by Kylie Chan
‘We wouldn’t expect you to,’ my father said.
‘We’re behind you, Emma,’ my mother said. ‘I’ll let you know when you can see Mandy. She can’t be mad at you forever.’
‘And in the meantime, take care of yourself, honey,’ my father said. ‘Let John do some of the work.’
They kissed and hugged me again and went out.
I sat back on the sofa and picked my phone up from the coffee table. I scrolled through the names in the contact list, selected ‘George’, and pressed the call button.
‘Ah Wu,’ the Demon King said with pleasure. ‘I was worried that the idiot Jade Emperor thought you had a chance of winning and was about to throw you all into the Pits. Please, tell me where we can meet and sort this out so nobody else is hurt.’
‘It’s me,’ I said.
His voice went richer. ‘Emma, darling. I’d say about time the brain of the outfit was in charge, but I know how damn sneaky his Serpent is. So where do we meet?’
‘The French restaurant on the top floor of the Hong Kong Marriott,’ I said. ‘Seven pm?’
‘Good choice. I just replaced the CEO of that hotel chain two weeks ago,’ the King said. ‘I’ll have the staff pull the finest vintage out of the cellar. Will Simone be coming as well? I’d love to see her.’
‘No. Just me.’
‘Oh well, can’t have everything . . . Wait.’ He was silent for a moment. ‘Just you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Without Ah Wu?’
‘Yes.’
He wheezed with delight. ‘Holy shit, are you coming to me behind the Turtle’s back?’
‘Seven o’clock. French restaurant. I want to talk to you about my family,’ I said, and hung up.
13
I fiddled with the strap of my bag as I stood under Central Plaza in Wan Chai, waiting for a taxi; it had been a while since I’d needed to carry one. After nearly twenty minutes I was at the head of the queue, and the first taxi drove away without picking me up.
‘Racist,’ I huffed under my breath.
The next taxi was driven by a man with a kind face who let me climb in.
‘Peak. One Black Road,’ I said. ‘Off Mount Austin Road.’
‘Wah,’ he said, pulling away from the kerb. ‘Your Cantonese is really good.’
I smiled. ‘Everybody says that. Been here all my life.’
‘Which King’s your favourite?’ he said, turning up the Cantopop on the radio.
‘Leon!’ I said with enthusiasm.
He chuckled. ‘You’re old. He’s one of the old Kings.’
‘I know,’ I said, settling back in the seat and trying not to sneeze from the intense cold of the air conditioning combined with the overpowering lemon scent from the air freshener that didn’t quite cover his stale cigarette smoke. ‘I’m an old gweipoh.’
He glanced at me in the rear-view mirror and I tried my best to look like an innocent old gweipoh. I was still too new an Immortal to change my shape, and every year had left its mark. I was twenty-eight when I first started working for John, and now I was forty-three. When I’d learnt John’s true nature I thought we’d never be together, or have the chance of a family, have children of our own —
I pushed the thought away.
When we arrived at John’s building, I gave the driver a generous tip for being nice to the old gweipoh. I stepped out of the car and stared up at the building, full of nostalgia. We’d had some good times there, just the five of us — John, Simone, Monica, Leo and me.
I hefted my bag and went up to the entrance. The security guards didn’t know me and sat watching me suspiciously from their post.
I’m downstairs, I said to Leo. Buzz me up, will you?
I have to come down and sign you in, Leo said. Be right there.
I tried to look casual as I waited and the guards watched me. It wasn’t until Leo came out of the lifts that I realised — the guards hadn’t seen me call up to the flat. No wonder they were so suspicious.
‘We’ve had to increase security. Nobody goes up to the top floor without an escort,’ Leo said as he signed me in. ‘We’ve been constantly tested since we arrived.’
‘How big?’ I said as I followed him to the lift. The sound of the doors opening — that particular whining tone followed by a mild clatter — gave me another pang of nostalgia.
‘Biggest was level forty-five or thereabouts — nothing we can’t handle.’ He crossed his arms over his chest and watched the lights above the lift door. ‘They settled down after a couple of weeks, but we don’t take any chances.’
