...

Xinfei sat on a large spool of line next to his brother on the waterfront as the assembled harbor workers of Gaoli Industries and Imports waited in the late morning light. They silently watched their employer survey the burned rubble that remained of his main shipping warehouse and those buildings beside it. As the group waited for the verdict Xinfei could hear the faint gurgling of the Kuang river flowing under the piers and the clangs and yells from the rest of the long line of occupied ship-births that stretched from the Bed to the Exclusion. Many of the men were looking at their calloused hands in their laps. This was the first idle morning in a long while and they could feel the phantom sensation of the rough fibers of the ropes they should be hauling. There was anxiety in that group of normally unflappable men. Many a merchant had been ruined by a loss of much less product and property and their jobs had likely burnt last night with the warehouse.

"Well, those government boys sure were thorough, weren't they?" Mister Gaoli said, whistling at the blackened heap.

Aizhang Gaoli was not from a noble family. In fact, it was rumored that his ancestors had been farmers in the encircled lands north of Lake Laogai before they were granted citizenship to the city. However, in the last few generations the Gaolis had risen high by being daring in trade during wartime and this current Gaoli patriarch had risen those fortunes still higher by partnering with newly permitted Fire Nation merchants who needed domestic partners for approved access to Impenetrable City markets. It was also rumored that some of these contracts had been signed before the war was actually over though much quieter tones were used when discussing those theories.

Gaoli was a man of some girth who chose to accentuate this figure of plenty with a broad yellow sash tied across his belly over the high quality yet unadorned robes he wore. His public image was one of a generous and canny businessman which had allowed him to be a prominent figure among the pro-trade reformist faction of city politics. Yet, no matter how high he rose he was still not of noble blood and was thus forever shut out of the city's inner ring. He had no right to request meeting with the King and Headmaster Gang's school was the best he could do for his daughters' education. Now he stood before a pile of burned rubble.

Foreman Jun Do held his round straw hat in his gnarled hands, the scar on his lower lip twitching as he planned to speak. He cast a nervous glance at the three black-shirted clerks who had accompanied Gaoli down from the Middle Ring and were now holding small booklets, making notation of everything they saw with sharp precise characters. Like most working men of the city Jun Do regarded this kind abstract accountancy as akin to sorcery and he gave them a wide berth.

"Mister Gaoli," he said. "I got to the site as soon as I could last night, but by the time I heard news the buildings were already coming down." He gestured towards Xinfei who pricked up at this attention. "Young Maolin Bao got on the scene first and he sent word to me. He said that the fire crews and some Exclusion fellows were trying to put out the blaze but Public Safety closed the area before he could arrange to salvage any of the freight." Xinfei stared at his hands again. Of course, they were talking about his older brother. He should have known.

"Our government's ever loving hand to business," Gaoli said with a bitter twist. "I'll bet that was Miohuito trying to stop the fires. He has been going on and on about that new fire engine of his when he's not talking about his railroad project. They forced him away before his team managed to get inside the building?"

Jun Do gestured to Xiaobao to stand up, which he did while looking very embarrassed about talking to the big boss. Xiaobao said, "Yes, sir. They'd just got here when those... I mean when Public Safety showed up."

Gaoli turned to his clerks. "Well, it could be worse. At least our place was the ignition site rather than part of the firebreak. Remind me to send a note of sympathy to Meng and, who was it who owned this side? Yang? Find that out." He breathed in."Yes, it could be worse. We are considerably insured against fire, including arson. I told you those high premium rates were worth it." One of the clerks nodded and made another mysterious mark in his ledger.

Mister Gaoli now turned to Foreman Jun Do and the rest of the dock workers. "Well, we suffered a tragedy last night, but it appears no one was hurt. It will obviously take us a while to get back to full capacity, but we still have another Miohuito ship coming in two days. I'll see what temporary space we can get, but you all will still get pay-time even if we have to unload on the river bank and cart it in! However, for today unfortunately I've got no more inventory for you to move so consider this a feast day."

The workers nodded in approval; this was better than their worst fears. When you are expecting the dissolution of the company and immediate unemployment a day at half-pay was great news indeed. As Gaoli clambered back into his sedan chair hefted by eight men, the dock workers began to congregate around Xiaobao asking more details about the fire and complementing him on trying to save the merchandise. From what Xinfei heard, the city's rumor mill had been working at full capacity since last night. Several longshoremen were willing to offer that they had from reliable sources that Islanders were involved in the disaster. Even those whose pay arose from the import market were not overly fond of the denizens of the Exclusion. Several other men mentioned bad dreams last night which further darkened the mood. Everyone knew that dreams could show that the spirits were roused and angry.

