Kitabı oku: «Earth to Hell», sayfa 3
I sighed and rested my chin on my hand. ‘I hate politics.’
She snorted with amusement. ‘You need to resign then. You’re right in the middle of it, Madam Emma.’ She waved her hand. ‘Let’s not talk about that stuff anyway. When we have Leo back, I don’t want anything to do with any Celestials. I’ve had enough of them, particularly that blue guy.’
‘What about Daddy?’
‘Daddy’s different. He’s the most normal Celestial there is.’
‘Normal,’ I said, pulling out my wallet to pay, ‘is not a word often used to describe your father. Very much the opposite, in fact.’
‘Same goes for you, Emma.’
‘Humph.’
Simone held a CD in front of my face. ‘How about this one?’
I pushed it away from my face so that I could see it. ‘Boy bands again?’
‘Hey, these guys are cute.’ Then Simone dropped her voice and nodded towards another stand of CDs. ‘Have a look over there. In the metal section. Oh my God, that is so sad. Chinese can’t do Goth, and when they’re as old as him …’ She inhaled sharply. ‘No.’
I spun to see. It was him. Long hair, black clothes — of course he looked like a Goth, he’d invented it.
He casually flipped through the disks. Simone and I stood and watched him. It was Simone who snapped out of it first.
‘Daddy!’
She raced along the aisles and skidded to a halt about two metres from him. He didn’t seem to notice her.
‘Daddy?’
He was completely oblivious.
She took a hesitant step towards him and held her hand out. ‘Daddy?’ She dropped her voice. ‘Xuan Wu.’
I strode over and stood behind Simone. He still didn’t appear to notice us. ‘John. John Chen Wu, will you look at us?’ I said.
Simone stepped forward and touched his sleeve. Her hand went straight through. She waved her hand through his arm, up and down. He wasn’t there at all.
‘But he’s moving the disks,’ she said.
‘Look closely, Simone. The disks he’s touching aren’t moving. It’s an echo of who he was.’
‘Can he do that?’
‘I don’t think there’s much he can’t do.’
Simone sighed and stepped back. ‘Is he really that old? I don’t remember him that old.’
‘That’s how he was.’
‘I thought he was a Goth.’ She turned away and slammed her palm on one of the racks. ‘I thought he looked stupid.’
‘You can tell him one day, sweetheart, he’ll have a good laugh about it.’
Then I inhaled sharply, and she turned back. He’d selected a couple of disks and turned to purchase them. And saw us.
He looked me right in the eyes, then saw Simone. He smiled sadly.
She held her hand out to him, and he held his out, palm-up, to hers. They rested their hands on each other without really touching.
Nobody around us seemed to be aware of his existence. He dropped his hand and turned to me. He raised his hand again as if to touch my face, then lowered it. He put his hand over his heart, then held it out to me, still smiling sadly.
‘Oh God,’ Simone whispered.
‘He’s fading,’ I told her. ‘Have a last look.’
Tears running down her face, she watched him disappear.
I reached into my bag, pulled out a packet of tissues and handed it to her. She took a couple and handed it back. I took a tissue out as well and we both wiped our eyes.
‘I don’t feel like buying anything, Emma,’ Simone said, her voice hoarse. ‘Can we just go home?’
‘Sure,’ I said, my voice similarly strained. I heaved a huge sigh. ‘Let’s go.’
She nodded, holding the tissue against her face. ‘I want both of them back, Emma. Daddy. And Leo. I miss them so much.’
‘So do I, sweetheart.’
‘He knew who we were. I wonder how long ago that was. When it happened for him.’
‘We can ask him when he comes back.’
CHAPTER 4
Back at home, Simone shut herself in her room, still upset. I went into John’s office and sat behind the desk. I sighed, then proceeded to check the email; always a bad idea in the evening. There would be a large number of administrative matters that needed urgent attention and I’d be restless thinking about them until I could deal with them the next morning.
