by Kylie Chan
‘What does the message say?’
‘I’ll show you,’ the stone said. ‘It’s your mind; you have a right to see.’
The stone projected a floating two-dimensional image, bright with light, next to the bed. The Demon King stood in the middle of the frame, in his normal mid-twenties human form. He smiled wryly and waved one hand. ‘Hi, guys. About time you had a look inside her. Isn’t she fascinating? Look deeper and you’ll find a whole lot more that’s been there all along.’ He leaned in to the camera and grinned. ‘You fell in love with a construct, Ah Wu.’ He leaned back. ‘I’m about to drop her off in Lan Kwai Fong, but you’ll find her, I know you will. It’s in your oath. I’ve planted the name of the location in her head …’
‘Boat at anchor,’ I said.
‘And left clues in Singapore on where I am …’
‘We never found any of them,’ John said. ‘We didn’t look hard enough.’
‘… so she’ll lead you to me very soon. If my plan works out, I’ll have the Serpent at the very least, and there’s a remote chance I’ll have all of you.’ He punched the table in front of him. ‘Yes. Now know this: I will put you in a cage of jade, Xuan Wu.’ He dropped his voice menacingly. ‘I will find Kwan Yin in her guise of the Little Grandfather and I will lock her up and throw away the key — in Hell, she’s mine.’
‘I already warned her,’ John said.
‘I will put you in a cage of jade, and then I will ride out with my army and reclaim …’ His face filled with fury and he yelled the words. ‘My world! Our world! We were here long before these humans, and we will take it back, and control them all.’ He calmed. ‘And then we will take an army of the humans that you love so much and we will march on the Heavens. We will destroy everything, and control everything, and we will cage all of you.’ He spread his hands and grew larger, turning black as he changed to his male Snake Mother form. ‘I have already destroyed half your army on the Mountain with my demon copies. Fair warning, Xuan Wu: I am coming for you.’
The image blinked out.
‘Rest now,’ John said. ‘Six hours being probed like that will leave some severe bruising.’
‘I want to rest in the Residence with you,’ I said. ‘You’re back and I want to be with you.’
John looked at Edwin, who nodded.
‘I’ll carry you,’ John said.
‘Not by teleport!’ I said.
‘No, I’ll carry you.’ He stood, wrapped the hospital blanket around me and lifted me like a child. ‘Let’s take you home.’
‘Is Simone okay?’ I said as he carried me out into the crisp autumn night. ‘Oh! It’s snowing.’
Soft, fat flakes drifted down around us, and this time they didn’t melt when they touched the ground.
‘Simone is at home,’ John said. ‘She cried for a long time about Freddo. She’s happy that you haven’t changed much. And she said, “Always knew you were an idiot rushing into stuff, Emma.”’
‘She knows me so well.’ I cuddled into John. ‘Knew me so well. I’ll be changed. I hope you will still love me.’
‘I will always love you,’ he said, his voice warm and low. ‘Bedtime.’
‘You just said some of the finest words ever said in the history of the world.’
‘You’re not serious,’ he said as he carried me up the stairs in the Residence.
‘Sleep,’ I said.
‘That’s more like it. I was wondering if we had to go back in and check the sex drive. You have the headache from hell, you shouldn’t be wanting anything.’
‘Not tonight,’ I said.
‘Perfectly understandable.’ He laid me on the bed. ‘I need to build the fire. Go to sleep.’ He pulled the covers over me and I wriggled down under them.
‘How is it you can do magic but you can’t make fire?’ I said.
‘If you want a fireplace full of hot water,’ he said, ‘then I can do that no problem at all.’
I drifted off to the sound of logs being piled in the fireplace, and was only vaguely aware of him joining me and holding me close.
Simone, Leo and Martin joined us for breakfast the next day.
‘I’m sorry about Freddo,’ I said.
Simone didn’t look at me. ‘Better than dead, I suppose. Freddo’s father is being investigated; it looks like he was a plant too.’
‘Do you feel different, Emma?’ Leo said. ‘You don’t sound different.’
