Chapter 31: Disappointment

Kaul Niko spends the evening with Mera but remains emotionally distant, ruminating on what it means to be a “proper” Green Bone and feeling like an empty shell beneath his jade. He leaves for duty, apologizing for being a disappointment.

He recalls the incident that led to his punishment: in a pub, Kitu offered a clean-bladed duel. Irritated and mildly ill, Niko refused and instead tossed Kitu the keys to his Roewolfe, effectively buying off the challenge and humiliating them both. News reached Hilo, who denounced the breach of aisho and whipped Niko, added training, and cut him off financially. Kitu’s family returned the car the next day, and Hilo smoothed it over as a foolish joke.

Niko reports to Lott Jin at the Plum Bun for a “three-ring” operation with the Mountain and police to capture arms dealers supplying the CFM. On the border, they unexpectedly meet Ayt Atosho, whose poise and status unsettle Niko. Despite tensions, they proceed to an Uwiwan neighborhood in the Stump.

No Peak smashes the pool hall’s front defense; Lott’s knives and the Fingers clear the entry. The Mountain breaches from the rear and kills the targets, with No Peak identifying the dealers and securing Fullerton carbines and cash. Media swarms; Lott blocks images of Niko with Ayt Ato while the Mountain basks in credit.

Outside, Ayt Ato delivers a public rebuke, then has civilians who “sheltered” extremists branded with a heated pipe, as cameras roll. Lott, disgusted, pulls No Peak out. Niko chafes at the spectacle and the Mountain’s dominance, recognizing that Ayt Ato and Lott both embody clear identities he lacks. He rides home steeped in doubt about his fitness and desire to become Pillar.