Red Phoenix

by Kylie Chan

  it.

  I snapped back when the door to the meeting room opened. The director, Jan, poked her head around the doorframe, smiled, and jerked her head to indicate that I could go in. I rose and approached the room, my stomach fluttering with a million worries.

  The three examiners sat around a low coffee table, surrounded by papers. Jan indicated an empty chair for me.

  Jan had my thesis in her hand and smiled at me. She was very tall and muscular, almost Amazonian, with short ginger hair, a wide kind smile and bright blue eyes that twinkled at me. She ran marathons in her spare time and could bore everybody to tears with tales of her two young children.

  I didn’t know the other two. One was a severe-looking Chinese woman with impeccable hair, wearing a very smart tailored suit, and the other was a kindly black-haired European man in his mid-sixties with a friendly smile and reassuring dark eyes behind his large glasses.

  I relaxed slightly. They didn’t seem so bad.

  ‘This is Miss Lo, Emma, and Mr Knight. They’ll be helping me do your viva today,’ Jan said, gesturing towards the other two inquisitors.

  I nodded to each of them without speaking. My throat was too dry.

  ‘I’ll go first,’ Jan said firmly, eyeing my papers appraisingly. My stomach flip-flopped. I immediately decided that I should have formatted the thesis better.

  ‘Emma,’ Jan said severely, ‘why on earth did you choose this topic? You’ve always said that you’re a nanny. How did you get involved in this?’

  The other two professors leaned forward, eager to hear the answer. But I was ready for them.

  ‘My employer is a martial arts instructor,’ I explained, trying my best to remain calm. ‘It was the easiest way to find a business that I could use as a model. He encouraged me, in fact,’ rubbing it in, ‘he says that I helped him make the whole place run much better.’

  Jan nodded, still studying the thesis. She glanced up at me without smiling. ‘What was the most obvious and pressing problem that you think they were experiencing when you started?’

  That was in the thesis. The real answer was ‘a recent attack by demons’, but I didn’t think that would go down too well. ‘Managing the finances,’ I said confidently. ‘The business owner, my employer, is an expert at martial arts, but when it comes to budgeting he is completely hopeless.’

  All three of them nodded in agreement. They had obviously read the paper right through.

  Miss Lo took over. Right, two questions each, I could handle this. ‘Are you sure that you’ve budgeted for everything here? What if some unexpected expenses turn up? How will you handle that?’

  ‘Unexpected expenses always turn up,’ I said. ‘The essence here wasn’t managing for the expected, it was managing for the unexpected. So I had to put that in. Do you want me to go into detail about budgeting for the unexpected?’

  Miss Lo shook her head. ‘I think that’s enough of an answer for me.’ She nodded towards the third professor, Mr Knight. I sighed inwardly with relief.

  I turned to Mr Knight and was shocked right down to the soles of my feet. He was at least a level fifty demon. Huge. As big as a Snake Mother. I’d been so nervous that I’d completely missed him.

  Holy shit, what was he doing here, and what had happened to the real professor? I hoped the real professor wasn’t found in a Kowloon City dumpster in a million pieces, the same way that pizza delivery guy was.

  The demon smiled kindly at me, exactly like a sympathetic university professor helping a talented student along. ‘Tell me, Miss Donahoe, on page thirty-five of the thesis you mention “demon staff”. Is this a particular term used in martial arts?’

  I looked blankly at him, then smiled. No way, he wasn’t getting away with that. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Knight? Isn’t it?’ He nodded confirmation. ‘I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Is there a typo in there? Because I don’t remember putting anything in the thesis about “demon staff”. And the term doesn’t mean anything in martial arts, as far as I know. But I really don’t know much about it.’

  The other two professors flipped to the page he’d mentioned and scanned it. Jan shook her head. ‘Not here, Jim. You sure you have the same paper we have?’

  The demon passed his copy to me. ‘Look, Miss Donahoe, right in the middle of the page.’

  I scanned down. It was my writing until about the third paragraph. Then there was a message for me.

  I have offended One Two Two. I am desperate. Help. I am willing to pledge. I have information. Nod if you are willing to protect me. I will raise my hand in oath that I will not attack. I will meet you downstairs. Please take me to the Dark Lord, I am willing to pledge to both of you.

