by Kylie Chan
John, in human form, his long hair swinging around him as he performed an exhibition set on the main court; the students watching, enthralled by his deadly grace.
The Demon King would destroy our Mountain as soon as he had the means to raze it to the ground; it was only a matter of time.
The Golden Temple had much greater value than the cladding on its walls and roof, but it was gold, and he would tear the temple down and destroy John’s statue to take the metal, ripping out John’s heart at the same time.
And the students — the real heart of Wudang: so many dead, so many severely injured, so many broken trying to protect their home.
My family were in the King’s hands. He could do what he liked to them — and he wanted to cut them up.
Colin, who’d had so much potential, was dead.
John was trapped in Hell.
My son was at the mercy of sadistic monsters that he thought were his parents.
All my friends, all my family, all the people I loved, were suffering and I had no way to protect them. This tiny fragile piece of vegetation was all that remained of the beauty that had surrounded me, and very soon even it would be gone as well. I clutched the little pink petal in my hand and mourned everything we had lost.
Simone came in and I tried to push her away, but she crouched next to me on the tiles and held me as I shook. Clarissa watched me from the living room with a compassion that made my anguish even greater.
* * *
I was lying awake next to Clarissa in the double bed when I heard Simone moving around in the living room. I went out and found her looking out through the blinds at the street below. I stood next to her and looked out as well.
A group of men in business suits were standing under the neon signs of the dried seafood shop across the road, the blue lights making them appear ghostly.
Time, Emma, the Demon King said.
I went back into the bedroom and pulled on some jeans and a T-shirt. The bedside clock said 2 a.m. Clarissa didn’t wake, probably exhausted from the emotional turmoil.
Simone followed me to the front door, and I turned to stop her with a hand on her chest. She didn’t say anything, she just threw her arms around my neck and held me close.
I embraced her and patted her back. Stay here, I said. You’re needed.
You need me too.
Stay free so you can sneak in and visit me, okay?
She nodded into my shoulder and released me. Then she pulled me in again for another fierce hug, and turned away so I couldn’t see the tears running down her face.
Goodbye, I said, and she shook her head and went back to the windows.
I went down the stairs, out of the building and across the deserted street to the Demon King and the four Dukes escorting him.
‘Such a shame,’ he said, studying the building. ‘His seals were astounding. Best anywhere. I was hoping he’d finally grow sick of me trying to kill him and come back to me. I wanted to promote him to prince after his punishment was finished. His spawn would be as outstanding as he was.’ He turned to me. ‘I’m not ready yet for you to bring Frankie up.’
I turned and ran back across the road.
I’m giving you a chance to say goodbye, he said, and I stopped in the middle of the street. I’m putting him in the cage tomorrow. Your family are untouched, and you will be as well. I do have a heart, Emma, and once he’s in that cage he won’t be talking to you ever again. So come and say goodbye.
A taxi drove around me, blaring its horn. I walked back to the King.
‘Bring Simone,’ he said. ‘Let her say goodbye to her father.’
‘You’ll try to imprison her.’
‘I won’t. I give you my word.’
I heard that, Simone said. Do we trust him?
Of course not. Stay there. He wants you.
‘I won’t imprison her,’ he said. ‘I mean it. I don’t want her to come to me against her will.’
‘That’s the only way it will happen,’ I said. ‘So let’s go.’
He gestured for me to approach and put his hand out. I took it. His skin was silky smooth, but as cold as a dead thing’s. The world disappeared around us.
21
We landed in the residential part of the Northern Heavens Imperial Palace. It was dark and quiet; everybody was sleeping. I looked around and recognised the courtyard between the Imperial Residence and the Crown Prince’s Pavilion. The Ancient Dragon Tree was visible through the moon gate on my right. This used to be my own front yard. The tents were still present in the courtyard, but there were no signs of life.
Andy Ho walked out of the Imperial Residence and stopped at the moon gate, wrapping a black silk robe — one of John’s — around himself.
‘You never cease to amaze me, Dad,’ he said. ‘How’d you do it?’
‘If you ever experience love, you’ll understand,’ the King said.
Andy shook his head, bewildered. He pushed his feet harder into his cheap plastic slippers, nodded to the King, and led us to the Crown Prince’s Pavilion.
We walked through another silent courtyard, past an alert American guard armed with a rifle who nodded to the King and Andy.
‘What do they see?’ I said.
‘American officers,’ the King said. ‘They think they’re in the Middle East fighting to liberate a democratic republic from radical insurgents, and freeing the local population from religious oppression and ethnic cleansing.’
‘Priceless,’ Andy said.
He opened the door to the Crown Prince’s Pavilion and the scent of Martin’s favourite incense and Leo’s cologne filled the air, making my throat ache.
The living room held a modern European-style leather couch flanked by antique Qing rosewood chairs, and a Ming-style coffee table inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Their little dining area had a round rosewood table with comfortable Western chairs. The floor was polished wood, and the house was traditional courtyard style with all the rooms looking into a central garden. Three cardboard boxes were stacked next to the wall in the dining room; they’d been furnishing a room for Buffy for when she was big enough to come up.