One student’s mother was ill and he wanted to return to Cambodia to see her; unfortunately there was a very good chance he wouldn’t be let out of the country again to return to us. We’d have to arrange a Celestial to go with him to ensure that he could be brought back. Another student was having major difficulties with his roommate’s lifestyle — too much late night music and mayhem when he was trying to study. I forwarded the email to Lok, the building manager, with a note telling him to let the senior involved know that I really didn’t have time to handle this sort of thing. Lok would understand.
Yes, I understand, Lok said into my head. But you still owe me a fresh cow’s heart. I have a shocking craving right now.
‘Tell him next time I go through the markets,’ I said.
‘And I told him to take some vitamins if he’s having cravings,’ the stone said.
My food contains all the nutrients I need for a healthy and active lifestyle, Lok said. Says so right on the pack. Shame it tastes nothing like fresh, warm, bleeding flesh. So remember next time you’re in the markets! Stone, remind her! Fresh cow’s heart!
‘Okay, okay,’ I said. ‘I will. Oh, what about the girls? Anything show up when we rechecked them?’
No, Lok said. They are all perfectly normal humans and their presence has had no effect on the seals here in the New Folly. Must be something else that’s weakening the seals at the Academy. A couple of Masters are looking into it.
‘Thanks, Lok.’
Fresh cow’s heart! And if you happen to see a cow’s or pig’s head in a basket at one of the butcher’s stalls …
‘Don’t push your luck.’
Lok didn’t reply.
I skimmed through the rest of the emails. Problems with the Northern Heavens; the Generals were trying valiantly to keep things running, but without the Xuan Wu to provide the Centre of Power and energy source, the place was falling to pieces. All the vegetation was dying. Residents were moving out, losing us much-needed tax revenue.
I stopped dead and gasped at an email in the midst of the administrative messages.
To: Lady Emma Donahoe, Regent of the Northern Heavens (Probationary), Acting Grand Master, New Wudang Martial Arts Academy <Emmad@newwudang.com.hk>
From: Secretary for Underworld Affairs
You have been granted an audience with the Jade Emperor two days hence, on 16th November at 11 am Hong Kong time to present your case regarding Leo Alexander.
Ensure that your attire and that of your Retainers is suitable and that you present yourself at least one hour before the audience to ensure correct protocols are observed.
It is suggested by this office that a Mortal such as yourself might consider enlisting the help of a senior Immortal well-versed in Celestial protocol before attending.
Signed and chopped.
‘Only two days, Emma? You have a lot of organising to do,’ the stone said, then its voice trailed off. ‘Oh my.’
‘Where’s Gold?’
‘With Amy.’ Its voice softened. ‘They’re both in True Form and she’s carrying him over the mountains of Guilin. They’ve perched on top of the highest peak. The view must be spectacular.’ Its tone changed to one of amusement. ‘He just told me to mind my own damn business. I’ll tell him how important this is and to get back here.’
‘Leave them to it,’ I said. ‘Where’s Jade?’
‘At home watching television.’
‘Relay the following message for me, stone. Jade, I’ve just received an appointment to see the Jade Emperor —’
Jade appeared in front of me. ‘How long do you have to prepare?’
‘How long I have to prepare is beside the point, Jade, because the minute I enter the Celestial Plane I’m dead.’
She opened and closed her mouth a few times, then fell to sit in the visitor’s chair across from me, stricken. ‘What are we going to do?’
‘If I disobey an edict from the Emperor I’m as good as dead anyway. I’ll lose the Academy, and maybe even Simone.’ I ran my hands through my hair. ‘Any ideas?’
‘Ask them to see one of your Retainers instead, Emma,’ the stone said. ‘Jade and Gold can do the job.’
Jade was horrified. ‘I’d prefer not to attract the attention of the Celestial, stone. Gold and I are in enough trouble as it is.’ She shook her hands in salute over the desk. ‘My Lady, I beg you, don’t make me go to Heaven in your place.’
‘Tell Gold it’s urgent,’ I said.
