Small Shen

by Kylie Chan

  ‘Hear, hear,’ Leo said.

  Leo parked on top of the Star Ferry car park, next to City Hall. The car park was only two storeys high, even though it was close to the middle of Central District, a mass of high-rise office towers.

  Leo pointed out the landmarks. ‘The building with all the large round windows is Jardine House. Across from that on this side is Exchange Square. The new building next to the harbour over there is the International Finance Centre.’ He turned and gestured inland. ‘The weird looking coat-hanger building in front of us there, is the Hong Kong Bank Building, I should take you inside — all the lifts are glass. Left of that, the tall building with all the X shapes on it, is the China Bank Building.’

  ‘You do not need to tell Victor any of this,’ Violetta said. ‘He knows them all.’

  ‘Did you know that the Hong Kong Bank Building actually hangs off the eight pillars, two on each corner?’ Victor said. ‘There are no internal supports, and all the services, including the air conditioning, are in the floors. When you call it a coat hanger, you don’t know how correct you are. It’s a feat of engineering, to have the glass curtain walls —’

  ‘Enough!’ Violetta cut him off. ‘Now you’ve done it, Leo, you’ve started him talking about architecture.’ She linked her arm in Victor’s. ‘You are retired, now, my love, no more big buildings for you.’

  ‘I’ve been wanting to come here for a long time, the buildings here —’

  ‘Are spectacular,’ Violetta finished for him. ‘And we are going to enjoy them as tourists, without making a single scale drawing. All right?’

  Victor turned around, pulled out his camera, and took a photo of the HSBC building. ‘That was me being a tourist.’

  ‘An architecture tourist,’ Violetta said. She turned to Leo. ‘If we linger here, we may miss this ferry you talk about!’

  ‘No chance of that, they run continuously,’ Leo said.

  ‘That is not what I wanted you to say!’ Violetta said.

  They walked down the stairs of the car park and across to the Star Ferry terminal. The building was old and low ceilinged, with a concrete plaza in front, covered in rusty green metal roofing. A taxi rank had a long queue of red taxis and a similar long queue of people lining up to wait for them. An elderly woman begged from person to person in the queue, prodding them with her outstretched hand and beseeching them in a high-pitched voice in Cantonese for money.

  ‘They have beggars here?’ Violetta said, horrified. ‘This place seems so modern and wealthy.’

  ‘They have a pension system, I’ve heard tales about these beggars being driven home in Mercedes,’ Leo said. ‘Let’s go in.’

  Leo handed each of them a few Hong Kong coins to pay the fare and they went through the turnstiles into first class, and up some stairs into the terminal. A light indicated which side the ferry would be coming in; the ferries docked on both sides of the terminal. The walls were painted green on the bottom half and white on the top half. The end of the terminal was a semi-circular wall with windows overlooking the harbour. Plastic chairs were placed around the walls, but most people stood impatiently at the large metal gate blocking the gangway down to the ferry.

  A Star Ferry pulled into the wharf, oval-shaped with its lower deck painted green and its upper deck painted white. The people piled out of the ferry the minute the deckhand lowered the gangway. When all the people had left the ferry, the deckhand opened the gate, allowing people to board.

  Leo guided everybody onto the ferry, taking the back of one of the wooden bench seats and pushing it so that the seat now faced in the other direction.

  Violetta looked around at the open deck with the wooden bench seats. ‘This is first class?’

  ‘Second class is the lower deck,’ Leo said. ‘Next to the engine, so it’s very loud, and if it’s a bit rough, you’ll get wet.’

  ‘Sounds like fun!’ Daniel said, leaning his arm over the back of the chair. ‘You said it’s a short ride?’

  Leo indicated towards the front of the ferry, where a separate air-conditioned compartment had windows all along its semi-circular wall. ‘You can see the Cultural Centre there. It looks like a big brown ski jump.’

  Victor laughed. ‘That it does. But it’s an elegant design, and I’ve heard that the acoustics are excellent as a result.’

  ‘Michelle has said similar.’

  Violetta shoved Victor. ‘Stop working!’

  He turned to her, mouth open to protest, then saw that she was laughing and subsided.