Smally was waiting for me in Leo and Martin’s bedroom, next to their custom-made leather-trimmed waterbed. She stood silently, rigid with terror.
I rounded on the King. ‘What did you do to her?’
He raised his hands. ‘I found your maid, had her put some stuff together for you, and brought her here. I want you to be comfortable, Emma.’ He dropped his hands. ‘Settle down.’
I turned back to Smally. ‘Did he hurt you?’
She opened and closed her mouth but was too scared to make a sound.
‘Go back to sleep and we’ll come for you tomorrow morning,’ the King said. ‘Big day tomorrow, caging the reptile. Should be fun.’
He patted Andy on the shoulder as he went out.
Andy untied his robe and opened it to reveal his nakedness. Smally gasped with horror and crouched to bury her face into the side of the bed.
Andy ignored her, proudly displaying his golden skin, tight over his muscular chest and abs. ‘Like the new human form? It cost me a fortune.’
He winked and thrust his pelvis towards me, showing off his oversized genitalia. His erection grew to an inhuman size, well past where his navel would be if he was human.
‘Lord Xuan usually keeps his genitals small so they’re out of the way when he’s training,’ I said.
‘Wait.’ His mouth flopped open. ‘Did you just say that the First Heavenly General has a small dick?’
‘Depends on the circumstances, but most of the time, yes. And he’s the best lover I’ve ever had, because he knows exactly what to do with it. That,’ I pointed at him, ‘would just be painful. Not appealing at all.’
‘You are incredibly boring.’ He retied the robe. ‘Don’t try to leave this building without permission; the soldier will shoot you. You’d be stuck in the Pits while we put the Turtle in the cage, and you wouldn’t have a chance to say good
bye. Call me if you want to come out — you’re welcome to visit me. The number’s next to the phone there.’
I didn’t reply.
‘Early night, Emma,’ he said, yawned and sauntered towards the door. ‘Call me and pay me a visit. It would piss Dad right off, and he wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing about it.’
Smally scurried to me when he’d gone out. ‘Are you all right, ma’am?’
‘I’m fine, Smally. Did they really not hurt you?’
‘They really didn’t.’ She looked around. ‘I’m sorry, but I put all your best clothes in that bag for Princess Simone. These are old ones. I will find you some bed clothes. You need to sleep. A lot has happened.’
‘I think sleep is the last thing I’ll be able to do,’ I said.
* * *
At dawn I gave up, went into the kitchen and raided Martin’s hoard of sweet American breakfast food, then made a huge cup of coffee using Leo’s coffee maker. I wasn’t hungry but I needed the energy. I felt stupidly fatigued from lack of sleep and needed to regain my edge.
The King entered without warning, and leaned on the kitchen counter. He wrinkled his nose. ‘Coffee’s vile stuff. Could never understand the attraction.’
I took a sip, revelling in the caffeine kick. ‘There’s tea here as well.’
‘Offering me your hospitality? That’s what I like to hear.’
‘You are a guest in my son’s home,’ I said, but he either pretended not to or genuinely didn’t hear the sarcasm.
‘You will be in your other son’s home very soon,’ he said. ‘When we go out, there will be a camera crew waiting with cue cards for you. You will say what’s on them as if you mean it.’
‘What’s on them?’ I said, putting the coffee down.
‘Political bullshit to calm the populace. Nothing that will call your loyalty into question.’
‘And if I don’t read them?’ I said, already knowing the answer.
Smally screamed from the bedroom: a high-pitched wail of agony that dissolved into gasping sobs. I jumped; I hadn’t expected a demonstration.
The King quirked a small smile. ‘You had to ask, didn’t you?’
I ran into the bedroom and held Smally where she was curled up on the floor.
‘Stop hurting her!’ I shouted. ‘Let her go!’
‘I did stop,’ the King said. ‘It’s a bad case of PTSD, she’s having flashbacks. Was she one of Simon’s? If she was, you should destroy her. Put her out of her misery.’
‘Please, ma’am, destroy me,’ Smally said, her voice a whimper. ‘I can’t do this.’
‘I’ll do it,’ the King said, and put his hand out towards her.
I stood in front of her. ‘No!’
‘Seriously?’ he said with amusement. ‘Come on, she’s worthless. Let me find you one that isn’t broken.’
‘Do it, do it,’ Smally moaned. ‘Please. Let me go.’
‘She wants it,’ the King said.
‘Don’t hurt her.’ I turned back to Smally and pulled her up. She resisted me, wanting to stay in a ball on the floor. ‘Smally, I need you to help me here. You can’t give up now.’ I winced at the echo of Simone’s words to me. ‘I need you!’
She nodded and rose, still trembling. She tried to speak, but the words didn’t come out.
The King gestured with his head. ‘Come on, hurry up and get dressed. The television cameras await. You’ll be a star.’
* * *
The camera crew were waiting outside the pavilion. Someone shone a reflective light sheet at me. A demon stood behind the camera holding large handwritten cue cards. I took a deep breath.
‘To preserve your safety,’ I read aloud, ‘remain in your homes until the new administration is established. Nobody will be hurt if you obey them.’
The demon changed the cards around.
