by Kylie Chan
‘How do they know what time?’ Jennifer said.
‘The Jade Emperor told us,’ I said, confused. ‘He’s always right about everything.’
I flopped to sit on the couch and watched the dragons take off with a visible blast of air beneath them, leaving just John and Er Lang discussing strategy on the platform.
‘Even if the demons didn’t come through the Gates,’ I said, ‘they should be close enough to see.’
I sat rigid with concern as the clock in the corner of the screen clicked over. John and Er Lang stopped talking together and stood silently on the dais, the breeze ruffling their long hair. The soldiers stood in orderly ranks, chatting to boost each other’s morale.
The clock showed 11:44 and still no movement. John cocked his head, listening. Er Lang said something to him and he shook his head.
‘What the hell is going on?’ my father said.
‘They’re not coming?’ Jennifer said with relief. ‘No war?’
‘It could be a ruse,’ I said. ‘The Jade Emperor’s never wrong. Maybe the demons changed their minds at the last minute.’
The soldiers on the field readied themselves, lifting their weapons.
The clock clicked over to 11:49 and still no movement. I resisted the powerful urge to contact John telepathically and ask him what was happening. It was obvious they didn’t know any more about it than we did.
‘Is there anything we need to do?’ my mother said. ‘Should we hide in the bathroom or something?’
The clock showed 11:54.
‘No,’ I said. ‘But if we lose, keep the boys still and quiet in their room so they don’t attract unneeded attention.’
‘My son is not going through that again,’ Jennifer said, her voice low and fierce.
‘I’m here,’ Greg said, and took her hand. She clutched it.
It was 11:56 and still no movement. The soldiers in the field stood motionless. I checked to confirm that the camera feed hadn’t frozen.
The time clicked over to 11:57.
‘This is insane,’ I said. ‘We should be able to see them. What’s going on?’
‘We should have filled the bath with water in case the water’s cut off,’ my mother said, and started for the bathroom.
My father took her arm to stop her. ‘Too late for that now. Stay here with us.’
The clock reached 11:59 and we all held our breath. Everything was completely still and quiet. The time sat on 11:59 for what seemed like five minutes, then it clicked over to 12:00.
Amanda made a tiny sobbing sound of terror.
John and Er Lang didn’t move on their platform. The soldiers shifted, readying themselves. They looked around, wondering if the attack would be coming from a different direction. I gripped the arm of the couch so hard my fingernails dug into the leather, leaving marks. My mother took my father’s hand and held it.
The clock ticked over to 12:01 and everybody jumped.
We all sat still and silent as we watched the army. The boys in the other room were playing a raucous game, thumping against the walls, but nobody stopped them. The clock ticked over again, and then again.
At 12:11, after an interminable wait, Er Lang said something to John, but John didn’t reply.
At 12:15, Gold appeared next to John. John spoke to him, then Gold saluted and disappeared.
‘John probably asked Gold to go to the Jade Emperor and see what’s happening,’ I said.
My phone rang and I checked the caller: Jade. I answered it.
‘Emma, do you know what’s happening? Has the demon attack been called off?’
The phone beeped: another call coming through.
‘I don’t know what’s happening but they may still attack. Stay alert.’
‘But the Jade Emperor said noon, didn’t he?’
‘I really don’t know, and I have another call. Stay where you are and don’t lower your guard.’ I hung up on her before she could say anything and switched to the other call; it was Meredith.
‘Emma?’ she said. ‘What’s happening? Has it been called off?’
‘Keep the Mountain on high alert,’ I said. ‘As far as we know they’re still coming. We’re checking with the Jade Emperor. I’ll update you as soon as I know something.’ My phone beeped again, then again. Two more calls. ‘Tell everybody you know to sit tight and hold on; they may still be coming.’
Stand by, John said. They may still attack. Stay alert.
I answered the next call: Er Hao. On the television, Er Lang was also on the phone, turning on the spot as he spoke into it. John had the distracted look he wore when talking telepathically.