However, people had come to respect Maolin Bao both from knowing his father and knowing the young man himself so Xinfei's brother was able to break the darkness brought on by this sharing of grievances. He admonished the rest for gossiping like canal-men and when another employee mentioned that several people were missing from work in other companies, supposedly from spiritual ailments, Xiaobao offered that they might have come down with the autumn flu a little early. He assured them that the spirits didn't get angry over something as little as one trade company. He even said that if they were really worried about spirits they could pay a visit to the city temples. This got a good laugh; no one trusted the government priests to be able to negotiate with the spirit world these days.

His listeners did not necessarily believe his reassurances but Xiaobao had a strength and sincerity to his voice that made people want to trust him. Xinfei glared at the planks under his feet. Xiaobao was full of strength and charisma but no ambition. He had learned the wrong lesson from Dad's death.

Xinfei had heard enough. He stalked off down the waterfront but his brother caught up in a few long steps. After all, he had the day off now.

Xiaobao came up beside him. "Hey, where are you heading off to? You should be going back to home for resting up with Mom. At least you are getting half pay this time you're not at work."

Xinfei shrugged away. Under his shirt his bruises from the guards had now gone from purple to yellow, though they still hurt whenever anything touched them. "Yeah, half pay while Gaoli gets a fat payout from his insurance. You heard him, he didn't sound that shaken up. Hell, he probably made money on this."

"So what if he did? Do you think anyone else would keep a job open for you with you bunking off half the time? Hell, he's the only reason we got by after Dad-"

"Yeah, I know all right! He's rich enough to save whoever he wants. And we should be lucky to have jobs with half the craftsmen's places shutting down to cheap Islander goods. Ha! That Miohuito even wants to put the royal earthbenders out of business with that metal rail-train. And you saw all that stuff Gaoli had hidden in his wall."

Xiaobao leaned in. "Come on Xinfei, that's none of our business. What is this about? If it's about Ayika I just think she-"

Xinfei turned away. "No, it's...It's not knowing why a single thing in this city is happening! Someone kills a guy right in front of her. Some normal people put on masks and start fighting with a Public Safety Earthbender. Who then runs aways when other Agents show up. And there are Fire Nation everywhere." From somewhere inside him Xinfei found purpose. "Well, I'm going to figure it out no matter how weird Ayika is being. I'll find those university boys again, see what exactly happened last night. I'll have something to tell her when she shows up again."

Xiaobao shook his head, but he was familiar with Xinfei when he got focused on a strategy. And besides, Xiaobao was not used to having time off and was at a loss for how to occupy his time. Most of the other guys had wives or prospective wives or at least some cut-rate sing-song girl who they fancied and who took most of their pay. Xiaobao might as well follow his brother and make sure he didn't manage to stumble into an inferno again. The Kuang Harbor was getting tense these days. As the two brothers made their way over the first bridge Xiaobao saw many people casting dark looks at the red roofed towers of the Exclusion looming over the canals and shops. As much as he denied it to the other dockworkers there was something sinister in the atmosphere.

...

The University boys were easy to find. They were in the same teahouse as before, at the same table, although today they were a little more horizontal than previously. A night of lost sleep did not appear to agree with them. Zhanyi's usually lustrous black hair was plastered to his forehead and he had bags under his eyes. The big guy Chonglong must have dozed off on the table at one point because his ridiculous wispy beard was sticking off to the side at a ninety degree angle from his chin as he furrowed his brow at the light of the sun. Jiang looked a little bit better than the other two, but his death grip on the teapot and his cup indicated that this was only achieved through a carefully regulated intake of strong black tea.

Zhangyi's eyes went wide when he saw Xinfei and his brother walking down the street toward the shop. "Oh sweet emperor of heaven. You're actually alive!"

Xinfei moved his elbows in a shrugging gesture with his hands still in his pockets. "Nice to see you again too."

The student leader rubbed his forehead. "No, I mean... Hey, Chonglong! Jiang! The docks boy is back!"

Jiang shook himself slightly, "Hmm, wha? Oh, hey! It's you."

Chonglong squinted. "We thought you burnt to death."

"Yeah, I gathered. We didn't." Xinfei thought to himself that befriending these people to gain more information might be even more wearisome than he had assumed. And he did need to be careful. He was confident that these guys were not dangerous, but he wasn't certain. Someone had been under that second wave of masks. The bird masked man who'd first fought Ma'er had been deadly. If the nationalists were being taught by such people then it was wise to take care. Even if he was not shaken up and imagining energy or omens like Ayika. Xinfei shook his head slightly, after Ayika grew up listening to her crazy grandmother's stories it was no wonder that she started thinking of auras and creepy feelings when she saw something scary.