‘Already did, he’s on his way back,’ the stone said.
The front doorbell rang.
Jade hesitated, concentrating, then her face went blank with shock. ‘Quickly, ma’am,’ she said. ‘It’s the Planet.’
‘Oh shit,’ I said, and raced around the desk and flew down the hallway to the front door, Jade behind me.
Monica had already opened the door. The Planet Venus, the Jade Emperor’s personal emissary, was standing on the other side in full Celestial regalia. Monica stared at him, mouth open.
I touched her shoulder. ‘It’s okay, Monica, I can handle it.’
She snapped out of it and scurried into the kitchen.
I’m staying in here, Simone said from her room. I’m not coming out to talk to him unless he orders me.
I opened the door wide and gestured for Venus to enter. He nodded graciously to me and glided through, floating just above the floor.
Jade fell to one knee before him, saluting, then moved to stand to one side as Retainer. I cursed my torn T-shirt, tatty jeans and bare feet as I saluted him.
Venus drifted to the centre of the room and turned to face Imperial South, which gave him a view out of the windows overlooking Aberdeen. I quickly moved so that I could be seen by him. He wore a Tang-style robe of many layers of transparent white silk over an under robe of palest lilac. A similarly purple cloth crown covered the topknot on his head, and his long black hair swept down to his waist. He glowed gently with ripples of silvery light.
He nodded to me. ‘Lady Emma. I bring greetings from the Celestial. The Jade Emperor has asked me to convey this to you.’ He held a red lacquer box out to me.
I nodded and moved forward to accept it.
‘There is a note inside from the Celestial himself explaining the nature of this item he is lending to you,’ Venus said. ‘He asks that you guard it with your life and that of your Retainers. In the wrong hands, this jewel could cause a great deal of trouble for both the Celestial and the Earthly Planes.’
‘We will guard it with our lives,’ I said, holding the box with awe. It was about twenty centimetres a side and intricately carved with a cloud pattern, a dragon on the right and a phoenix on the left.
Venus changed form to an ordinary slim Chinese man with long hair wearing a smart grey designer suit. He drifted down to the floor, his glow disappearing. He held out his hand. ‘Lady Emma.’
I shook his hand. ‘Venus.’
He nodded. ‘Good to see you again, ma’am. Lunch sometime soon? It’s been a while. Maybe in the Landmark?’ He quirked one eyebrow at me. ‘You can take the opportunity while you’re in Central to go shopping for some new clothes and some slippers for wearing around the house like a civilised person.’
Jade snorted with laughter at the side of the room and bent double with silent hilarity, her hand over her mouth.
Venus bowed slightly to her. ‘Princess.’ He turned back to me. ‘Don’t be a stranger, Emma. We haven’t met for lunch in ages. Can my people contact your people and arrange something?’
‘Sure thing, just call my secretary,’ I said.
He bowed slightly again. ‘See you in Heaven.’ He disappeared.
I stormed past Jade to take the box into the office, and thumped her arm as I passed her.
She gasped with laughter. ‘He’s right, you know, ma’am.’
I pressed my thumb against the seal to open the box. A scroll and a small rosewood jewellery box were the only things inside. I took the scroll, undid the ribbon and opened it. It was written in English, in vermillion ink, in the Jade Emperor’s distinctive flowing hand.
Wear this while you are on the Celestial Plane and you will be unharmed. Make sure you remind me to ask you to give it back though; it’s one of my Symbols of Office. See you in a couple of days.
I removed the tiny box and flipped it open. Inside was a gold ring set with a large oval piece of jade. I took the ring and studied it, wondered if the stone was sentient and, if so, whether I should say hello.
The stone in my ring solved the problem for me. ‘Not sentient, just a nice piece of jade.’
Jade came into the office and gasped. ‘The Emperor’s Imperial Ring. I’ve never seen it outside the Celestial Plane.’
