Anywhere but the Shang, I said.
Leo concentrated. Coffee shop upstairs at the Conrad is empty.
Ask LK Pak to join us, please, I said. Lets go.
CHAPTER 2
We took the glass lift up to the hotel and all entered the coffee shop. The staff were setting out the central display for the lunchtime buffet, moving quietly and with precision. A couple of foreign businessmen sat at a table next to the window, but apart from that the café was deserted.
After some searching through my bag I found a packet of tissues and handed them to Vincent. He took them with a nod and wiped his eyes, then blew his nose.
The waiter took our orders, and when he was gone I leaned on the table.
Vincent, your case is simple, I said. Youre a lost reptile Shen and well take you in and give you a home. You have a family now.
I already have a family, Vincent said. My parents brought me up in a housing estate in Lam Tin.
Both parents? Simone said.
Of course. When I was about fifteen, I changed. They were They threw me out, they said I was evil. My father tried to kill me.
A Shen wouldnt do that, Simone said. Theyd be proud, not scared. I wonder why your parents reacted like that? Maybe one of them isnt your real parent?
Well find out later. Whatever you are, youre safe and you have a home now, I said. We will look after you.
He bobbed his head. Youve given me reason to live.
I hope thats not true, Simone said.
I had given up, he said. I finally gave in to this horrible urge to hurt people and followed this poor boy and his father in the hope that the boy would end it for me.
Thats our nature, to destroy demons, Simone said. You were all lucky that we found you when we did.
Is that what I am? Tom said. A demon?
You are something new and different and frankly more than a little scary, I said. What do you change into, Tom?
Ive done a lot of research into it, he said. The closest thing Ive seen is a thing called a lamia: front end of a woman, back end of a snake. Im something like that but theyre always female, and Im not.
You have the top half of a man and the bottom half of a snake, and the human part has no skin? I said.
He nodded, his face full of misery.
Simone, have a look at Ben, just to be sure that hes human, I said.
Simone touched Bens hand and focused on him. He didnt appear to be concerned by it.
Not hurting him, and Im touching him with shen energy, Simone said. Hes completely human.
She stood and reached for Tom and I raised my hand. Wait until LK gets here. Hes the expert.
She nodded and sat again.
You said your names OBreen? I asked Ben. Thats unusual, it sounds like OBrien.
Its an ancient form of OBrien, Ben said, obviously something hed said many times before. Its spelt differently
Because its an older form and slightly different, I finished for him. I have the same issue. My surnames Donahoe, and Im always telling people how to spell it because
This time it was Ben who finished for me. Because theres only one letter different.
Freaky, Simone said.
My dads doing our family tree, I said. He reckons our family originally came from Wales, though, not Ireland.
Same here, Ben said. Im not Irish, Im actually Welsh.
Seriously freaky, Simone said.
Tell me about Toms mother, I said. She was Chinese, and cruel? What was she like?
I met her when I was here in Hong Kong on business, Ben said. About twenty years ago. She was small and sweet and smiled all the time, and I was completely smitten. We married and I took her back to Wales with me, and the minute Tom was born, she changed. She turned into the opposite of what shed been here; she was manipulative, angry and theres no other word for it she was straight-up evil. I left her after I came home one day to find that shed stolen the next-door neighbours dog, butchered the poor beast on the dining table and was drinking its blood. Tom was with her, she was holding him, and their faces, their hands, were covered in blood He leaned on the table and put his head in his hands. Tom was only two years old. I grabbed him and ran. We went to London, but she found us and nearly stole him back. I ran further I lived in Singapore for ten years until she found us again, then Kuala Lumpur, then Sydney, then back here. Weve been on the run ever since. I just pray to God she never finds him because I know that if she does, shell change him into something like her.
What was her name? I said.
Gloria Ho, Ben said, and I sighed with relief.
Could have been a name that Kitty used, though, Emma, Simone said.
I dont think so. Kittys been here in Hong Kong the whole time; she hasnt had a chance to have a family in the UK, I said. Someone else, not Kitty.
