Leo saluted with a huge grin. My Lord. Ive been teaching on my days off for a while already. It would be great to teach students who are good enough for the Mountain.
I didnt know that, Leo, I said, impressed.
I didnt either. Well done, Leo, true initiative. Come and sit, and Ill tell you all about it. John returned to the table.
Leo sat and leaned his arms on the table, listening attentively. My Lord? My Lady?
Oh, will you cut that out, Leo? I said. Weve been friends far too long for this.
Keeps you on your toes as well, my Lady, he said with a grin.
Leo, if I promise never to give you a direct order, will you promise to stop using the honorific?
Leos grin widened. Nope.
Bastard, I hissed under my breath.
I heard that, my Lady, Leo said loudly with relish.
You two can have this out later in the training room with weapons of choice, John said. But no chi. One hole in the wall is quite enough.
He saw my reaction and waved me down. And that is an order, as Master to student, Emma. Take it into the training room. Leo.
My Lord?
I dont know how much you heard while you were eavesdropping in the hallway
Leo opened his mouth to protest, and John continued, ignoring him.
but we are moving the Celestial Wudangshan Academy here to Hong Kong while we rebuild. The Disciples will live in my building in Happy Valley, and training will take place in the building on Hennessy Road.
Thats a brilliant solution, sir, Leo said with admiration.
It was Emmas idea.
Leo glanced sharply at me. I shrugged.
How old are the students youve been teaching? John said.
Kids, Leo said. Some of them dont have much of a home life. I teach them the Arts, it gives them some direction and discipline. I feel Im giving something back, Ive gained so much here.
Are any of your students suitable to replace you? John said. A young man or woman with strength and integrity, who has the talent to go far? I could take them as a student here and bring them on, and they could be ready to help guard Simone after both you and I are dead.
Geez, I said softly.
The students on the Mountain are quite old, Emma, John said. They must be at least sixteen, and I prefer them to be either eighteen or twenty-one, whatever the majority is in their home state, when I take them. Having a younger student come here to learn directly from me would be ideal.
Ive had a young man in mind for a while, Leo said. Very young, very talented. American like me, half-Chinese, but his Chinese father took off and left him and his mother alone. Been drifting, a bit lost, if you know what I mean. I think hed be perfect.
Is he free to take up duties with us and live-in? John said. Would his mother mind?
I think his mother would be thrilled to have him off the streets.
Straight? I said.
Both of them stiffened. What does that have to do with anything? Leo said sharply.
Nothing at all. Id just like to know.
Straight, Leo said suspiciously.
How old is he? I said pointedly, and now they could see where I was going. John glanced at Leo.
Fifteen, Leo said. I hadnt thought of that. Maybe I should ask around my other friends instead.
No, bring him in, John said. Let me see him anyway. First impressions are important. If hes your first choice, then he is worth looking at.
The ceiling was very low in the dim bathroom. I wiped my hands on the towel and turned around.
An enormous black snake, at least half a metre across, writhed across the shower cubicle and down the wall towards me. I couldnt see the head, but I didnt bother looking for it. I didnt scream. I just ran.
I threw the door open, charged out, and slammed it shut again. There was a jade bolt on the door and I pushed it into the frame. But jade was really brittle, and if the snake wanted to come out it could.
I ran out of my room and tore down the dark hallway.
I woke up gasping.
CHAPTER THREE
John poked his head around my bedroom door. Simones asleep. Want to come with me to check the work at Hennessy Road?
I pulled away from my computer. Sure. I gestured towards the book in his hand. How far did you get?
He opened the book and held it at arms length to read it. Eeyore losing his tail.
Now you know why she called her little donkey Eeyore.
He grinned. I didnt realise Taoism had penetrated Western society at such an early date. Certainly when I was in England in the twenties, nobody had heard of the Tao.
I dont think the Taoist references are deliberate, the author was just a very wise man. I pulled my copy of The Tao of Pooh from the shelf above my desk and tossed it to him.
He caught it easily, then opened the book and held it away to read it.
Holy shit, I whispered. I worked it out. It was May now; only four months since Kwan Yin had last fed him energy, but hed been severely drained when the demons attacked us in Guangzhou a few weeks ago.
John, could you call Leo silently for me, please? I asked.
He glanced up from the book, concentrating. Leo appeared in the doorway behind him. Yes, my Lady?
Do you have your reading glasses, Leo?
Leo pulled his small round reading spectacles out of his breast pocket. Yeah, why?
