Small Shen

by Kylie Chan

  ‘I love Chinese food,’ Daniel said to the back of Gold’s head.

  ‘Not every day,’ Michelle said. ‘Don’t worry. Monica, my housekeeper, cooks very well, my chef from Florida came out and taught her.’ She gestured as Leo eased the car up the long, overgrown drive off Black Road. ‘Here we are, Lo Wu’s apartments. He owns the whole building.’

  ‘Does he, now?’ Daniel said appraisingly.

  Leo grimaced in the corner of Gold’s eye.

  ‘What did you call him?’ Daniel said as they got out of the car.

  Michelle grinned. ‘Lo Wu. It means “Old Wu”. “Wu” is his Chinese name. Lo Wu is also the name of the extremely nasty crowded train station that you pass through when you cross into China.’

  ‘He is nasty and crowded?’

  Michelle gestured for Daniel to follow her into the lift. ‘When he wants to be, yes!’

  After dinner, while Michelle and Daniel were in the master bedroom cuddling Simone and catching up, Gold tapped on Leo’s door.

  ‘Who is it?’

  ‘Me,’ Gold said.

  ‘Come on in, pal, you know you don’t need to knock.’

  Leo was lounging on the couch in the living area of his suite, watching an American action film. Gold sat next to him. ‘This Daniel — has he always been like this?’

  Leo nodded. ‘He led me down a merry garden path before I realised — he does that to everybody.’

  ‘Do you think he’ll even try the Dark Lord?’

  ‘He’ll have a go at Monica, man. He plays the “dashing man about town” to the hilt.’

  ‘He is very dashing,’ Gold said ruefully.

  ‘Look.’ Leo ran one hand over his face. ‘Michelle doesn’t know. I think it would be better that she doesn’t. Can you talk to Mr Chen for me?’

  Gold nodded. ‘Done. First thing tomorrow, when he is finished with the morning’s briefing.’

  Leo grinned. ‘Got anything planned for the rest of the evening?’

  Gold smiled, coy. ‘Why, did you have something in mind?’

  Leo shifted closer. ‘Maybe. Maybe I’d like to have a feel of your stone.’

  Gold reclined so his head was in Leo’s lap. ‘You’ve never called me dashing.’

  ‘I’ve never called you a love rat, either,’ Leo said, his voice rumbling through his body.

  ‘Love rat, eh? That’s a good name for it.’

  ‘Complete lack of integrity.’ Leo traced Gold’s collarbone through his shirt. ‘Glad you’re not like that. You showed me the stone the first day, and didn’t hide anything.’

  ‘I’m glad I’m not like that too.’

  Gold went in to see the Dark Lord the next morning. The Dark Lord’s hair was greying at the roots and his face was lined with worry; he was losing energy quickly and needed to return to the Mountain.

  ‘Are you sure you will last five more weeks, my Lord?’ Gold said, concerned.

  ‘I must.’

  ‘Leave a couple of days before we take Lady Michelle and the baby up, sir.’

  ‘No.’

  Gold rubbed his hands over his face. ‘We have a slight problem.’

  Xuan Wu turned away from the database of the latest intake of Mountain students. ‘Wonderful. What now?’

  ‘Lady Michelle’s brother, Daniel.’

  Xuan Wu’s face became grim.

  ‘Has he tried you as well, my Lord?’

  ‘I did not understand what he was suggesting for a very long time, as I could not believe that anyone could be so without integrity. He would betray his own sister! If he was a subject of mine, he would have been executed for such gross indecency. I take it that Michelle does not know.’

  Gold shook his head.

  ‘How much longer is he here for?’

  ‘Thirteen days. We need to protect the household, my Lord.’

  ‘He wouldn’t try Monica out, she is middle-aged and plain of feature, even though her heart is made of solid gold.’ He smiled slightly. ‘Her golden heart is purer than yours, stone.’

  ‘Her age and plain appearance wouldn’t stop him, my Lord. He would perceive Monica as belonging to both you and Lady Michelle, and therefore will try to take her from you.’

  ‘Then just try to keep him away from her. There is not much else we can do.’

  Gold hesitated; but the Dark Lord was right. They couldn’t lock Daniel away, all they could do was try to protect Monica and hope he didn’t harass her.