‘So how long will we wait?’ my father said. ‘Before we know?’
‘Yi Hao said they haven’t attacked?’ Er Hao said on the phone.
‘Keep Buffy inside until we’re sure,’ I said. ‘Is Leo there?’
‘He won’t move from the front door, ma’am.’
‘Good. We still don’t know what will happen.’
Gold reappeared next to John and I tapped into John to listen.
‘My Lord,’ Gold said, and hesitated.
‘What did he say?’ John said.
‘Uh . . .’ Gold looked around, then back at John. ‘He said he doesn’t know.’
‘What?’ Er Lang said.
‘Did you ask him for more than that?’ John said. ‘Did you push him?’
‘Push the Jade Emperor,’ Gold said under his breath.
‘Well?’
‘My Lord, I did. I asked if he knew anything. Where they are. When they’ll attack. What will happen!’
‘And?’
‘He told me he doesn’t know anything and threw me out. He actually slammed the door in my face.’
‘My turn,’ Er Lang said grimly, and disappeared.
‘What. The. Hell,’ I said.
‘What, Emma?’ my father said.
‘Gold asked the Jade Emperor, and the JE said he doesn’t know what will happen.’
‘But don’t you kind of count on him knowing everything? Isn’t he like the top god around here?’ Amanda said. ‘How can he not know?’
‘He’s supposed to know everything,’ I said.
‘So what happens now?’ my mother said.
‘We sit tight until we’re absolutely sure that they won’t attack. We’ll stay on high alert with the army on the field for at least the next twenty-four hours.’
‘And what do we do?’ my mother said.
‘Stay here and stay guarded until we’re sure the attack isn’t coming. Hopefully we’ll have about twenty minutes’ notice when they breach the entrance to the Heavens, but there’s a chance they’ll sneak in through one of the lesser-known gates. It’s happened before. So we’ll stay here and wait until we’re sure we know what’s happening.’
‘I wish I’d brought a book now,’ Amanda said ruefully. ‘The last thing I expected was to be sitting here doing nothing.’
‘Welcome to war,’ I said with grim humour. ‘You’re either sitting bored out of your brain hoping something will happen, or terrified that you’re about to be torn —’ I saw their faces. ‘Never mind. Sorry.’
‘Sometimes I think you’re around John far too much,’ my mother said weakly. ‘You sound just like him.’
Er Lang reappeared on the television screen and he and John had a short conversation. Er Lang was agitated, moving with jerky intensity. John nodded as he listened, then raised his hand to Er Lang who subsided, still obviously frustrated.
We will break for lunch, John broadcasted. The army will rotate. After lunch we will reform and hold position until dark. Stay on high alert. We are still expecting to be attacked in the next twenty-four hours.
‘Twenty-four hours?’ my mother said with dismay. ‘We have to hang around waiting for twenty-four hours?’
‘Even after that I won’t feel safe,’ my father said.
‘You can fill the bath with water now if you like,’ I said. ‘But I think Jennifer will probably want
to bath Matthew in it tonight.’
I went to the doorway to tell Yi Hao, and found her laughing under all the boys who had piled onto her like a mountain of puppies.
17
Two hours later I was doing a Tai Chi set in the courtyard outside Persimmon Tree when my mother opened the front door.
‘Something’s happening, love. You need to come and see.’
I followed her back inside. Every adult in the family was gathered around the television. Jennifer was clutching Greg’s hand with tears running down her face, and everybody else’s expressions were grim with dismay.
At first I thought there was something wrong with the screen; then I realised that the black blot on the horizon was the demon army. Tens of thousands of them, marching in step or slithering or flying.
John and Er Lang stood silently on the platform watching them. The soldiers in front of the platform were trembling.
The demon army stopped before the individual demons were clearly visible; a dark morphing horde that covered the ground as far as the eye could see. A small cluster came out of the group, one of them holding a white flag on a lance.
‘I didn’t know they used white flags here as well,’ I mused as we watched them approach.
