by Kylie Chan
‘Is there a problem?’
‘I sincerely hope not,’ I said with feeling. ‘I’d better go. John’s lording it over the other three Winds and I want to know what he’s telling them.’
‘All right. We’ll see you tonight then.’
‘Cool. And make sure all the boys come.’
I snapped the phone shut and took a deep breath to calm myself. If something had happened to Andrew and Mark, I would never forgive myself. And my family would never forgive me.
I walked into an argument in the Throne Room; the Dragon was shouting at John.
‘You must come to our palaces and check for us. These demon copies were undetectable to anybody but you. I need to be certain!’
‘I will scan through your dominions after I have paid my respects to the Celestial,’ John said.
‘And you must return to male form, my Lord, this is ridiculous. It’s a well-known scientific fact that women are more difficult to work for than men; and now I have two women rulers!’ The Dragon waved dismissively at me as I sat. ‘You must redress this imbalance immediately. It’s been ten years since I’ve had a Sovereign who is easy to deal with, and I deserve some respite.’
‘The bastard has a point, Ah Wu,’ the Tiger said. ‘All fun aside, the Sovereign must be male.’
‘I will discuss this with you later,’ the Phoenix said to the Dragon with quiet menace.
‘Wonderful.’ The Dragon spread his hands. ‘See? Now you have me in trouble with my major wife. This cannot continue. And this.’ He jabbed his finger at me. ‘You must look inside her; there is definitely something going on here. I heard about those foreigners, that male Snake Mother thing. The Demon King is up to something!’
‘There is no need for that,’ John said. ‘I have vowed; it will be so.’
‘But you can’t be sure,’ the Dragon said. ‘Just a quick look, confirm or deny, then all is established and we may move forward. Just listen to the way she speaks; it’s become more and more disturbing as time has passed.’
John rose. ‘All is established. I will expect you at the Northern Heavens this evening. Dismissed.’
‘You are far more trouble than you are worth,’ the Dragon said to me, and the Winds disappeared.
‘Now I need to talk to the Generals, and they’re gathering in the Hall of Martial Strategy,’ John said.
We walked from the Imperial Residence over the bridge to the administration area. The Generals were waiting for us in the War Room, sitting around a U-shaped table arrangement, which was draped with a black silk cloth embroidered with images of soldiers in battle on horseback and foot. They stood as one, saluted us, and waited.
‘As you were,’ John said, and guided me to the central table of the U. We sat and the Generals followed.
‘So what needs doing?’ John said. ‘Anything so major that you couldn’t handle it?’
‘Not really,’ Ma said. ‘But Gao Yuan is gone, and we need to find another General to replace him.’
‘Any suggestions?’ John said.
‘Emma?’ Bo Niang said.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ John said.
‘Why not? She was good enough for First Heavenly General,’ Bo Niang said. ‘Now you’re back, she has to fade into the background? Women are sadly under-represented here, we need to redress the balance.’
‘I concede your point, but she’s not old enough or experienced enough, and she’s not a Shen,’ John said. ‘She was First in name only; Er Lang did all the work. Emma is not qualified.’ She turned to see me, obviously concerned at how I’d react.
‘John’s right: I’m not qualified at all,’ I said. ‘Find someone who’s Immortal.’
‘Leo?’ Liang Tian said.
‘Idiot,’ Zhou said.
‘Not a complete idiot, but he doesn’t really have the brains to do the job terribly well,’ John said.
‘I meant Liang’s an idiot for suggesting the Lion,’ Zhou said. ‘Leo still has a great deal of growing to do before he has fully expanded into the role of Immortal.’
Ma glared at the Generals. ‘Stop suggesting people purely because you think that’ll please the Dark Lord. We need to be rational about this.’
They all shared a look, then a communal shrug, and turned back to us.
‘Sang Shen?’ I said.
‘Criminal,’ Bo Niang said. ‘Attempted murder — and, might I remind you, he tried to murder you.’
‘You’re all criminals,’ I said.
‘Not all of us!’ she said, protesting.