  ‘We just have to keep him busy, I suppose,’ Gold said.

  ‘Take him out, show him around,’ Xuan Wu said. ‘Wear him out.’

  Gold smiled without humour. ‘Good idea.’

  Michelle announced her singing comeback over lunch a week later, two weeks after giving birth to Simone.

  ‘It’s not right for you to go out yet. New mothers are supposed to stay indoors at home for the first six weeks,’ Xuan Wu said.

  ‘I want to go out. I want to make an announcement that my “throat polyps” have healed.’

  ‘Even if you do, the baby can’t go out,’ Xuan Wu said. ‘The demons don’t know that she exists, and she must stay a secret, especially while she is so tiny and vulnerable.’

  ‘A journalist is coming over tomorrow so I can announce that I am returning to the stage,’ Michelle said. ‘Simone need not go out, she can go on the bottle, and Monica can care for her at home.’

  ‘It’s better for her to be breastfed, Michelle. It’s healthier,’ Leo said.

  ‘She will be perfectly fine on the bottle, most Chinese babies are bottle-fed by their amahs while the mothers return to work.’

  ‘You don’t need to return to work, though!’ Leo protested.

  ‘You have no idea, dear Leo, how much I do. Now, where is Monica? We must start arranging for Simone to be weaned off me so I can have my freedom back! Monica! Monica?’

  Xuan Wu concentrated, and Monica came into the dining room from the kitchen. ‘Ma’am?’

  ‘Monica, after lunch, Leo will take you to the department store down in Central, and buy all the bottle-feeding equipment you will need.’

  Monica lit up. ‘You’re putting her on the bottle? It’s for the best, ma’am.’

  ‘It’s not for the best,’ Leo growled.

  ‘Can I take the baby into my room as well, ma’am? At night?’ Monica said.

  ‘Only if I am performing, but I will probably have a comeback concert soon,’ Michelle said.

  Monica nodded. ‘I understand, ma’am.’

  ‘Where is Daniel? I haven’t seen him all day.’

  ‘Master Daniel and Miss Jade have spent the day together,’ Monica said. ‘They have been spending quite a lot of time together.’

  Michelle frowned. ‘Ugh. I hope there is no chance of them forming a relationship, because Shen are very hard to deal with.’ She grinned mischievously. ‘Right, Leo?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Leo said.

  ‘Ma’am…’ Monica began, then trailed off.

  ‘Hmm?’

  ‘Uh… Nothing.’ Monica smiled around the table. ‘Is that all?’

  ‘Yes, Monica, thank you,’ Michelle said.

  Later that evening, Jade tapped on Leo’s door. ‘Enter,’ Leo said.

  Jade hesitated outside the door. I’m not interrupting anything am I?

  Come on in.

  Jade opened the door and poked her nose around, then smiled and entered when she saw that Leo and Gold were playing on Leo’s Playstation. She sat on the couch.

  ‘What, Jade?’ Gold said, then, ‘Dammit! That’s three to zero, you’re cheating!’

  ‘Not cheating, you’re just slow, noobie,’ Leo said. He turned to Jade. ‘What’s up?’

  Jade looked down at her hands and smiled shyly. ‘I think I am beginning to understand the human concept of “love” now.’

  ‘That’s wonderful, honey,’ Leo said. ‘Is it one of the pilots?’

  ‘Oh, no, no, no,’ Gold moaned. ‘Not Mrs Chen’s brother. Please say you haven’t fallen
for him.’

  ‘Oh no way,’ Leo said.

  ‘He is so charming.’ Jade’s smile widened. ‘And so gallant. He says that he has never met anybody like me before.’ She sighed with bliss. ‘He is so caring! Will you help me to explain our true nature to him? I don’t want to scare him, but I think that he should know.’

  There was a tap on the door: Monica.

  ‘Come on in, Monica,’ Gold said. ‘You might as well.’

  Voices down in there, Xuan Wu said to all of them. Michelle is exhausted, and you’ll wake Simone.

  Sorry, my Lord, Gold said.

  Monica came in, and Leo rose from his desk chair so that she could sit on it. She fidgeted in the chair, obviously miserable.

  ‘You too?’ Gold said, disappointed.

  ‘It’s Mrs Chen’s brother, Master Gold,’ Monica said. ‘I am flattered, really, but…’ She looked up, desperate. ‘It’s not what I want! It feels wrong!’

