by Kylie Chan
He hugged me tighter and thrust his pelvis into me. I dropped my weight slightly, pushed one shoulder into him and tossed him over my shoulder onto his back. He grinned at me from the ground and disappeared.
I unclipped the Murasame and dismissed it, then climbed into the front passenger side of the car. ‘Let’s go.’
Back at the Academy I went straight to the IT hub. Gold, Zara and Calcite were sitting in a circle around the stack of disks piled haphazardly on the floor.
‘They can’t talk, they’re down. Let me link in,’ the stone said. ‘Done.’
‘How long?’ I said.
‘They’ve processed about seventy-five per cent,’ the stone said. ‘They’re doing well. The data was mostly unfragmented. They’ll have it put back together later tonight.’
‘Not another late-night phone call,’ I said. ‘What’s the rock next to the disks for?’
‘Storage. That holds the data from the Department of Statistics.’
‘Is there anything I can do?’
‘No. Leave them to it and have an early night.’ I turned to go out but it stopped me. ‘Wait. My mistake. They are seventy-five per cent through the contents of the disks. They will then need to finish processing the data from the Department of Statistics. Then they will need to cross-reference.’ It was silent for another moment. ‘My apologies, ma’am, my child says at least twelve hours.’
‘Damn,’ I said. ‘Plenty of time for the demon to get ahead of us.’
‘They apologise and say that they are working as fast as they can.’
‘No need to apologise,’ I said.
When I arrived back at my office, Leo was there, in his wheelchair across the desk from Chang.
‘I don’t know where you found this one, Emma,’ he said without looking away from Chang. ‘But I think you should send him back.’
‘What did you say to him, Chang? Leo is one of the most senior and respected Masters in the Academy.’
Chang gestured towards Leo. ‘How can he be a Master in a wheelchair? Why do you keep him around when he’s lost the use of his legs? Surely the best for all concerned would be for him to retire.’
‘Let me handle this, Emma,’ Leo said through his teeth and wheeled himself to the doorway. He concentrated for a moment then snapped back. ‘Training room fourteen is free. You and me, little Chinese boy. Let’s see what you got.’
Chang rose, his face fierce with restrained anger. ‘I cannot believe a black man would call anyone “boy”. I will not go easy on you because you are a cripple.’
Leo appeared shocked, then his face went hard again. ‘Somebody warned you about insulting me, eh? Too bad you didn’t learn anything.’ He wheeled himself through the door. ‘Follow me.’
Aren’t you going to stop them, Emma? the stone said as I followed Chang out the door.
Nah, I said. This will be interesting.
‘There is no honour to be gained in defeating a cripple, but in this case he has more than asked for it,’ Chang said, still glaring at Leo as we arrived at the lifts.
I didn’t reply, I just crossed my arms over my chest.
‘Nice outfit, Emma,’ Leo said as the lift doors opened.
‘Yeah, someone at the pier asked me where they could buy one.’
‘We should branch out into the costume business,’ Leo said. He wheeled himself out of the lift two floors higher and headed towards room fourteen. He stopped and glanced up at me. ‘You don’t need to come along for this. I can handle myself.’
‘I know that,’ I said. ‘Humour an old woman.’
‘Laugh a minute,’ Leo said grimly.
We entered room fourteen and I closed the door. Leo took one side of the room and Chang stood on the other.
‘If you choose you can use a weapon,’ Chang said. ‘It will make this fairer.’
‘Oh, that’s funny,’ Leo said. ‘Because I was about to say the same thing.’
Chang sensibly moved into a low guard, standing slightly side-on to Leo with his right hand in front of his pelvis and his left at waist-level. Leo didn’t move, then his face screwed up with concentration and he rose and stepped out of the wheelchair, pushing it away behind him.
Wow, the Lion really is pissed, the stone said.
Chang moved to a higher guard, looking Leo in the eye. Leo moved into a standard long defensive stance and both of them remained completely still for a good sixty seconds. Leo was slightly taller than Chang, but they were close on the same size and build otherwise.
Oh, this is a good match, the stone said. Leo is terribly out of practice, you know that, ma’am.
