Small Shen

by Kylie Chan

  ‘Three of them, two of us,’ Gold said. ‘Time to put the training to good use.’

  ‘Move behind us, Michelle,’ Leo said.

  ‘These old men are no threat, ignore them,’ Michelle said.

  ‘These old men are after you,’ Gold said.

  ‘What level are they?’ Leo said.

  ‘Only about level twenty, slightly bigger than the ones you were practising on last week,’ Gold said. ‘Ready?’ He moved into a long defensive stance.

  ‘Hell, yeah,’ Leo said, moving into a defensive stance as well. ‘It’ll be good to practise on something worthwhile.’

  The three demons rushed them. Gold generated chi and blew one up, then paused before sending his fist through the head of another, making it disintegrate into black feathery streamers. He grimaced at the delay between giving the order and his human body responding. The third demon stayed out of his reach and tried to grab Michelle. Leo took it by the arm, swung it onto the ground, and ran his palm into its nose, breaking its face and destroying it.

  ‘Ugh, what is that stuff they turn into?’ Michelle said. ‘It is disgusting!’

  ‘Demon essence,’ Gold said. He checked Leo, who had some essence on his hands, black and oozing. ‘You’ll need to wash that off, Leo. It’ll burn after a while and poison you if it’s left on for too long.’

  ‘Yeah, Mr Chen told me,’ Leo said. He looked around. ‘No faucets here; how do they water the plants?’

  ‘They have the water taps inside locked boxes, to stop people from stealing the water or leaving it running,’ Gold said. ‘Come over here to this one and wash your hands.’

  ‘People do that?’ Michelle said. ‘Sometimes I dislike this place very much.’

  Gold put his hand over the lock on the box and opened it, then guided Leo’s hands under the running water.

  ‘People who are accustomed to poverty will take anything that’s not nailed down,’ Leo said. ‘Including water.’ He shook his hands. ‘All gone.’

  Gold turned the water off and resealed the box. He turned to Michelle, who was leaning heavily on the box, her face ashen. ‘Are you all right, ma’am?’

  ‘Are you well enough to take me home?’ Michelle said.

  Leo took Michelle’s arm. ‘We’ll take you home right away, ma’am.’

  Michelle leaned on Leo as he guided her back across the road. He bent to carry her but she waved him away. ‘No. Don’t. I can walk.’

  ‘Is this the first time you’ve been attacked?’ Gold said.

  Michelle shook her head.

  ‘No, but it’s the first time without Mr Chen along to make them explode quickly,’ Leo said.

  Michelle began to sob silently.

  ‘It’s all right now, Michelle, you’re safe,’ Leo said.

  Gold moved to the other side to help guide Michelle. Her face was pale and streaked with tears as she leaned heavily on them.

  ‘Don’t pass out on us now, my Lady, we’re nearly there,’ Gold said gently.

  Michelle glared at him. ‘I am not going to faint! I am stronger than that.’

  Leo caught her as she collapsed, unconscious, and carried her to the car.

  Gold alerted the Dark Lord and he was waiting for them when they arrived back at the Peak apartment. Michelle had regained consciousness, but she was weak and needed assistance up to the eleventh floor. As soon as they arrived at the apartment’s front door, Xuan Wu scooped her into his arms and took her into the bedroom.

  ‘Will she be all right?’ Gold asked Leo as they went into the kitchen to wait.

  ‘Yeah, she’s done this before,’ Leo said. ‘Very…sensitive. She’s passed out after a very big performance, too. The doctor says that she suffers from slightly low blood pressure, but really it’s just ’cause things get to her.’

  Gold shook his head. ‘Humans. I’ll never understand.’

  ‘Women. Ditto,’ Leo said.

  BEGINNINGS

  1720

  ‘What is your honoured name, Lady?’ Gold said as he led her through the vast, silent aisles of scrolls.

  ‘Princess Jade.’

  He bobbed his head. ‘I am honoured, Princess.’

  She waved him down. ‘I am the eighty-second daughter of the Dragon King, very low in precedence. Your name?’

  ‘I am Gold, Lady.’ He smiled into her jade-green eyes, then straightened slightly as he walked beside her. ‘I am a child of the Jade Building Block of the World.’

  ‘There was a jade building block?’

  He sagged slightly. Nobody seemed to know of his parent’s existence. Gold had not spoken to his parent in nearly six hundred years.

  ‘Yes, Lady,’ he said, rallying. ‘My parent was worn by the Yellow Emperor’s Empress.’

  ‘How interesting,’ she said, not hearing. ‘How far is it to this room that holds the sonnets? It seems a long way.’

  ‘We are already here.’ He led her to the right through the aisles and into one of the small reading rooms.

  Damn, he’d seen the book only a week before, but for the life of him he couldn’t find it. His memory was perfect, stored in his quartz lattice, why the hell couldn’t he find the damn book?

  He floated over the small English section, becoming more and more frantic as the book didn’t appear before him. Dragons weren’t renowned for their patience. He’d better find the book soon.

  Eventually he had no other choice, he had to contact the Archivist. He spoke silently without moving from the English shelves.