"And that is great! The not burning." Zhangyi was slowly building up to his usual levels of charm. He waved the Bao brothers over, gesturing to some empty seats near their table. "I'm sorry we're a little slow on the uptake this morning. It was a hellish night and we did not really...oh, why am I telling you, you two had the same night, um...I am sorry, I forgot your name."

Xinfei slid onto the proffered bench. " 'sokay, I don't remember yours either. I'm Xinfei, this is my brother Maolin."

"Well for us it's Zhangyi Mao, Chonglong Yu, and Jiang Li." The leader said, standing up to welcome Xiaobao in as he approached more cautiously.

The eldest Bao brother took Zhangyi's expansive gesturing to the seats around the table for some kind of greeting and reached over to clasp his forearm tight. "Nice to meet you. Call me Xiaobao."

Zhangyi felt at his arm softly when Xiabao let go of it. He just barely managed to keep himself from wincing. "Wow, you are a big one aren't you?" Something clicked in his memory and he smiled. "And you are the one who let us into the warehouse last night!" The smile caught when he remembered exactly how that evening had ended.

Jiang was even more apologetic. "Yes, sorry about that. As I'm sure you can imagine that is not now how we planned the meeting to go. I am afraid that is the second time our society has been broken up by that earthbender but he didn't set anything on fire last time."

Chonglong thumped his fist against the table. "Well, it will be the last. There were Initiated there last night, at least four of them! They will have gotten that corrupt stooge for sure. I bet they pulled his charred corpse out of the rubble this morning."

Xiaobao spoke up, "Wait, you guys didn't stick around at all once you got out the door?"

The three student protest organizers had the decency to look embarrassed to sit before those who had in fact stayed to pull people out of the fire. Zhangyi put himself into the breech first. "No, unfortunately we only made a swift escape. It was dishonorable but we were surprised by the quick dissolution of events. Next time we well do better, you can count on it."

Jiang muttered to himself, "Yes, next time we'll schedule the liquid courage before the event instead of going to get it right after the disaster." Zhangyi shot him a dark look, but the comment explained some of their behavior this morning. Fear, drink and a sleepless night were a potent combination. No matter what he thought of them Xinfei had to sympathize a little with their current sun-hating condition if only from memory of an incident in his own recent past.

It had been his last birthday and Ayika had tricked him into accompanying her as she stole a bottle of high quality rice-wine from an import shop. Xinfei had been sure they were going to be hauled away for a year of hard labor, but Ayika had managed to waltz right out of the store with the spoils stuffed down her top, leaving him speechless. The rest of the night had been a fantastic blur, during which they had discovered that Ayika was a very cheap drunk who after only two cups was hanging off of Xinfei's shoulder teasing him with an uncouth appraisal of the attributes of every pretty girl who passed by and expounding in lurid detail the imaginary erotic adventures that could transpire if they only knew of his virtues.

Drifting off in memory, a smile had stolen into the corner of Xinfei's lips without his notice. Chonglong however did see and he did not approve of what he perceived as mockery.

"Hey," the big student said. "That fire just finished the job we'd started. That Gaoli guy was a traitorous smuggler, whoring himself out to the Fire Nation for cheap machines to stash in those walls. Machines which would just put more kingdom citizens out of work. We should have been planning to burn the place down from the start."

Zhangyi was suddenly intense, reaching across the table to grab at Xiaobao's wrist to hold his attention. He asked, "Wait, everyone did get out right? Where are the girls who were with you? The prett...the Water Tribe girl and the mixed-blood from the occupied territories?"

Xiaobao was clearly flustered and embarrassed by this strange guy grabbing at him so Xinfei spoke up. "Yeah, they're fine. Ayika got a little banged up but she's fine." However the thought of her ditching him to run off with that Fire Nation girl again today had soured his mood. "Hell, even Mister Gaoli is all right. This morning he came down to look at all the damage and just smiled at how much fire-insurance payout he was going to be getting while all us workers were sitting on our hands on his dock."

Xiaobao frowned at his brother. "Hey, he's still paying us half rate today even though we can't do any work. Be careful what you say about him."

Chonglong threw up his hands. He turned to Zhangyi. "See! This is why all this 'raising consciousness' doesn't work. The schmucks working for those swindlers still defend them even after they see with the proof of their treachery with their own eyes! That's why there was that shakeup in the leadership of our movement. That's why the Initiated are in charge now. The old way of just putting up posters and yelling on street-corners is not enough."