  ‘You are mistaken,’ Jade huffed. ‘Master Daniel has asked me to be his girlfriend.’

  ‘And he’s asked me and Leo to be his boyfriends, Jade,’ Gold said. ‘He’s a…’ He hesitated, trying to remember the term that Leo used.

  ‘Love rat,’ Leo finished for him. ‘He will seduce anything nearby. Once he’s gotten what he wants, though, he’ll ditch you faster than you know what’s happened.’

  ‘Can you ask Miss Michelle to tell him to stop annoying me?’ Monica said. ‘This is so strange, she is so noble and elegant — and all he wants is one thing!’

  ‘You are all mistaken!’ Jade said.

  ‘Jade, watch.’ Gold replayed an episode between himself and Daniel, shortly after they’d arrived at the Peak apartment. Daniel had asked Gold if he was interested, and then offered to take him out to dinner.

  ‘You led him on!’ Jade said, then lowered her voice. ‘That is just like you!’

  ‘He is just like I was,’ Gold said. ‘I recognise what I used to be in him.’ He grimaced. ‘And it is not pretty. He didn’t come home with you, Jade, where is he right now?’

  ‘He is shopping in Wan Chai,’ Jade said.

  ‘It’s eleven p.m., all the shops are closed,’ Gold said. ‘I have a pretty good idea where he is. Follow me.’

  They found him in the second nightclub that they visited. He was surrounded by Filipinas, all of whom were on the hunt for wealthy expatriates to hook up with, and escape from their lives as maids.

  He didn’t see Jade and Gold as they approached, and he stole a kiss from one of the maids, who giggled and blushed. He then turned and did the same thing to a second, groping her breast at the same time. ‘Would a couple of you like to go to a hotel with me? We could have some fun together.’ He glanced around at the women. ‘I hear you can rent hotel rooms by the hour in Hong Kong. Who’s interested? Let’s have a party!’

  ‘Seen enough?’ Gold said.

  Jade disappeared.

  NUMBER EIGHTY-EIGHT

  1820–Part II

  Xuan Wu had taken human form as a wrinkly old man as they materialised in Spring Garden Lane in Hong Kong. The lane was bordered on both sides by brothels with large numbers outside; the infamous ‘Big Number Brothels’. Of those, Number Eighty-eight was the largest and most well-kept on the street, with elaborate white Corinthian columns on either side of the door.

  Xuan Wu stopped and studied the building.

  Xuan Wu glanced at Gold, his dark eyes emotionless. ‘The demon is there. Many demons are there. You will have many to serve.’

  Gold sighed and dropped his shoulders. ‘I don’t want to belong to this demon, my Lord, I beg you. Do not give me to it.’

  ‘You should have considered that when you made that foolish bet, and then tried to steal the Jade Emperor’s Great Seal. Come.’ Xuan Wu slid effortlessly through the crowds of people that lined the street, despite his stooped posture.

  When they reached Eighty-eight they stopped.

  ‘Don’t take your grandpa in there, boy,’ a coolie shouted from the other side of the road. The coolie was well over sixty, wearing nothing but a loincloth and a filthy straw hat. A basket of protesting ducks hung suspended from each end of a bamboo pole over his bony shoulder. ‘Don’t take the old man in there, sonny, he’ll use up all his ching and die on you.’

  ‘Not grandpa using his ching,’ a rickshaw driver called as he hurried past. ‘Grandpa showing little Number Three Grandson where to put it!’

  ‘Anywhere he likes, in Number Eighty-eight,’ the coolie said. He hefted the pole holding the ducks and hurried away into the crowd with the peculiar sliding gait used to avoid upsetting the load. His voice faded. ‘They even got foreign devil women in there.’

  The doorman was a huge Indian; a Sikh, with a white silk turban and a red embroidered jacket. He eyed the two Shen suspiciously through his fierce, bearded face.

  Xuan Wu didn’t hesitate. He walked up to the door and nodded to the doorman. The doorman opened the door with one hand and collected a one-dollar note from Xuan Wu with the other.

  You are to remain silent, Xuan Wu said to Gold. You are only to speak if asked a question. That is an order. Disobey and things will go very bad for you.

