by Kylie Chan
‘Oh, come on, I didn’t mean you,’ the Tiger said, exasperated.
Michael glared down at the Tiger with disdain. ‘That is even more disturbing; it means that you value me over your other sons. And I think that value is based purely on who my mother is—the only woman that could leave you.’ He leaned on the table to speak more closely to the Tiger. ‘I am only a tool for you to get something that you want.’
The Tiger opened his mouth to argue but Michael turned to me and saluted again. ‘Please let me serve you as bodyguard, ma’am.’
‘You’ve come a long way since Mr Chen chose you, Michael,’ I said. ‘You have a degree in business. Weren’t you planning to help your mother with her antiques chain?’
‘She’s going to sell it when she moves to the Western Palace,’ he said without emotion. ‘I am no longer needed there, but I am needed here. I would be honoured.’
‘You can always come and be my Number Three,’ the Tiger said.
Michael ignored him.
‘I am the one who’s honoured, Michael,’ I said.
‘I’ll bring my stuff over and move into one of the student rooms,’ he said.
‘You can do the job from the Folly,’ I said.
‘If I’m going to do it, I’ll do it right and be live-in.’ He saluted me again. ‘By your leave.’
I nodded to him and he disappeared. The Tiger banged the table with frustration.
‘Ma’am.’ General Ma saluted me. ‘We are under attack from two fronts at the moment. The Eastern Palace is being attacked by Demon Prince Fifty-five and a small army, including three Mothers. Rat Village is also under attack by a small troop of low-level demons.’ He nodded to Simone. ‘The Princess’s help at the Eastern Palace would be most appreciated. The Rats have their attack under control with the help of Third and Twenty-fourth Divisions.’
Simone sighed and her shoulders slumped.
‘You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, Simone,’ I said.
She straightened. ‘No, it’s fine. They’re after the baby dragons at the Eastern Palace again. I’ll help.’
‘Before you go,’ I said, ‘call Ronnie for me and ask him to come up and reset the seals on the apartment.’
Simone’s mouth dropped open. ‘I never thought of that. You’re completely unprotected here.’
‘I’ll stay here until Michael returns; no demons will try anything with me around,’ the Tiger said.
Ma nodded to Simone. ‘Princess?’
Simone rose, raised one hand and summoned Dark Heavens. ‘Show me the way,’ she said, and they disappeared.
‘Hmm,’ the Tiger said. ‘Never seen a demon slayer go into battle wearing a pair of jeans and a Hello Kitty T-shirt.’
‘It’s her way of being the opposite of the Academy,’ I said.
Ah Yat poked her head through the door from the kitchen. ‘Hungry, ma’am? You haven’t eaten since breakfast, and I have some vegetarian noodles here for you.’
Suddenly I was starving. ‘That would be great, thanks, Ah Yat.’
‘Ronnie is here,’ the Tiger said.
I went to the front door to let Ronnie in.
‘I heard what happened,’ he said. ‘I hope my father gives you a good lead on where Six is.’
‘You seem to know an awful lot about what goes on,’ the Tiger said.
Ronnie hesitated, looking at the Tiger, then said, ‘I have my informants.’
‘How?’
Ronnie went into the living room and put his battered case on the coffee table. ‘I’m pretty big, Tiger.’
‘That doesn’t explain how you know so much,’ the Tiger said.
Ronnie opened the case, then leaned on the table and glared at the Tiger. ‘I have fifty-five level thirty to fifty kids. They’re my network.’
The Tiger opened his mouth and closed it again. Then he said, ‘You can sire spawn on a Mother?’
Ronnie pulled his ink and brush set out of the case, and some rice paper ready to be made into seals. ‘I can sire spawn on up to a level sixty-five Mother. As I said, I’m pretty big, Tiger.’ He summoned some water to make the ink on his stone tablet.
‘Damn, man, we should get together, kill the King and set you up as Demon King,’ the Tiger said with awe.
Ronnie didn’t look up from his tablet. ‘That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. Besides, it wouldn’t work.’