‘Later today the Dark Lord will be incarcerated into a cage that he chose to enter himself. You will be able to watch him . . .’ The next card said Say this with emphasis, and I knew better than to provoke the Demon King by reading the stage directions aloud. ‘. . . enter the cage of his own free will. He has been given ample opportunity and plenty of options to avoid this, but it is his choice. As a show of good faith, his cage will remain in the Hall of Supreme Harmony and he will not be harmed. I will not be harmed, and none of the Celestial’s loyal subjects will be harmed, provided they comply with the new administration. The Celestial Regent . . .’ I hesitated as I realised that I was referring to the Demon King. He wasn’t just King of the Demons any more. ‘. . . doesn’t want to mistreat us. He wants us to be content and work together to achieve an age of prosperity in this grand new Imperial dynasty.’
I waited for the card to change, but it didn’t. The light flicked off.
‘I’m disappointed, Emma,’ Andy said from behind the camera. He’d been leaning on the wall behind the light, not visible to me. ‘I thought you’d try to send a message to your family, or Simone. I had your punishment ready and everything.’
‘That’s why I didn’t,’ I said.
‘Back inside,’ the King said. ‘The Turtle goes into the cage at noon. Get some rest; you look terrible.’
* * *
‘I’m hoping you can talk some sense into him,’ the Demon King said after we’d landed in the forecourt of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. He led me across the square, escorted by his Dukes.
The tent city had been removed and the square was eerily quiet, just the warm late spring breeze whistling across it. There was a time when flowering trees and shrubs in pots had decorated the square, and phoenixes had wandered between them, their colourful feathers ablaze. The water in the fung shui moat had held splashing playing dragons. Now it was all gone, and the sky was the brown haze of demonic occupation.
‘Talk some sense into who?’ I said.
‘If he pledges to me, I’ll still give him the Northern Heavens. I’ve promised it to Andy, but he’ll make a mess of it,’ the King said. ‘For Andy, it’s all challenges and politics. He’s a good Number One, but has no idea about running a government. Ah Wu could be my public face, reassuring the Celestial populace that someone they trust is in charge.’
‘The Dark Lord is honour-bound to keep his word,’ I said. ‘If he pledges to you, he will obey every order you give him.’
‘I know. That’s why I’m asking him to do it.’
‘And that’s why he won’t.’
‘You won’t talk to him?’
I shook my head. ‘Will you still let me say goodbye?’
He stopped at the entrance to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Jade Emperor’s main audience hall, and put his hands on his hips. ‘I said I would, didn’t I? I’ve rigged another feed through to the Celestial communications network to reinforce the message that I am fair and compassionate and will rule the Heavens justly.’ He smiled, looking up at the windows above the hall’s gold-tiled curving roof. ‘I love saying that more and more every time. As soon as we’ve settled the new administration, you can bring darling Frankie up and we’ll have the coronation of a lifetime. Simone will love it.’ He nodded. ‘Let’s get this unpleasant task out of the way and go back to our lives.’
A pair of the armoured demons with the tiny faces opened the doors for us, and we went in. Human soldiers guarded the exits, their expressions blank.
A jade cage larger than the one that had held the Serpent in Hell stood on the dais at the other side of the hall. The red carpet leading to the dais was still there, together with the gold silk lanterns flanking it. The Jade Emperor’s throne, golden rosewood carved with six-toed dragons, stood on the dais next to the cage. A digital camera on a tripod was set up facing the dais, with a cable running to a computer. Twelve carved Ming-style chairs stood in two rows facing the throne, and a collection of Mothers and Dukes in human form knelt on one knee in front of them — an audience being rewarded for particularly good service to the King. He nodded to them, and they rose and sat to watch the show, their faces full of vi
cious delight.
‘This is becoming extremely tedious,’ the King said. ‘I am so tired of having that reptile hanging around in his box criticising everything I do. Make him take the offer, Emma.’
Four demon guards came in, escorting John. He was in human form, in his plain black Mountain uniform. He appeared unharmed, but he looked tired and his hair had come completely out and fell over his shoulder. He smiled when our eyes met — he was glad to see me. It broke my heart.
‘No talking silently. Say it all out loud or your chance is gone,’ the King said.
He walked to John — in human form, he was a head shorter — and looked up at him. ‘Take the Northern Heavens in my name and you can live there with Emma and Simone. I will leave you to manage it independently. Pledge allegiance and I won’t do this to you.’ His voice filled with exasperation. ‘Stop being so stubborn and take the offer. It’s a good one!’
‘I will not give you control of a super-weapon that is capable of destroying all life on the planet,’ John said.
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t use Seven Stars to destroy anything,’ the King said.
‘Not the sword. Me,’ John said.
The King hesitated, then nodded with grim amusement. ‘Fair point. Very well, a quick goodbye. I have wasted enough time on you two already.’ He turned to me. ‘Remember that the entire population of the Heavens is watching you, so don’t embarrass yourselves.’ He waved at the cameraman. ‘Go.’
‘I want you to vow again that my family will remain unharmed,’ John said.
‘I promise. All of them. Emma’s family too. You’re worth it,’ the King said. He lowered his voice. ‘But you’re worth more running the North for me.’
