Tempt the Devil (The Devil of Ponong series #3) (4 page)

Kyam jumped to his feet. His hands clenched into fists. He
pressed them against the desk and leaned on them. “You wouldn’t dare. The
Ravidians would enslave you.”

“The Ravidians swear that putting the Rhi in chains was
Turyat and Cuulon’s idea, not theirs. And after the Ravidians were gone, the
Thampurians tried to keep my people in slavery, so don’t preach to me about
Thampur’s moral superiority.”

He took deep breaths and slowly sank back into his chair.
Too much was at stake. He couldn’t afford to lose control. He swore she made
him angry on purpose.

After several false starts, he was able to speak calmly. “How
do you know what the Ravidians said?”

She sauntered back to her chair and sat down. “I asked
them.”

“The Ravidians?” She was not to be believed. He couldn’t
even begin to make sense of her thinking. The Ravidians were pure evil. You
didn’t talk to Ravidians, you killed them.

“When you want to know a person’s version of the story,
you ask them, not their mortal enemies. A most enlightening conversation.” She
looked pleased with herself.

He wasn’t sure he could speak without sputtering. “You’re
committing treason by even thinking of talking to them.”

She shook her head. “As I told you long ago, they’re your
enemies, not mine.”

“But you’re a Thampurian citizen.”

“I’m a Thampurian subject, not a citizen.”

Knowing he’d regret it, he waved a hand dismissively. “Same
thing.”

“You can gather with friends in the marketplace without
the militia beating you. I can’t.”

“You have friends?”

Her eyes narrowed, but she let it pass. “Tomorrow,
Thampurians will celebrate a very minor festival with feasts and balls. My
people have been warned that if we gather at our ancestors’ altars for the
Day of the Spirits
, our most holy day, we might be
arrested. I could go on, but I can see that you’ve already stopped listening.
You think that you’re a good man, and none of this is your doing – but it
is, because you won’t stop it.”

He hated how uncomfortable she made him.

She growled in frustration. “Your face shrinks against
your skull as you try to hide from the truth. Your eyes can roll back in your
head so that you no longer have to see. You can hold your breath so you don’t
have to smell your corrupted soul. But your ears can’t stop you from hearing
this: I am not a Thampurian citizen. I’m a native of an occupied land. To call
me a citizen is to insult my intelligence.”

“Spare me your political lectures.” His temper was almost
beyond his control.

“Are you going to seek justice for my murdered
lieutenants?”

He struggled to calm down. She was right, he shouldn’t let
murders go unsolved, no matter who the victims were. But at present he was
tired of being the hero and getting nothing for it.

Abruptly, he recalled the events of the morning, and his
anger dissolved into meanness. “Why don’t you talk your Captain Voorus into
investigating the murders?” he asked.

So that’s what she looked like when taken by surprise. She
blinked rapidly and seemed confused. “Captain Voorus?”

“The two of you were behind the crates at the warehouse.
You reached up to touch his lips. He bent down–” He swallowed the lump in
his throat. The jealousy was as raw as it had been this morning.

She laughed derisively. It was like a knife twisting in
his gut. “He’s not smart enough for me.”

That had been his first reaction when he’d seen them
together. He’d almost convinced himself he’d misunderstood what he’d seen, but
then she ruined it by adding, “Not that I’m looking for conversation in bed, as
you may remember.” Her gaze dropped to his waist as she smirked.

It wasn’t fair that her cruelest smile could make him clear
his throat and cross his legs. He remembered, all right. Every delicious
moment.

He glanced at the folder on his desk and thought about
dragging it into his lap. He was supposed to have better control over his body
at this age.

If she’d been Li instead of Ponongese, she would have
purred. She certainly looked content. “Captain Voorus has such a strong body. A
lot like yours. Almost exactly like yours. Not surprising, since you have the
same father.”

Was she guessing? Even he hadn’t known Voorus was his half-brother
until recently.

She didn’t seem so amused now. If he felt mean, she must
have felt vicious. It showed in her eyes. “That’s only one of the Zul clan’s
dirty little secrets I stopped him from spilling at the wharf, where spies
might overhear. Would you like to know the others?”

