’m being presumptuous.”

Mityam
shrugged, but Voorus thought it was agreement.

“If this
is too much for you to do every day, I should probably come to your apartment
to study. Unfortunately, I wasn’t told that a ground floor apartment would be
more convenient for you, so I arranged for a place up one flight.”

“I was
quite a bit spryer when QuiTai last saw me, and I wasn’t exactly forthcoming in
our letters.” Mischief lit Mityam’s eyes as he leaned forward. He confessed
with a conspiratorial wink, “I didn’t want her to think of me as an old man.
Pretty young girls don’t talk to you when you look thirty years older than you
are in your mind.” He tapped his temple.

Did elderly men still think about things like that? He
realized with some surprise that Mityam did. The idea that he considered QuiTai
a young girl, and someone to flirt with, was too odd for Voorus. He decided to
ignore it, as one would any embarrassing social gaffe, and prayed that there
wouldn’t be any more comments like that.

“I’ll find another place for you soon. If only Lady QuiTai
were free, I’m sure she’d find something suitable by tomorrow,” Voorus
stammered.

If only she were free. But she wasn’t, and the day was
slipping away. What was he doing having tea with a
thiree
instead of helping Kyam find a way to free her?

Voorus hated to be petty, but if QuiTai were executed, who
would pay Mityam’s fees?

“I noticed that you and Governor Zul call her Lady QuiTai.
I wasn’t aware that our mutual friend was titled. Is she a native princess? She
never mentioned a family name, so many of us suspected she had a secret past.
She always had a regal aloofness to her,” Mityam said.

Newcomers to Levapur always had strange ideas about the
island and the Ponongese. Voorus remembered with some embarrassment things he’d
believed even after living in Levapur a few years. “It’s not like that. They
don’t believe in a central authority. How it works, I don’t know. It seems like
chaos to me. Did you know that if a child knows more about something than
everyone else, they will listen to her opinion?”

Mityam
seemed as aghast as he’d been.

“Qui is
QuiTai’s clan name, or her tribe, or something like that. It’s confusing at
first because Old Levapur is in the ancestral lands of the Pha clan, so it will
seem as if half the Ponongese you meet in Levapur have the same name. Pay
attention to the second half, so you can tell them apart.” Voorus winced. A
year or so ago he wouldn’t have thought twice about saying something like that,
but now that he heard it in his own voice, it sounded so insulting. The
Ponongese didn’t all look alike.

“Are there many Qui around? Do you called her Lady QuiTai
so everyone knows who you’re talking about?”