‘We’ve been using them longer than the West has,’ Greg said. ‘The Dark Lord speculated that the Romans appropriated the symbology from us. Not that the Romans ever surrendered to anyone,’ he added under his breath.
‘They’re surrendering?’ Jennifer said, full of hope.
‘No, it’s a flag of truce for parley,’ Greg said.
‘Oh,’ she said, the hope turning to disappointment.
It was the Demon King’s Number One, Andy Ho, in human form and riding a big bay horse. He was flanked by a pair of bull’s-head demon Dukes who were on foot; so tall that their heads were level with his shoulders. He stopped halfway between the armies and stood on the grass, waiting.
John nodded, and Er Lang summoned his horse and mounted it. His dog walked beside the horse through the quivering ranks of Celestial soldiers. It seemed to take forever for him to ride the hundred and fifty metres from the dais to meet the demons. He stopped in front of Andy, and the horses stood without moving.
Andy and Er Lang spoke for a couple of minutes, then Andy wheeled his horse and returned to the demon army at a canter, the Dukes running beside him and easily matching his speed.
Er Lang rode back and dismounted at the platform. His horse disappeared and he strode up the stairs onto the dais to stand next to John. He spoke to John for a moment, then disappeared again.
‘What happened?’ my mother said.
She turned to me, and everybody else gave me questioning looks too.
‘I don’t know,’ I said.
Emma? Greg said.
‘I really don’t know. I’m staying out of his head to avoid distracting him. He needs to concentrate.’
The demon army parted on the other side of the plain and everybody on our side readied themselves.
A shiny new Land Rover with a white cloth attached to the antenna and towing a trailer drove between the demons and halted at the centre of the field. Five humanoids jumped out. They swiftly unpacked the trailer and assembled a small garden marquee like those used in street markets on the Earthly: closed on three sides and open towards us. They erected a plastic folding table inside the tent, then four folding chairs. They covered the table and chairs with crisp white linen covers, and brought out a pitcher of water on a silver tray with four glasses. One of the demons placed a leather portfolio and an expensive fountain pen onto the table with a flourish, then they all returned to the Land Rover and drove back behind their lines.
‘They’re having a wedding?’ my mother said, bewildered.
‘I’ve seen something like that before,’ my father said. ‘Oh. I remember. France.’
‘I didn’t see anything like that in France,’ my mother said.
‘You didn’t come on the tour, you went to Reims Cathedral,’ my father said.
My mother sagged with dismay. ‘The Museum of Surrender.’
My father nodded.
‘My guess is that the demons offered us a chance to surrender, and Er Lang’s gone to talk to the Jade Emperor to see what he wants to do,’ I said.
My mother made a soft sound of dismay.
Er Lang reappeared next to John and spoke to him. John stood silently, unmoving. Er Lang became agitated, waving one hand towards the demon army. John grew even more still.
‘Don’t do it,’ Jennifer whispered.
Er Lang finished talking and glared at John, who stared down at him, impassive. There was a long moment while they faced off, then John shook his head.
Er Lang stomped around in a circle with his head down, nearly treading on his dog, who quickly backed away. Then he planted his feet, put his hands on his hips, and looked directly into the camera.
Emma, come and talk some fucking sense into him.
I jumped, and everybody looked at me.
Greg went very still, then nodded and put his hand out towards me.
‘No,’ I said. ‘The Dark Lord knows what he’s doing.’
‘We don’t doubt that, Xiaoyizi,’ Greg said, using my family relationship title, ‘wife’s little sister’. ‘But he’s taking orders from the Jade Emperor, who doesn’t.’
‘What?’ my mother said, looking from me to Greg. ‘What did he say?’
‘He’s the Jade Emperor,’ I said. ‘He’s so powerful they don’t even put statues of him in the temples.’
‘Even so. Go and talk to the Dark Lord. Something’s wrong. The Jade Emperor should be there for us, and he’s hiding away in his Palace, refusing to answer our calls.’ He nodded towards the screen, where John was stubbornly standing with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Er Lang. ‘Your humanity is sorely needed right now.’