We exited the lift, and Leo tapped the keypad next to the metal gate, opened the gate and door, and stood back to let me in.
Buffy and Er Hao were in the living room, with a collection of toys that any child would be proud to own. Er Hao stood and bowed to me, smiling, and I gave her a hug.
‘Er Hao. I hope these men aren’t working you too hard.’
‘It is my pleasure, ma’am. But remember that I am yours and one day hope to return to you.’
‘I’ll never forget.’
Through the large picture windows the view over the south side of the island, to the ocean, was obscured by pollution haze. The presence of so many demons in the territory had made the pollution thicker and more poisonous. The government had stopped releasing the pollution figures as they were always an unhealthy level of toxicity.
I went down onto one knee. ‘Hello, Buffy.’
‘Hello, Aunty Emma,’ Buffy said, not looking up from her Lego. ‘Where’s Aunty Simone? I want to play with her.’
‘Next time,’ I said, rising. ‘Can I talk to your dads for a while?’
‘Ba Ba is away,’ she said.
‘What, again?’
‘He’ll be back soon,’ Leo said. ‘Come into the dining room and wait for him.’ He turned to the door. ‘Oh, he’s back already.’
Martin came in the front door and knelt so that Buffy could run to him.
‘Ba Ba!’
He kissed her on the cheek and stroked her hair, then pulled her in for another hug. He saw me and his eyebrows shot up, then his expression went rigid with restraint. He rose and, still holding Buffy’s hand, went to Leo and embraced him.
Then he turned to me. ‘I won’t stop.’
‘That’s not what I want to talk about,’ I said. I gestured with my head towards the dining room. ‘Can we?’
Leo and Martin shared a look, and Martin gave Buffy to Er Hao. We went into the dining room together. Martin had replaced John’s ink paintings of sea creatures with his own work: Western-style watercolours of Hong Kong scenes. He’d also framed some of Leo’s novice calligraphy and hung it proudly among them.
‘You’re needed in the Heavens, Ming Gui, and constantly doing this is wasting everybody’s time,’ I said. ‘Give it up, and try again when it’s all resolved.’
‘You said that wasn’t what you wanted to talk about,’ he said.
‘I’ve been given an order; I have to fulfil it.’ I sighed and leaned my elbows on the table. ‘I’ve been avoiding you so I don’t have to bring it up, but now I’m here the imperative’s taken over.’
‘The Jade Emperor has forced you to interfere?’
‘He has.’ I saw his face. ‘He hasn’t forced me to order you. He just wants me to talk to you.’
‘We need to be married before it all falls apart. We must ensure Buffy’s future. You know how important this is to us. I’ll keep petitioning him until he allows it.’
‘I do know. I support you.’
‘So tell the Jade Emperor to let us marry!’ Martin said with frustration.
‘I did. He said to stop petitioning him, because the answer is “No” and you’re costing the Heavens dearly by constantly throwing yourself under the executioner’s blade.’
‘Did you notice he didn’t say that the answer will always be “No”?’ Martin said.
‘Yes, I did. He told me that he can’t say more.’
‘If w
e weren’t a same-sex couple this wouldn’t be an issue! We could have a quick quiet ceremony and secure the future of our child.’
‘It has nothing to do with that.’
‘He’s never permitted same-sex marriage, Emma. If you and Father asked him, he’d let you marry in a second.’
‘He didn’t.’
‘He —’ Martin stopped. ‘What?’
‘We asked him and he wouldn’t let us. He won’t let us marry until this is all over and finished, same as you.’
‘He has a blanket ban on marriages?’ Leo said.
‘No. Just us. Other people are marrying their partners all over the Heavens for the same reason we want to — to ensure the care of their children and the distribution of their property. He’s picking on you two and me. And probably on your father as well.’
‘Why?’ they said in unison.
‘Wish to hell I knew. He just said no, and if I asked again he’d execute me, same as you. So we have to trust him and stop asking.’