  Archivist, he said, the Dragon Princess would like a copy of the Sonnets, and it is not on the shelves.

  She must have slipped past me when she came in, she wasn’t expected until later, the Archivist said.

  Number Seventeen Son of the White Tiger of the West has it. He knew she’d come looking for it and wanted to have his paws on it first. He’s been courting her for nearly eight years. Send her to the Western Palace, he’s waiting for her there.

  Gold was astonished. You’re in on it?

  Of course I am, the Archivist said with a touch of amusement. The White Tiger and the Dragon King contacted me, they’re tired of these two dithering and want to see them safely wed. Apparently the Lady and the Tiger haven’t even been intimate, they are waiting until they are married.

  Some son of the Tiger, Gold said. Can’t even bed a woman after eight years of chasing her. His father must be horrified.

  Completely. Apparently this particular son is a very powerful half-Shen, but didn’t inherit his father’s skills with the ladies at all.

  Thank you, Archivist, he said, attempting to sound suitably respectful.

  Send her off, Gold, and get back to cross-indexing those scrolls, the Archivist said. You should have finished that a long time ago.

  Gold returned to the reading room to find Jade sitting impatiently clutching the teacup.

  ‘You didn’t hear what he said, Princess’.

  Gold sat next to Jade, not looking at her. ‘He came in here first, seeking the book as well, and the Archivist gave it to him. But I heard what he said while he was searching, and I cannot believe anybody could be so cruel. But then, he is a son of the White Tiger, and the Bai Hu is notorious for his poor treatment of women.’

  Jade sat straighter, suddenly more interested. ‘What did he say?’

  ‘He said that if the sonnets didn’t bring you to his bed then nothing would,’ Gold said. ‘And then he could settle the bet, collect his winnings, and have you thoroughly out of his fur.’

  ‘Bet?’

  ‘Apparently this particular son of the Tiger has a bet with a couple of the others,’ Gold said, still not looking at Jade, and doing his best to appear outraged on her behalf. ‘All of the Tiger’s sons are aware of your…’ he hesitated, searching for the right word. ‘Virtue, and there has been a bet among them as to who would be first to break through your defences.’

  Jade studied her teacup. ‘I do not believe it. He has been nothing but a perfect gentleman to me from the
start.’ She smiled slightly, still watching the teacup. ‘In fact, it is more me that has been trying to break down his defences.’

  ‘That was part of the bet. The longer he could make you hold out before submitting, the more his brothers will be forced to pay.’ Gold moved closer to Jade and guided the teacup out of her hand onto the table. He took her hand in his.

  ‘You deserve much better than that furry bastard, my Lady. You have waited too long for someone to treat you with the care and respect that you deserve.’

  ‘Much too long,’ he whispered.

  It had obviously been a long eight years for her, because she returned his attentions with satisfying enthusiasm. He pushed her backwards on the couch, then hesitated, concentrating, and locked the door without releasing her.

  He pulled away slightly. ‘I don’t think your defences are so great, my Lady,’ he whispered. ‘I think that he has made a terrible mistake.’ He gently pushed the green silk robes down over her shoulders. ‘A terrible mistake.’

  She smiled up and kissed him again.

  Gold turned to look at Jade. ‘Let’s run away together,’ he said. ‘I have a fortune on the Earthly Plane, Princess. Nothing is holding me here. Run away with me.’

  She pulled herself onto her elbow to smile down at him, and he admired her snow-white skin. ‘Really?’

  He nodded. ‘I know a place where we can go.’ He stopped smiling and mused. ‘You go first, I will follow. I will fulfil my honour and my duty to the Archivist, and then join you. Do you know the Garden of Heavenly Delights?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said, breathless.

  ‘Wait for me there in the Pavilion of Tranquil Contemplation,’ he said. ‘I will come in about two hours, I need to tender my resignation here. We can go to a place I know, and spend the rest of Eternity sharing our love.’

  She lowered her beautiful face and kissed him. ‘I will be waiting.’

  ‘Go, my darling,’ he whispered.

  She and her clothes both disappeared.

  He shook his head and rose, then concentrated and conjured his gold silk robes. Now for the real challenge.

  Archivist, the son of the Tiger has summoned me to the Western Palace. He wishes for me to point out which of the sonnets would be most suitable for winning the heart of the lady.

  Haven’t you sent her on yet? the Archivist said, impatient.

  I have sent her to the Western Palace, but he is waiting for some tips before he sees her.

  I suppose you are the ideal person for this, Gold, the Archivist said. But be back before dinner, I want you to finish indexing those scrolls. And no funny business.

  At that, Gold smiled, and disappeared.

  William sagged over his knees and sighed. ‘I do love her, you know.’

  ‘She’s a dragon. Those reptiles are incapable of loving anyone but themselves.’

  William stiffened slightly but didn’t say anything.

  Gold held out his hand. ‘May I?’

  ‘The love described in these poems is love that is true and would last the test of centuries. All that dragon would give you is suffering.’

  William didn’t say anything, but his face was full of misery.

