The Demi-Monde: Summer

by Rod Rees

This matter concluded, the Empress addressed the Daemon with Dong E providing the interpretation. ‘You are a very small Daemon, Norma Williams,’ she said with a perfectly pitched element of disdain in her voice. ‘We are most disappointed.’

  15

  The Forbidding City

  The Demi-Monde: 2nd Day of Summer, 1005

  The iChing gives its advice to the Soul consulting it by making reference to one of 512 Epigrams. Three coins are thrown nine times to produce a NonaGram made up of nine lines (or, more accurately, of three TriGrams), the lines being either broken or solid – Yin or Yang – and the answer to the question posed as the coins are thrown discovered by reference to the 512 Epigrams – one for each possible NonaGram – described in the iChing. The lines used to construct the TriGrams are:

  Yin Line

  The Female. A Broken Line, represented by 0 (zero) and referred to as the Nothingness.

  Yang Line

  The Male. An UnBroken Line, represented by 1 (one) and referred to as the Unity or ABBA.

  The binary nature of the lines produced and the spiritual realities which underlie them have been the focus of much debate. Although ‘1’ refers to the Spiritual Unity and Perfection expressed by ABBA and ‘0’ to the Nothingness of the Kosmos, it is 0 which comes before 1 in order to achieve mathematical synchronicity. The great Confusionist philosopher Wun Zi argued that on this basis Femmes come before nonFemmes in the hierarchy of the Kosmos. The response of Too Zi is recorded as being ‘bollocks’.

  Religions of the Demi-Monde: Otto Weininger, University of Berlin Publications

  Disappointed? Fuck you too, Norma riposted silently.

  It wasn’t as though Empress Wu – and she assumed the tiny woman seated on the throne was Empress Wu – was much to look at either. Quite striking in a weird sort of way but anyone having that much care and attention lavished on them would have looked just as good. The problem Wu had, decided Norma, was that she looked like a doll: she was a small, fragile woman in her mid-thirties who had a complexion that had the appearance and the warmth of porcelain. This, coupled with her over-elaborate robes and the golden crown resting on her head, gave her a rather fey look. But the most unsettling thing was the woman’s eyes: there was real steel in her gaze, which, from Norma’s experience, betokened that she was one of the psychopaths – the Singularities – ABBA had used to stock the Demi-Monde.

  Careful, Norma.

  Mao spoke, his Chinese rendered into excellent English by the beautiful girl standing next to Empress Wu. ‘Yes, Your Majesty, this is the Daemon known as Norma Williams. She is the Daemon who has promoted the specious and subversive philosophy of Normalism, which teaches that violence is wrong and that the peoples of the Demi-Monde should live in peace and harmony. As such she is a proponent of the reviled concept of Ying.’

  Obviously overcome by the horror that was peace and harmony, Mao took a moment to compose himself. ‘Know this, Daemon, Her Majesty Empress Wu is much disappointed in you. The shaFemmes who profess knowledge of the Land of the Spirits contend that Daemons are fearsome creatures possessed of horns and a tail and whose breath stinks of fire and brimstone but you are quite ordinary.’

  ‘I’m a New York Daemon,’ Norma explained. ‘The ones you’re referring to come from LA. They’re really freaky; they’ve got tails and horns … the whole nine yards. Shit, they’re so wacked out on the West Coast they even elected Schwarzenegger as governor.’

  The Empress frowned as she tried to understand what Norma was saying, studying her suspiciously before continuing. ‘But tell me, Daemon: is it true that you and your kind have blood flowing freely in your bodies?’

  ‘It is true, Your Majesty. I’m full to the brim of Château Neuf de Gore.’

  ‘Disgusting. Such a thing is a perversion of Nature.’ There was another brooding silence. ‘And are you the creature who has by conjurations and a glib tongue so traduced the CitiZens of the Medi that they have denied the commands of those set to rule over them? Are you the creature who has by cunning artifice persuaded them to espouse the pernicious and unholy creed known as Normalism?’

  It wasn’t quite the way Norma would have chosen to describe what she had been doing in the Medi, but what the hell. ‘Yes, I was the leader of the Normalist movement, but I’m light on the cunning artifice. I left that to the ImPuritans. Their artifices were as cunning as hell.’

  That was a statement that gave her beautiful interpreter some difficulty.