‘Do you trust him with what’s about to happen?’ Martin said. ‘There are nearly a hundred and fifty thousand of them, and five thousand of us. He’s throwing four thousand mortal soldiers to their deaths, and a thousand Immortals into the Pits.’
‘Do we have a choice, Ming Gui?’
He studied me searchingly. ‘Are you still in there, Father, and didn’t tell us?’
‘No, Martin, it’s just residual time ripples. I’ll be like this for a while.’
‘Freaky,’ Leo said.
‘You have no idea,’ I growled.
‘Leo and I will be first to be sent to the Pits, leaving Buffy orphaned,’ Martin said. ‘This King detests our entire family. We must protect the children.’
‘I know. That’s why I’m here,’ I said. ‘I want to know what my chances are.’
‘Chances of what?’
‘Killing the Demon King. The Horde will probably fall to bits without his leadership. I want your opinion as to whether it’s doable.’
‘Only with Seven Stars,’ Martin said.
‘Then why hasn’t John destroyed the King with it already?’ Leo said.
‘You were there when he explained it,’ I said. ‘It was the demon attack when they drugged the Serpent.’
‘He did his thing where he blocked out the conversation. I didn’t hear anything,’ Leo said.
‘He does that?’
‘Sometimes,’ Martin said. ‘He’s even done it to me two or three times.’
‘He’s never done it to me,’ I said.
‘That’s because he trusts you completely,’ Leo said. ‘So what’s this thing about Seven Stars?’
‘Are you sure he should know?’ Martin said. ‘Father made me vow not to tell anybody.’
‘Leo should know.’ I turned to him. ‘If John uses Seven Stars on this King, he’ll absorb the King’s demon essence and turn back into a mindless nature spirit.’
‘He’s done that before,’ Leo said. ‘You’re Immortal. You can wait. That’s not a good enough reason.’
‘He wouldn’t return. He’d stay an animal permanently. And that much demon essence could easily make him revert.’
‘Revert to what?’
‘Father was immensely powerful turtle and snake demons before he combined and turned to the Celestial,’ Martin said.
Leo was silent for a long time. Then he said vehemently, ‘It’s not worth it.’
‘Seven Stars is the only thing that can destroy this King, Emma,’ Martin said. ‘Don’t waste your time trying with energy. It won’t work.’
‘What about the Murasame?’ I said.
‘Oh,’ Martin said.
‘It can?’ Leo said.
Martin nodded.
‘It’s in the centre of Hell,’ Leo said. ‘You’d have to go right down to the bottom of Hell, and talk your son into giving it back to you when he has no idea who you are.’
‘Yep,’ I said.
Leo grinned. ‘Can I come too?’
‘That’s why I’m here.’
‘Me,’ Martin said.
‘Both of you,’ I said. ‘Simone can mind Buffy with Er Hao. Heaven knows, the child has enough toys to keep her occupied for a couple of hours while we go find my sword and bring it back out.’
‘I’m in,’ Leo said. ‘We may be able to stop this before it starts.’
‘Me too,’ Martin said. ‘But I must have Father’s permission.’
‘He may order you not to go,’ I said.
‘He is my Emperor and I am his Number One. I won’t go behind his back.’
I looked from Martin to Leo. Leo’s face was full of pride.
‘It’s a matter of honour, Lady Emma,’ Martin said.
‘All right, I understand.’ I checked my watch. ‘We can talk to him as soon as he’s home from Hell. Right now I have a meeting to go to.’
‘Don’t try to negotiate with the Demon King,’ Martin said. ‘He isn’t trustworthy.’
I rose to leave. ‘Too late.’
* * *
I nodded to the restaurant’s receptionist. ‘I’m here to meet with George Mo.’
The receptionist checked the booking, saw the character for ‘Mo’ — demon — and looked up, confused. ‘His name is a very bad word, very bad luck, very bad.’
‘That’s the good luck version of his name,’ I said.
‘Why?’
‘You don’t want to know. Keep away from him.’