I shook my head. ‘It will probably show the first time we’re in a dangerous situation. I’ll experience fear for the first time in a very long time.’
‘It’ll be good for you,’ Martin said. ‘Fear is a healthy reaction. Overcoming it is courage. Knowing when to run away is intelligence.’
John studied Martin, then nodded once.
‘John,’ I said, ‘I have nothing to do! You took all my work away. I’m dying of boredom. For God’s sake, put something in my in-tray before I go mad.’
‘I’ll put you back on the teaching roster as well,’ he said.
‘So what’s the plan for today?’
They all shared a look and the room went very quiet.
‘Uh-oh. What’s up?’
‘You have to face trial by the Jade Emperor.’
‘Oh shit,’ I said softly. ‘I forgot about that.’
‘Emma!’ Leo said. He pointed at Simone with his fork. ‘In front of the children. Really!’
‘Yes, I’m damaged for life, I’ll turn out a total delinquent now,’ Simone said. ‘Any of that paint left over, Dad? I’ll go spray graffiti all over the Celestial Palace.’
‘You may need more colours to do it right, I used most of it,’ John said.
‘Come and help me knock over an art shop then.’
He shrugged. ‘Only if I can do some graffiti too.’
I studied my toast. I knew what they were doing, but it wasn’t working. Half the Celestial was after our heads.
John took me to the Celestial Palace himself, riding on a cloud. I wore a simple Mountain uniform; he was in ordinary human form, similarly dressed.
I leaned back into him and he put his arms around me. ‘Any idea what will happen to us?’ I said.
‘None whatsoever. We’ll have to take it as it comes.’
‘You won’t have to …’ I took a deep breath, ‘… execute me if that’s ordered, will you?’
He was silent.
‘Oh, John.’
‘It’s unlikely your execution will be ordered,’ he said. ‘You were changed by the Demon King; you were not fully in control of your faculties. You have a legitimate defence.’
‘No, I don’t. I did something stupid and your Serpent is imprisoned because of it.’ I took another deep breath and wiped my eyes. ‘I’ve never been so terrified in my life. Is this the new me?’
He didn’t reply.
‘I’m not sure I like it.’
‘Too bad, I love it,’ he said, pulling me tighter.
We landed outside the gates, and he raised one hand to open them. We went inside. Again, the courtyard was deserted.
‘Every single Shen in the Heavens will be up there waiting for us,’ I said. I squared my shoulders. ‘Let’s give them a show they won’t forget.’
‘There’s your natural courage coming through,’ John said with satisfaction. ‘I knew you had it in you.’
We linked hands, said the words and took a step forwards. The Door Gods were waiting for us outside the hall.
‘Hey, guys, heard what happened; that sucks,’ General Qin said. ‘Organise yourselves to go get your Serpent out, please. We need the combined Xuan Wu back. The Celestial is way too long on pretty and extremely short on ugly.’
‘We have you,’ General Wei said to him.
General Qin nodded. ‘True.’ He patted us on the shoulders. ‘In you go, guys, and remember that some of us are on your side.’
‘We appreciate it,’ John said, and we followed them into the hall.
The hall was fuller than I had ever seen it
. The Shen crowded around the gold carpet, watching us with a mix of curiosity and malice.
‘Lord Xuan Wu and Lady Emma Donahoe,’ General Qin said.
‘John, you didn’t take Celestial Form,’ I said softly.
‘I’m doing this human,’ he said.
We walked side by side down the carpet towards the dais. The Jade Emperor was in Celestial Form; the first time I’d seen it. He appeared as a slim, elderly gentleman, three metres tall, glowing with shen energy.
We stopped at the base of the dais and knelt as warriors. ‘Ten thousand times ten thousand years.’
‘Rise,’ the Jade Emperor said.
We stood and faced him side by side.
Er Lang was in Celestial Form as well: three metres tall wearing scaled armour of green and gold. He unrolled a scroll and read from it. ‘The Lord Xuan Wu and the Lady Emma Donahoe are accused of recklessly endangering the Celestial by walking into a trap set by the Demon King without adequate military intelligence and support.’