  I glanced up from my thesis. ‘This is a copy. Where is the original…’ I hesitated, ‘Mr Knight?’ I carefully chose the inflection so that the real question would be obvious to him.

  ‘The original is quite safe and unharmed,’ the demon said. ‘Nearby. I can get it for you later, if you like.’

  I breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thanks. Just making sure.’ I nodded. I was willing to take the risk for the information.

  He raised his hand in confirmation. I hoped it meant that he had sworn to lay off me.

  Both Jan and the Chinese professor looked in bewilderment at their papers. The demon shrugged. It was up to me to gloss this over. Think quickly, Emma.

  ‘I think you have the wrong version of the paper, Mr Knight. The page numbers don’t seem to be right in this one, and the words “demon staff” are actually a typo; it should be “demonstrate”.’

  I handed the paper back to him and he eyed it appraisingly. He flipped it so that he could see the front page. ‘Oh, you’re quite right, Miss Donahoe, I have an earlier draft that you handed in. The original is in my office; quite unaware of how this happened—I seem to be having periods of memory loss lately, don’t know what’s wrong with me. So sorry.’ He smiled broadly at Jan. ‘I don’t have any other problems with it.’

  Whew, he had the real professor bound and unaware in his office somehow. Must ask how they did that, if that was the case.

  ‘Your graduation ceremony will be in December. Will you be in Hong Kong? It’ll be a big occasion,’ Jan said, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

  I nearly let out a whoop of triumph but managed to hold it in. I swallowed my emotions instead. ‘Thanks, Jan,’ I said sincerely. ‘I couldn’t have done it without your help.’

  Jan waved her hand over the paper. ‘Not a problem, Emma, it’s been a really enjoyable experience. Most unusual paper I’ve ever seen, the topic was fascinating. I must come up there one day and have a look, it sounds incredible. Does your employer really have three hundred students learning martial arts?’

  I nodded a reply.

  ‘What do they all do when they graduate?’ she said.

  ‘Go home and teach,’ I said, which was almost true. Very few of the Dark Disciples ever returned to the Earthly Plane. If they were good enough, they would be promoted to Master, but only about one in fifty was that talented. Between fifty and a hundred a year were lost to other parts of the Celestial Plane, as elite guards for high-ranking Immortals or Shen; or as training Masters for just about everybody. If they wanted to, they could stay and learn all their lives, moving up through the ranks to teach the younger ones if they had the talent; helping with the management of the Academy if they didn’t. Many of them stayed on and cultivated the Tao, attempting to find the Way and become Raised to Immortality. The very best were sometimes chosen to join the Elite Guard of the Jade Emperor, a very great honour for all of us.

  A few of them did return to their home countries on the Earthly Plane to teach, and John encouraged them, welcoming them back if they decided to return. He constantly complained that more of them wouldn’t go out into the world and spread the true Arts.

  I continued to explain for Jan. ‘It’s a world centre for martial arts training. They come from all over the world to learn here, then return to their home
countries and teach there. The martial arts community is quite small and very well connected, but people who aren’t involved generally don’t know anything about it.’ I had a brilliant idea. ‘How about the three of you come up now and have a look? You’ve seen the paper, why not come and see the Academy? I’m sure they’ll be glad to meet you,’ I said, looking straight into the demon’s eyes.

  ‘I’d love to, but we have one more viva to do, Emma,’ Jan said. ‘Maybe some other time.’

  ‘I’ll wait,’ I said. ‘I’ll call them and arrange it while you do the viva. I don’t mind at all. There should still be some people there, it’s only four o’clock. I’d love to show you around.’

  I willed her to come. If she did, then I would be slightly safer with this enormous demon.

  ‘Sounds like great fun, Jan,’ the demon said. ‘The viva will only take about twenty minutes, let’s go after that and have a look. I’m dying to see all of this kung fu stuff; we don’t have anything like that at all back in the UK.’

  Now I knew for sure that the demon was sincere. If it wanted my head, it wouldn’t invite Jan along.