I went to the couch and sat. ‘Why not, Ronnie?’
He smiled up at me through his plastic-rimmed glasses. ‘The Demon King must by nature be opposed to the forces of the Celestial. That’s the way it is. As I have changed allegiance, I cannot take over the demonic side of Hell. Things just don’t work that way.’
‘You have a point,’ the Tiger said. ‘If the Celestial were to upset the balance so strongly, the resulting imbalance—and the backlash from setting things to rights—would be devastating.’
Ronnie grinned at the Tiger. ‘You can be very erudite when you want to be, sir.’
‘Dunno what the fuck you’re talking about,’ the Tiger said. ‘I’m getting some tea. Come and finish your noodles, Emma, you’ve had a hell of a rough day. Take tomorrow off, or I’ll take a horsewhip to you.’
‘I have too much to do,’ I said. ‘Sylvie’s coming back and we’ll do some more serpent transformation.’
We went into the dining room together. The Tiger summoned some Chinese tea and I returned to my noodles.
‘You don’t need any more training on this snake business, you got it down,’ the Tiger said. ‘Tomorrow’s Sunday, the Academy’s closed, nothing’s going to happen. Take some time off.’ He hesitated, concentrating. ‘Done. The Lady will be here at eleven to take you to the Garden for the day, and I told that snake chick you don’t need her.’
‘Six is delivering Leo to the Academy tomorrow morning.’
‘Fine. Take the delivery, then I’ll take the Leo copy straight to the Western Palace.’
‘I have a charity thing tonight.’
‘That has no relation to what you’ll be doing tomorrow.’
I sighed and returned to my noodles.
‘Good,’ he said.
CHAPTER 22
Later that evening Simone tapped on my door. ‘Ready yet, Emma?’
‘Just about got it,’ I said.
Once again I was running out of make-up and had the distasteful task ahead of me of shopping for new lipstick. After hours of finding the best colour it was usually discontinued next time I went looking for it. I straightened my bun and went out. Simone checked me up and down, then gave a small nod of approval.
‘Glad I pass inspection,’ I said.
She smiled slightly. ‘Well, you don’t have Leo to organise you any more.’
‘Leo never organised me,’ I huffed and went out to the living room.
Michael was waiting for us there, smartly dressed in a business suit.
‘This event is humans, right?’ he said.
‘Yeah,’ Simone said. ‘Although the occasional demon turns up, just to try and intimidate us.’
‘Okay,’ Michael said. He reached inside his jacket, pulled out a small revolver and checked it.
‘What are you doing with that?’ I said, incredulous.
He smiled at me. ‘There are some advantages to being a Horseman: they have firearms training in the West as well as training in traditional demon-fighting weapons. Sometimes the wives are attacked because human crims think they’re the wives of rich Middle Eastern princes and prime targets for holding for ransom.’
Simone pointed at the gun. ‘You can use that?’
Michael nodded and put it away. ‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Oh, don’t give me that,’ Simone said. ‘I was wondering, could we go somewhere private together…’
Michael’s face went blank.
‘…and see if I can disable it from a distance, like Daddy used to? It would be a useful skill and I’ve never tried it.’
Michael appeared relieved and nodded. ‘But
if you can wreck them, I might have to take a few along.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll pay for the replacements,’ Simone said. She checked her watch. ‘Time to go.’
‘What’s this dinner about?’ Michael said as he drove us down the hill to the same hotel where I’d been held hostage earlier that day.
‘It’s a standard fifty-thousand-a-table dinner and show for the orphanages that I support,’ Simone said.
‘Orphanages?’ Michael said.
Simone nodded. ‘Hn. In China. Mostly for baby girls who are abandoned because of the one-child policy, but they have a lot of disabled kids of both sexes in them as well. We arrange for them to be adopted out to overseas families.’
Michael glanced back at her. ‘You organised all of this?’
‘No, I just help out as much as I can. I’ve only really been contributing the last couple of years, since I heard about it,’ Simone said. ‘I was sort of “meh” and didn’t really care enough to be doing anything, until my friend Josie told me her story.’
