by Kylie Chan
‘I have a Buddhist monk, a full Shaolin master — he fell from grace and worked as an assassin for a demon for a while,’ I said. ‘He’s trying to return to the Path and needs employment.’
‘Then the garden in the Palace is perfect,’ Martin said.
‘An assassin?’ Yue Gui said with disdain. ‘He should be incarcerated.’
‘Kwan Yin has favoured him,’ I said.
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Very well then.’
‘He is sincere about redeeming himself,’ I said. ‘I can just see him attaining Enlightenment and then doing what they all do — coming straight back down to help the sorry rest of us, raking the gravel in the garden and imparting really cryptic koans.’
‘How many Buddhas are there anyway?’ Simone said.
‘You have not studied the different Ages and their Buddhas?’ Yue Gui said with surprise. ‘Perhaps you should talk to Kwan Yin … No, perhaps not.’
‘Exactly. She says that numbers aren’t meaningful and that I should find the Universe within myself,’ Simone said. ‘And that once I have embraced Unity, I will achieve Oneness with all of them.’
‘They are pure thought when they are not assisting us,’ Martin said. ‘And thoughts cannot be numbered. They exist outside of this reality and are uncountable. So the answer to your question as to the number of Buddhas is: the answer is not meaningful.’
‘I became more interested in the whole thing when Emma came back and told us about the Second Platform,’ Simone said. ‘But right now, I think coming to terms with the Tao is more important anyway.’
‘You are lucky. You have Grand Masters on the Mountain who can teach you in the ways of alchemy, internal energy work and self-cultivation to achieve Immortality. All of the different paths are laid out before you.’
Simone looked down at her food. ‘The path I most want to travel is the one with my whole family waiting for me at the end of it.’
‘We’re nearly there,’ I said. ‘We’re all here on the Mountain. It won’t be long.’
‘Why are you returning to the Earthly tonight?’ Martin said. ‘You are established here now, Emma, you don’t need to sully yourself with Earthly activities.’
‘And we just talked about Buddhas from the higher plane coming down to help us,’ Simone said. ‘As long as there are children being abandoned in China because they’re either girls or disabled, I’ll be down there helping them.’
‘We both will,’ I said. ‘We have a long list of service organisations that we help out. Orphans, micro loans for small businesses, prisoners of conscience —’
‘Political prisoners? That’s perilously close to interfering in political matters,’ Yue Gui said, tapping the table with her fingertips. ‘You know we can’t have anything to do with the way that humans choose to run their governance.’
‘I haven’t been warned yet, and until I am I’m continuing,’ I said. ‘We still have the apartment on the Peak, and we use it as a base of operations.’
‘Sounds like you ladies are on a mission,’ Martin said with humour.
‘You could say that,’ Simone said.
‘Is John still there?’ I said.
Their eyes unfocused, and they all came back and nodded at the same time.
Simone checked her watch. ‘I have to go back to school.’ She rose and kissed Martin and Yue Gui on the cheek, then turned to me. ‘Are we free tomorrow night to have dinner at the Northern Heavens?’
‘Tomorrow’s Nanna and Pop,’ I said. ‘How about after Michael and Clarissa’s engagement party?’
‘It’s a date,’ Yue Gui said, pleased. ‘Make Leo come this time as well; he is family.’
Martin concentrated on Yue Gui and they shared a telepathic communication. Yue Gui bent over the table and spluttered with laughter. ‘Never mind. Di Di just told me why Leo’s staying away from the North right now, and it’s an excellent reason.’
‘Do I want to know?’ Simone said.
‘You are very perceptive,’ Martin said. ‘And the answer to your question is: no.’
‘See you later then,’ Simone said, and disappeared.
Martin leaned his elbows on the table and put his face in his hands. He looked up at me and his eyes were dark with emotion. ‘Hurry up and push him past the basics. I miss him horribly.’ He leaned back and rubbed his hands over his eyes. ‘Telling him to stay away was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.’
I felt a rush of sympathy for him. ‘Do you think he feels the same way?’
Martin leaned forward again and shook his head without looking up. ‘It is not me but the one I resemble that he wants. But I am happy to be a surrogate for as long as he will let me.’
