The Jade Seal

by Yuriko Taira

  Shinkichi became nervous and looked to Sean, who was sitting on the windowsill with his long legs outstretched. Sean's light-blue eyes returned Shinkichi’s anxious gaze with a calm smile. Shinkichi let out a deep breath, and relaxed.

  A round green jade pendant fell out of Shinkichi’s coat pocket, and rolled to his feet. He bent and picked it up.

  “What did you just pick up from the floor?” the Inspector asked Shinkichi.

  “A pendant.” He opened his palm, showing the jade pendant.

  The Inspector reached out, trying to take the jade pendant from him. The jade pendant immediately rolled off Shinkichi’s palm, rolling all the way to Sean’s feet. Sean picked it up, and closed his hand into a fist.

  “It’s my girlfriend’s pendant,” he said to the Inspector.

  “Who are you?” The Inspector had turned his attention to Sean.

  “I’m Sean Stirling, special agent of the Australian Defence Forces, travelling with Shinkichi.” Sean held up his badge to the Inspector’s eyes; then asked politely, "how may I help?”

  “How do you do, Stirling-san?” The Inspector bowed to Sean at 35-degree.

  “Inspector, we didn’t find any jade seal.” A police officer had appeared at the door, reporting to him.

  “Neither did I.” Another police officer had come to the door.

  “Neither did I.” The third one had arrived.

  “Okay, I've heard you,” the Inspector said to his officers, sounding disappointed and annoyed. He then turned to Shinkichi. “Abe-san, please come with me to the station,” he ordered, walking out of Shinkichi’s room.

  “Inspector, I’ll accompany Shinkichi to your station if you don’t mind,” Sean requested.

  “Of course, Stirling-san; I’d be delighted if you also come to the station,” the Inspector said, in a cold and impersonal tone, without turning his head.

  Sean gave Shinkichi the jade pendant. “Mate, please keep it safe for me as you always do.” He gave Shinkichi a cheeky wink.

  “Yes, of course.” Shinkichi picked up his coat from the tatami, putting the jade pendant back into the pocket; and followed Sean downstairs.

  Mr and Mrs Abe were waiting at the bottom of the stairs, the worry was like clouds covering their faces.

  “Shinkichi, what’s going on?” Mrs Abe asked with tears in her eyes.

  “Mum, don’t worry.” Shinkichi hugged his mother.

  “Missus Abe, I’ll bring your son back as soon as possible; please trust me,” Sean said to her gently.

  “See you soon, Mum, and Dad.” Shinkichi matched towards the front door, with his head up and his back straightening.

  “Please take care, my son,” Mr Abe said quietly.

  “Nfu, nfu…” Mrs Abe could not hold back her tears any longer, and cried.

  Shinkichi and Sean followed the police to a convoy of vehicles parked by the roadside, only one of them was marked with the police logo. They were guided into a vehicle behind the police car. The convoy took off with the police car leading the way.

  When they arrived at police headquarters, they were questioned by Interpol; and Mikhail was called into the questioning by telephone. A few hours later, the police released them.

  “Sir, may I remove the surveillance you've installed in the Abe residence?” Sean asked the Inspector politely.

  “I’m very sorry, Stirling-san. Please understand we’re just doing our job. Of course, we’ll remove all the surveillance at once.”

  “Don’t bother. I can do the job a lot quicker than your officers,” Sean said in a sarcastic tone. He then turned to Shinkichi, “Mate, let’s go home. I need some sleep.”

  “Yes, mate.”

  As they walked out of police headquarters, they saw Mr Abe and attorney Matsuda running towards them.

  “Son, I’ve brought Matsuda-san to help you.”

  “Shinkichi-kun, what happened?” Matsuda enquired, his calm and alert dark-brown eyes checking Sean from behind his frameless glasses.

  “Matsuda-san, how have you been? This is my best friend, Sean.”

  “How do you do, Sean-san?” Matsuda put his hand out to Sean.

  “Nice to meet you, Mister Matsuda.” Sean shook hands with Matsuda, his ghost-like light-blue eyes surveying the attorney quickly. A man of quality, just like his black suit with a white handkerchief showing at the top of a pocket. The wrinkles on his face have made him looking wiser.

  “May I help with anything?” Matsuda asked politely.