We’re basically accused of doing something stupid, John said.
I shrugged almost imperceptibly. Tell him, guilty as charged, I said to the stone.
Yep. Time to be brave, John said.
‘Lord Xuan. You had a whole army and thirty-five mighty Generals at your command,’ the Jade Emperor said. ‘Why did you rush in with the weakest of your Retainers after six of the most powerful Generals had just been destroyed?’
‘My daughter was held by the demons,’ John said. ‘There is nothing on any Plane that will keep me from her when she is in peril.’
‘No, it was me, I was rushing in,’ I said, interrupting. ‘He tried to stop me, Majesty, but when Simone is in danger nothing will stand between me and her.’
‘Did you try to stop her, Xuan Wu?’ the Jade Emperor said.
For God’s sake, make him tell the truth, I said.
He must anyway in this place, the stone said. You just did him a huge favour.
John hesitated for a long moment, then dropped his voice and said, ‘Yes, I did. I asked her repeatedly not to do it, and gave up and went along when it was apparent that she was determined.’
There was a ripple of consternation through the hall.
‘There are mitigating circumstances, Majesty,’ John said. ‘The Demon King held her for years before she came to me, and her personality was altered so that she would do exactly as she has done. She was changed so that if my daughter was in danger, she would rush in without thought or fear to assist her.’
The Jade Emperor glared at John. ‘You allowed a creature modified by the Demon King to enter your household?’
‘The modifications were almost undetectable, and enhanced her courage and love for my daughter,’ John said. ‘They only made her a stronger ally.’
‘Did the Demon King at any time have control over her actions?’
‘No, Majesty.’
‘So she has done this stupid thing, disobeyed you and rushed in unprepared, entirely of her own accord?’
There was another rustle of noise through the hall.
‘She loves my daughter more than her life. She would risk anything to protect Simone.’
‘And I love her,’ Simone said from somewhere in the crowd to the left of us.
‘If she had not thought quickly and killed my Turtle half, both of me would be imprisoned,’ John said.
‘That will be taken into consideration,’ the Jade Emperor said. ‘Lord Xuan, you are not to be corrected, but be warned that if this happens again your position will be in jeopardy.’
John fell to one knee beside me. ‘I understand, Majesty.’
The Jade Emperor raised one hand towards me. ‘Lady Emma. Plead your case. Give me one good reason not to execute you.’
The hall went very still and quiet. I started to talk, but my voice wouldn’t come out. I gulped and coughed, then started again.
‘I do not defend my actions,’ I said. ‘I will do anything to protect Simone. I admit that I’ve done something stupid that has imprisoned Xuan Wu and put all the Celestial at risk. Punish me as you see fit, Majesty.’
No, Emma, John said.
I ignored him. ‘I take full responsibility. He tried to stop me and I rushed in regardless, arrogantly over-confident in my abilities. The Demon King has been assisting me all along, and I was unprepared when faced with the real threat. I am a small human in a world of mighty demons and Shen, and I have been given a fast, hard lesson in humility.’
‘Oh, Emma,’ Simone said.
‘You are a profound demonstration of the value of the Tao — the way of detachment — in making us better able to deal with matters of importance,’ the Jade Emperor said.
‘I will spend more time in meditation upon the Way, Majesty.’
‘That is certain, madam, because you will not be doing anything else.’ The Jade Emperor held out his hand and a scroll appeared in it. He passed the scroll to Er Lang, who opened it to read it.
‘Emma Donahoe,’ he said, his voice fierce.
I dropped so that I was on both knees with my hands in my lap and my head bowed. ‘This small human is present and honoured, my Lord.’
‘You are hereby removed from all duties. You will have no title, no responsibility, no seniority, and no position on the Celestial at all. You may not teach, attend or contribute to the administration of either Wudangshan or the Northern Heavens. You may not advise the Dark Lord in matters of policy or protocol. You may not sit as his rightful partner until your marriage to him is formalised. Until then you are to take the position of servant to the Dark Lord in all public engagements. You are stripped of all rank and precedence, and banished from the Court until further notice.’ He rolled up the scroll. ‘Ten thousand years.’