I slipped it on the ring finger of my right hand. ‘It’ll stop me from being killed when I enter the Plane,’ I told her, ‘but I have to give it back. Tell Gold to go back to Amy, we’re fine.’ Then I sighed with resignation. ‘The Jade Emperor knows.’
‘Of course he does; he knows all,’ Jade said. ‘Now, you only have two days to prepare. We’ll need to have something made for you right away, ma’am. Can you cancel your appointments and meet me at Mr Li’s tomorrow?’
‘I’m free after energy class at ten. I’ll meet you in Central?’
Jade bowed slightly. ‘Ma’am. We will also need to spend the afternoon revising Imperial protocol, if you want this petition to succeed.’
‘Damn, Jade, how much do I need to know? All I do is go in, bow to his JEness, and talk to him about Leo.’
Jade smiled slightly. ‘I think probably a great deal. We can spend the afternoon going through the protocol. If he meets with you in his rooms, you will need to know specific details.’
‘Basic things, like the fact that any seat that the Emperor sits on becomes his throne and no other person may sit on it,’ the stone said.
Jade nodded. ‘I’ll need to write a list of things to remember. By your leave, ma’am, I’ll return home and begin.’
‘It’s after work hours, Jade. No need until tomorrow.’
‘It will take me several hours to gather the information, ma’am.’
‘Don’t work too hard, Jade.’
She disappeared.
I sighed. ‘I didn’t even ask her how her kids are.’
‘They are dragons,’ the stone said. ‘They are young, troublesome and hungry all the time.’
‘Sounds like all kids.’
‘You are quite correct. Now go do something else for a while, Emma. Enough worrying about this. You will be fine. And you will finally be able to extricate Leo from this little mess he has put himself into.’
I rose to go into the training room. ‘Yes, Mother.’
I was halfway through a demon-essence kata with the Murasame when the Tiger appeared next to the mirrors, leaning casually on the wall.
‘How the hell did you get in?’ I said without stopping.
‘Your goddamn seals are fading again,’ the Tiger said. ‘Get a different Master to do it, baby. Whoever is doing it right now sucks.’
I swung the sword in a wide arc, leaving a black feathery trail behind it. ‘We have our best Master on it. He doesn’t know what’s going on either. It’s the same at the Academy.’ I stopped and lowered the sword. ‘Want to send one of your guys over to have a look?’
‘Done. I heard you got your audience, and about time too.’
‘Yep, day after tomorrow, 11 am our time.’
‘You can’t go up there though. I’ve tried to shield you before and it doesn’t work. We’ll have to arrange for someone to go instead of you.’
‘The Jade Emperor sent me a ring that will stop me from being harmed, but I have to give it back when we’re done.’
‘Good idea.’ He grinned broadly, making his tawny eyes sparkle. ‘Want a lift?’
‘Only if you promise to behave.’
‘Never.’ He levered himself off the wall. ‘Make yourself pretty, Emma. If you blow this, you’ll lose the Regency and some Celestial asshole will take over your Academy and your Heavens.’
‘Can you hide my demon nature from the public eye?’
‘I’ll do my best. The Celestial One will know everything, but hopefully the crowd who gather to see you won’t see it.’
‘Crowd?’
‘Yep, this’ll be the biggest thing to happen in Heaven in a long time. They’ll all want a look at the mortal white chick who’s running the Northern Heavens.’
‘Very badly.’
‘Nah.’ He leaned against the wall again and crossed his arms. ‘You’re not responsible for the energy failure. Ah Wu should have set up some sort of backup plan.’
‘We never really had much of a chance to make it work, Tiger.’
‘Yeah, I know.’ He dropped his head. ‘See you day after tomorrow. Meet me underneath the China Resources Building in Wan Chai at about 9 am. That’s where the Gateway to Heaven is.’
‘The China Resources Building? That big office tower in Wan Chai?’
‘Yep, ground floor, where there’s a replica of the Nine-Dragon Wall. That’s the Gateway. Good central location. See you there.’ He disappeared.