He put his hand out towards me again.
‘If my humanity is needed, then we are in really, really deep shit,’ I said as I took his hand and the room disappeared around me.
We landed next to John and Er Lang on the platform. The acrid scent of the soldiers’ fear filled the air around us.
‘Talk to him,’ Er Lang said, and strode off the dais to meet with the section leaders.
Greg disappeared, and it was just me and John on the platform. I opened my mouth to speak to John but he spoke first.
‘If we surrender it’s all over. The demons will have control over every place a human can live. No human will be safe. He’ll use the ones we most love as toys.’
The Demon King appeared on the platform next to us. He raised his hands holding a white handkerchief and grinned. ‘Truce,’ he said, but couldn’t say more than that because Er Lang yelled with fury, ran up the stairs, and stood panting with the blade of his halberd at the Demon King’s throat.
‘This is very bad manners, and no way to treat an adversary under a flag of truce,’ the King said without moving, his voice mild. ‘Back off, Number Two. You know it wouldn’t work anyway.’
‘Stand down,’ John said.
Er Lang backed off, glowering.
The Demon King gestured with his head towards the marquee. ‘Save everybody a great deal of anguish and do it, Ah Wu. I’m waiting for you.’
He disappeared and reappeared in the marquee.
‘He’s meeting you halfway!’ Er Lang shouted at John. ‘Take the smart gweipoh with you, make the right decision, and do the same.’
‘I advised the Jade Emperor to surrender three weeks ago,’ John grumbled as he took full huge ugly Celestial Form and stepped down off the dais. ‘We’ve said all that needs to be said. There are no more words. The Jade Emperor has not ordered surrender, so we must fight.’
‘Go with him and talk some sense into him,’ Er Lang said to me as John walked away.
‘You go with him,’ I said. ‘You’re Second Heavenly General and I’m just a smart gweipoh.’
‘He’ll listen to you. He isn’t liste
ning to me. Go,’ Er Lang said.
I reluctantly followed John through the ranks of soldiers. Pao was right: this was not my place. Er Lang was vastly more experienced at this than I was and should have been the one beside John.
‘Do you think he has something up his sleeve?’ I said as I caught up with John, who had slowed his pace for me.
‘Who, the Demon King or the Jade Emperor?’ he said without looking at me.
‘Oh, I’m damn sure the King has something up his sleeve. What about the JE?’
‘I wish I knew,’ John said.
It took all my courage to walk across the open ground with the armies in front of and behind me. Something inside me, left over from being merged with John, resonated with joy at the thought of battle. The rest of me — the real me — felt nauseous and terrified.
‘Lady Emma, Xuan Tian,’ the Demon King said as we approached. ‘Thank you for coming. I would speak to the two of you.’
‘Speak to the Dark Lord,’ I said. ‘I have nothing to say to you.’
‘I understand that,’ the King said. ‘But there are things I need to say to you. Truce. I just want to talk.’ He gestured towards the table and chairs inside the marquee. ‘Nobody else can hear what we say here. We can be completely open. And this has gone quite far enough.’
‘So you’ll call your army off?’ I said, waiting two metres away to see if he tried anything.
John shrank to human form and sat at the table. ‘You have multiple agreements with all of us. What do you want to talk about now? I don’t think there’s anything left to say.’
‘If nations were willing to talk even when there’s nothing left to say, there’d be many fewer wars,’ the King said. ‘Sit, Emma, this is legitimate.’ He gestured towards John. ‘He’s always been willing to negotiate anything to avoid war.’
I sat next to John and shot him a questioning look. He shrugged.
‘Very well,’ the King said, sitting on the other side of the table. ‘You’ve seen the size of my army. You said you’d talk to the Jade Emperor. What the hell, Ah Wu? How many do you have — four, five thousand? Don’t throw them to their deaths. There has to be a better way.’
‘I don’t have a choice,’ John said, staring at the water carafe on the table.