‘What happened to her?’
‘Well, she’s from a wealthy Hong Kong family,’ Simone said, settling further back into her seat. ‘She’s the third daughter in her family, and her mom can’t have any more kids now. Apparently, when she was born, her mother’s father went to her father’s father and bowed and humbly apologised for his daughter’s failure to produce a son for the family. It’s ten times worse in China, where you only really have two chances. Have one kid and you get concessions; try to have more than two kids and they’ll be down on you hard. Have two girls and it’s a disaster.’
‘Having daughters is not a disaster,’ Michael said vehemently.
‘I know that, you know that, but try telling that to the people who want to continue the family name in a very male-dominated society,’ Simone said. ‘It’ll take a long time for attitudes to change, I think. Look at Josie; her mother’s father went to freaking Harvard, same as you, and still felt the need to apologise.’
‘Hong Kong is very modern now, Simone, there isn’t that sexist attitude around as much any more. There are a lot of women running companies here,’ Michael said.
‘We’ll see what you say if the Nemesis latches on to Emma,’ Simone said with amusement.
‘Oh, no, please don’t wish that on me,’ I said with misery.
‘The Nemesis?’ Michael said.
‘Just a guy,’ Simone said, still amused. ‘You’ll see.’
‘Calling the Nemesis “just a guy” is like calling Typhoon Victor “just a storm”,’ I said. ‘I think I’d rather cross swords with Six.’
‘Be careful what you wish for, Emma,’ Simone said. ‘I’ve seen some very big demons at these things, and Six is probably at them all the time being as he’s so senior in the Triads.’
‘Here we are,’ Michael said, and pulled up outside the hotel entrance. He hopped out and opened the door for me, letting Simone get out herself. He passed the keys to the bellboy, surreptitiously checking him over at the same time, then nodded and moved behind us to guard us as we walked into the lobby.
The area had been lavishly decorated with pink balloons and streamers and large screens with photographs of baby girls and boys from the orphanages pinned to them. The usual socialite mishmash was present, smiling artificially, drinking expensive champagne out of oversized flutes, and talking about nothing at all. I steeled myself; I hated these things, but at fifty thousand dollars a table for ten, the profit for the orphanages was enormous.
I looked around at the patrons of the dinner; as far as I could see, all of them were human. I glanced at Simone, but she was concentrating on the crowd too. I looked back at Michael and he had a similar look on his face. They both snapped back at the same time and shared a look, then Simone spoke into my head.
Two big demons and four small ones present. Large demon twelve o’clock—could be Six but it’s taken the appearance of a young businessman. The other big one’s on his arm, looking like a Malaysian-Chinese princess. The four small ones are scattered around the room looking like ordinary middle-aged—
Michael’s voice overrode her. Heads up! We’ve been spotted. Incoming.
‘Here she is, our favourite little heiress,’ the big demon businessman said as he approached us with a huge grin. The demon princess stayed on the other side of the room, chatting with some overdressed middle-aged socialites. ‘Wonderful job you’ve done to get your little schoolfriends to make their parents come, Simmie.’
Simone’s smile froze. ‘Having fun?’
The demon looked around and gestured expansively. ‘Oh, absolutely.’ He pointed the grin at me and it became more artificial. He changed from cheerful to menacing. ‘Having wonderful fun with your little friends as well, Miss Donahoe. I hope we can work out a very profitable partnership that will see us move towards a bright and golden future together as old friends.’
Careful, Emma, Michael said into my head. You know that ‘old friend’ means very much more to Chinese than it does to Westerners; it means that you each have the guanxi to ask anything of the other.
I nodded to let Michael know that I understood. Nobody had ever had the hubris to attempt to claim old friend status with me, and the minute the words were said to me the relationship, as far as I was concerned, no longer existed. My oldest friends didn’t need labels.
I dropped my voice. ‘Whatever arrangement we have it will never reach the status of old friends. It will be business, and hopefully I will need to have as little contact with you as possible.’