Yue Gui put her hand on Martin’s. ‘Oh, Di Di, I did not know. You should withdraw from this, you will only suffer.’
‘This separation while he masters energy was a trial for me, to see if I was strong enough to end it,’ he said. ‘I failed. I don’t want to be apart from him.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s better to enjoy what I have than to deny myself altogether, isn’t it? He’s happy, I’m happier with him than when I’m not, so I will let the future take care of itself and enjoy the present.’
‘Does he know?’ I said.
‘Of course he does. He hopes that I will tell him not to come back because he knows exactly how I feel.’
‘I’m counting on you to bring him round so that when John returns with enough intelligence, Leo won’t want to be drained by him,’ I said.
‘It is a losing battle.’
Leo drove us to the Convention Centre that evening, with Michael in the front seat next to him. Simone and I sat in the back.
We all headed up to the main area together, to be greeted by David Hawkes, the taipan of one of the biggest multinationals in Hong Kong, and his wife, Bridget. David was one of the younger taipans, being only in his early forties, and one of the most talented members of the company family to come up through the ranks in a while. He was very tall due to his Scottish heritage, but his grandmother had been Chinese, giving him dark hair and eyes. Like most long-term Hong Kong residents he spoke with an accent that was a mix of English and American. Bridget Hawkes was small and slender with bright red hair. She appeared elegant and relaxed in her made-to-measure tailored suit, but I’d competed against her in dressage up at the Jockey Club and she was a fiendishly good rider on her massive warm-blood mare.
‘Good to see you, ladies and gentlemen,’ David said. He moved closer to speak softly to me. ‘There’s something strange going on here. Can you check it out?’
‘What sort of strange?’
‘There’s this woman … she wanders through the place with these men following her, and wherever she goes, everybody falls in love with her. Do you think she might be,’ his voice dropped even further, ‘a demon?’
‘You see demons around every corner, David,’ I said with amusement.
He smiled down at me. ‘Wishful thinking, I know.’ He glanced behind me and his smile widened. ‘You didn’t tell me you were bringing John!’
He strode past me and I turned to see. It was John, in his Mountain uniform, his expression puzzled.
I quickly moved to stop David. ‘He may have amnesia. Let me talk to him first.’
I went to John and gazed into his eyes, putting one hand on his arm. He looked down at me without recognition. ‘John, it’s me, Emma. Do you know who I am?’
‘What am I doing here?’ he said.
I turned and called quietly to Simone. She was talking to Bridget about the function, oblivious that her father had entered. When she saw him, she rushed over to us. ‘Daddy!’
John still appeared confused. ‘Simone?’
‘Let’s take him over to the side and sort this out,’ Leo said, looking around to ensure we hadn’t attracted too much attention. A couple of people were watching with curiosity but hadn’t approached.
David put his hand on my shoulder and spoke in my ear. ‘Take him downstairs to the lobby level next to the harbour. All t
he shops there are closed and it’ll be deserted. I’ll cover for you.’
‘Thanks, David.’ I took John’s arm. ‘John, you need to come with us.’
John looked from me, to Simone, to Leo, then Michael, obviously made the decision and nodded.
We took him in the lift down to the small shopping mall under the Convention Centre. Floor-to-ceiling windows on one side looked onto an open area containing a large gilt statue of a bauhinia flower. A row of convenience stores, all closed for the evening, stood across from the glass. We found a bench and I sat next to John, with Simone on his other side. I took his hand. I wanted to give him a huge hug but was wary of scaring him away. Michael and Leo took up positions on either side of us, guarding.
Simone leaned on his shoulder. ‘It’s good to have you back, Daddy.’
‘Simone. Your name is Simone,’ he said. He looked at me, still confused. ‘Michelle?’
‘Oh, God,’ Simone said quietly.
‘No, it’s fine,’ I said. ‘I’m Emma, John.’
‘Emma?’ He looked up at Michael and Leo. ‘Lion? Tiger?’ He looked at me again. ‘Snake?’
‘Welcome to your family,’ I said with amusement. ‘The Turtles are still in the Northern Heavens.’