  ‘And by your order was that foul monument to the false creed of UnFunDaMentalism and Biological Essentialism known as the Awful Tower caused to fall?’

  Now, she decided, wasn’t the time to quibble or to mention Burlesque Bandstand’s role in that little faux pas. ‘It was.’

  ‘And by this means you did assassinate the barbarian Lavrentii Beria?’

  ‘Yes, all ten thousand tons of the tower landed on the bastard’s head so I guess he’s very, very dead … and very, very flat.’

  ‘Remarkable,’ continued Wu. ‘You will not be aware, being a base Daemon, that your activities in the Medi have caused a most profound disruption to the Qi of the Kosmos and to the harmony of the Demi-Monde. Is that not so, Imperial TongJi Fu Shi?’

  For the first time the tall and incredibly skinny woman who looked as though she was dressed as an extra in a horror movie spoke, using a voice that reminded Norma of the sound made when nails were dragged over a blackboard. ‘That is so, Your Majesty. We have made most careful and precise calculations and it would seem that the presence and activities of this Daemon have wrenched the balance of the Kosmos asunder. The 4Tellings of the iChing made on the eighty-eighth day of Spring showed that there had been a fundamental and inauspicious shift from previous divinations. This Daemon, by its foul and pernicious meddling in the affairs of the Demi-Monde, threatens to disrupt the harmony of the Kosmos and to prevent the dawning of the Second Age of Femmes. It must die.’

  Oh shit. Here we go again.

  From her vantage point at the side of the throne, Dong E had an excellent view of the Daemon, and she had to admit that the Empress was quite correct: the Daemon was a disappointment. The form the Daemon had taken was that of a young girl – it was probably about Dong E’s age – quite small, though with the more voluptuous figure of a gaijin. It could, Dong E decided, be classified as quite pretty by those Femmes with a taste for the more unrefined and rumbustious of MoreBien activities, but, to her mind, the Daemon’s weather-beaten complexion and oddly shaped eyes meant that it could never be truly classed as beautiful.

  She was so lost in her examination of the Daemon – and having to concentrate hard to interpret the creature’s peculiar syntax – that she almost missed the TongJi’s statement that the Daemon threatened to prevent the dawning of the Second Age of Femmes.

  Even Dong E’s usually impeccable composure struggled to cope with this revelation. It was a fundamental belief enshrined in HerEtical dogma that the Demi-Monde was now on the cusp of entering the Second Age of Femmes, when Yin – the female essence – would rise and Yang – the male essence – would decline. This would be the Age when nonFemmes would be replaced by Femmes as the dominant gender in the world. And for this belief – this certainty – to be challenged was unthinkable; it undermined the very foundations of HerEticalism.

  ‘But before this Daemon is sent to meet its Ancestors,’ intoned the Imperial TongJi, ‘we must, with it in attendance, once again consult the iChing. In the presence of the Daemon the resulting 4Tellings will be of the highest order, nothing will be withheld and nothing will be denied.’ The TongJi turned towards the Empress and bowed: ‘With your permission, Your Majesty, I would begin the Rite of 4Telling.’

  A nod of agreement from the Empress and immediately the TongJi began her preparations. Never having seen a Rite of 4Telling performed before, Dong E was fascinated by what unfolded before her. Incense burners were lit allowing strong and very pungent smoke to fill the Hall, and hard, discordant music suffused it. As she swaye
d to the music, the TongJi drank from a golden chalice then she danced and wailed for ten interminable minutes. It was incredibly boring.

  Finally though the TongJi’s performance ended and, arms outstretched, she screamed out her first question to the Kosmos. ‘Oh ABBA, Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent Power in the Kosmos, Creator of All Things and Director of the Living, we ask you to heed our question and have the iChing guide our steps along the Way. Merciful ABBA, is the New Age of Yin upon us, are we to enter the Second Age of Femmes?’

  Immediately the OracleNoNs rotated the three drums and then allowed the Celestial Coins to fall to the ground to form the first line of the Nonagram. They repeated this nine times until all nine lines were complete and had been inscribed in blood on the floor before the Dragon Throne.

  The TongJi stared at the NonaGram for long silent seconds, seemingly frozen in fear.

  ‘What does the NonaGram say?’ prompted an impatient Empress.