  “Thank you, Mister Matsuda. It’s a misunderstanding. The police have apologised,” Sean was at easy with what had happened.

  “A misunderstanding? They charged into my house, took my son into the station for a misunderstanding!” Mr Abe said angrily, walking up the steps in front of the police building as if he was going to charge inside.

  Matsuda got hold of his arm. “Abe-san, please let go. Missus Abe is anxiously waiting for the boys to return home.”

  Shinkichi held his father’s other arm. “Dad, let’s go home. I need a sleep.”

  “Fine!” Mr Abe pushed them away, walking down the steps on his own.

  They said goodbye to Matsuda, and got into Mr Abe’s car. As soon as they were seated, Mr Abe demanded Shinkichi to tell him everything.

  “Dad, please let me drive if you insist on knowing everything now.”

  “Okay, you drive. I’ll listen to every word you say. If you did something wrong, I’ll take back the family swords!”

  “Yes, Dad; but I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Shinkichi and his father exchanged seats. He told his father about the suicide mission while driving. Sean filled in the gaps as he went.

  “You must see Matsuda-san first thing tomorrow,” Mr Abe ordered Shinkichi as soon as he had finished talking.

  “Why?”

  “Because Yuuko-chan has made you the sole heir of her estate in her will.”

  “Mate, I agree with your father. Since the police have believed the kid is dead, you must act quickly or things may get more complicated than now.” Sean added.

  “Yes, I must avenge babe…” Shinkichi murmured.

  After a quick shower, Sean walked into Shinkichi’s bedroom, wearing a cotton dressing gown; and drying his hair with a towel.

  “Mate, it’s your turn to use the bathroom,” he said.

  Hearing no response, Sean removed the towel from his face; and saw Shinkichi crawling on the tatami, searching under the desk and cushions. “What’re you looking for?” he asked.

  “The Jade Seal,” Shinkichi said, without lifting his head.

  “Mate, if the Jade Seal was in your room, I might not have been able to prove your innocence so easily.”

  “I know, but I still hope it’s here,” Shinkichi said, continuing the search.

  “Shinkichi-san, the Jade Seal is here.” I rolled out of Shinkichi’s coat pocket and stood by his feet.

  “Where have you been hiding?” Shinkichi asked joyfully, looking at the Jade Seal.

  “Mate, I saw it coming out of your coat pocket,” Sean whispered and quickly closed all the curtains.

  “Impossible! It was the jade pendant in my coat pocket.”

  I commanded the Jade Seal. ‘Please transform yourself into a jade pendant.’

  “Ah, the Jade Seal can change in shape!” The two men whispered with excitement, squatting down, and staring at the jade pendant as it transformed back into the Jade Seal.

  “I thought the jade pendant might be the Jade Seal when the policeman found it in your coat pocket the first time,” Sean whispered.

  “Jade Seal, can you change into a square shape?” Shinkichi asked.

  “This is not a game.” I stood firmly, folding my arms across my chest. Thus, the Jade Seal stood still on the tatami.

  “Aha, my Prince, it looks like you don’t have the power to command the Jade Seal at all.” Sean teased Shinkichi.

  “Yeah, okay; don’t rub it in.” Shinkichi rolled his eyes. “But, how strange, the Jad
e Seal is almost like a person.”

  “I am a person,” I said from inside the Jade Seal.

  “Mate, it’s best for the Jade Seal to look like a pendant.” Sean cautioned Shinkichi.

  “Yes, I agree. But how…? It doesn’t listen to me.” Shinkichi had lost confidence.

  “No worries, Shinkichi-san.” I commanded the Jade Seal; and it transformed back into a jade pendant, rolling into Shinkichi’s hand.

  “Look, mate; it can hear us.” Shinkichi whispered with excitement.

  “I’m ‘she’, not ‘it’, you idiot.” I jumped up and hit his forehead.

  “Ouch… that hurts! What was that for?” Shinkichi rubbed his forehead with his free hand, looking at Sean, his small eyes narrowed into two straight lines.

  “Mate, I didn’t hit you. The pendant did it. Maybe it’s a person?” Sean said in a serious tone.

  “A person? Yuuko-chan?” Shinkichi said, holding the jade pendant up to his eyes, staring into it.

  I nodded hard and the jade pendant fell off Shinkichi's hand, bouncing on the tatami.