‘To the point: Sang Shen, once again, lacks the brains,’ Ma said. He tapped the side of his head. ‘Wood from one ear to the other, and when he’s flowering he’s not even as smart as a block of wood.’
‘Martin?’ I said.
Liang Tian snorted. ‘He has half the brains of Blockhead.’
‘Is there anyone who you think is intelligent enough for this job?’ I said.
‘Off the top of my head, no,’ Ma said.
‘Either of the Lius?’ I said.
‘I’m not removing them from the Mountain; they’re too vital to its smooth running,’ John said.
‘Yue Gui?’ I said.
There was silence for a moment as they considered it.
‘No,’ John said. ‘She’s a fine administrator and an excellent councillor, but she has very little military experience.’
Ma nodded. ‘You are correct, my Lord.’
‘We’ll leave it then, and be the Grand Thirty-Five until something comes up,’ John said.
‘The Jade Emperor will be extremely displeased at the lack of Harmony with that number,’ Ma said.
‘He can just put up with it,’ John said. ‘A General is for nigh on forever, and I refuse to rush into an appointment that will have repercussions for an extremely long time.’ She glanced around the table. ‘Is there anything further? If there is nothing immediate and urgent, my Lady and I have an important lesson scheduled back in the Residence.’
I had a choking fit and Ma had to slap me on the back. I took a sip of water and nodded that I was okay. John pointedly ignored me.
‘We expect your presence in the Northern Heavens for the handover ceremony this evening,’ she said. ‘Until then, dismissed.’
We lay in each other’s arms, silently sharing the moment before we had to go out again.
‘I need to keep busy,’ I said into her chest. I buried my face between her breasts and she held me close. ‘If I don’t keep busy, I see their faces.’
‘Were you teaching them?’
‘Yes. Some of the first years were ready to move up. I’ve known some of the copies for more than a year.’
‘There are no copies left. The remaining students are safe.’
‘That doesn’t stop me from seeing their faces.’
She held me away slightly to look into my eyes. ‘I’m back now, love. This will not happen again. The Heavens are protected.’
‘In a way, I’m relieved. I’ve seen this horrible thing coming for weeks now, and it’s finally happened, and it’s over, and we can move on.’ I snuggled closer. ‘But I can’t cry for them. Why can’t I cry for them?’
‘That is a normal reaction. Be ready with tissues at the first funeral, because that is what funerals are for.’ She stopped breathing for a moment, then came back. ‘Jade is here requesting audience without an appointment. Most unusual.’
‘Damn, this is ridiculous,’ I said. ‘Talk about everybody knowing what we’re “up to”.’
‘There would be much more concern if we weren’t up to anything. On the Earthly it’s normal for someone to say someone can’t come to the phone, “they’re in the bathroom”; this is just one step further.’
‘So everybody knows?’
‘Only those who need to, and then only that we are in the Residence. Those who don’t need to know where we are wouldn’t bother to check.’
I moved away from her slightly. ‘They can’t actually see us, can they?’
&nbs
p; ‘No, of course not. What they can see is that we are both in the Imperial Residence, resting together, and have been for about an hour.’
I exhaled with relief. ‘That’s okay then — you don’t need Celestial abilities to know that. I wonder what’s so urgent that Jade is interrupting us?’
‘My fault, love. I told the servants I would be resting for about an hour and to leave us undisturbed. Our hour is up.’
When the Mountain had moved to Heaven, Jade had stopped dressing in western suits and now wore Tang-style flowing green robes all the time. She gracefully knelt to salute us, then sat with one slender hand on the edge of the sofa, her eyes downcast.
‘Are you in trouble, Jade?’ I said.
She looked out the window. ‘Without your help, I could be.’ She turned back to us. ‘Welcome back, Lord. I have been waiting for your return to ask you something, but this has come up first and I apologise for taking your time in this difficult hour.’
‘What do you wish to ask?’ John said.
‘First.’ She raised her hands and shook her long sleeves down over them. ‘I have borne three dragon children while you were away, Lord. Their father is the Blue Dragon of the East.’
‘Congratulations. Qing Long did not mention this,’ John said.