  ‘Oh, all right,’ Jan said. ‘Go and wait outside, Emma. When we finish with the next student we’ll meet you in the waiting room. Want to come, Connie?’

  ‘I’m not really interested in wushu,’ the Chinese examiner said. ‘You go without me. I see enough of that on the television; I find it tremendously boring.’

  ‘Well,’ Jan said, rising to her feet and towering over me, ‘that’s that then. Congratulations, Emma, you really are exceptional, and there’s a place in the PhD program any time you want to take it.’

  ‘Oh come on, Jan,’ I wheezed, ‘I only just survived this and you want to throw me in again? Give me some time to recover!’

  The other two professors rose as well and I shook hands all round. Even the demon. He just smiled, perfectly innocent.

  Back in the waiting area, I dragged out my mobile phone and turned away from the receptionist with my hand over my mouth.

  ‘Office.’ It was John’s assistant.

  ‘This is a major emergency. It’s Emma, I need the Dark Lord right now,’ I hissed into the phone. ‘Wei?’

  ‘Oh, John, thank God, this is really big.’ ‘What? Did you get it?’

  ‘One of the professors for my viva,’ I said softly, ‘was a level fifty-five looking for sanctuary.’ ‘What did you arrange?’

  ‘I’m taking them on a tour of the Academy. Jan, the head, asked to see the facilities after hearing so much about them, and he wants to come too. I’ll be bringing both of them over in about twenty minutes.’

  He was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke. ‘I’m sending Liu over there now to escort the three of you back. I’ll be on the ground floor here waiting. I’ll let it in past the seals. We’ll do a low-level tour, show them some of the basic hand-to-hand students, only up to the third floor. Emma, listen. This is very important. When I greet them on the ground floor, I will shake their hands. Understood?’

  ‘Got it,’ I whispered. ‘I’ll be ready for it.’ I hesitated. ‘This is a big one, John. Can Liu take it?’

  ‘Easily,’ he said. ‘Not a problem at all.’ He paused. ‘I’m assuming you made it anyway?’

  ‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘but getting this…person is twenty times better. He says he offended One Two Two and has information for us.’

  ‘Yes!’ John said. ‘Did you find out where the original professor is?’

  ‘Apparently in his office, bound, with his memory wiped, from what I gathered.’

  John was silent. Then he spoke with obvious satisfaction. ‘That is extremely good. This is a really big one.’ His voice was full of admiration. ‘Well done, Emma, what a coup. This is the biggest demon tamed in a very, very long time. I hope it lives up to its word; it will be extremely useful. Damn, but I’m impressed.’

  ‘I just hope it really is tamed,’ I said. ‘If it isn’t, we’re in big trouble letting it in past the seals.’

  ‘Oh, and congratulations on the MBA as well,’ he said.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Liu waited for us downstairs, wearing a pair of tired jeans and a worn-out T-shirt, looking for all the world like a cleaner on his day off. He grinned like an idiot when he saw us.

  I introduced him as one of the instructors and Jan was obviously bemused at his appearance. He pretended he was there by accident and we all walked the two blocks to the Hennessy Road building together. The demon was tense and nervous. Jan had absolutely no inkling of anything that was going on with her three companions.

  John was waiting for us in the lobby next to the Eighteen Weapons. He met us at the door, and guided Jan and the demon in. The demon hesitated at the doorway, then strode in as if it expected to be electrocuted. It visibly relaxed when it survived the seals.

  ‘This is Mr John Chen, the head of the school,’ I said. ‘I’m the nanny for his daughter, Simone. He’s very kindly offered to show you around.’ I gestured towards Jan. ‘This is Jan, the head of the university’s office here in Hong Kong, and Professor Knight, one of the examiners.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you,’ John said. He shook Jan’s hand and then held his hand out to the demon.

  John, Liu, the demon and I all froze. Time stood still. Liu shifted in the corner of my eye as he readied himself.

  ‘Take his hand,’ I said very softly.

  The demon stood frozen, his face an expressionless mask. Jan hadn’t heard me; all she was aware of was the fact that the demon had hesitated. Bewilderment started to spread across her face.

  ‘Do it, take his hand,’ I said under my breath. ‘Last chance.’