‘Emma!’ A loud voice blasted halfway across the room, and I jumped.
Six’s face hardened when he saw that a human was approaching. ‘See you tomorrow, Emma,’ he said, and returned to the Malaysian princess, who was probably Three in a different form.
Nemesis to the rescue, Simone said wryly into my head.
The Nemesis, Peter Tong, glided towards me. It was his signature to wear traditional Chinese robes, and on his portly figure they looked like a black silk embossed tablecloth. He threw his arms wide and air-kissed me on both cheeks, then pulled back to grin at me like a predator.
He turned the grin on Simone. ‘Simone, honey, tell your stepmother that she needs to look after you better, those clothes are awful. Where did you get them—China Wall Shopping Centre in Lo Wu?’
‘London,’ Simone snapped.
He waved one hand dismissively. ‘Harrods, I’ll bet. Home of all things kitsch.’
She opened her mouth, probably to say something about his retail outlets offering a wide variety of incredibly kitsch Chinese goods for the Western tourists, then shut it again and smiled. She’d had a great deal of diplomatic training for her role as Celestial Princess and some of it had sunk in. ‘I like them,’ she said.
‘Only good thing about Harrods is that Princess Diana, who came through my store more than once, was going to marry into their family,’ the Nemesis said. ‘Now, Emma, I’ve been thinking. It’s just not right what you have to deal with.’ He waved one hand to indicate the crowd of socialites. ‘All these ugly men after you all the time. Having to manage the estate. You need a man around to handle the money for you; you simply can’t do it by yourself.’
‘Emma has an MBA, she’s quite capable of managing the estate’s affairs,’ Simone said.
‘Simone, I’m sorry, darling, but your judgement really isn’t mature yet, you’re just a child,’ the Nemesis said. He turned to me. ‘It’s wrong that you are managing poor Simone’s money; you can’t possibly be doing it right. You shouldn’t have to do any of that. Let me come in and I’ll take it all off your hands, and you won’t need to worry about anything.’
‘I’m quite capable,’ I said.
‘Emma, dear, with all due respect, it doesn’t matter how many pretend correspondence degrees you have from bogus universities, you still aren’t capable of managing a large enterprise like Chen Corp.’
‘Why not?’ Simone said, pinning him down.
He opened a
nd closed his mouth a few times, then raised his hands and grinned. ‘Let’s just face it, men are so much better at business. Look at my corporation; you know I’m not after your money, I probably have more money than you do. I just want to add my expertise to your family, so that it isn’t all handled by…handled by—’
‘Women,’ Simone said cuttingly.
‘If I were to marry you as you’ve suggested, would you arrange for people to dress me so I look more publicly acceptable?’ I said.
‘Yes!’ he said, the grin becoming wider. ‘I’m glad you know you need that!’
‘And I wouldn’t have any input on the way the corporation is run? Basically, all I’d have to do all day is the same thing most of the Tai Tais do, go shopping and have long lunches in Central?’
‘Yes!’ he said, sounding more excited.
‘And I’d be able to sit back and be pampered, while you run everything for me so I don’t need to make a single decision myself?’
‘Doesn’t it sound wonderful?’ he said expansively.
‘No,’ I said. ‘I know what I’m doing, and I know what you’re doing. You want a trophy wife. Fine. Go find one.’ I nodded to Simone. ‘I need to use the bathroom. Be right back.’
‘I think that’s a “no”,’ Simone said. ‘And the last time you asked, it was a “no” as well.’
The Nemesis stood there, stunned for a moment, then his grin returned. I heard his reply as I walked away. ‘She just needs some time to think about it, darling Simone. You should talk to her about how much better things would be if I were to help.’
‘I will. I’ll make sure she knows every detail of exactly what her life would be like with you,’ Simone said.
The bell rang for everybody to go into the hall. ‘Hurry up, Emma, it’s starting,’ she called to me, and I raised one hand to indicate that I understood.
When I came out of the ladies room Michael was waiting for me, posted at the end of the corridor.
‘What about Simone?’ I said as he fell into step behind me.