  The deckhand raised the gangplank and the ferry pulled away from the wharf into the choppy harbour.

  ‘What are those boats with the funny booms on them?’ Victor said, pointing at a barge that was twenty-five metres long and ten wide, with a long steel pipe stuck at an angle from the wheelhouse.

  ‘They’re lighters,’ Leo said. ‘They’re everywhere. They carry containers and bundles of cargo from the container ships moored in the harbour to the docks at the shore. A lot of the container boats go to the container terminals, where there’s huge modern cranes to move the containers around — but some of the cargo is moved around on these old-fashioned barges.’

  ‘So much seaborne traffic,’ Violetta said.

  ‘This is a major port,’ Victor said. ‘One of the world’s largest. I think just about everything that’s made in China to go to the West passes through here.’

  Daniel turned to Gold. ‘John is in import–export, he must have a lot to do with the way goods are transferred. Do you think he can help me do a photo study, comparing the modern container management with the old-fashioned lighters? I’m sure there are some real characters that I could include portraits of, to spice up the story — the human face of traditional cargo management.’

  Gold looked to Leo for help. Leo shrugged.

  ‘Um…’ Gold said. ‘I don’t know how much of Mr Chen’s products are shipped by sea, I think they may be carried by truck from the Mainland…’

  ‘Oh, that would be even better,’ Daniel said, becoming excited. ‘I could track a container from China where it is loaded, onto the truck, then onto the container ship and to its destination.’

  ‘I’ll see what I can do,’ Gold said weakly.

  ‘Thank you!’

  ‘Oh, we are docking already,’ Violetta said. ‘I wish the boat would take us around the harbour rather than directly across.’

  ‘I can organise that for you, if you like,’ Leo said. ‘There’s a Star Ferry that does an evening cruise around the harbour, it’s a fun ride.’

  ‘Oh, yes please,’ Violetta said, glowing with pleasure.

  The deckhand lowered the gangway and they walked across and up the ramp to exit. Behind them a group of people waited impatiently behind the gate blocking them from boarding.

  They walked out onto the concourse outside the ferry terminal. Directly in front of them was a bus terminal, full of double-decker buses and smaller sixteen-seater ‘public light buses’. To the left, Ocean Terminal jutted into the harbour, a couple of massive cruise ships moored along its length. Star House, an office tower, was across the road from them.

  ‘Star House joins up with Ocean Terminal, and then there’s a row of buildings along that street that stretches for a long way, and you can walk inside the full length of them,’ Leo said. ‘When we come for the Tosca performance, we’ll park on the roof, the view is great. There’s a whole row of expensive apartment blocks and hotels, all joined together with the mall underneath. It’s huge.’

  ‘Sounds like fun,’ Violetta said. ‘And we’re going there after we visit Michelle?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Leo said.

  The Cultural Centre was on their right, a massive sloping brown building with no external windows. A wide, paved concourse skirted it, edging the harbour, with a few tourist groups and locals wandering around and taking photos of Hong Kong Island on the other side of the water. Leo led them to the edge of the harbour, and let them enjoy the view for a while.

&nb
sp; Gold stood next to Leo. ‘You’re a great tour guide, Leo.’

  ‘I like sharing Hong Kong. It’s an amazing place.’

  ‘I’d like to visit the West one day. I’ve never tried. I wonder if I can go.’

  ‘I can’t see any reason why not. When you get this data link thing sorted, go take a vacation somewhere.’

  Gold dropped his voice. ‘We Shen can’t travel far from China, our Centre. I’m a very small Shen, so I don’t know how far from China I can travel.’

  ‘Wouldn’t Mr Chen be able to help you with that? He’s one of the biggest Shen. He was in Florida for a long time.’

  ‘I honestly don’t know. I would like to try, though.’

  ‘What if you were to hop on a plane, and it went too far? You wouldn’t die or anything, would you?’

  ‘Probably,’ Gold said. ‘But remember, when we die, we just come back a while later, so it would only be an inconvenience.’

  ‘Death, an inconvenience,’ Leo said, and shook his head.

  ‘Come on, you two,’ Daniel said, wrapping one arm around each of Leo’s and Gold’s shoulders. ‘We want to see Michelle!’

