Tempt the Devil (The Devil of Ponong series #3) (28 page)

Voorus bowed and slipped away.

Kyam turned back to PhaSun. She smiled up at him, but her
eyes were full of malice. She probably thought she was cunning.

“Have you eaten, little sister?” he asked.

She regarded him with her hand on her hip. “Yes I have,
uncle. And you?”

Voorus caught his eye. He shook his head and shrugged.
Kyam glanced at the funicular.

Seemingly impatient to be past the courtesies, as if he
were the one wasting her time, PhaSun drew closer to him. “Tell QuiTai that
Inattra let Turyat into the Red Happiness early this morning. I think he was
selling Turyat black lotus.”

“Inattra
was?”

Voorus tapped on Kyam’s forearm.

“Yes, I saw. He won’t hold the funicular for us.”

“No. Look. Inattra is coming this way. He must have heard
that they found PhaSun. And it looks like he’s angry.” Voorus pointed into the
crowd.

If Inattra shifted any further masculine, his burgundy
suit would rip at the biceps. His jaw jutted forward as if it were leading him
through the crowds. The blue tones of his skin deepened as he cast a poisonous
look at PhaSun. The feeling was mutual. She stared fangs at him.

“Whatever she says, it’s a lie, Governor,” Inattra said
when he came closer.

“Inattra, I’m on a tight schedule. I have to be on this
funicular when it leaves. So please, let me ask PhaSun a few questions,” Kyam
said.

“You’re always spreading lies about me, but QuiTai is too
smart to believe you,” Inattra told PhaSun.

Spitting angry, PhaSun circled Inattra. Kyam backed away
and slid his baton out of its holster under his jacket. He hoped they wouldn’t
attract a crowd, because this was good gossip in the making.

“She lets you get away with all kinds of things because
you remind her of Jezereet, but she won’t forgive you this time,” PhaSun said.

“Forgive
me for what?” Inattra asked. “What did I do?”

PhaSun’s
expression got sly. “As if you don’t know.”

Outraged,
Inattra shoved her. “Oh, no! You’re not going to pin that black lotus thing on
me! See, I told everyone you’d be nosing around for some to slip to Turyat. And
I told them that if anyone gave you some, I’d let QuiTai know that you defied
her ban. I heard about you going from room to room late last night begging for
a vial. The workers will testify to it.”

PhaSun’s fists slammed Inattra’s chest. “Liar! You
horrible, evil liar!”

Inattra easily grabbed her wrists. Screaming obscenities
in Thampurian, Ponongese, and Ingosolian, PhaSun writhed but couldn’t escape
his grasp. She kicked Inattra. Voorus stepped in to stop Inattra from striking
back.

“Okay, I think that’s enough.” Kyam grabbed PhaSun by her
waist and pulled her toward the funicular. If he could get her inside, he could
talk to her on the ride down. PhaSun’s arms and legs sought every target they
could hit. Her elbow caught Kyam in the cheek, and he dropped his baton.

“Let go of me!” she screamed.

“You’re fired!” Inattra said. “Don’t ever let me catch you
in the Red Happiness again.”

PhaSun nearly wriggled out of Kyam’s arms. “My clothes!
You’re trying to steal them. Let me take my things!”

“As if I’d
want some cheap sarongs in ugly colors. I could buy better in this market.”

Fingers
curled, PhaSun lunged for Inattra’s eyes.

Kyam
dragged her toward a car. She gripped the sides of the doorway as he tried to
push her inside. “A little help would be nice,” he called out.

LiHoun
smiled and shrugged.

PhaSun’s
kebaya blouse bunched under her arms. Her torso was slick with sweat, and he
could barely hold on as she squirmed.

“I’d help
you, but you won’t let me thrash her,” Inattra said. He folded his arms over
his chest. As he shifted androgynous, his bulky muscles disappeared.

Kyam
grunted as he took another blow to the cheek.

RhiHanya rolled her eyes and sauntered over. “You tell
anyone about this, Thampurian, and you and I are going to have words.” She bowed
over the smaller woman as if she were going to whisper something in PhaSun’s
ear.

PhaSun
went into frantic motion again. “I’ll tell the militia you showed fang in front
of a Thampurian! They’ll hang you! No!” She knocked RhiHanya to her knees.