  ‘A woman’s face with Nature’s own hand painted Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion;’

  ‘A woman’s gentle heart, but not acquainted

  With shifting change, as is false women’s fashion;’

  ‘An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,

  Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;’

  ‘A man in hue, all “hues” in his controlling,

  Which steals men’s eyes and women’s souls amazeth.

  And for a woman wert thou first created;

  Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting,’

  ‘And by addition me of thee defeated,’

  Gold reached around to turn William’s head towards him. He studied William’s face for a long time, eyes unreadable.

  This particular tiger’s son was not the usual large, brawny Horseman. His skin was pale and delicate, almost transparent, and his hair was shining platinum blond. He was slender and young, graceful and languid. Gold smiled.

  He then pulled William in and kissed him.

  ‘Have you ever done this before?’

  William didn’t say anything, he just studied Gold’s features, his eyes roaming over Gold’s face.

  ‘Then let’s go to your quarters, and I’ll show you realms of pleasure that you never knew existed.’

  Gold felt remarkably proud of himself as he returned to cross-indexing the scrolls. He had rescued the two fools from each other, shown young William where his true preferences lay, and had had a very enjoyable experience doing it. He quietly wondered if Jade was still searching for the non-existent pavilion. Quite possibly. Dragons weren’t very good at subtlety.

  He chuckled quietly as he picked up the next scroll.

  ‘Jade came in and asked for the sonnets,’ Gold said. ‘I told her they weren’t here, and she went away. Then William summoned me, and I went to help him find a suitable poem to win the lady.’

  ‘Did you seduce either of them, Stone?’ the Tiger said, his voice low and gruff.

  Gold hesitated.

  Both the Tiger and the Archivist glared at Gold.

  ‘What will we do with it?’ the Tiger said.

  ‘Gold is working here as punishment for a similar transgression,’ the Archivist said. ‘Obviously he hasn’t learned his lesson.’

  ‘If I hadn’t intervened they would have ended up miserable with each other!’ Gold said, interrupting. ‘He wasn’t even aware of his own nature, and she would have languished neglected for years!’

  ‘Right now she is weeping inconsolably in the Dragon King’s Palace Under the Sea,’ the Archivist said. ‘She attempted suicide, but changed her mind at the last minute.’ Then, with emphasis, he added, ‘Because she wants to kill you first.’

  ‘I did both of them a favour,’ Gold said.

  The Archivist sighed with exasperation, banged his hand on the desk, and turned away.

  ‘I’d like to take him to the palace and teach him some manners, but a creature like him should not be let anywhere near my harem,’ the Tiger said. ‘The Dragon King just wants to eat him alive —’

  Gold squeaked.

  ‘The Dragon King wants to eat him alive,’ the Tiger said without looking at Gold. ‘What do you suggest, Archivist?’

  ‘I have a solution.’ The Archivist said finally. ‘Put a charm on him. Make him retain True Form, as a stone. Then set him to work lifting and carrying at the palace. Even better, put him to work in your harem. He will be close enough to touch your women, but unable to do anything about it while a stone.’

  Gold squeaked again.

  ‘Good idea,’ the Tiger said, ‘but I don’t have power over stones, my nature is Metal. We’ll need somebody with Wood alignment to do it to him.’

  ‘I’m sure the Dragon King will be happy to oblige.’ The Archivist straightened. ‘Gold can finish indexing those scrolls, then I’ll send him over to the Dragon King to be bound. Then you can have him until your honour is satisfied.’

  ‘Works for me,’ the Tiger said. ‘How long will it take him to finish the scrolls?’

  ‘Not more than twenty-four hours,’ the Archivist said with a small smile. ‘Otherwise I will ask the Dragon King to make the binding permanent.’

  ‘This time tomorrow, you will present yourself to the Seraglio Elite Guard for assignment of duties.’

  HONG KONG

  1997

  GOLD SIGHED as he entered the apartment. Michelle was having another of her tantrums; he could hear her from the front door.

  Quick, Gold, come and help! Jade said into his head, desperate.

  Gold hurried to the master bedroom, he hesitated, then sensed that the entire household, short of Monica, was inside, and went in.

  The Dark Lord was holding Michelle by her upper arms, trying to talk to her, b
ut she wasn’t listening. Tears streamed down her face and she shook her head, repeating, ‘No, no, no, no!’

  She’s with child, Jade said. She’s worried it will be reptile.

  ‘It will be a human child, Michelle, trust me,’ the Dark Lord said. ‘I give you my word, it will be nothing like that.’

  ‘It will be a monster!’ Michelle choked, her voice harsh with emotion. ‘It will be a monster like you, all scales and claws! I wish I had never married you!’

  ‘My Lady, all half-human Shen are born human,’ Gold said, trying to calm her. ‘Your child will be a normal baby.’

  Michelle stopped and shook her arms free from the Dark Lord’s grip, and he released her. She glared at Gold. ‘And when it grows up? Will my son or daughter be able to change into a snake? Or a turtle? Or something even more horrible?’ She glared at the Dark Lord. ‘A horrible thing like you!’

  The Dark Lord’s face was blank for a moment, then he relaxed and crossed his arms over his chest. ‘Am I really that horrible?’

  Michelle jabbed her finger at him. ‘You are!’

  ‘That ugly?’