  ‘This way,’ Leo said, leading them towards the Cultural Centre, then he stopped. ‘Gold.’

  Gold saw them at the same time as Leo. Demons; two of them, looking like Chinese men in their mid-twenties, wearing slacks and polo shirts, fitting in with the other people on the promenade. Gold and Leo shifted so they were between Michelle’s family and the demons.

  ‘They won’t try anything here, it’s too public,’ Gold said.

  ‘I know,’ Leo said. ‘I wonder if they’re waiting for us to be somewhere less open.’

  ‘I could contact the Dark… I could contact Mr Chen and have him come down from the rehearsal,’ Gold said.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Victor said.

  ‘You know we told you that Mr Chen has some enemies among the Triads? Well a couple of them just turned up,’ Leo said.

  ‘Oh, how exciting!’ Violetta said. ‘It’s like a crime novel. Which ones are they?’

  ‘It might be better if we just ignore them, and go inside,’ Gold said. He turned to guide them into the Cultural Centre. ‘This way.’

  ‘Michelle told us that John does martial arts,’ Violetta said. ‘It’s just like a movie! I hope we can see him fight some of these gangsters!’

  ‘I’d prefer you didn’t,’ Leo said. ‘When we’re home, though, ask Mr Chen to show you some moves, he has a training room in the apartment where he teaches and practises.’

  ‘Did he know Bruce Lee?’ Victor said as they entered the Cultural Centre and crossed the lobby to the lifts.

  ‘Actually, yes, he did,’ Gold said.

  ‘Did he learn from him?’

  Gold hesitated. Lee had been one of the most talented students on the Mountain until he had a huge argument with one of the Masters about the nature of chi energy, and had stormed out.

  ‘I think they were just acquaintances,’ Gold said.

  ‘I wonder if he has any photos of them together,’ Victor said.

  ‘Michelle’s husband just becomes more and more interesting all the time,’ Daniel said. ‘I might do a photo essay on him.’

  Gold and Leo shared a horrified look as they entered the lift, then grinned together. Daniel’s curiosity had changed direction, but it was still as problematic as ever.

  Xuan Wu was sitting at the back of the room, listening, while Michelle and the chorus practised one of the songs for the opera. When Michelle saw them, she waved, but continued to sing.

  ‘That was absolutely terrible,’ the director said, when the cast finished. ‘All of you, go away, have some lunch, those of you who have been eating or drinking dairy products get the hell off them, and come back in two hours ready to sing instead of sounding like a herd of cattle in heat.’ He snapped his folder closed, and headed for the door, stopping in front of Gold’s group on the way out. ‘I don’t know what you think you are doing here, but this is a rehearsal. If you want to see the show, pay for tickets like everybody else.’

  ‘Maurice,’ Michelle said behind him, and he rounded on her. ‘Maurice,’ she said again, and indicated the group. ‘This is my husband, John Chen, who as you know is sponsoring most of the opera and has paid for all the costumes and most of the sets. This is my father, Victor LeBlanc, the famous architect; my mother, Violetta, the artist; and my brother Daniel, the award-winning photographer who is considering doing a photo essay on the first full-length Western opera to be shown in Hong Kong — for Time magazine.’

  The director’s menacing expression didn’t shift. ‘I don’t care if they are the royal family of the Sultanate of Brunei. They do not attend rehearsals.’ He waved one hand at Michelle. ‘Get them out of here.’

  ‘Humph,’ Michelle said, and tossed her head. ‘You are a despicable little man, and I hate you for the rest of my life.’ She took his hands and kissed him on the cheek. ‘See you in two hours.’

  He kissed her affectionately back. ‘See you in two hours, darling.’

  ‘Come with me,’ Michelle said to the others. ‘We will go next door to the Regent Hotel, they have a delightful lunch buffet in the café there, overlooking the harbour. The view is wonderful, and the food is excellent.’

  ‘Not yum cha?’ Daniel said.

  ‘Daniel, you have had yum cha every morning since you arrived, aren’t you ready for a change?’ Michelle said.

  Daniel grinned with mischief. ‘Jade and Gold have me addicted to it.’ He smiled down at Gold. ‘And I’ve found an excellent Chinese restaurant on the Left Bank that serves fabulous yum cha — you must all come to Paris to visit, and try it.’