‘He has asked me to marry him. I have refused.’
‘You might like to get to know him better before you make the decision, Jade,’ I said. ‘Go spend some time in the Eastern Palace, talk to him …’
‘I know enough about him to know that I do not wish this,’ she said firmly. She bobbed her head. ‘Apologies, but I am sincere.’
‘Very well,’ John said. ‘You have our support.’
‘Thank you. He may come to you directly and ask for me to be reassigned.’ She shifted uncomfortably on the couch. ‘Please don’t make me leave here.’
‘Oh, Jade, we won’t make you go. You’re like family,’ I said.
‘Even when I ask not to work in Accounts any more?’ she said, plaintive.
‘Where do you want to work?’ I said.
She leaned forward and spoke earnestly. ‘We have a hundred-odd casualties to handle, with funerals to arrange and families to console. We also have to find a workable cover story for so many deaths. One option is to disseminate the story that an earthquake hit Earthly Wudang and that is the source of the loss of so many students. Earthquakes aren’t uncommon throughout China, with large casualty rates. Let’s face it, my Lord, my Lady, we need a public relations representative here on the Mountain, and I’d like to put myself up for the post, if I could.’
‘What a terrific idea,’ I said with awe. ‘And you’re perfect for it, with so many years of experience on the Earthly.’
‘I can arrange the Earthly funerals, liaise with the Earthly media — I’d like to take on that role. My second-in-command in the Finance branch, Flora, is extremely capable of taking over my post as head.’ She sat back, seeming surprised at her own fervour. ‘With your permission,’ she said more softly.
‘Why didn’t you ask to do this before?’ I said. ‘You didn’t need to wait until Lord Xuan was back, I would have let you do it.’
‘There was a chance the Dark Lord would reposition me in Accounts once he had returned,’ Jade said. ‘I wanted to be sure that if I made the move to PR, I would be permitted to stay.’
‘You have my permission,’ John said.
She collapsed with relief.
‘If Qing Long gives you any trouble, let us know,’ John said. ‘Is the relationship between you amicable?’
‘Perfectly, my Lord. We share the raising of the children; he has them every second weekend at the Eastern Palace. I’m concerned that if I won’t marry him, he will try to arrange for me to be posted in the Eastern Palace so he can have the children full-time.’
‘Don’t worry,’ I said. ‘You’re our new PR executive. We can’t possibly afford to let you go.’
She stood and fell to one knee, her robes flowing around her. ‘Thank you. I will start work immediately. There is much that needs to be done.’
‘Do you have any assistants in mind?’ I said.
‘A couple,’ she said, standing up. ‘Ah Liang in admin, and the little demon Winnie in the accounting section.’
‘They’re yours.’
She bowed with her hands clasped in front of her. ‘Thank you.’
‘We are heading to the administrative centre now,’ John said. ‘Meet us there and we will begin the preparations.’
‘My Lord.’ Her serene expression dissolved and she grinned broadly. ‘And welcome back, my Lord! It is so good to see you again, and I am sincerely looking forward to arranging your wedding.’ She sighed with bliss. ‘That will be the job of a lifetime.’
‘Ah-ha,’ I said. ‘That’s why you’re so keen to take on this job.’
She bowed slightly. ‘You know how much I love weddings.’
‘Except your own,’ I said.
‘Maybe one day,’ she said, the smile not shifting. ‘I will see you at the office.’ She backed towards the door and went out.
John took my hand. ‘Time to do some work, my Lady.’
I leaned into her. ‘It’s not work when I’m doing it with you.’
She kissed my hand. ‘I feel exactly the same way.’
‘You two done?’ Leo said from the doorway.
‘Never,’ John said, and waved him in.
Leo wheeled himself into the centre of the room and leaned on one arm of the chair to clamber out of it. He saluted John on one knee, and John stood up to acknowledge it. Leo pulled himself back into the chair with difficulty, and rested his elbows on his knees.
‘Has Lady Emma spoken to you about me, my Lord?’ he said.
‘No.’ John looked from Leo to me.
