Page 85 of The Wind Dancer
“And what do you think this is about?” I looked at her carefully, but she stayed silent. And I really didn’t like that. Because I knew what that meant. He would open the way for something that saw us as nothing more than food.
The sun was already gone, and dusk settled over the city, painting it red alongside the decorations of the Heavenly Breath Festival. A grim foreshadowing of what would happen if we failed. Today was reaching its end.
“I’ve pushed my agents to the limit,” she said softly. “We have five confirmed points of interest. Four, now that the altar in the warehouse was destroyed. By the laws of thaumaturgy and my calculations, there are altars at those locations too. Their purpose will be to strengthen the altar on the Heavenly platform. Interestingly, the islanders were seen near three of them. They are all connected and active. We could strike, but I don’t have enough people to do it simultaneously. And if we can’t strike at the same time, we risk failing.”
I listened silently while she spoke and took a map out of a folder and spread it on the table. There were small red marks on it, warning glyphs. I could tell that we were going to be late. Not even her family ties could help us.
“We need to distract them,” I said, looking at the map. “We need to disperse their forces. Make them run, make them nervous. If the ritual is their priority, then the main forces will be there. But without additional altars...”
“Without them, the rate at which the energy and its power are gathered will drop sharply.”
“So they will have to protect these places too.”
She nodded.
“I can organize three raids, but that’s my limit. I have some connections in the city guard. They would help me for the right price. But that’s all I can afford. If I kick up too much of a fuss, I’ll be pushed out of the city. I’m a stranger here after all. I’ve sent an investigation request, but now it will need to go through all the channels...” She didn’t need to explain further. She was already exceeding her authority.
I ran my finger along the south side. I was interested in two possible altars. There were once trade union warehouses there.
“These points... They’re controlled by foreigners?”
“Yes. They are crawling with islanders.”
“Do they sell drugs there?”
“Yes. The guards there are on their payroll. That’s why they’re never around.”
I grinned at this.
“Then we need to use the Tongs. They hate outsiders. Especially those who dare trade on their turf withoutpermission. It will cost a lot, but if you let them confiscate the goods, it won’t be as expensive.”
Mei Lin frowned.
“The Tongs are too chaotic. They cannot be controlled. They don’t obey the Empire, the Shadow Walkers’ guild, and they certainly won’t obey you.”
“But they do obey their rules,” I retorted. “And according to them, strangers who trade on their turf without permission are like shit stuck to your shoe. You can drag it across gravel, but it will still stink. You have to take it off and clean it. I have friends in Tongs, and I’ll let them know what’s happening there tonight. I swear, they’ll be very happy to have such an opportunity.”
She stared at me in silence. Her eyes were dark, filled with fatigue, anxiety, and something else I didn’t dare name.
“If you’re wrong, there will be a massacre,” she finally said.
“Oh, there will be. But the streets will be red from the blood of cultists and islander mercenaries instead of citizens, partner. Trust me, the Tongs know their stuff. They may be chaotic, but controlled chaos can be useful.”
She was silent for a bit and then nodded.
“Alright, partner. You have the permission from the Chancellery for this, but let’s not have any of their beloved showy executions. Things need to be fast and clean.”
“I’m not making any promises there. They’d want to leave a message to any survivors that they aren’t welcome here.”
We fell silent. I poured the rest of the wine into the cups, and we took a sip without clinking. Taking a deep breath, MeiLin began to carefully fold the map. She didn’t like the Tong plan, but she understood why it was necessary. When she was done, she took another sip of rice wine and asked:
“The next important issue is how we’ll get through festival security. My agents are currently trying to bribe the right people who can give us passes.”
“It would be great if you had official access, but I would never get it. So I’ll get there the usual way.”
“And that would be?” She smiled, and I was once again struck by her beauty.
“From below. I’ll go through the sewers, reach the lower levels of the Heavenly platform, and from there it’s just a matter of skill.”
