Bruno hesitated. Ponsu was pushing him past his limit. He felt like punching the priest in the head. But where would that get Bruno? Nowhere. He took the potion from the priest, took a breath, and drank it. It was grainy, bland, and bitter all at the same time. Bruno pulled a face and gave the bowl back.

“You are good,” Ponsu said, showing a level of approval that had been absent until this point. “Now you have power. The mugus can’t control you, but you can make them do whatever you want. From this day on, when you are asking money from the mugus, you will see they will become confused and send you money no matter how much you ask for. The mugu’s family will even be telling him to stop, but he won’t be able to help himself.”

“That’s great,” Bruno said. “Please, what about Godfather?”

“You can go with Nii the next time he will visit.”

That put a big smile on Bruno’s face. “Yes please. Thank you.”

When Bruno met with Sana Sana the next time, he wasn’t alone. Along with his two bodyguards, four of his other investigators were present, each of them to discuss their latest progress and to receive further instructions.

In Bruno’s case, Sana wanted to know when the tentative meeting with Godfather would take place.

“I don’t know yet,” Bruno said. “I think it will be soon, but I will hear from Nii before.”

He thought the golden beads cascading from Sana’s boonie hat in front of his face was one of his most attractive getups. Sana rose from his seat and beckoned to Bruno.

“Come and sit here.”

Bruno, afraid something was wrong, sat down warily.

“Up till this time,” Sana said to him, “I have not shown you my face because I have been waiting to be sure you can be trusted. That time has come. You are a good man, a hard worker, courageous, and above all, trustworthy. So, from this day forth, you will now know what I look like.”

Bruno was riveted as Sana pulled the beads to one side and slowly removed his hat. The others in the room began to laugh as it became clear that Sana was wearing a lifelike mask under that.

“Okay,” he said, chuckling. “This time, I’m really going to reveal myself.”

He snatched the latex mask off and Bruno saw a man in his early forties with a lean, angular face, a small tribal mark on his left cheek, short hair, mustache and goatee. While Bruno had imagined an intense, fierce gaze, Sana’s eyes were very much softer—kind, in fact.

“Wow,” Bruno said.

“Yes, so now you know,” Sana said. “You may now give me my chair back.”

Bruno jumped up stammering, “so sorry, please,” much to the amusement of the others in the room.