The Green Bone Saga, #1
Jade City
by Fonda Lee
Contents
CHAPTER 17: Night at the Lilac Divine
Overview
Lan tries to escape the pressures of leadership at the Lilac Divine, but his private refuge only emphasizes how trapped he is between Ayt Mada’s pressure, Hilo’s volatility, Doru’s unreliability, and Shae’s alarming discoveries about the mines. His reflections clarify that removing Hilo would likely fracture No Peak and that the Mountain’s maneuvers are aimed at weakening the clan from within.
The chapter ends with Maik Kehn arriving bloodied and enraged to report that the Mountain has targeted Hilo by name. This abrupt interruption turns Lan’s political anxiety into immediate crisis and threatens to push the clans toward open conflict.
Summary
Lan visits the Lilac Divine Gentleman’s Club alone, seeking privacy from his duties as Pillar. Mrs. Sugo’s establishment is discreet and protected by its No Peak association, and Lan relaxes during a private performance by Yunni, a charm girl whose music and company have become an escape since Eyni left him.
Even in private, Lan cannot stop thinking about the clan’s worsening position. Ayt Mada has received his refusal to join the Mountain in producing SN1, Chancellor Son is moving toward KJA reforms, and Hilo has strengthened No Peak’s border presence. Recent motorcycle gang violence near the Coinwash-Fishtown border makes Lan fear that one implicated Green Bone or Lantern Man could escalate street conflict into open clan conflict.
Lan reflects on Hilo’s strengths and dangers as Horn. Hilo is loyal to clan hierarchy but uncompromising and personally beloved by No Peak’s warriors, which means replacing him could weaken the clan and divide its fighters. Lan recognizes Ayt’s demand that he remove Hilo as a trap designed to sow dissent inside No Peak.
Before sleeping with Yunni, Lan removes most of his jade for her safety and finds the temporary dulling of his senses strangely calming. His thoughts turn to Shae’s audit: she has found that Mountain-approved mine equipment purchases are missing from KJA financial statements, suggesting the Mountain is taking direct control over jade supply without board oversight. This confirms Lan’s suspicions about Ayt and convinces him that Doru may be hiding information or failing him as Weather Man.
Lan concludes that he needs firm evidence before removing Doru and that Woon must be ready to replace him immediately. Because No Peak cannot lose both an experienced Weather Man and its Horn at once, Lan sees another reason not to demote Hilo. After intimacy with Yunni, Lan begins to drift off, briefly freed from his worries.
A knock interrupts him, which is unprecedented at the Lilac Divine. Mrs. Sugo anxiously tells Lan that someone from the clan has arrived with urgent news. Lan restores his jade, endures the rush of heightened senses, and opens the door to find Maik Kehn blood-spattered and furious. Kehn reports that the Mountain has acted and that they “whispered Hilo’s name,” signaling a direct attack or provocation against Hilo.
Who Appears
- Kaul LanNo Peak Pillar seeking escape while weighing Ayt’s pressure, Hilo’s position, and Doru’s failures.
- YunniCharm girl at the Lilac Divine who sings, comforts, and distracts Lan.
- Maik KehnNo Peak Green Bone who arrives bloodied with urgent news about the Mountain.
- Ayt MadaMountain Pillar whose demands and mine maneuvers shape Lan’s strategic worries.
- Kaul HiloNo Peak Horn whose loyalty, popularity, and aggression make him both vital and dangerous.
- Kaul ShaeLan’s sister whose audit reveals suspicious Mountain involvement in mine finances.
- Yun DoruponNo Peak Weather Man whom Lan increasingly suspects of negligence or concealment.
- Mrs. SugoLantern Man owner of the Lilac Divine who discreetly alerts Lan to urgent clan news.
- WoonPotential replacement Weather Man whom Lan believes must be ready before Doru is removed.
- EyniLan’s absent former partner, remembered as part of his loneliness and need for escape.