I nodded almost imperceptibly and the movement was enough to set them off. They both took two huge strides forward to each other. Leo dropped to perform a roundhouse kick to take Chang’s feet out from under him; Chang went for Leo’s head with a straight right.
Leo’s kick worked and Chang hit the floor, rolling and springing upright. Leo didn’t attack again, he took two steps back and stood waiting with his guard up.
‘Is the wheelchair a ruse?’ Chang said. ‘Do you deal in lies?’
‘No,’ Leo said. ‘My spine is destroyed. Ninety-nine per cent of the time I can’t walk when I’m in human form.’
Chang straightened slightly. ‘Human form? You are a Shen?’
Leo’s face went blank and he dropped his guard. ‘Well, how about that. I guess I am.’
Chang took the opportunity to rush Leo, attacking with both left and right. Leo blocked him easily, striking him in the abdomen and knocking him back but not moving in to finish it. He took another defensive stance and waited for Chang.
Chang moved sideways a couple of steps, measuring Leo, and Leo followed the movement, turning without lowering his guard. Chang went in again, this time using a close-in hold and attempting to floor Leo. Leo was overbalanced for a second, then turned his weight around and used it to drop Chang heavily onto his back.
Chang flipped up and took a couple of steps back. He didn’t hesitate; he went for Leo again before Leo was fully ready, with a flurry of blows at his head, faster than the eye could see. Leo blocked all of them easily, took one on the forearm, twisted it down and used it to unbalance Chang. He spun Chang so he was facing away from him and pushed him away, nearly tipping him over again.
Leo moved into a long defensive stance.
Chang dropped to one knee and lowered his head. ‘I apologise for insulting you, my Lord. I concede.’
Leo straightened, bewildered, then collapsed as his legs gave way. Chang jumped up to help him and Leo dazedly accepted his assistance into the wheelchair.
‘Good,’ I said. ‘Back to my office, we have work to do.’
I discussed plans for the raid with Leo and Chang as I went through the papers in my in-tray. ‘Tomorrow we’re going into Shenzhen to nail this Geek demon that’s been making the fake elementals. How’d it go with rounding up help, Chang?’
Chang jumped up and ran out of my office, then returned with a notepad. ‘The Masters Liu request your indulgence in permitting them to stay here and “mind the shop”. Marshal Ma says that three generals — Marshal Guang Ze of the Wind Wheel, Marshal Bi Tian Hua of the Rolling Thunder, and Marshal Zhu Bo Niang of the Heavenly Sword — can attend you. He says,’ he checked the paper, ‘“these three losers can cover most elemental attacks if we can keep them sober long enough”.’ His eyes went wide and he looked up at me. ‘Is he serious?’
‘Nah, they’re about the most sober of the generals we have,’ I said. ‘You should see Liang Tien out on the town though. He’s an animal.’
‘With four legs, the body of a dragon and the head of a monster,’ Leo said.
‘That’s the one,’ I said. ‘Three generals, Leo, me, the Tiger said he’d show, a couple of stones to lead the way — oh, and Simone. That should be plenty to take this little Geek down.’
‘Me too, ma’am,’ Chang said.
I leaned back. ‘You haven’t sworn allegiance yet.’
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p; Chang rose out of his chair and fell to one knee in front of me. I stood up; this was a big step and it was right to acknowledge it.
‘I swear allegiance to you, my Lady,’ Chang said. ‘I will follow you to the ends of the Earth; I will obey your every order without question; I will protect you with my life. This I swear.’
I sat down again, and so did he.
‘You’re ordered to stay behind,’ I said. ‘You’re not coming with us.’
Chang opened his mouth and closed it. Leo hid his smile.
‘Did Marshal Ma say when and where we’re meeting?’ I said.
‘Nine o’clock tomorrow morning,’ Chang said. ‘Here at the Academy.’
‘That works,’ I said. ‘Let’s run through this, then call it a night.’
‘I’ll see you back at home, Emma,’ Leo said. He patted Chang on the back as he wheeled himself out. ‘Look after her.’
When Chang and I were done, I called Simone on the way down in the elevator.
‘And he peed on the carpet in my room and now it has to be replaced! Hello?’