  The demon took a swooping step forward and grabbed John’s hand, its face still expressionless. Its eyes widened with wonder as it realised it hadn’t been damaged. It was such a high level that John’s touch couldn’t destroy it, only cause it major damage; but it seemed surprised that it had remained unharmed.

  ‘Welcome, both of you,’ John said as he released the astonished demon’s hand. ‘Let me take you up and show you around.’

  Jan enjoyed herself immensely. She loved watching the juniors going through their paces. Liu even had some of the young Shaolin Disciples do some circus-style acrobatics for her.

  Knight’s face was completely frozen in a false grin the whole time. John and I could hardly wait to get him alone, and it was obviously difficult for him too.

  When we were back in the lobby the demon had an inspiration. ‘Jan, you go on ahead. I need to stop at the pharmacy next door and buy a couple of things. Meet you back at the office, we’ll go through the vivas and sort them out. See you later.’

  ‘Okay,’ Jan said. ‘We can leave most of it until tomorrow morning anyway.’ She smiled. ‘Good to have it finished, eh?’

  ‘Yeah, we survived,’ the demon said. ‘Can’t believe it,’ he added, without looking at either John or myself.

  She gave us a cheery wave and went out.

  The three of us stood in the lobby looking at each other.

  Then the demon fell to its knees before us and touched its head to the floor. ‘I pledge. I swear allegiance. Thank you, my Lord, my Lady, you have no idea what this means to me.’

  ‘Get the hell up off the floor, people going past can see you,’ John growled impatiently.

  The demon didn’t move. John breathed an obvious sigh of relief.

  ‘Get up,’ I ordered and it immediately shot to its feet.

  ‘Do it again, Emma,’ John said quietly, and held out his hand. ‘I want to be absolutely sure.’

  ‘Take the Dark Lord’s hand again,’ I said.

  This time the demon didn’t hesitate. It strode forward confidently and grabbed his hand.

  ‘I’m finding it hard to retain human form while you have me like this,’ it said, its voice straining. ‘Either release me, or take me somewhere I won’t cause panic in the streets.’

  After the demon had returned from releasing the real Professor Knight, we
sat together in a meeting room on the third floor. John wouldn’t let the demon any higher in the building than that. Tamed was tamed; but trusting was another matter altogether.

  In True Form the demon was a huge humanoid and, unusually, it was blue. It only had two eyes, and no scales. Not too bad. It even had a name; for some reason known only to itself, it had chosen the English name of Ralph.

  Ralph was minor demon nobility. He wouldn’t tell us what he’d done to upset Wong, but we had an idea, knowing Wong’s appetites and Ralph’s unusual appearance. The demon stayed in human form, big glasses and everything, to talk to us.

  ‘Do you know what he’s planning?’ John said straight out.

  ‘Something big,’ Ralph said.

  ‘All of us?’ I said.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Are you aware of the details?’ John said.

  ‘I know that it is planned for later this year. I know that he has made some very special, rather nasty hybrids that he hopes will take you out. He is bringing in something that will disable you, but I don’t know what.’

  ‘Disable the Dark Lord?’ I said with disbelief. ‘Surely such a thing isn’t possible.’

  ‘No,’ John said. ‘Either you kill me or you don’t. You can’t disable me.’

  ‘One Two Two seems to think that he has some sort of secret weapon that will ensure your cooperation.’

  ‘Impossible,’ John said.

  ‘Well, that’s what he’s been saying. He’s also bragging that he will bring the Dark Lady to his Father, reveal her true nature, and be promoted very quickly.’

  My stomach fell out. I was speechless.

  ‘More,’ John said.

  ‘No more,’ Ralph said. ‘That’s all I know.’

  ‘Any other word about her true nature?’ John said. ‘This is vital.’

  I suddenly wanted to run out of the room.

  ‘She has caused quite a stir,’ the demon said with a small smile. ‘She scares the living daylights out of most of the Mothers, they hate her.’

  ‘Throw that phone away,’ John said to me.

  ‘No.’

  ‘That was quite a feat in London, my Lady,’ the demon said. ‘I feel most honoured to serve you. You appear to be an ordinary human, but in action and word, and particularly in battle, you appear very much more.’