We might have to capture one of those Ju Di women and figure out how to break their brainwashing. Or how to follow them. There must be so much documentation that would help us in Dai Li headquarters.
...
I've asked Gorou to keep an eye out for women like that, to see if they have established a pattern. To see if they live normally among the population or if they go somewhere at night to return in the mornings. Dionu as well, and he agreed after wrangling a promise from me to let him and some of his people come with us when we infiltrate the Dai Li base. His second-in-command looked positively bloodthirsty when he told her that.
He also offered to guard the meetings, but that is not what I hope the movement will be. A place that is protected by a specific gang is not an encouraging one. He knows that what I want for the people is ultimately going to effect his recruitment strategies in Ba Sing Se. If we manage to make a better education as common as I hope it will be, there will be fewer people desperate enough to do grunt work for a gang.
So I'm once again at the market, manning the small booth with the watertribe trinkets Haruto helped me carve. He's on the stool in the corner, making a fiddly piece for a betrothal necklace, even if those have to be made by the one who proposes personally.
A few people stop to look, fewer of them actually touch, and only a young man fingers a delicately beaded woven leather bracelet. He says nothing, but stares at it for a long time, face solemn. It appears to be his default expression beneath the wide brim of his straw hat. He's more of a teenager, I think as I look at him more closely.
I wait for him to make up his mind. He's not the type to be swayed to buy something by a little chatter about the special meaning behind the beads on this particular bracelet.
Before he can, a small, wild-haired girl appears at his elbow. "Longshot! What's taking you so long? Jet's waiting."
Then she looks at the bracelet, "Hey, that looks like something Katara might have worn."
That more than their strange clothing – which is more armour than daywear – catches my attention. And the name, Longshot. They ought to be more careful. "Katara? You don't mean Katara of the Southern Watertribe?"
"You know her?" she asks, "Are you from her tribe?"
"Oh, no, not from her tribe. We met in the North. That's where I'm from. When and where did you meet her? I haven't seen her, Sokka or Aang since Omashu was liberated," there, throw them a bone that is bound to make them curious.
An even more wild-haired teenager shoulders his way through the crowd. This must be Jet. He's carrying swords beneath that cloak.
"Well, then you've seen them more recently than we have! How are they doing?" she asks, just as he arrives.
I look at them, young, scrappy, wild. They could be what I am looking for. Then I lean forwards. "Seems like we have a few stories to share. Why don't we go get some tea and sit down? There's a good and cheap teahouse down on Fisson Street."
"Oh! Yes, that'd be nice. What do you think, Longshot?" then she turns to the new arrival, "Jet, he knows Katara, Sokka and Aang!"
I turn to Haruto, but note Jet's shock. "Haruto, will you be alright for the afternoon?"
"Hm? Yeah sure," he drags his stool to the front and continues to carve.
I duck around the flaps of the stall and join the trio on the street. "Keep it," I tell Longshot, "Longshot, was it? Jet, and…?"
"Smellerbee," she answers, ignoring a scowling Jet.
"My name is Kaito."
"Kaito," Haruto says from the stall, finally looking up from his work for the first time all day, "Don't forget Ty Lee's making dinner tonight. We'll need fresh yoghurt she always cooks to kill the rest of us with spice."
"I'll pick some up," I assure him.
We make our way from the market down to Fisson Street. Iroh and Zuko work there and I'm sure to get a little discount.
"So you like, moved here?" Smellerbee asks. "Was he your brother? He doesn't really look like you."
My skin is darker than Haruto's and where I'm obviously Watertribe, since no Earthkingdom-native I've met has blue eyes, he looks like any refugee around these parts.
"We're staying here for a couple more weeks. But it's really more of a stop before we get moving again. There are just a few things I want to accomplish here before we move back on. And no, Haruto's not my brother. We just travel and live together with a few others."
"What do you want to get done here?" Jet asks. "Don't you want to keep building a life here?"
That's probably what they're doing, then.
"Various things. At the moment, I'm helping to build a few schools in the lower ring," I say and push open the door to the teahouse.
"Kai! Good to see you!" Iroh, or Mushi, comes to guide us to a table. "I see you brought friends, lovely. I'm afraid Lee and Mai are out, but I'm sure you can talk to them if you stay a while."
We sit, Jet tense as a bowstring. "Oh good," I say, "We'll have whatever's on offer today."
"I'll be right back, though I'm afraid I can't stay and chat we're rather busy today," Iroh bustles, and it's true, but not enough that he couldn't stay. Probably wants to give us some privacy. We sit on the benches. Jet and me, Smellerbee opposite and Longshot next to her.
"Right," I say to my tablemates, "I met Katara, Sokka and Aang in the City of the Northern Watertribe a few months ago. Katara and Aang were going to learn waterbending from Master Pakku. Did you know that the North doesn't train women to bend other than to heal? Well, Katara and Aang made such a ruckus, that Pakku changed his mind. I can tell you that's no small feat. I'm expecting to see many changes when I return."
"Were you there, during the siege?" Smellerbee blurts. And where I thought Singh was rude, she immediately realises her insensitivity once I pause a bit longer than usual before answering. She looks ready to apologise.
"Yes. I gave my account of it to the university a few days ago. I have written copies. If you like, you could come by the adult education centre on Lantern Square. We keep one there, for people to read," I watch their faces. Even mostly expressionless Longshot seems curious. "Some of the courses learning to write and read are working on making copies."
"What, like for free?" Jet asks.
"Of course. Some of the funds for it are from the city, some are from the university, and we have also secured some benefactors among the nobility. None of them have any say in what is taught or who. Though they do get to hang up recruitment posters there, with their specific demands of the skills that are necessary for hire. Most of which can be acquired in the school," I explain. I don't add that it's only a few days old. But already we have filled the rooms to the brim with people wanting to learn. "We teach courses on reading, articulation, history, accounting and some of the basics of trade and economics."
Which is all code for educating the people on their situation, the system and how to intervene and change. I'm also trying to get funds for a printing press on the down-low, so the Dai Li doesn't take it away and uses it for more propaganda.
"Wow," Smellerbee says. "All for free?"
"Yes. If you come by and look at the schedule I'm sure you'll find something that interests you. We're grateful for any contributions, so whatever you want to pass on, we'd be happy to arrange space and time for that," I say, phrasing it like it's a proper institution already. It might give the wrong impression, but people are easier to motivate if they think a movement has already gotten started.
Iroh arrives with our tea. Jet eyes him warily. I don't see why. Iroh looks far more harmless than I do.
"Thank you, Mushi," I say, "I was just telling these guys about our new school."
He smiles his wide, kind smile. "Oh yes, it is wonderful! I just went to a class that teaches Ba Sing Se's history last night. It was most enlightening."
"Happy to hear it," I say. "Ranra teaches that one, doesn't she?"
"Yes, with the help of Hana."
"I'll have to stop by next week."
"They are going to speak about the catacombs that were the reason for Ba Sing Se's initial wealth. I'm quite curious to hear about them," and he winks. He knows exactly that I helped craft the lesson plan – and why. That's how the Dai Li still get around when they're not using the trains. I got my hands on a map in the university library, and I made a copy.
One of the parts of the lesson for calligraphy and cartography are going to be to copy it down. It's always good to circulate that kind of thing. Even if the Dai Li finds out, there will be copies.
...
If you want to read ahead of the public release, or just want to support me.
you can join my p atreon :
[email protected]/Numera