  Shinkichi picked up the jade pendant, and Sean came closer. The two men looked at the jade pendant from back to front and front to back. It was an ordinary jade pendant whichever way they looked at it.

  “Whoever you are, the sika stag gave you to me and you’ll stay with me.” Shinkichi put the jade pendant into the sleeve of his kimono.

  “Goodnight, mate,” he said to Sean.

  “Goodnight.” Sean left Shinkichi’s bedroom and walked towards Junko’s, where he was staying temporarily.

  Shinkichi followed, walked out of his bedroom, going for a shower.

  Shinzō ducked his head out of the door of his bedroom. “Goodnight, brothers.”

  “Sorry, Shinzō. We were too busy today. Let’s have a drink together tomorrow.” Shinkichi rubbed his brother’s head with his hand.

  “Stop messing up my hair!” Shinzō pushed his hand away and closed the door.

  “Ha-ha, ha-ha; goodnight, Shinzō,” Sean laughed, going into Junko's bedroom.

  Shinkichi went into the bathroom and turned on the tap in the shower.

  “I want a bath.” I jumped out of his sleeve and into the basin.

  “Oh, you want a wash.” Shinkichi turned off the tap in the shower; and used his face towel to wash the jade pendant thoroughly, then lay it on a clean kimono that his mother had placed in the bathroom for him.

  He went into the shower and closed the shower curtain. A few minutes later, the shower stopped. I closed my eyes, and felt his hand picking up the jade pendant and putting it on a cold surface. I opened my eyes. The jade pendant was on the toilet seat. A few minutes later, the jade pendant was picked up again, and this time, was put into something soft and warm, the sleeve of his clean kimono.

  Shinkichi went back to his bedroom, got into his cosy bed, and put the jade pendant under his pillow.

  “No, I don’t want to be under your pillow. I need to breathe.” I pushed my way out of his pillow, and lay beside him, who was already fast asleep.

  CHAPTER 19

  A few days later, Shinkichi, Sean and attorney Matsuda flew to Los Angeles, where Shinkichi made an application to the court for an order to freeze all assets owned by Ibin Gan directly and indirectly. The reason, as stated in his application was that Ibin had abused his position as the CFO of the Yuwen Foundation and misappropriated its funds. The court acted immediately and a trial was scheduled at the end of February.

  While a court order was being delivered to the relevant parties, the three men took off to the Yuwen Foundation headquarters in Pico Union, an LA neighbourhood well-known for frequent gang fights. Huang and his daughter were expecting them in the office, located on the fourth floor of an architectural landmark, the Bradbury Building.

  As they stepped inside the five-storey office building, Sean was immediately attracted to its extraordinary atrium, ornate iron stairs and elevators; which reminded him of the Queen Victoria Building on George Street in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

  “Did the American’s copied our Queen Victoria Building, or the Australian’s copied the Bradbury Building?” He turned to Shinkichi and Matsuda for an answer.

  The two men shook their heads.

  “I don’t know, mate. I haven’t been to Sydney,” Shinkichi said disappointedly.

  “Neither have I.” Matsuda shrugged.

  After a brief introduction, Huang offered them a seat on a luxury brown leather couch. Opposite, the newly widowed Mrs Gan was dressed in black from head to toe, sitting in an armchair, and staring at the visitors from behind a black veil.

  Two shaved head men wearing black suits and dark glasses guarded the entry door. There was no doubt that guns were hidden under their clothes.

  Huang sat comfortably in a high-backed black leather chair behind an office desk. “I’m sorry to be blunt, young man. I cannot accept you as the heir to the Yuwen Estate.”

  He stopped for a few seconds, staring at Shinkichi. “I’ll challenge Princess Yuuko’s will in court. She was a minor and was under my guardianship.”

  “No, I’m not under your guardianship,” I said, rolling around inside Shinkichi’s pocket.

  Shinkichi put his hand into his pocket, holding of the jade pendant to stop it from moving.

  Matsuda stepped up to Huang. “Mister Huang, Princess Yuuko’s will is legally binding. She was more than eighteen years old when she wrote it. And, she was no longer under your guardianship after she turned eighteen. May I have your co-operation in handing over your position to Shinkichi-kun?” He placed several sets of documents on the desk in front of Huang.