He remembered the long look she’d given his wife, Nashruu,
and her son. The gears had been spinning in QuiTai’s mind, he’d seen it. How
much did she know? Was she bluffing?

She flicked her hand and looked around his office. “This
bores me. Are you going to investigate the murders, Governor Zul?”

One of the Devil’s sidelines was blackmail. Was she
hinting that she’d spill the Zul clan’s secrets unless he investigated the
deaths of her lieutenants? There was only one way to find out.

The game excited him more than it should have. “No, I won’t.”

“Very well, then. I suppose I’ll have to take matters into
my own hands. I gave you a chance, Governor. Remember that.”

Kyam rested his forehead against his hand. This was not
the conversation he had wanted to have with her. She didn’t use threats unless
she had to, but what exactly had she warned him about? As usual, when she was
around, his head was swimming. “What do you have planned?”

“Something impossible.” She sounded annoyed. He knew for
certain she was when she bowed her head and ran her palms over her sarong, smoothing
the bulky fabric as if the task required her complete attention. She lifted her
head. “Governor Zul, I very much regret to inform you that you must arrest me
and take me to the fortress.”

He peered at her through his fingers as he tried to decide
if she were joking. “For what? What have you done?”

“Me? Nothing.” She looked so innocent. He didn’t believe
it for a second. “This time,” she conceded.

“I’m sure it makes perfect sense to you, but why do you
want me to arrest you?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“No, I’m fairly sure that I want to hear a reason.”

“No, you don’t, Kyam. You never do.”

He was about to argue with her, but he realized there were
so many crimes she was suspected of, including several disappearances he
believed she’d arranged, yet he’d never investigated because he couldn’t bear
to put her at Cuulon’s mercy. He justified everything she did as necessary. She
was right – he didn’t want to know.

Kyam spread his hands. “Let’s say you’re right, and it’s
none of my business why you want to be taken to the fortress. Why would I
arrest you? I need a reason.”

“I’m Ponongese. That’s good enough for the militia.”

He would not take that bait. He wanted to reach an agreement
with her, not fight.

“Assuming that’s true – not that I agree with you
– I hope you realize that once you’re in the fortress, I can’t protect
you. You escaped once. You can’t possibly hope to leap from the ramparts a
second time. And as you are well aware, you’re the only Ponongese who has ever
left the fortress alive. Why would you risk it again? The odds are not in your
favor.”

Her eyebrow rose at his pleading tone.

He couldn’t decide what to do. The neat plans of the
morning had gone to hell already. All he knew was that he couldn’t let her die,
at least not until he’d used her to escape Ponong.

He walked around his desk. “If I do as you ask, I want
something from you in return.”

“A deal?” Her mouth curved into a smile as she sat back. “What
do you want?”

“Agree to work for Thampur.”

Her face became a mask. He knew her better than almost
anyone, and even he couldn’t tell if she were outraged or amused… or even
surprised.

“If it’s not too crass to ask, what do you get for
delivering me to your old masters?”

There was no hate or malice in her eyes. He decided to be
honest. “I get to leave this island.”

“Ah.” Whatever she was thinking, it took all her
concentration. She tugged on her bottom lip as she scowled at the floor. The
wrinkles across her forehead eased as her eyebrows suddenly shot up. “May I
make a counter offer?”

“You can try, but I don’t think I’ll change my mind. You
know I’ve been trying to escape from Levapur since the moment I arrived.”

“I can give you what you’ve been searching for since the
rice riot. The Devil’s name.”

She knew him too well. That was the only temptation she
could dangle before him that was almost as enticing as his freedom. He’d always
thought if he could capture the Devil, she’d be free.

“I always wondered why you protect his identity when as
far as I can see, he’s never done anything for you. I know you’re going to hate
me for this, but between Jezereet and the Devil, you’ve had terrible taste in
lovers.”

“Don’t you dare speak ill of Jezereet, Kyam. Ever.”