‘It’s me. Are you coming home for dinner?’
‘Let me check my timetable.’ She made some weird noises as she rummaged around in her bag, obviously with her phone jammed under her chin. ‘Can you use something a little less mundane to call me so I don’t have to bother with the handset?’
‘The stone has to use one of its children to relay all the time — not worth it.’
‘That makes sense. I have a demon essence class in thirty minutes, then that’s all for tonight. I’ll be home about eight. Is that okay?’
‘We’re all having dinner at home tonight to welcome Michael out of hospital. He’s bringing Clarissa. Can you make it a bit earlier?’
‘Can someone use a stone or something to record the lesson on demon essences?’ she said.
‘I’ll do it for you, Simone,’ a girl said.
‘Thanks.’ She came back to me. ‘I’ll see you there.’
I put my phone back in my bag and turned to Chang, who was with me in the lift. ‘I’ll drive you to the New Folly then take the car up to the Peak. Take the bus to the Academy tomorrow morning.’
‘I can drive you home, ma’am,’ he said.
‘How are you supposed to get home after that?’ I said. ‘The car has to stay at the Peak tonight, for the meeting tomorrow morning. No, I’ll drop you.’
‘So tonight’s dinner is family only?’ he said.
‘That’s right.’
‘And Lord Leo is family?’
‘More than you know.’
Michael gently guided Clarissa to a seat at the table. She sat down looking uncomfortable.
‘It’s nice to see you again,’ I said, trying to break the tension.
‘You all look so normal,’ she said.
‘We can be completely normal when we want to be,’ Simone said. ‘Come shopping with us sometime. Leo takes ages trying stuff on, and Emma hates the whole business and doesn’t stop complaining.’
‘Well, it’s boring,’ I said.
‘I do not!’ Leo said.
Clarissa relaxed slightly, smiling.
‘That’s more like it,’ I said. ‘Do you have anything you want to ask us? Michael’s probably told you a lot of stuff, but you must have some questions.’
Monica brought in a tray holding the dinner dishes, smiled around the table and went out.
‘You forgot the rice again!’ Leo called.
She poked her head around the door. ‘No, I didn’t, sir, it’s coming with the soup.’ She waved one hand at him, smiling with mischief. ‘So impatient. Aren’t you supposed to be serene and calm and mystical?’
He made a soft sound of amusement and shook his head. ‘She gets cheekier every day. I blame Marcus.’
Clarissa studied Leo. ‘You really are an Immortal? I’ve heard the stories — she’s right.’
‘There are two types of Immortals,’ Leo said, enjoying her attention. ‘Those that achieve the Tao — the Way — and attune themselves to the Universe through a process of mystical bull — nonsense.’
Simone nearly spat out her tea.
‘And then there are the Immortals like me, who were Raised as a sort of Celestial promotion — I was given the Elixir of Immortality by the Jade Emperor himself. I don’t have the purity of spirit that those other Immortals do. I eat meat, I hook up with —’ He stopped. ‘Anyway, I’m more like a super-powered ordinary mortal-type guy.’
‘And then there are the ones like Michael’s dad,’ I said. ‘Nature spirits, who are elemental and powerful and completely inhuman. They can choose to attain the Tao if they wish, but they’re Immortal anyway, and they retain their animal nature whatever they do.’
‘Which explains the hundred wives,’ Michael said.
‘I met some of them,’ Clarissa said. ‘How do they put up with it?’
‘Michael’s mother didn’t,’ Simone said. ‘She left him.’
‘The only one who did,’ Michael said thoughtfully. ‘And when she went back to him, it killed her.’
Monica brought in the rice and soup. ‘Master Leo’s rice.’
‘Emma, you’re Michael’s boss, right?’ Clarissa said.
‘Until Lord Xuan Wu returns, yes, I am.’
‘How much danger will he be in if he returns to work for you?’
I put my chopsticks down and sat back. ‘You’ll never be in danger.’
‘That’s not what I’m asking,’ she said. ‘We’re talking about moving in together. That dog is great fun, by the way. But if we’re living together, and he’s working for you, how often will I be sitting there waiting for him to come home and not having any idea where he is?’
‘You never asked this before,’ Michael said.