I changed to an ordinary chi kata. If my demon nature became public knowledge during this visit to Heaven, everything I loved could be taken away from me. The Jade Emperor knew about it and had helped me; but if everybody in Heaven found out, there could only be trouble.
CHAPTER 5
Evening was falling and the sky behind the beach was a flame of sunset colours. Over the ocean the sky was darker, and Venus already shone. The waves crashed and the warm breeze ruffled my hair as I walked on the soft sand, thinking.
I looked up and froze. A dark shape, alone on the beach. Hair lifted by the wind. Watching the waves.
It was him.
I didn’t run. I continued to walk towards him, and saw him clearly as I neared. He watched the ocean with longing.
When I was close enough he turned to me and smiled slightly, his noble features serene. His hair wasn’t tied back and it flew around him in the breeze. He wore his plain black pants and jacket, and his feet were bare.
I approached him carefully and stopped next to him. He smiled down at me. He reached out and ran his fingertips over my face, and I closed my eyes. His hand came around the back of my neck and pulled me closer and his lips met mine. I delicately held him, unwilling to grip him too hard because he might disappear. The wind changed and his hair wrapped around us, clinging to both of us.
He pulled back and gazed into my eyes. ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m your Serpent,’ I whispered.
‘No, you aren’t.’ He turned to the ocean and gestured. ‘My Serpent is out there.’
I turned to see, his hand still behind my neck. The Serpent raised its head in the water out past the breakers. It was enormous; it must have been more than twenty metres long, a black shadow against the darkening sky.
He smiled down at me again. ‘I think I know you.’
‘Emma.’
He tasted the name. ‘Emma.’
‘Xuan Wu,’ I said. ‘John.’
Something changed in his eyes. ‘Hello, Emma.’
I ran my fingers over his face. I floated my fingertips along his throat, revelling in the silken skin. ‘Hello, John.’
‘How long have I been gone?’
‘Eight years.’
‘You haven’t changed at all.’
‘Are you ready to return, John?’
He looked out at the surf. ‘My Serpent is there.’
‘You haven’t rejoined,’ I said. ‘You’re still in two pieces.’
He sagged so slightly it was almost undetectable. ‘It hurts.’
‘I know it hurts, love. Go to it.’
He glanced down at me. ‘But then I would leave you alone. You and …’ His face went strange.
‘Simone,’ I said.
He jerked as if he had been hit, grimacing with pain. He spun and ran to the surf. When he reached the water he changed into the Turtle and pulled himself into the waves.
I watched him go without moving.
Then I woke up.
I shook my hands with frustration as I tried to push them into the voluminous sleeves of the Tang-style robe. Mr Li had made it out of black silk with gold chrysanthemums, which somehow seemed to have become my signature fabric. The sleeves were wider than they were long, probably about a metre wide, and designed to hide a noblewoman’s hands as she never needed to use them; servants should do everything for her. Maybe I should have let Jade come into the changing room with me to help after all. I finally found the openings, then quietly cursed as I drew the belt around the robe.
Gold’s child appeared at eye level next to the mirror. ‘Aunty Jade says hurry up.’
‘You should not be in here,’ I said. ‘This is a changing room.’
The stone grew two long appendages and pretended to cover its nonexistent eyes. ‘Can’t see anything, Lady Emma.’
‘I’m done,’ I said, and raised my arms to the sides. Now that I had the robe on, the sleeves added to the volume of the kimono-style dress, making it elegant and flowing. Unfortunately the style didn’t suit me at all and I looked ridiculous. My more generous Western shape made me appear fat and my breasts made the front opening bulge out. I looked awful.
I sighed and walked out of the change room. Jade and her three children were waiting for me next to the cushioned seats. The children were in dragon form, chasing each other around the waiting area, but Jade was in human form and wearing a robe similar to mine with willowy elegance.
I raised my arms. ‘I look completely ridiculous.’ I could see from Jade’s and Mr Li’s faces that they agreed with me.
Jade grimaced delicately. ‘Perhaps a different colour?’