Id be very surprised if she wasnt in Kittys group, though, Simone said. I wonder how many other overseas experiments theyve been doing. And all without the Shen here in Asia lifting a finger to do anything about it. Theyll be sorry when an army of hybrids turns up at the Gates of Heaven with the power of East and West combined.
Suddenly this sounds much bigger than just Tom and me, Ben said.
How much control does Tom have when he changes? I said.
Ive never killed anyone, Tom said. I have it under control.
Have you wanted to kill? I said.
He looked away.
Tom, look at me, I said, and he turned back. I used to be something very much like you. But I had control, and I never hurt anyone. If youre the same, we have a place for you as well, where youll be safe from your mother and we can help you to control this nature.
You used to be? You were cured? His face filled with hope. I could be cured?
I was silent at that.
Tell him, Simone said softly.
I shook my head.
Simone said it for me. Removing the demon essence from Emma involved burning it out of her. The Demon King made us pay a terrible price, and then he engulfed her in flames and burned her alive. He took off the entire top layer of her body, and most of her insides as well. Not just the skin, everything. Burned her eyes and tongue out of her head, destroyed her lungs and throat there wasnt anything left. Thats why her skins so smooth and strange-looking. If one of Heavens greatest healers hadnt intervened, she would have died.
Toms face crumpled. It would be worth it.
LK Pak, the Wudang Demon Master, arrived and sat to join us. He nodded around the table, then focused on Tom. I see what you mean.
I raised one hand to stop LK before he spoke any further.
Master Pak is an expert on demons, and hopefully he can help you, I said. Before we begin: understand that you have free will, Tom. You must never, under any circumstances, offer to give that up to anybody. If you ask for someones protection and offer yourself, youll lose your free will and become something much less. Its like being an object, a possession, and its worse than death. Do you understand? Dont ever ask anybody to protect you, or offer to serve them.
Tom nodded, his eyes wide.
I turned to LK. Take a look. From what he said, hes a male Snake Mother, East-West hybrid.
Not possible, no such thing, LK said, and took Toms hand. His eyes unfocused, then widened. Well, shit. Hes right. Never seen anything like him. What the hell did his Mother look like?
Last seen cutting up a dog and drinking its blood, I said. Strong enough to spend a significant amount of time in the West.
What colour dog? LK said quickly.
Ben thought about it for a moment, then said, Black.
Well, damn, LK said with concern. She really drank the blood of a black dog? Damn.
Is the colour significant? Ben said.
The blood of a black dog is a demon ward, I said. Shes not supposed to be able to even touch it.
I never wanted to get messed up in all of this, Ben said weakly. I just want somewhere safe and normal to bring my boy up.
Safe would be enough for me, Tom said. I hate seeing Dad in danger. Especially when its from me.
We will provide you with safety, LK said. Just make sure never to submit to anyones will, like Lady Emma said, and youll both be safe.
Can you help me too, sir? Vincent said.
LK rose, went around the table and held his hand out. Vincent took it; LK nodded and returned to his seat. Third or fourth generation.
But he changes! I said.
Can still happen, particularly if one of the biggest of us is involved.
So hes like my great-great-nephew or something? Simone said.
Fourth or fifth cousin, LK said. He turned back to Vincent. You are descended from a mighty heavenly Shen, and your powers have emerged after several generations, even though they were dormant in those before you.
Vincents expression was a mix of delight and disbelief.
The English term for that is throwback, I said. But three or four generations? Really? Johns his grandfather, or great-grandfather?
Could be more than that; with the Xuan Wu the powers have laid dormant for up to six generations, LK said. Look at Simone: the first-generation human cross and nearly as powerful as the Dark Lord himself.
But hed never had a human wife before Michelle, I said.
So it was either his son or daughter that was Vincents ancestor, LK said. Theyre probably still around as well; we should check Vincents ancestral tablets.
Vincent winced. My family wont let me near them.
Then accept what you are with grace. You have a Heavenly family, and Lady Emma will care for you as if you were her own.