Give them to Mr Chen.
No, John said.
I rose and leaned on my desk. John, you look mid-forties. Is your human form mid-forties?
I am four and a half thousand years old.
No, John. Does your human form have the characteristics of a man in his mid-forties?
John glanced at the glasses in Leos hand, then down at the book. He took the glasses from Leo and slipped them on, then looked at the book in his hand. His eyes widened. He removed the glasses, looked at the book, then put the glasses back on. No. He sagged, took the glasses off again and handed them back to Leo.
Its only four months since you saw the Lady, I said.
Oh my God, Leo said softly.
Do we need to take you back now?
No, John said. This is just the human form slipping from my control. I am becoming more human as I lose energy and my characteristics as a Shen fall away.
Dont risk it, John. If youre running low on energy well go to Paris.
Ill last a couple more months, he said quietly. Well go in July or August, just before Simone starts school.
I pushed away from the desk. Okay. Thanks, Leo. Now lets go check on the work at Hennessy Road.
Am I all right to drive? John said. I dont want to risk you.
I dont wear the glasses to drive, Leo said. Its only things close up you need them for.
Damn, John said softly.
Im surprised you havent complained of headaches from the eye strain, I said. Johns face was miserable.
Healing himself. Leo sighed with exasperation. Take him down to Central tomorrow to buy some reading glasses before he wastes all of his energy.
Were going to Hennessy Road right now. Can you guard Simone for us? I said.
Sure.
I stopped in the doorway. How come you wear reading glasses, Leo? Youre too young to need them yet, arent you?
Its cause Im such a brainiac, Leo said.
John drove in silence along Magazine Gap Road towards Admiralty. The city lights glittered between the trees. He carefully negotiated the winding turns as we went down the steep hill.
Its not that big a deal, I said.
He didnt reply.
We meandered through the highrises and took the overpass into Garden Road. Old Government House sat on the left, empty now that there was no Governor. The Chief Executive chose not to live there because of the poor fung shui. The towers of Admiralty loomed above us, still bright with office lights.
John.
He ignored me.
John, you just need to guard your energy. Be careful. If you want to go to Paris sooner, tell us. I turned in my seat to see his face. It was rigid with control.
He turned into Queens Road, four lanes both ways and still full of buses and taxis. He pushed his way through the stop-start traffic onto Hennessy Road, then eased into one of the dark, narrow side streets to enter the buildings car park. One of the demon guards smiled, opened the door and waved us in. A large sign next to the entrance warned that it was private parking only.
The Hennessy Road building was perfect for our purposes. It had been built in the mid-seventies, and the external walls were covered with tan tiles. Each floor was about two hundred square metres, and there was a floor of shops on the ground level, with two basement car park levels. Wed kept the shops; they provided the building with camouflage. A fashion boutique and a stationery shop leased the ground floor units, both run by friendly Shen who lived as humans.
There was only one van left in the car park; all the other human workmen had gone home. John didnt even bother parking in a space; he just left the car in the middle.
After wed climbed out of the car I stopped him with my hand on his sleeve. Are you embarrassed about needing glasses?
He sighed with feeling. It was one thing having clothing bought and made. It was another dealing with human weaknesses and needs. But this He pulled his arm away, turned and looked into my eyes. This is my effectiveness as a warrior. If I cant see well, how can I defend you and Simone?
Okay, I said. Easy. If you closed your eyes and worked blind, whats the highest level of demon you could take down?
I could take down the King himself without needing to see.
How many Snake Mothers could you take down blind?
He smiled sadly. Youre right, Emma. Youre always right. I dont need my eyes.
I could take down the King himself without needing to see.
How many Snake Mothers could you take down blind?
He smiled sadly. Youre right, Emma. Youre always right. I dont need my eyes.
See? Its not that big a deal. And when were in Central tomorrow, you are not going to give me a hard time. Instead, you are going to sit quietly and let them test your eyes.
Yes, maam.
Now lets see Gold about your Academy. He turned and gestured for me to lead. Our Academy, Emma.
Do you have any idea how good that sounds? He grinned. Yes.
Gold met us at the lift lobby, smiling and jolly as ever. He wore a tan polo shirt and a pair of tan slacks, setting off his golden-brown hair. Come up to the fifth floor. Were nearly finished there.
Like most Hong Kong buildings, the Hennessy Road tower didnt have a fourth floor. Is there a fourth floor at all?