  ‘It is the NonaGram known as the Cruel Disappointment,’ announced the TongJi. ‘This relates to the four hundred and fifty-seventh Epigram of the iChing, which says:

  It is the Time of the Changing.

  That which has gone Before cannot be Preserved,

  That which was to Come cannot be Sustained.

  Fate weighs heavy on the Foundations of the Kosmos,

  Shoulders bow and backs break,

  And all that was Certain is made Doubt.

  So the Dark wails in Torment.

  So the Rivers, stirred by the Wind, seep away,

  To be replenished by the Cleansing Flood.’

  There was not a sound in the room as those present absorbed the 4Telling. Dong E knew this particular Epigram was always associated with an inauspicious outcome: it wasn’t called Cruel Disappointment for nothing. It was obvious to her that the iChing was advising the Empress Wu that the presence of the Daemon – the Cleansing Flood no less – in the Demi-Monde was resulting in an elemental change in the way the Demi-Monde was ordered. And the reference to the Rivers was very disturbing: the Empress often wore kimonos embroidered with the figure Kăn which represented Water and symbolised that she was the one destined to come after the Supreme Yin, Lilith. She wouldn’t like being advised that she was destined to ‘seep away’.

  Dong E stole a quick look at the Empress who had gone very pale. This was an augury she had neither expected nor wanted.

  ‘Ask the iChing how this Change can be prevented and the transition of the Demi-Monde to the Second Age of Femmes preserved,’ the Empress snarled.

  A very uncomfortable TongJi shuffled her feet. ‘With the greatest of respect, Your Majesty, it is impossible to ask the iChing how a change might be effected; it is only possible to ask if a certain course of action is wise or imprudent.’

  The Empress slapped a hand down angrily on the arm of the Dragon Throne, snapping a jewel-encrusted fingernail as she did so. Not a good omen, decided Dong E. ‘Then ask it this: will the death of this Daemon return the Demi-Monde to the True Path? Will the death of the Daemon permit the dawning of the Second Age of Femmes?’

  Dong E translated the question for the benefit of the Daemon and was surprised to see that it merely shrugged the threat aside. This girl might be a gaijin Daemon but its calm demeanour indicated that its soul – if Daemons had souls, that is – was possessed of wu wei. It was an interesting consideration: despite what people like Mao might say regarding the spiritual immaturity of gaijins, perhaps they were as capable of attaining the sublime state of ABBAsoluteness as Covenites.

  Again the TongJi performed her ritual, but this time, when her arms were thrown wide, the question she announced to the Kosmos was more brutal. ‘Merciful ABBA, might we turn aside from the path that Fate has given us? By the destruction of the Daemon known as Norma Williams, will we be able to usher in the Second Age of Femmes?’

  Once more the drums were turned and once more the Coins fell, allowing a second NonaGram to be painted on the floor.

  ‘It is the NonaGram known as the Warning,’ said the TongJi in a tremulous voice, the shaFemme looking as though she was in danger of passing out, ‘and the Epigram to which it relates is the very last in the iChing. It is Epigram number five hundred and twelve.’

  This wasn’t the TongJi’s lucky day, decided Dong E, the auguries don’t get much worse than this. Number five hundred and twelve was ABBA’s Epigram, which warned HumanKind that though ABBA was all-good and all-benevolent, She was not indulgent of Her creations. It was the most portentous of all the Epigrams and the most feared. There was a moment’s pause as the TongJi calmed herself. ‘This Epigram says:

  It is the Fate of all creatures to believe

  That they are Greater than ABBA.

  But they are just HumanKind,

  Created from Nothing to be returned to Nothing.

  Only ABBA remains,

  Tolerant of Good and Intolerant of Evil.

  Beware. ABBA will punish

  Those who would be gods and who

  Persuade Fools to kneel before Lies dressed as Truth.’

  ‘Solution,’ snapped the Empress and Dong E had never seen a ServantNoN move more quickly to deliver a drink. The Empress was radiating anger. ‘Are we to understand that ABBA will punish us if we harm this Daemon?’ The question was spoken in such a quiet voice that the words were barely audible.

  Astonishingly, both the TongJi and Imperial NoN Mao seemed to be stricken mute, neither of them daring to tell Empress Wu – ABBA-blessed as she was – that she was in danger of offending ABBA.