Simone came out of her change room. She wore a robe of dark shining indigo silk with twining golden flowers over a gold under robe and closed with a wide elaborately embroidered gold belt. The gold brought out the hues of her tawny hair. Wide silk ribbons of a brighter shade of blue, embroidered with golden chrysanthemums, decorated the neckline either side of her throat and fell as panels down the front of the robe; similar ribbons edged the enormously full sleeves.
She looked spectacular. She sighed when she saw me. ‘Oh dear, Emma.’
Mr Li raised one hand and my robe changed to the same dark blue as Simone’s. Jade winced. The robe changed to red and Simone said, ‘Ick.’
The robe rotated through a variety of colours and patterns.
‘Doesn’t work,’ Jade said with resignation.
‘Well, that’s the last acceptable style,’ Mr Li said. ‘We have to choose one of them. I think the Qing may have worked slightly better than this but it still made her look fat. She is approaching middle age now, and even though she is fit her figure reflects this. Her breasts are too large —’
I snorted with derision and opened my mouth to say something about late thirties not being middle-aged, but he continued unfazed.
‘Nothing seems to suit her and I don’t have time to adapt a style for her. We should have tried this earlier, I would never have expected this problem.’
I turned away. ‘Forget it then. I’m wearing my jeans and a shirt and the Jade Emperor can deal with it. Or better yet,’ I turned back and grinned at them, ‘I’ll wear my armour and carry my sword and let him deal with that.’
Jade and Mr Li both lit up.
‘Can she do that?’ Simone said quickly.
‘Even more appropriate,’ Jade said. ‘Much more suitable than a Tang robe. Lady Emma is a warrior.’
Mr Li eyed the bolts of silk on the wall appraisingly. ‘Take that one off. We’ll make a lighter under robe for the armour. It’ll still need to be Tang style, but I think we can get away …’ He wandered off, talking to himself.
‘Brilliant, Emma, you’ll look magnificent,’ Simone said.
‘I’ll put your hair up in a simple spike, same as the Dark Lord would wear into battle,’ Jade said. ‘Not —’
‘Tortoiseshell,’ I finished for her.
‘No, ebony, I think,’ she said, and we shared a smile. ‘When the Dark Lord returns, you two will be a matched set. Dark Lord and Dark Lady, both warriors together.’
I felt a shot of pain and sighed.
‘Don’t worry, Emma, he’ll come back,’ Simone said.
‘Any sign of him?’ I asked.
She unfocused, snapped back and shook her head.
‘I’ll fetch your armour, ma’am,’ Jade said, then called to the baby dragons, ‘You kids behave.’ She nodded to me. ‘Be right back.’ She disappeared.
Simone and I sat on the cushioned benches and waited for them to return.
‘He visited me in a dream last night,’ I said.
Simone sighed and put her chin on her hand without replying.
‘What’s the matter, Simone?’ I said. ‘You’ve been quiet ever since we found out we were going to see the Jade Emperor.’
Simone didn’t move or look at me, her chin still in her hand. Her eyes turned inward, remembering. ‘When I was very little, Daddy took me and Mummy to Heaven. He thought I’d enjoy seeing him at “work”. Mummy stayed in our apartment in the Palace, she hated it. Daddy changed …’ She ran her hand over her face. ‘Daddy changed into his Celestial Form, and picked me up and carried me to the Grand Audience Hall. You have no idea what it was like, Emma.’ She turned to gaze into my eyes. ‘You’ve seen it, you know how big his Celestial Form is. He carried me so far from the ground, and I didn’t know him as Daddy. He was so huge! And black, and he didn’t look like Daddy, he was just a giant carrying me so high up that I was afraid, and he walked with these huge strides — it was incredibly scary. I cried, and he did something to me to make me quiet, but I was still …’ She took a deep breath. ‘I was still terrified. Then he took me into the Grand Audience Hall and it was full of dragons and other Shen — animals and nature spirits, all sorts were there to see me, staring at me — and then we went up to the Jade Emperor, and he was in Celestial Form too, and Daddy handed me over to him.’ She smiled wryly. ‘Apparently, the Jade Emperor thought I was adorable. I was bound by Daddy, so I couldn’t move or speak, or cry. I just looked at the Jade Emperor as he held me. He was bigger than Daddy and way scarier.’ She shook her head. ‘It took me a long time to get over that. Even now, I think if I saw Daddy’s Celestial Form, I wouldn’t see it as him, just as this monster that bound me and carried me away.’