  “No, I cannot let him run the Yuwen Estate,” Huang said, pushing the documents away. “Although he isn’t being charged for murder or theft, I’ve a witness who saw him in the killing field. Undoubtfully, he killed the Princess and Ibin, and has stolen the Jade Seal!”

  “My father and my late husband have managed the Yuwen Estate all their lives. The Yuwen Estate is ours. We’ll never let that Japanese devil land his dirty hands on our money.” Mrs Gan shouted from behind her black veil.

  Then she raised her right hand and yelled, “Boys!”

  The two shaved head men shut the entry door as another group of shaved head men rushed out of another door inside the office, pointing their automatic rifles at Shinkichi, Sean and Matsuda.

  “Is this a planned day-light robbery?” Matsuda asked calmly.

  “Ha-ha, ha-ha; gentlemen, you’d better run for your lives!” Huang laughed sarcastically.

  ‘Jade Seal, please save me and the Prince of Xianbei! Sikaichi-san, please help me!’ I called for the Jade Seal’s magical powers.

  A bright green light shone through Shinkichi’s pocket. It became brighter and brighter, swirling around the three men and enclosed them into a green light dome.

  “Kill them and get their bodies out of here!” Mrs Gan yelled.

  Pang, pang, pang, pang; the gunmen fired at the three men inside the green light dome. The muzzle flashes from their automatic rifles were deflected by the green light, like fireworks displaying their magic moment. Their bullets hit the dome and bounced off it.

  Outside the building, there were sound of people shouting and the vrooming of motor vehicles. It was loud enough to be heard even through the closed windows.

  “A flying saucer?”

  “It’s a reindeer, it’s a reindeer!”

  “Are we having a double Christmas this year?”

  “Look, it landed on a windowsill on the fourth floor.”

  “No, it’s not a reindeer. It’s lightning, green lightning.”

  Coated in flashes of bright green light, Sikaichi flew into the room through the closed window. His samurai sword danced, turning back the second round of bullets before they hit the green light dome. A few gunmen screamed and fell to the floor.

  “Keep firing, you idiots. Kill them, kill them!” Mrs Gan screamed.

  Pang, pang, pang, pang.

/>   “Stop! Stop firing! Stupid woman, can’t you see they’re protected by supernatural powers?” Huang yelled.

  Boom, the sound of an explosion buried Huang’s shouting. The building shook as the green light dome exploded into thousands of sparkling green stars; so bright, it blinded the people in the room.

  In a column of bright green stars, I had descended on the carpeted floor, wearing the coat that was stained with blood and bullet holes. Sikaichi quickly came over and stood beside me. The bright green stars were falling and swirling around me. I put my hands out to catch them. They melted into my hands and a deep-green jade seal appeared on my palms, shining like a piece of green gem stone; about ten centimetres tall, three centimetres in width and thickness; with strips of gold at the edges, black pigments on the lower part and some faded carvings on the upper part and the top.

  Wow, this is the way to avoid being sucked inside the Jade Seal! I was over-joyed by my discovery.

  The bright green light extinguished. The people in the room blinked their eyes, eventually they could see again.

  “Babe… babe!” Shinkichi swept me into his arms. Tears fell down his checks and onto mine as he kissing me joyfully.

  “Kid, you're here! How… how did you get here?”

  “Yuuko-chan, you’re alive!”

  “Fire, kill them now! Kill them now!” Mrs Gan screamed at the gunmen, who were watching the phenomenon with their mouths open.

  I quickly pushed Shinkichi away and holding the Jade Seal up with both hands. "Jade Seal, I command you to disarm the gunmen."

  The gunmen screamed in pain as flashes of green light ran across their hands. They dropped their guns.

  Sean, Shinkichi and Matsuda quickly picked up the automatic rifles from the floor and aimed at the gunmen, Mrs Gan and Huang.

  “My… my Princess! I thought I’d never see you again…” Huang pushed his way through the crowd, and knelt in front of me. “My Princess… please do not let that Japanese devil deceive you.”

  “Uncle Huang, Shinkichi-san has never deceived me. The bullet holes in my coat were from Mister Gan’s pistol. He shot me more than once.” I turned in a full circle, showing Huang the bullet holes and blood stains on my coat. "Mister Gan was killed by his own bullets. Shinkichi-san did not kill him."