‘I don’t remember anything,’ he said, running his hand over his forehead. ‘My name is John?’
‘Your name is Xuan Wu,’ Simone said. ‘Emma calls you John.’
‘That’s not a very auspicious name — dark and war together,’ he said.
‘That’s your nature: dark and war.’ She threw her arms over his shoulders. ‘And you’re my father.’
He put his arms around her. ‘That I know. That’s something that will never change.’ He took a deep breath into her shoulder. ‘You’re my little girl.’
‘Daddy,’ she said, muffled by his jacket.
He pulled back. ‘I don’t remember anything! Why do I see them as big cats, and her as a snake? Why do you glow with stars and darkness and blue and gold? How come I can see the past and the future and the world around me clearer than just vision? Why do I want to drown everything in ice-cold water and bring death to all?’ His voice gained a frantic edge. ‘What am I?’
‘You’re a god,’ I said. ‘You’re the God of the North, and dark, and cold, and winter, and martial arts.’
‘If I’m a god then how come I don’t remember?’ he said, challenging me, his hands still protectively on Simone.
‘Do you trust me?’ I said.
‘You can trust her,’ Simone said.
He studied me for a long time, his arms still around Simone. His eyes roamed my face. Then he nodded once, sharply. ‘I can trust you.’
Simone exhaled with relief.
‘Then trust me that you don’t need the details right now of why you can’t remember. It’s a very long story. Just come home with us and we’ll fill you in.’
His eyes unfocused. ‘Something unbalanced is coming.’
‘He’s right, Emma,’ Simone said urgently. ‘Something very nasty is heading our way …’
Kitty Kwok, flanked by two big Chinese bodyguards, came around the corner and stopped in front of us. I rose to face her, standing protectively in front of John and Simone. Leo and Michael moved behind me, mirroring Kitty’s bodyguards behind her.
This is a good time to grab her and give her to the King, Leo said. Get this done and finished.
I nodded slightly. He was right. I summoned the Murasame but nothing happened; the sword didn’t come.
‘What have you done?’ I said.
‘Nothing. I just want to negotiate.’ She raised her hands. ‘I know what the King said. I want to offer you a deal.’
‘Nice to be taken seriously for a change,’ I said.
I didn’t look away from Kitty and heard rather than saw John move to stand behind me on the left. He touched me on the shoulder and said, I’m right behind you, but I don’t know enough. Speak for me.
I nodded.
‘I offer parley under terms of truce,’ Kitty said.
Well, that was the grabbing option blown out of the water. It would be dishonourable to attack her when she’d offered parley and waved a theoretical white flag.
‘Speak your mind,’ I said, using the formal words to close the deal.
She relaxed slightly and turned to pace in front of us. ‘You’ve vowed never to hurt a human, Emma. But you’ve agreed to give me to them. Would you betray your own kind and give a human to the demons?’
‘You forfeited all claim to humanity when you harmed innocent children to prolong your own life,’ I said.
‘I think that makes me particularly human,’ she said with humour. ‘Ask your Mr Chen here, he’ll tell you.’
‘Demons are often stunned by the depths of atrocity that humans are capable of,’ John said without emotion. ‘In the ways of cruelty, they often seek to learn from you.’
‘I’m one hundred per cent human,’ Kitty said. ‘Ask him, he’ll tell you. You can’t do anything to me, Emma. You can’t give me to them — that goes against everything both of you stand for. You keep humans safe from demons; you don’t hand them over for the demons to play with.’
I was silent at that. She was right. I pulled myself together. ‘Name your terms.’
‘You’ve agreed to give me to the King. He’s already paid for me. But if he’s destroyed, you don’t need to pay the price.’
‘The last thing we need right now is a civil war in Hell,’ I said. ‘He may be a two-faced bastard, but at least he doesn’t create demons that are self-aware, think they’re human and are programmed to turn — like the ones your friend the Death Mother is making. Such things are cruel beyond belief.’
‘Not my doing,’ Kitty said. ‘I’m only after Immortality; I don’t want to destroy anybody. I’ve never hurt your students. I’ve stayed quietly in my corner doing my stuff. It’s not my fault that I scare the living shit out of the King.’