He’d never seen such blazing anger in her eyes, but he
wouldn’t back down or apologize. “They treated you so badly, and you excused it
away.”

“Is asking me to bow down to Thampur for your sake any
better?”

He wasn’t betraying her, he was giving her a choice. That
wasn’t the same at all. Jezereet and the Devil used her. “You always say such
heartless things.”

“It only stings because you know it’s true. Don’t think
for a minute you’re such a paragon of virtue. Jezereet’s corpse was still warm
when you insisted I help you find the Ravidian’s bioweapons farm. Even now, you
dare tell me not to mourn her death.”

From the moment they’d first met, they’d been able to find
each other’s weak spots.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t mourn her. I’m saying that
she didn’t…”

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shouldn’t have brought it up. They would
always have different ideas about Jezereet.

She mastered her anger. “If I survive the fortress, you
have my solemn word that I will give you the name of the Devil. No tricks. No
games. No sleight of hand.”

“You’re assuming I care about him.”

QuiTai prepared to leave. “You don’t have to choose now.
Arrest me, take me to the fortress. We’ll work out the details later.”

She acted as if they had a deal, but he didn’t understand
any of it. “You want to leave the fortress at some point, don’t you?”

“Of course. You can come get me before the sun sets. I
expect that will be enough time.”

She was the most maddening person ever to walk on the face
of the planet. “Time for what? What exactly am I agreeing to?”

She patted his cheek. “In exchange for getting me in and
out of the fortress, I will give you the name of the Devil– Calm down and
listen to my full offer before you go off on one of your rants.”

It was nearly impossible, but he held his tongue.

“Thank you. As I said, I will give you the name of the
Devil,
or
I will agree to work for
Thampurian intelligence for the term of one year. Is that an acceptable deal?”

There had to be a catch. Was it going to be this easy?
Hope was a cruel mistress, and he knew better than to trust it. But this might
be his only chance, and she always kept her word.

He took her hand and pressed it to his lips. She gave him
a fleeting smile. Then her fingertips were trailing across his palm as she
withdrew her hand from his.

“I know you’re manipulating me. I only wish I knew what’s
really going on,” he said.

“You’ll figure it out, eventually. You always do.” She
paused at the door. “I’m ready if you are. Shall we go to the fortress?”

“Right now? Don’t you have to get your affairs in order?” He
didn’t know why he wanted to talk her out of her plan – whatever it was.
This was good for him. He’d get to leave Ponong. Why did he want to stop her?

“You know me, Kyam. I came prepared.” She gestured for him
to come along. “It’s nearly midday already. I can’t afford to waste a moment
from now on.”

“Pui,
Mister?”

Ponongese boys surrounded Kyam and QuiTai as the
government building’s brass doors clanged shut behind them. Hands pushed too
close to Kyam’s face.

“Pui?”

“I’ll carry anything for pui, Mister, no matter how heavy.”

“Pui, please, Mister.”

Their hands quickly dropped as he shook his head. They
scattered, returning to sit on the steps. He stepped carefully over their
pitifully thin legs. Most boys that age didn’t wear blouses like their fathers.
Their spines showed each bone, while their distended bellies bowed over their
threadbare sarongs.

They used to carry packages for Thampurians, but few were
hired anymore. No Thampurian would ever admit it, but they didn’t want the boys
to know where they lived.

“You have to be so careful nowadays,” everyone said. At
dinner parties, the guests nodded sagely. If one of the ladies confided that
she’d felt uncomfortable around a servant, compassionate friends said, “But
what can we do? Are we to cook our own meals, too? Our lower castes here are
spoiled. We never should have allowed them to leave service.” And the women
whose parents had come freely to Levapur as servants but now owned shops stared
at the tightly clutched hands in their laps as anger and shame in equal parts
glowed on their cheeks.

In their dark-paneled bars, men swished their walking
sticks about furiously and swore to “show them a thing or two.” And what
they
had to be shown, of course, was
their place. They had to be kept there by force. What was needed now were
harsher measures, so Thampurians might sleep at night when the sounds of the
jungle made them pull the covers up to their chins.