‘I want to ask her, not you,’ Clarissa said. ‘She’s the one you’ll be guarding — the one you’ll be taking a bullet for if need be.’
I nodded. ‘I understand.’ I tapped the stone. ‘Hey, wake up.’
‘Who is this?’ the stone said.
‘Michael’s girlfriend.’
‘Bah, ordinary human,’ the stone said. ‘You woke me up for this?’
‘Who’s that speaking?’ Clarissa said.
‘It’s the stone in my engagement ring, a piece of sentient jade,’ I said. ‘It’s rude, arrogant and abusive.’
‘You forgot lazy,’ the stone said.
‘Yeah, that too. Anyway, stone, ask Zara if she’d like to do a job for me when she’s free from everything else. I need someone to act as a link between Clarissa and Michael while he’s working on the Celestial.’
‘Zara belongs to my dad,’ Michael said.
‘Precisely,’ I said. ‘Is it okay with you?’
‘It’s a great idea,’ he said.
I would be honoured, Zara said.
All yours, the Tiger said.
‘Okay, Clarissa, here’s what we’ll do. We’re going to give you a stone — a diamond — that talks just like my engagement ring. You can use it to talk to Michael anytime you like and keep in touch with him regardless of where he is. Right now, the stone is busy doing a computing job for me, but when she’s free, she’s all yours. Her name is Zara.’
‘A diamond?’ Clarissa said, turning to Michael, her eyes wide.
‘You’ll love her when you meet her,’ he said. He turned back to the food. ‘Dinner’s getting cold. Let me get you some of this chicken, Monica does amazing things with it.’
Clarissa opened her mouth to say something, then changed her mind, her disappointment evident.
I don’t know who’s more stupid, you or Michael, the stone said.
Me, I said.
Michael smiled at Clarissa, completely unaware.
CHAPTER 27
I arrived at the Academy the next morning to find a bunch of people in front of Chang’s desk and him sitting bewildered behind it.
‘Chang, escort our honoured guests to meeting room nine, the conference room on this floor, and have
the demons serve them tea,’ I said. ‘I’ll be along shortly, everyone.’
‘Come with me,’ Simone said. ‘Chang, stay here. I’ll look after them.’
I went into my office and quickly checked the email. Nothing important. ‘Are they done?’ I asked the stone.
‘No,’ it said. ‘They’re still cross-indexing.’
‘Computers … always takes longer than they say.’
‘Call any of the stones “computers” to their faces …’
‘I know, I know, mortal insult, et cetera, et cetera. Nothing important here, I might as well go join the generals in room nine,’ I said. ‘Where’s that goddamn Tiger?’
‘No reply,’ the stone said.
‘I know what he’s doing,’ I said. ‘Oversexed bastard.’
‘Ma’am, sometimes …’ the stone said, and its voice trailed off.
‘Yes?’
‘Never mind.’
‘I sound like John. Yes, I’m hearing it myself now.’ I headed out to meeting room nine. ‘And it’s freaking me out as well.’
The generals rose and saluted me as I entered, then we all sat. Zhu Bo Niang’s usual form was a girl of fifteen, but for this meeting she’d aged to about thirty, and wore an elegant pink twin set and cream tailored slacks. The two male generals wore no-nonsense robes and armour.
‘The stones are still working on it,’ I said. ‘We should have a result soon.’
‘You can tell us about Nu Wa while we’re waiting,’ Zhu Bo Niang said. ‘I hear she was nothing as expected.’
‘She’s sad and lonely and won’t leave her pavilion,’ Simone said. ‘I wish the Celestial would send her a message to say she can come back.’
‘We do,’ Guang Ze said. ‘We’ve been sending her messages for thousands of years, and she hasn’t replied.’
‘Tell us about this demon we’re hunting,’ Bi Tian Hua said. ‘Sounds fun.’
‘Stone, put up a couple of pictures of the fake elementals he’s made,’ I said, and a collection of three-dimensional images of the various types of elementals appeared over the table. ‘He’s part of the original trio that was assisting One Two Two nine years ago; they were controlling stones, making fake elementals and making demonic copies of humans that are close to undetectable.’