Lady Emma. Ben studied me. When we were down in the basement, you said you were a General and a Regent. Forgive my bluntness, but you dont look like anything much.
Simone, LK and Leo all flinched.
Dont do that! I said, sweeping my hand in front of me. Im not going to explode and bite peoples heads off just for stating the obvious! Im middle-aged, short, plain and scruffy. Hes right: I dont look like anything much.
One of the first lessons you learn at Wudangshan is that nothing is as it appears, Simone said to Ben. Its the plainest, scruffiest and most ordinary-looking people who are the most powerful and deadly. The big, heroic, handsome types usually grow up selfish and conceited and generally never find the Way.
Im the heroic handsome type, Leo said.
Simone nodded to him, serious. I concede your utter gorgeousness and total irresistibility, Lion. You are the most handsome inhabitant of Wudang.
Leo saw our guests faces. Were just having fun, dont worry.
Im not powerful and deadly, I said.
Leo blew his breath out loudly and turned away.
ignored him and continued. Im very small compared to many of the residents of Wudang. Due to a weird set of coincidences, and a god who makes really bad decisions, Ive been put in charge of a lot of stuff. I cant wait for him to come back so I can offload all of it back onto him.
This time Simone made a disgusted noise. Like hell let you.
I ignored her as well. But youre right: Im nothing terribly special. Ive just been given a high-ranking job and Im doing my best with it.
What level demon can you take down, Lady Emma? LK said.
Weapon or energy? I said.
Thank you for making my point for me. LK nodded to Tom and Ben. Shes Regent of the Northern Heavens and Acting First Heavenly General. Shes smart, fights like a demon when her family is threatened, and completely loyal to Wudang. He leaned back. We are all proud to serve her.
Oh, look, you made her blush, Simone said with delight. Thats way more fun than anything I could have done. She grinned at LK. Way to go. I wont forget that. If you really want to freak her out, just compliment her.
I think one of the most popular pastimes on the Mountain is Emma-baiting, I said. LK, can Tom go to the Celestial Plane?
LK nodded. With an escort, he can.
Well then, our morning teas here; lets enjoy it, then head up.
Where to? Vincent said.
Wudang Mountain in Heaven, home of all Martial Arts, Simone said, watching his reaction.
He didnt disappoint. He grinned broadly and said, I cant wait.
We landed on the main training square at the bottom of the stairs that led up to Yuzhengong True Way the largest building on the Mountain. It was a hundred metres long and fifty metres wide, a traditional bracket construction made completely without nails, with red pillars holding the gold-tiled, upturned roof five metres above the ground. The seven peaks of Wudangshan stood around us in a rough circle, joined by soaring bridges and walkways over the gorges between them. The three main halls True Way, Purple Mist and Dragon Tiger flanked the vast training forecourt of polished dark slate.
Ben, Tom and Vincent turned on the spot, admiring the view. True Way was one of the highest parts of Wudangshan, with only the Golden Temple higher on its own peak behind it. Some small meditation pagodas sat at the same level on other peaks, but they were impossible to reach without flight.
The mountains around us stretched forever, covered in pines. Clouds moved through the gorges below us, the sunlight from above making them shine. The sky was that impossible Celestial blue and the breeze was fresh with alpine scents from the gardens.
Ben took a deep breath and smiled. I feel more at ease than I have ever felt anywhere.
Vincent was smiling too, his face streaked with tears. I feel like Ive come home. I always felt there was a place for me somewhere that would be bright and wonderful and where I would be welcome. He fell to one knee and saluted me. Thanks to you, I have found that place. If I were to die right now, I would die a happy man.
I nodded to him as he rose, and wondered if the place that was my home would be possible to find, and if I would have to lose this place to gain it.
Thats astonishing. How do they do that? Tom said. He was watching the Disciples working on the forecourt.
They were performing a level five staff set, the most advanced staff kata on Wudang. They had placed their staves upright, climbed up them, and were standing on the tips of the vertical staves with one foot, their hands clasped in front of them. They swapped from foot to foot without the staff falling, then switched to one hand, doing a handstand on the end of the staff.