  ‘We will be coming for your wedding, silly Daniel,’ Michelle said as they walked along the promenade towards the imposing Regent Hotel.

  They’re still there, Leo, Gold said.

  Leo nodded. He’d noticed the demons tailing them as well.

  They have been hanging around here every day, Xuan Wu said. This is why I have not left Michelle’s side. Is all well at home, Jade?

  Very quiet, my Lord. They are obviously still unaware of Simone’s existence, there is no demon presence anywhere nearby. I have taken True Form and scouted the area, it is clear. All the demons are on you.

  Michelle jabbed Xuan Wu with her elbow. ‘Talk out loud,’ she whispered.

  He bent and kissed the top of her head. ‘Sorry, my love. Silly god business.’

  Michelle tossed her head and rolled her eyes.

  ‘Silly god business, indeed. Well, I sure hope you’ll keep your silly god business out of my Tosca opening night.’

  Xuan Wu smiled. ‘I promise you it will be the best opening night of your life.’

  At that, Gold could not suppress a frown. With all these demons around, he could only hope it would be true.

  TO LOVE A HUMAN

  1992

  The Dragon turned to Xuan Wu, his turquoise eyes flashing in the reflected ripples of the water. ‘This is the one you should be asking, Ah Wu. It holds the record for seducing the greatest number of Shen on the Celestial. There are very few small Shen anywhere that have not seen the underside of its sheets.’

  Xuan Wu studied Gold expressionlessly, his dark eyes piercing. He thought for a while, then appeared to come to a conclusion. ‘Lend it to me for a week or so. Let me talk to it.’

  The Dragon turned back to Gold. ‘Return those scrolls to the Records Room, then present yourself at the Hall of Undersea Delights. If you mention the purpose of this trip to anybody, I will eat you myself.’

  Gold bobbed over his knees. ‘I understand, My Lord.’

  ‘Go.’

  Gold rose, picked up the scrolls, stole a quick glance at Xuan Wu’s fierce face, and hurried away.

  ‘I met her in Florida. She was singing. I had never heard anything like it.’

  ‘You’d never heard Western opera before?’ Gold said.

  ‘Of course I had. But this was different.’ Xuan Wu
studied his teacup, his face rigid with control. He glanced up and looked into Gold’s eyes. ‘Her voice went straight through me, like an arrow. Pleasure and pain.’

  ‘That can happen, my Lord.’

  ‘And then I met her at the backstage party, and it was…’ He was obviously lost for words, then gathered himself. ‘She is French Canadian. She has courage, and spirit, a spark you don’t often see in humans. She lives for her art, and she sings like the Heavens. She has a temper that even I find intimidating.’ He sighed. ‘She is wonderful.’

  Gold poured the tea. ‘I think I understand. When you encountered this with other human women, what did you do? What mistakes did you make? Human women are different to Shen, particularly animal Shen like dragons. They must be approached more cautiously.’

  ‘I have never loved a human woman.’

  ‘You are one of the oldest of us all, my Lord. You have been around since the Dawn of Creation; you are North Wind. I have heard that you were already old when humans began to walk the Earth.’

  ‘And I have never loved a human woman.’

  ‘This one must be exceptional.’

  Xuan Wu sighed. ‘She is.’

  ‘Well then, let’s win her for you.’

  ‘No deception. No use of the fact that I am a Shen. I want to win her as a human man. I want you to help me win her, not by doing what you would do, but help me to avoid the mistakes I could make because she is human and therefore different.’ Xuan Wu sagged slightly. ‘I do not want to lose her.’

  ‘When she finds out what you really are, you may lose her forever, my Lord. Your True Form is…’ Gold hesitated.

  ‘I am well aware of the fact that my True Form is one of the ugliest in creation,’ Xuan Wu said evenly. ‘Even without the Serpent, I am truly horrifying.’

  ‘Without the Serpent?’

  ‘I have no idea where it has gone, Gold. I have searched the planet, from pole to pole, and it does not answer the Turtle’s calls. Right now I am only Yin Turtle. The Yang Serpent is out there somewhere, hiding.’