‘Not enough. We want her head!’ someone shouted from the back of the hall.
I touched my forehead to the floor and tried to keep my voice steady. ‘This small human thanks his Majesty for his merciful correction of her erroneous ways.’
‘Dismissed,’ the Jade Emperor said.
‘Ten thousand years,’ John and I said in unison, then rose and backed out of the hall.
Our staff gathered protectively around me outside the Hall. Occasionally, a Shen hissed something threatening as they went past.
‘I really don’t know what I’m going to do with you,’ John said. ‘There was absolutely no need for that.’
‘We need to get her out of here before she’s lynched,’ Gold said.
‘I’ll take her,’ John said. ‘Let’s go back to the Mountain.’
Simone moved in front of me and put her hands on my arms. ‘Are you okay, Emma? You look like you’re about to pass out.’
I ran my hands through my hair and retied my ponytail. ‘New me, I guess. I honestly thought I’d be executed.’ My eyes filled with tears and I wiped them. ‘I just want to go home.’
John crushed me into a fierce hug and teleported me down to the gates. Once we were through them, he summoned a cloud and we took off.
‘You have the choice,’ he said. ‘I can wipe your memory, change your face, and you can return to your parents as if you had never met me. It would be as if all of this never happened.’
I took his hands and wrapped them around me. ‘Do you still want me, Xuan Wu?’
‘More than anything.’
‘And I want to be with you. More than anything. I miss my family, but I want to be with you.’
He relaxed behind me. ‘I don’t think you’ve changed that much.’
‘I was completely terrified in there.’
He squeezed me gently. ‘So was I. For a moment I thought he would order your execution.’
I leaned back into him. ‘Enforced holiday. What am I going to do with myself?’
‘Do your PhD. They keep sending you letters offering one.’
‘Fat lot of good that will do me when I can’t work with you.’
‘The sentence isn’t forever, Emma. One day you’ll be able to take your pla
ce by my side assisting me to run Wudang, and that is a day to heartily look forward to. Take this as an opportunity to gain mastery of the Arts and the Throne. Because the minute I’ve Raised you, you’re standing next to me.’
‘Will the Jade Emperor still let you do that?’
‘Of course. I promised. It will be.’
‘You still have to find me.’
‘I already did.’
‘You sure that was it? Cheung was the one who really found me.’
He was silent for a moment and I knew I was right.
‘Whatever,’ I said, holding his hands. ‘Minor setback. We’ll get there. And when the Demon King comes to try to take over, we’ll fight him and take him down.’
‘You haven’t changed at all,’ he said with quiet delight.
We approached the Mountain, and John slowed the cloud so we could admire it. The banners snapped on top of the walls: half of them plain black, the other half black with the Seven Stars motif. The black buildings and green pines were covered in a light dusting of snow, making them gleam in the sunlight. A fresh breeze, full of the scent of the snow and pines, lifted our hair.
‘That is so beautiful,’ I said.
‘I am so glad I can share it with you,’ he said.
‘It’s home,’ I said. ‘Home with you and Simone.’ I squeezed his hands where he held me. ‘Let’s go home.’
CHAPTER 36
Gold, John and I were in John’s office discussing the limits on my activities when there was a commotion outside.
‘I don’t care if he’s in a meeting, he’s seeing me now!’ Qing Long yelled.
The double doors flew open and the Dragon planted himself just inside. He pointed at me, his finger quivering with rage. ‘This … thing is your downfall, Turtle, and you need to stand down. You are no longer capable of running the Heavens, and I do not acknowledge you as Sovereign.’
John rose, his voice mild. ‘Ah Qing, think carefully before —’
Qing Long cut him off. ‘You should be thrown from Heaven! Do you know how many of us are signing a petition to the Jade Emperor?’