Xiaobao now turned on Chonglong, "Hey, I don't know you, so watch who you call schmucks and swindlers." However, Chonglong was one of the few people large enough to look Xiaobao dead in the eye so he did not flinch.

Xinfei focused his frustration on arguing with his brother. "Hey, come on. You have to admit that there was something weird going on at the docks. Why did Gaoli have foreign machines stuffed in his wall? Machines that apparently his partner Miohuito or someone was lying about being destroyed." He raised a second finger to list another point. "That on top of being partners with Miohuito in the first place. The guy who, I am going to say once again, was caught lurking right outside the school where that Lizhen guy was killed."

"Woah, woah. What?" Jiang interrupted. "Miohuito sounds like a Fire Nation name. What was he doing with Professor Lizhen?"

Zhangyi looked around, searching his memory. "I think I know that name. Miohuito. He's the industrialist leader in the Exclusion who is trying to get the King to agree to a mechanical tram system installation. He had something to do with the teacher's murder?"

Xinfei did not need his brother's angrily raised eyebrow to know that he had unintentionally escalated things here beyond what they had prepared for. He tried to backpedal but his heart was not in it. The Exclusion and what it stood for had begun to grate on his nerves lately. "Well, strictly speaking he was just found acting suspicious near the crime. They didn't really accuse him of anything. Of course that may be because some pointy-bearded big-wig from the Exclusion came to shoo off the Public Safety guys before long."

"That sounds like that might be Fire Nation Trade Representative Tailang." Zhangyi said. "Half the city ministers are in his pocket. The ones who keep calling for the King to crack down on our demonstrations every time we try to say anything. Of course he would show up to help a murderer."

"No, that doesn't make any sense. Lizhang was a pathological supporter of the Fire Nation." Jiang said. "He got kicked out of this post at the University for shamelessly advocating their side. Why would anyone from the Exclusion be a suspect?"

Xiaobao nodded. "That's right. From what I heard, this could easily have been a frame up. I mean, supposedly Lizhen was receiving threats from the bender who broke up your meeting and they found something new he wrote the day of his death about being wrong and driving out foreign spiritual influences, but none of that is actual proof." Even as he said these words, Xinfei could see his brother hearing how they would be taken. In the student protesters, surprise had now been fanned into anger. Xinfei gave his brother a significant look. Not so easy is it? Xiaobo groaned softly, his honesty and forthrightness won him fans on the docks but it made him ill equipped for politics.

Chonglong jabbed his finger in the direction of Xinfei's chest, "That earthbender goon was threatening this Professor? I heard someone last night at that lower ring tavern saying that an Islander had killed a citizen, but I thought it was just drunk talk. This must've been what they were speaking of. See this? This is the kind of stuff the public citizenry needs to know about!"

Jiang shook his head. "If this is true then the Public Safety Authority will have taken over the investigation. They don't appreciate people riling up the public to interfere with their business. No matter what kind of support we get we can't go on the street with torches and slogans against government earthbenders."

Xinfei saw his chance in the topic of needing violent support. "What about the guys in the masks? Those guys on your side? That guy who was leading the meeting fought better than any soldier I ever saw. That's some considerable training right there." Ayika would be ecstatic if he managed to get a solid lead on the people who had freaked her out so badly.

Chonglong frowned. "He's not supposed to know about the Initiated."

Jiang rolled his eyes, taking another deep reenforcing draught from his teacup."Yeah, well he was there and saw them with his own eyes. They took over leadership of the meeting and then started fighting an earthbender. The secret is kind of out." He sighed. "Also, you've been saying their name every two minutes since he arrived."

Zhangyi looked both Xinfei and Xiaobao in the eyes. He seemed to be evaluating them. Then he gave a small smile as if he approved of what he saw. The leader of the students leaned forward and lowered his voice slightly so that the without noticing the Bao brothers leaned in as well. "You're right, comrade, there is power out there. Secret power. The power of our city. Of our culture. Those who wear the masks are charged to fight back, to protect the people. The people of every level." Something in his voice sent excited shivers down Xinfei's back. This was the sound of true belief. Of actual hope for improving things and not just naive trust or the cynical acceptance of a corrupt system that he was used to encountering. Zhangyi straightened up. "We've seen this power. That's why we know we can win."

"And we are never going to even touch one of those masks. Ranked members only. After all our protests and stuff accomplishing a whole lot of nothing we've slid down to the bottom of the hierarchy." Chonglong growled to himself, causing a bit of depression to flit across Zhangyi's face.