‘You’re nice and humble now your little posse’s gone,’ I said.
‘Destroy the King and I’ll set up a replacement. I have one ready to go; he’s intelligent, powerful and does what I tell him. Do this for me and I’ll put a King on the throne who will never bother you again. You’ll no longer have the forces of Hell breathing down your neck, killing your Celestials and harming your little human students.’
‘You want to set a puppet on the throne of Hell?’ I said.
She gestured with impatience. ‘I don’t want to rule Hell. I just want to be left alone to succeed with my Immortality and then live my life in peace! I’ve never wanted any of you dead; I just want to be left alone.’
‘Gloria Ho,’ I said. ‘Andy Ho. The Death Mother. Before that, Six, and the Geek, and Simon Wong. Don’t tell me you won’t try to kill us, Kitty; you and your friends haven’t stopped trying. You’ve been the leader of this all along, so don’t play the innocent. You want to put a puppet on the throne of Hell and then try to take over the Earthly Plane as well.’
She raised her arms to the side. ‘This is a waste of time. Get me out.’
The two bodyguards transformed into humanoid demons with black scales and tusks. All three of them disappeared.
‘Whoa!’ Simone said. ‘They were demons? I saw them as human.’
‘Me too,’ Leo said, and Michael nodded agreement.
‘Did you see them as demons or human, John?’ I said, turning to see him, but he’d disappeared. ‘Is he all right, Simone?’
‘Daddy went back to the Grotto,’ Simone said. ‘He seemed totally confused by the whole thing.’
‘It was strange my sword didn’t come to me,’ I said. ‘Kitty must have been blocking it somehow, which is very disturbing.’ I raised my hand and summoned the sword and it still didn’t come. ‘Are you having the same problem?’
Simone raised her hand and Dark Heavens appeared in it. She dismissed it. ‘I have no trouble calling my sword.’
‘You haven’t called the Murasame since you lost your demo
n essence,’ Leo said.
‘You’re right,’ I said. ‘Maybe it doesn’t serve me any more. Maybe it went back to the King?’
‘After this, we’ll head back to the Mountain and ask Miss Chen,’ Simone said. She ran her hands through her hair and fluffed it out over her shoulders. ‘Let’s go upstairs and raise some money for these poor kids.’
CHAPTER 5
We made our way back up in the lift to the floor above. The speeches had started, and we slipped in at the back to watch. Michael nodded to Leo, then went to the side table and grabbed a tray of drinks for us.
About halfway through David’s welcoming speech, a deep vibration thrummed through the floor beneath us. Water hissed for a couple of seconds, then stopped. There was silence from the crowd, then a few giggles and confused conversation. Nothing else happened so David continued his speech.
Oh my God, Emma, look out the window, Simone said.
I glanced left and stared. The sky and the other side of the harbour had gone. There was just a wall of blackness next to us, as high as the fifteen-metre windows. Its slightly curved vertical surface shifted like liquid in the reflected light of the Convention Centre.
David continued his speech, but people next to the window began moving away. More people noticed, and the chatter became louder and gained a frightened edge.
‘Don’t worry, it’s just an optical illusion,’ David said, frantically waving me towards the podium. ‘It happens sometimes when there’s an inversion layer over the water, because of the change in seasons. It’s an atmospheric anomaly, that’s all. Don’t bother taking photos; you won’t capture anything because it’s not really there — it’s something like a mirage.’
‘What is it?’ I asked Simone, waving back to David to indicate that I’d be there in a minute.
‘It’s just water,’ Simone said. ‘A wall of water. Not an optical illusion.’
‘Your dad?’
‘No. Only water. It might be elementals playing around, but I can’t sense any.’ She moved closer to the glass and concentrated. ‘No intelligence behind it.’ She cocked her head. ‘Why is it doing that?’
I walked towards the podium to reassure David, and some of the people nearby reacted loudly. A lump two metres across had emerged from the wall and was following me. I took a couple more steps towards David and the ball paced me. I continued and a snake’s head, at least a metre across, shot out of the water and slammed its snout into the window glass with a wet crack. People screamed and scurried away from the glass.