She paled and nodded, shut the book, and led me into the main area of the restaurant. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the latest ugly reclamation on Hong Kong harbour, and the pollution haze effectively blocked the view of the other side of the water.
I stopped when I saw who was sitting with the Demon King. A couple of Mothers, his Number One Andy Ho . . . and John.
John’s expression mirrored my shock, then he lowered his head and smiled grimly. I nodded to him and sat next to him.
The Demon King poured some red wine for me. ‘You wanted to talk about the same thing, so I thought I’d do it all at once. One more to come . . . and here she is.’
Simone stopped when she saw me and John and her expression went rigid. She sagged and sat at the table as well, on the other side of John.
‘Let’s hear the offers, one at a time,’ the King said, swirling the red wine in his oversized glass. ‘Ah Wu, you first.’
‘We discussed me going into the jade cage in True Form. If we lose, I’ll do it. I’ll go into a cage if you promise to keep Emma and Simone safe.’
‘Done. Emma?’
‘I’ll be a mother for as many little serpent babies as you want. Just guarantee my family’s safety.’
John stiffened but didn’t say anything.
The King saw his reaction and smiled. ‘Just your immediate family?’ he asked me.
‘Simone’s like a daughter to me. Her too.’
‘Not Ah Wu?’
John remained completely unmoving.
‘No,’ I said without looking at him.
‘So . . . I could do what I like to him? I can torture him in the jade cage until the end of time?’
‘If it keeps Simone safe, yes.’
Simone dropped her face into her hands but didn’t say anything.
The Demon King’s blood-coloured eyes were full of amusement as he looked from John to me. ‘I don’t know, he’s been tortured so many times that he’s used to it. It would be so much more fun to play with your family instead. You’ve been burnt, you know what it feels like. What if I sent your family to the Hell of the Red-Hot Grates?’
I stiffened as the horrible images raced through my head, and a rush of nausea surged over me. Both the Mothers smiled with satisfaction.
‘I’ll do anything,’ I said. ‘Just don’t hurt them.’
‘Would you take their place on the grill?’
I hesitated, then raised my head and looked him in the eye. ‘Yes.’
‘More efficient to roast them over the coals though.’ T
he King gestured towards John with his glass. ‘See his face?’
I glanced at John. He’d darkened and withdrawn even more. I looked back at the King. He was enjoying watching John’s reaction . . . to my reaction.
‘You’ll make my family suffer,’ I said, ‘purely to break Lord Xuan’s heart?’
‘So much fun,’ the King said jovially. ‘Torture them, torture you, torture him.’
‘Don’t hurt them,’ I said, desperate. ‘I’ll do anything. Have your babies. Anything.’
John shifted uncomfortably but didn’t speak.
‘You can’t have any more babies, dear,’ the King said kindly. ‘I have a better idea. When I win I’ll be too busy to spend all my time with Frankie — how about you go back to being a nanny? For me? Care for my darling son, and I’ll keep your family unharmed. How about that?’
‘Done,’ I said with relief.
John looked away and rubbed his hand over his face, obviously relieved as well.
The King turned to Simone. ‘And you, Princess?’
‘Do I have anything you want?’ Simone said. ‘We need to establish a value position before we start any sort of bargaining.’
‘I don’t know. It depends what you want to bargain for.’
‘I want you to call it all off, leave the Heavens and the Earthly and go back to Hell,’ Simone said. ‘What could I give you in return for that?’
‘Humph.’ The Demon King leaned back and took a sip of wine. ‘Once again Simone outshines both of you. You already consider the Heavens lost, and you’re negotiating your lives away for the safety of half a dozen. She is focused on the bigger picture and puts both of you to shame.’
‘I completely agree,’ I said. ‘But I know my value, and it isn’t enough to send you back to Hell.’
‘Is my father enough value?’ Simone said. ‘Would you trade your withdrawal from the Heavens and the Earthly for Xuan Wu in the jade cage?’
‘You hear that, Ah Wu?’ the Demon King said. ‘They’re quite happy to throw you into a cage to be tortured for eternity if it means they’ll be free of me.’