  Gold nodded. His only thought was to where the demon was. He cast his eyes around suspiciously as they entered the brothel.

  Xuan Wu reached into his robe and pulled out two small jade ornaments, tiny carved rabbits embellished with gold on solid gold chains. ‘For you, because you are so very beautiful.’

  The girls took the rabbits. One of them squealed like a schoolgirl and jiggled with delight. ‘This is real!’

  ‘Of course it’s real,’ Xuan Wu said, sounding like a jolly grandfather at New Year with a pocket full of lai see. ‘Now where’s that Mr Wong? I want to give him a present as well.’

  The two girls giggled as they led Xuan Wu through the parlour, one on each arm. Gold followed silently.

  Eyes blank, the black woman fell back to sit on the couch, mesmerised.

  A burly young Chinese rushed through the back door, racing straight up to Xuan Wu and the black girl. She slowly turned to look at him, her eyes empty.

  ‘She said she’s happy to be working here,’ Xuan Wu said to the guard in Chinese. ‘She wants to give me special attention.’

  ‘I’d like to visit with this lovely old man,’ the black girl said in English. ‘I hope he chooses me.’

  The young Chinese guard relaxed. ‘You want to see Mr Wong?’ he asked Xuan Wu.

  ‘I haven’t seen my old friend in years,’ Xuan Wu said. ‘I thought I’d pay him a visit before my grandson enjoys his birthday present. But after seeing this little black rose, I may give myself a present as well.’

  The Chinese girls on his arms pouted. ‘Now, girls, don’t worry, one is enough for this old man. I’ll give you two to my grandson, and if you entertain him well, I’ll have special little gift for both of you.’ The two girls giggled again and nodded, sneaking delighted glances at Gold.

  Play along, Xuan Wu said.

  Gold forced a flush to his face and looked away, making the girls giggle even more. ‘He’s too old for his first time,’ one of them said. ‘He looks more than eighteen already.’

  ‘He’s been sheltered by his mother. I finally got him out of her clutches, the evil old dragon,’ Xuan Wu said with good humour.

  The guard bobbed his head, turned, and gestured towards the back of the house. ‘We will prepare the girls for you while you visit with Mr Wong. Please pass me any weapons that you are holding.’

  Both Xuan Wu and Gold raised their arms. ‘No weapons,’ Xuan Wu said.

  The guard didn’t attempt to search them. ‘Come this way, then, sir.’

  The guard showed them into a bright and airy office containing an enormous rosewood desk. Small high windows allowed rays of afternoon sun to light up the hardwood parquet floor.

  The guard bobbed his head, ‘The Master will be here shortly,’ and went out.

  ‘I think you will enjoy working here,
Gold.’ Xuan Wu studied the ink paintings on the wall across from them. ‘I thought it was this particular demon that made the bet with you. I was right.’

  Gold remained silent. He couldn’t speak unless a question was asked of him, and Xuan Wu knew it.

  ‘We have some time before we meet Mr Wong,’ Xuan Wu said to Gold, voice casual. ‘He’ll make us wait so that he will gain face. Do you think you will like working here?’

  ‘My Lord, this poor American girl is held here against her will!’ Gold cried softly. ‘We have to get her out of here!’

  ‘Don’t you want to know my connections with the owner of this establishment?’

  ‘No,’ Gold said. ‘All I want to do is make sure that none of these women are here against their will. And to get that poor black girl out of here.’

  ‘If you worked here, you could do that,’ Xuan Wu said, studying the painting.

  Gold silently considered his options, then nodded once sharply. ‘I can use my skills as a Shen to help them if I’m working here.’

  ‘You are a very small Shen, Gold. I doubt if you could carry them very far. How will you get that girl all the way back to America?’ Xuan Wu turned to study Gold. ‘The owner probably wouldn’t care if you took your pleasure with the girls when they’re not working. You have the finest young women in Hong Kong here for the taking.’

  ‘This isn’t like you at all, Gold.’

  ‘I know.’ He raised his head. ‘I suppose after being held in the palace, and then Hell against my will, I know what it is like to be a prisoner.’

  ‘Silence,’ Xuan Wu said softly. The demon approached.

  The demon stopped dead and went completely white when he saw

  Xuan Wu and Gold. He spun to escape, but Xuan Wu quickly bound him and held him motionless.