‘I wondered about that,’ I said. ‘I remember how scared you were of his Celestial Form.’
‘When he took me back to the apartment, he unbound me and I let loose,’ Simone said. ‘In seven different directions — I wet myself, threw up, everything. I was only about a year and a half old. I can remember Mummy screaming abuse at him. He changed back and tried to console me, but apparently, I would have nothing to do with him for a few weeks afterwards.’
‘I can understand completely,’ I said. ‘If it was me, I would have sent him down to Hell for a few days to “meditate upon his faults”. What a rotten thing to do to a little child.’
Simone made a soft sound of amusement. ‘Mummy did. Shot him right between the eyes, from what I’ve heard.’
‘You are the equal of any Shen in Heaven, Simone. You don’t need to be scared.’
‘I just can’t help feeling that way right now. I’ll be fine once we get there and I can see the Jade Emperor’s not a hundred metres tall.’
‘Would you like to talk to the Lady about it before we go?’
She waved me down. ‘I’ll be fine. Oh, Jade’s on her way back with your armour.’
Jade reappeared and held the armour out for me. ‘Ma’am.’
I rose to take it.
On the morning of 16 November, Marcus dropped me and Simone outside Harbour Centre in Wan Chai. Harbour Centre and Great Eagle Centre were two matched towers, that stood side by side right on the waterfront. They each had large neon signs for Japanese electronics companies on the first-floor level and featured in many Hong Kong postcards.
Simone and I took the escalators up to the first floor to use the walkways across to the China Resources Building, then walked along the covered open-air podium that overlooked the water. The adjacent building, the Convention Centre, jutted into the harbour, its flowing finlike shape making it look like a giant sea creature. I remembered another time I had stood watching the water and felt a twinge of pain. But we had seen him. He was searching for me. He would return.
We crossed the walkways, passed a small traditional Chinese garden, and took the escalators down to the open area under the China Resources Building. Two bronze Chinese unicorn statues, qilin, faced the road, and behind them stood a fountain of dragon heads squirting water. Behind the fountain was a replica of the Nine-Dragon Wall in the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Bai Hu stepped out from under one of the supporting pillars. ‘You have all your gear?’
I raised the shopping bags I was holding. ‘All here.’
‘What about your armour, Emma?’
‘It’s folded up in there as well.’
‘Good. Where’s Gold? I thought he was coming.’
‘He said he’s in enough trouble as it is and begged me to leave him at home. Same with Jade.’
‘That’s true. It’s probably a good idea to leave them at home. Gold particularly has been in trouble with the Celestial many times before.’ Bai Hu gestured with his head. ‘This way.’
We followed the Tiger to the wall. Nobody around seemed to notice us. As we neared the wall, the white stone balustrade in front of it slid smoothly into the ground. The wall grew from two metres to nearly four metres tall, and the nine dragons on it came to life. They writhed across the wall and gathered at the middle.
The gold dragon in the centre stuck its head out and waved its enormous fangs menacingly close to my head. ‘Is this the mortal that wishes to enter the Celestial Domain?’
Let me handle them, the Tiger said into my head.
‘No need,’ I said. I unrolled the scroll and held it in front of the dragon’s face, making it jerk its head back slightly. ‘The Jade Emperor wants to see us.’
‘It is highly unusual for a human to be granted an audience with the Celestial One,’ the dragon huffed. ‘You are accompanied by no Retainers. How are we to know that you are worthy of such an honour?’
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