In which Ian, Donal, and Robbie learn how Min Qiang acquired the Heart of the Goddess—and what he wants in exchange for returning it to the emperor…
Ian gasped and Donal gaped. “How did you acquire it?” Donal asked. “It was here, in the captain’s safe—how did you—”
Min closed the bag and sat again. “May I recommend that you gentlemen improve your security? It was a surprisingly simple affair. When your captain was indisposed this morning, one of my safe crackers walked aboard with the dock workers and took the stone.”
Robbie waved his hand vaguely. “It doesn’t matter, aye? The point is that he has it, and now he’d like our assistance.”
Ian sat next to Min. “I don’t understand. Don’t you have what you need? Don’t you want to challenge the emperor now that you have this fabled stone?”
“It was never my intention to claim the stone or the throne for myself,” Min said. “I wanted to recover it for my emperor. I assumed that my men would be able to steal it without incident.”
“You sent a boy and a young guard against a Dal’Imuri assassin,” Donal said. “You had to know they wouldn’t be able to succeed.”
“I confess that I did believe them more competent than they turned out to be,” Min said. “I counted on the first thief’s exhaustion from avoiding capture since he stole the stone. I was mistaken. However incompetent, though, they were not my last resort, as you can see.” He patted the canvas bag.
Ian sighed. “I have so many questions. How did you know where the spy would go? And why not just take this back to your emperor yourself?”
Min offered a thin smile. “The young guard came to me with information about the spy and the stone. He said the city guard had intelligence that the spy would try to be smuggled back to Dal’Imur. I knew there was only one ship going in that direction—yours.” He spread his hands. “As to the other question, I am a man with great resources at my disposal. I have money, talented staff, many businesses throughout the city, ships that carry my cargo to and from other ports.” He gestured to Robbie. “Your own captain here is an old acquaintance of mine.” He paused. “There is yet one thing I do not have: respectability.”
“We’ve heard that many of your enterprises do not demand respectability,” Donal said.
“It is true that I maintain some of my early endeavors purely out of sentimentality, but I long ago transitioned into a merchant with legitimate businesses. Unfortunately, the legal system in this city refuses to let me go—to leave me to my own devices. I merely wish to operate as a legitimate, honest businessman. I need your help to do so.”
“What do you want from us?” Ian asked.
Min leaned forward. “You are a prince of Eirya, yes?” Ian nodded. “And you have developed a good relationship with Tasmon Aqio?”
“I suppose.”
“I wish to remove his boot from my neck. I understand that he has a job to do, but he is constantly watching, constantly questioning my operations, my men. If I return this stone to him and allow him to take it back to the emperor, he will owe me a debt of gratitude. I expect this debt to be paid by an offer of a certain level of freedom to operate here in Xi’Jan without Aqio’s eyes in every corner of my work.”
Donal grunted. “You want to operate outside of the law in return for giving this stone back to the emperor.”
“Not outside,” Min said. “Perhaps simply adjacent to the law.”
“And why do you need my help?” Ian asked.
“You have the respect of the tasmon. He will listen to you. You can encourage him to give me the respectability that I need to operate in the open.”
Ian shook his head, but before he could speak, Robbie stood. “You’ve made clear what you want, Min. Why don’t you let me have some time with my first officer and the young prince? We will send word later.”
Min Qiang stood. “It’s getting quite late, and your prince may need some time to think things over. Perhaps we can reconvene in the morning?” Robbie nodded, and Min bowed and left the cabin.
Donal let out a long breath and sat in the chair vacated by Min. “I think we should take the prince back to Eirya immediately. This is the second voyage he’s been on with me that has involved such strange affairs. I’d like to just return to hauling cargo and visiting port cities.”
Robbie grunted. “We’re stuck with him for the moment, aye? If he’s to be our bad luck, we just need to keep a stronger leash on him.”
Ian resisted the urge to complain about superstitious sailors. “You know this man?” he asked Robbie.
Robbie shrugged. “Met him a couple of times. I have hauled his cargo before, ’tis true, but it was all respectable—cloth, jade, other goods. I’ve largely dealt with his men.”
“Aqio says he’s the main crime lord in Xi’Jan,” Ian said.
Robbie rubbed his chin. “He may be that. He may not be. There are some who say the emperor himself is a bigger criminal than any who might be making a living in the city.”
Ian closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t know what to think.”
“Think that it might be time to put aside some of your Eiryan principles and take this man to Aqio to pass on the stone,” Robbie said. “All ye need to do is act as a liaison between the two of them—negotiate for the stone to get back into the emperor’s collection. Once Min has his assurances, we can finish loading cargo and be on our way.”
“What happens if I don’t do this?”
Robbie shrugged again. “Min presents a calm and polished air, but make no mistake—he’s as ruthless as they come. He may not wish to harm you, given your royal status, but I would not be surprised if he targeted those around you for retaliation.”