To Kyam,
it looked as if RhiHanya fell forward, but her arms wrapped around PhaSun’s
thighs as if she’d planned it. PhaSun sagged. She still screamed and lashed out
with her arms, but her legs gave out under her.

“Can you
do her arms so I can get her safely into the car?” Kyam asked between gasps.
His cheek throbbed where she’d hit it.

“Not without risking paralyzing her lungs. Dosing someone
with venom isn’t an exact science.” RhiHanya pushed her fangs back with the tip
of her tongue. “You did not see that.”

Kyam touched his brow. It felt wet. “See what? Thank you,
auntie.” He looked for his baton. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but he needed
something for protection when they went into the fortress.

RhiHanya spat. “The flavor of her personality is nothing
but bitter. I may not be able to control my anger while I’m connected to her.”

LiHoun and Inattra stared down at PhaSun. She looked like
a toddler throwing a temper tantrum, except that she couldn’t move her legs.
Her hair stuck to her sweaty face, and she rolled on the ground. She switched
between vile insults and pleading with Kyam to save her from Inattra.

“We can’t let her go after the venom wears off. She’ll get
RhiHanya in trouble,” Inattra said.

“What about the things she said about you?” Kyam asked.

Inattra shrugged. “Only QuiTai cares about the black
lotus, and she can easily check my story with the others, if she escapes the
noose. RhiHanya is the one who risked her life for you. You better make it
count, Governor.”

Kyam looked up. The funicular operator was methodically
going up the line and locking the car doors.

Voorus stepped over PhaSun to get into the car. “Is she
coming with us? This is going to be a fun ride.”

Kyam was exhausted. It was amazing how much effort it took
to hold down a crazed person. “We can’t let her go, but we can’t take her with
us. Can you take her to the Red Happiness and detain her somewhere private
until I can deal with her?”

“We can carry her there,” LiHoun said.

RhiHanya
nodded. Inattra seemed to look forward to it. Perhaps he planned to drop PhaSun
a few times or pinch her mercilessly as he carried her across town.

Kyam
nodded wearily. He grimaced as he bent over to pick up his baton, but not
because of the pangs shooting down his back. He’d ruined his only chance to
talk to PhaSun. From the hatred in her eyes, she’d never give him any
information. What was he going to do now?

He
squatted close to her head but beyond her reach. “Was Governor Turyat alive
when QuiTai left the Red Happiness this morning, little sister?”

He didn’t
usually throw down a luck sign, but he did it quickly now and hoped his sleeve
hid his fingers.

“Are you riding or not?” the funicular operator asked.

“Riding, but give me a moment.”

“I’ve got to keep on schedule, Governor.”

“A schedule? On this island? Don’t make me laugh. Give me
a moment. Go lock the rest of the cars.” Kyam gestured to the rest of the
funicular.

The operator glared at him then stomped off.

“Now, PhaSun, an answer, please,” Kyam said.

“Of course Turyat was still alive after QuiTai left the
brothel this morning. He was waiting for someone, you know.” PhaSun’s gaze
shifted to Inattra. “He was alive until I came downstairs and caught Inattra
standing over his bloody corpse.”

“Liar!” In his male form, Inattra’s voice was surprisingly
high.

Kyam held out a hand to warn Inattra to stay quiet. “Was
he still alive when you went to use the outhouse?”

“I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember.” He didn’t need to tell her he didn’t
believe it.

Her gaze darted everywhere, but she had no friends here.
Her mouth snapped shut with such finality that he knew he wouldn’t get another
word out of her.

The operator came back to them. He cast suspicious glances
at LiHoun and PhaSun, but his dirtiest look was saved for Kyam. “Governor, I
can’t wait for you any longer.”

He had to
choose between trying to get more from PhaSun and saving QuiTai. Kyam jumped
into the car. He barely had time to move his hands before the door slammed
shut.

The
funicular jolted
as it began its slow descent down to the harbor. Thankfully,
few people were headed downslope this time of day, and Kyam and Voorus had a
car to themselves. There were no seats, so they gripped the railing at the
bottom of the windows and leaned against the walls.

Kyam
rubbed his jaw. PhaSun hit surprisingly hard.

“Do you
think Cuulon has gone to the fortress already?” Voorus asked.