I sighed, running my hands through my hair and then regretting it as strands came out between my fingers.
‘How much of the story do you know?’ Leo said.
‘Probably nothing,’ John said. ‘Fill me in.’
‘I didn’t want to be Raised. I failed you far too many times to deserve it. I just want to die,’ Leo said.
‘You are Worthy, accept it,’ John said.
‘When my spine was broken and I was dying, you agreed to drain me,’ Leo said.
John leaned back and her expression darkened.
‘You agreed!’ Leo said.
John glanced at me.
‘He sat in Hell for nine years refusing the Elixir,’ I said. ‘He only drank it on the condition that I promise I’d talk you into draining him.’
‘That’s blackmail,’ John said.
‘It’s just what I want,’ Leo said.
‘That much?’ John said.
‘More than anything!’ Leo’s voice was strained with grief. ‘I’ll never be what I want to you, so make me one with you.’ His voice broke. ‘Please.’
‘I’ll think about it,’ John said.
‘No,’ Leo said. ‘You already agreed. You have to do it.’
John put one hand over her eyes. ‘I cannot express my disappointment with you. Dismissed.’
Leo wheeled himself closer to John. ‘Just say you’ll do it.’
John nodded once with her hand over her eyes. Leo bowed to her from the chair and wheeled himself out.
CHAPTER 19
Late that afternoon we met up with the Tiger at the guesthouse in the Northern Heavens, about two kilometres from the Palace complex. We all wore black silk Tang-style robes, modified with slits up the sides over the riding trousers beneath, and with armour over the top. The Tiger and his grooms brought us each a black horse: a small, light-boned Arab mare each for me and Simone, and a big, heavyset, warm-blood stallion for John. All of the horses had been saddled and bridled with antique carved leather tack, black and highlighted with silver fittings.
The Tiger held Simone’s horse while she mounted. ‘If they give you any grief at all, send me a telepathic message,’ he said. ‘Even the best-trained horses will
baulk at some of the rigmarole that’s happening at the Palace. The stallion should behave, he’s a warhorse, but you never know.’
John stood next to her horse and reached towards the Tiger. ‘Lend me a hand, brother.’
The Tiger strode to John, they clasped hands, and both of them dropped their heads slightly. A glowing nimbus of shen energy surrounded them, then disappeared into John.
‘Enough?’ the Tiger said.
John nodded, and they released hands.
‘Fat bastard, you nearly killed me,’ the Tiger said.
‘I hear the ring joint on the port boom could do with some work as well,’ John said.
‘Pfft.’ The Tiger waved her down. ‘Let’s see it then.’
‘Hold the horse,’ John said, and the Tiger took the reins.
John raised her hands slightly out to the side, threw her head back, and the air shimmered around her. She grew and widened and thickened, and took male form. John mounted his horse, took up the reins, and shook out his shoulders with an audible crack. ‘That’s more like it.’
‘Oh, it’s about time,’ I said.
‘This is only temporary,’ John said. ‘It’ll last about two hours. What I really need is to sit at the bottom of the lake for a week or so.’
‘Not yet!’ I said. ‘Jade Emperor tomorrow.’
‘Looking forward to that one,’ the Tiger said. He gave me a quick leg-up onto my horse, then stepped back and studied us. ‘Impressive. You’ll make a fine entrance. As I said, if any of them play up, just give me a call.’
‘No need,’ John said, and turned his horse on the spot. ‘I have enough left to keep them in line.’
‘See you at the Grand Court then,’ the Tiger said, and disappeared.
‘Me in the middle, Simone on my left, Emma on my right,’ John said. ‘And both of you look spectacular.’ He sighed with bliss. ‘I really am the happiest old Turtle in the whole wide world to have such a family.’
‘Your hair’s already coming out,’ I said, and pushed my horse into a trot, leaving them both behind.
‘Damn,’ he said. ‘Wait!’
The Palace complex glowed in the dusk: the tops of the walls and the roofs of the main buildings in the administrative area had been decked with coloured fairy lights. The horses snorted and flicked their ears as we approached the main gates, but remained steady and didn’t flinch.