  Even before she quite realised what she was doing, Dong E had spoken. ‘With all respect and humility, Your Majesty, it is impossible to conceive that this is the message conveyed by the Epigram.’

  ‘Be silent,’ snapped Mao.

  ‘No … let the girl speak. Her words please us.’

  Ignoring the look of undiluted hatred Mao aimed in her direction, Dong E continued. ‘You are Divine, Your Majesty, ordained by ABBA, therefore it is unthinkable that ABBA, in all Her wisdom, would seek to punish one such as you. Certainly it appears that we are advised that to destroy the Daemon would be to transgress the Way ordained by ABBA, but perhaps the iChing wishes you to be more subtle in your treatment of the creature. There are other ways, are there not, of negating the Daemon’s baleful influence, ways that stop short of killing it. Could we not, say, protect the Daemon by keeping it here in the Forbidding City, held in solitary confinement?’

  Dong E was impressed with herself: she had found a way of giving the Empress what she wanted – the neutralising of the Daemon – without violating the advice yielded by the iChing. And she had saved the Daemon’s life …

  This last thought gave her pause: why was she so concerned about a Daemon?

  ‘I must beg that you forgive this impudent and ridiculous interruption, Your Majesty,’ spluttered Mao. ‘And know that Fresh Bloom Dong E will be punished most severely for this violation of Li.’

  ‘No,’ came the quiet reply. ‘She will not be punished.’ The Empress leant forward. ‘Ask the iChing this, TongJi: if the Daemon was to be kept safe and well here in the Forbidding City, would ABBA deem this to be a transgression of Her will?’

  Once more the TongJi asked her question, once more the drums turned and once more the coins were read. The third NonaGram painted on the floor was that of the ninety-ninth Epigram, the one known as the UnDecided. A frown creased the forehead of the TongJi: this was not the response she had been expecting from the Oracle.

  ‘What does this Epigram say?’ prompted the Empress.

  ‘It is one of the iChing’s most perplexing statements,’ stuttered the TongJi. ‘It reads:

  Can Good be born of Evil?

  Can Poison beget Life?

  Can Fire quench the Thirst?

  Only you can answer,

  And, as in all things, the answer is the question.

  So question yourself.

  Peer into your soul.

  There you will find
yourself

  Peering back.’

  ‘But what does it mean?’ demanded the Empress.

  ‘As I say, Your Majesty, the UnDecided is the most devious of all the Epigrams and its meaning is elusive. My own interpretation is that the Daemon is the Poison, the Evil and the Fire which will rack our world and therefore it must be eliminated.’

  ‘Hmmm. And what of you, Dong E? What is your interpretation?’

  In truth, Dong E didn’t have a clue, but as she had learnt during her years in the Forbidding City, when in doubt, always give the answer the Empress most wanted to hear. ‘That the keeping of the Daemon safe here in the Forbidding City will remove her mischievous influence from the Kosmos, such that the Demi-Monde can proceed into the Second Age of Femmes without let or hindrance.’

  Empress Wu gave a distracted nod. ‘I believe you have correctly interpreted the will of ABBA, Fresh Bloom Dong E. There will be no more 4Tellings. You may leave us, Imperial TongJi, this ritual is now completed.’

  Very sensible, thought Dong E. The Forbidding City was a hotbed of gossip and rumour at the best of times and if the Empress posed any further questions and the iChing’s answers were similarly inauspicious, the bad news – that the Second Age of Femmes was off the agenda – would be quickly known to everyone in the City.

  But ever the one to ensure that the rumours percolating through the Forbidding City were the rumours she personally approved of, the Empress Wu announced in a loud voice, ‘Let it be known that the iChing has confirmed that by holding the Daemon safe in the Forbidding City we have removed the final obstacle standing between Femmes and their attaining of the long-dreamt-for state of MostBien. By making the Daemon as an empty vessel we usher in the Second Age of Femmes.’

  16

  The Forbidding City

  The Demi-Monde: 2nd Day of Summer, 1005

  And the Master’s favourite pupil, Too Zi, approached him, saying, ‘Master, I have listened diligently to your sermon when you advised that “Movement is necessary for those who find themselves weighed down by old troubles and the pain of ferocious bindings. Unburden yourself fully, but ensure to open lots of windows afterwards.”’ The pupil shook his head and said, ‘But though I have heard, Master, I do not understand.’