“We
should have asked the operator before he locked the car door. Cuulon wouldn’t
have walked, would he?”

“In this
heat? It’s faster to ride anyway.”

“So Cuulon murdered Turyat.” Now Kyam understood why
QuiTai refused to name the murderer when she clearly knew. He wouldn’t have
believed her if she’d named Cuulon. The first time they’d worked together, she’d
suggested blaming Cuulon for Jezereet’s death. Although she hadn’t been far
from wrong, now that he thought about it. Jezereet’s death had been… not an
accident, but not part of the plan either. Cuulon had hired the killer, so that
made him responsible for her death.

“I’m glad I don’t have to work with those two.” Voorus
nodded upslope. “It must be torture to get between Inattra and PhaSun when they’re
fighting.”

“I’m surprised QuiTai puts up with it.”

“That’s why I don’t live in the barracks in the fortress
anymore. There’s a strange mentality down there, like its own little world.
Some of those soldiers don’t leave the fortress for months at a time. They get
odd ideas, and there’s something about the isolation and heat that seems to
cook the crazy into their brains. They have real contempt for Levapur. Say it
needs cleansing.”

“Wonderful.
As if I need another faction with a fanatical agenda to deal with.”

Voorus drew up. “I wonder if they murdered Turyat.”

“That idea has been floated today. I wish I could remember
who said it. But I thought we’d decided Cuulon murdered Turyat in order to
frame QuiTai.” He looked at Voorus and lifted an eyebrow.

“Is that a question or a statement?” Voorus asked.

“Truthfully, I’m not sure. Ideas?”

Voorus exhaled slowly. “Even if he didn’t, I think we made
the right decision going to the fortress. You’re not only protecting QuiTai
from Cuulon, after all. Most of the militia have been waiting for this day ever
since the werewolves killed four of our men in the fortress when she escaped
unharmed.”

“That wasn’t her fault.”

“Maybe not, but she’s the only one left to blame. She… and
you.”

Kyam realized Voorus knew the situation there better than
he did. “Damn it. Are there any men down there you can count on?”

Voorus shook his head. “Maybe one or two. After a while on
this island, you stop accepting Thampur’s rule and start following the colonial
government. I think that really means we’re ruled by Chief Justice Cuulon. No
offense, Governor, but do you actually
do
anything? Turyat sure didn’t. Cuulon makes up laws, and the militia blindly
enforces them.”

He didn’t look happy as he admitted, “And you have to
include me with the militia.
We
overlooked crimes we knew he and Turyat were committing because they let us do
what we wanted. I didn’t realize how far out of hand it had gotten until I saw
it through Mityam’s eyes. Now I’m ashamed.”

“QuiTai said that all the time.” Kyam knew she would never
forgive him for believing it only because Voorus said it too. He could tell her
he’d always believed her, but she’d know he’d lied.

He’d never
seen Voorus so enthusiastic before. He’d talked about studying the law. Now
that he was, he seemed happy.

“She’s
right. And she’s going to be angry when she finds out what Mityam and I
uncovered. Do you know that it’s not illegal for a Ponongese to show their
fangs to a Thampurian?”

Kyam snorted. “Oh, come on. Everyone knows that’s against
the law.”

Voorus shook his head. “It isn’t in the legal code, and
according to Mityam, that means it isn’t against the law. So RhiHanya didn’t
actually risk her life when she fanged PhaSun in front of us – although
she thought she did, so we still owe her gratitude. She’s a brave woman. Not
that you’d expect less from one of QuiTai’s people.”

Realization opened Kyam’s eyes to a horrible truth. “But…
All those people, Voorus. All those Ponongese the militia executed.”

“Murdered, Kyam. We murdered them. I murdered innocent
people in the name of the state, which destroys not only my honor, but also our
King’s honor, and that of every soldier and citizen of Thampur. We are unclean.”

The funicular broke out of the jungle canopy. Ponongese
women with huge baskets of fish balanced on their heads waited for it to pass
so they could continue their climb upslope. Their teenage sons helped carry
younger brothers and sisters. Kyam felt a pang of guilt. Those same youths, who
looked so harmless now, worried him when they gathered on the steps of the
government building. But what was the difference? Not who they were, but how he
chose to look at them.