Jiang was leaning back in his chair. "I'm not completely convinced that is a bad thing. I joined this movement to fight for the people with my brush, not on the streets with my fists. And did anyone else think that the Initiated were acting odd last night? Things were never so crazy before when Li Feng was leading us."

Xiobao frowned at this. "Wait, what do you mean? Odd?"

Xinfei ignored that line of talk and pushed for any hint that might lead him to names. "Do you know who's been given them? The masks. Were these new people behind the them last night or someone you know?"

Zhangyi spoke up again, allowing his strong voice to help him regain control of the conversation. "Where the symbolic headwear come from is a secret. It's been like this for the last month and a bit. The right to wear the masks is awarded to those who organize notable acts of resistance to the foreign plague. Up to now, our efforts to earn our own recognition have been less than successful." There was some embarrassment in that last sentence. For all their education, these boys were not much older than Xinfei himself. He knew what it felt like to continual have brilliant plans that just never worked because people refused to see what he was actually saying.

Chonglong was riled up. "Well, then now's the time! If that Miohuito fire-dog was connected to the murder of that school teacher then he should be our target! Everyone knows where he's building his precious rail line engines. I say we lead the people against it and really destroy something that really hurts him. That will show him for trying to replace workers with machines!"

Xinfei could not help smiling. He knew many people who had lost their jobs to cheap Fire Nation imports and factory devices. "Now that sounds more like it." He was catching their enthusiasm. These men did not feel powerless and helpless before the overwhelming weight of the city. Before Fire Nation people taking things away from them. Maybe they were not as great fools as he had thought. He did not see his brother looking at him with worried eyes.

The plan to attack Miohuito's project did not sit as well with Zhangyi. Xinfei could see gears turning behind his brow. Zhangyi then looked up and said, "No, traitors before invaders. Chonglong you are right, we should have done more before now. The middle ring merchants are the real problem and last night showed it. It's traitors like that who partner with foreigners and give them permission to steal our money and flood our markets. I have an idea to let them know their free ride is over. We will earn our recognition. We can do it tomorrow."

Xinfei moved to speak but as he opened his mouth the faint sound of deep horns rose in the distance with a droning keen across Kuang Harbor. The sound rolled down the streets, faint and yet persistent as it bounced between houses, inns and shops, over canals drifting with slowly drifting boats. As Xinfei spun to seek an explanation for that noise he became aware of the almost imperceptible sound of drums. It all seemed to be coming from downriver.

"Ok." Xiaobao said, looking questioningly up at the ceiling of the tea shop. "What was that?"

"A disgrace to our nation," said Chonglong darkly.

Jiang was more informative, though in truth he seemed just as angry. "The Fire Sage of the Exclusion and his priests have begun the ceremonies to deify the late Ambassador Naruhama as city-god of their settlement. Since his funeral finished two days ago and his ghost is now pacified these rituals will continue for days or weeks to empower his soul to the point of godhood. And somehow the King gave permission for that to happen. I don't know how many people those foreigners needed to bribe to make that happen but I hope they were paid well enough to make up for betraying the sanctity of our land."

Xinfei thought to himself. "Yeah, yesterday Ayika and I heard about Islanders buying up soul offerings all over the lower city. One guy said that they were printing whole pallets of spirit money. People were pretty interested in all that. It seems that Ambassador was a pretty big deal to the Islanders."

Zhangyi wore a bitter smile. "Interested; of course. Poisonous snakes are often beautiful. Those bought and paid for royal ministers may have allowed them to begin their offerings the moment Naruhama's body was burned but there are still those in this city who hold faith. From now on we'll strike back at all those who betray our country." He rose and put his palms down flat on the table. He looked left and right, meeting eyes with both brothers. "Xinfei, Xiaobao, what do you say? Are you willing to help us? This is your city too. This is your choice."

Xinfei thought of Ayika's distrust for the protesters. He also thought of the flood of imported products putting people out of work, of the government doing more to help foreign merchants than to help the poor people of the Bed, and of his family's position at the very bottom of the bottom of the city. He also thought about how the current order had treated his father, and that this organization seemed to actually reward clever ideas no matter who they were from. Well, he had not actually learned anything yet that would help Ayika's investigation. So far he had nothing to offer her. And he had promised to help Ayika find answers. It would not hurt to tag along with these guys for one more day. People deserved to know exactly what Mister Gaoli was up to.

He stood up too, putting his hands on the table. "All right. I'm in."

...