Kylie Chan - Red Phoenix

‘That’s what happened in Central,’ John said to me. ‘Your Serpent essence took that demon out.’

‘The one that was shooting for Mother?’ Ralph said. ‘The one that disappeared in Central? You did that?’

‘I think I did, but I’m not sure,’ I said. ‘I can’t remember very much about it. I faced her, I hit her, then I woke up in hospital with my face minced.’ Shooting for Mother. ‘I’ve dreamed that I’m a Mother. Do I look like a Mother?’

‘Something like a Mother—’ Ralph said.

John banged the arm of his chair. ‘No, Emma!’

‘—but not quite. I’m sorry, my Lady, I’ve never seen anything like you before.’

‘I’m unique.’

‘Of course you are,’ John said. ‘And it is a direct result of time spent in constant contact with me, acting as a catalyst for your already present talents and Serpent nature. Remember, Emma, you are the first talented human female I have loved.’

‘That’s what I think,’ Ralph said. ‘If you’d been able to sleep together, it probably would have catalysed faster.’

Both John and I stared at him.

‘I thought you two couldn’t touch,’ he said.

‘We spent a couple of days in the Western Palace together after John defeated One Two Two in Wan Chai,’ I said.

The demon grinned. ‘Oh. A dirty weekend.’ John’s face went stiff. ‘Apologies, my Lord.’ Ralph chuckled. ‘There’s a book running on level six.’

‘Hell of the Poisonous Snakes?’ I said.

John glanced sharply at me, then turned back to the demon.

‘Oh, very good, my Lady,’ Ralph said, his grin getting wider. ‘Well done.’

‘A book?’ John said.

‘Let me see.’ Ralph reached into the pocket of his hound’s-tooth jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. He put his glasses back on, then unfolded the paper. ‘Ten to one, she’s a lost Southern Shen.’

‘Rainbow Serpent?’ I said.

‘Yes,’ Ralph said, the grin not shifting.

‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ I said.

‘Five to one, she’s a lost dragon. Five to one, she’s your Serpent—’

John cut him off. ‘Excellent!’

‘What?’ I said.

‘That means that they don’t know,’ John said. ‘They won’t go after it.’

‘Oh,’ I said. ‘I see what you mean.’

Ralph continued as if John hadn’t said anything. He obviously understood. ‘Three to one, she’s escaped from level six and lost her memory. Also three to one, she’s a perfected Mother; but the Mothers deny most strongly that any of them has attempted perfection. But nobody believes those lying bitches anyway.’ His eyes sparkled through the glasses at me.

‘Ralph,’ I said.

‘Yes?’

‘When the eggs hatch, what do the Mothers do?’

John glanced sharply at me but didn’t say anything.

‘They must be bound immediately, my Lady, because they will eat the nestlings. Straight away. When the eggs are close to hatching, they must be watched. With the larger Mothers, they usually only salvage one or two nestlings out of a clutch, the Mother is so fast.’

I didn’t say anything. I tried to control my face. No wonder John hadn’t told me.

Ralph smiled at John and turned back to the paper. ‘Two to one on, she’s something completely new, a new hybrid that escaped and nobody wants to claim ownership. Also two to one on, she’s a hybrid that’s been planted with you and is programmed to turn later. There was some argument that those two were the same thing, but the odds are the same anyway, so it doesn’t make a difference.’

‘Shit,’ I said quietly.

‘Also two to one on, she’s an alien.’

‘That is totally ridiculous,’ John said.

‘We will have our fun, my Lord,’ Ralph said. ‘There has also been a great deal of money put on the possibility that she’s a perfectly normal human, strong snake alignment, activated by your presence. That’s where my money is, but at this stage it’s ten to one on and really not worth bothering with.’

We all stayed silent for a while.

‘You wouldn’t care to enlighten me, my Lord? I know where my money is, and it’s past the stage of collecting now. But I would like to know, purely out of interest’s sake.’

Neither of us spoke.

‘Good Lord,’ Ralph said incredulously, ‘you mean you don’t know either?’ He stared at me with disbelief. ‘You were genuinely asking me the questions, not testing how much I knew? I find that difficult to believe.’

Again neither of us replied.

I had a sudden inspiration. ‘April Ho.’

Ralph didn’t say anything and the smile didn’t shift.

‘Do you know what happened to her?’

‘Who is April Ho?’ Ralph said.

‘She’s a friend of mine. She married Andy Ho, a relative of Kitty Kwok’s. He was probably in league with One Two Two. She was pregnant to him; the child may be half demon. Kitty arranged for the delivery of the baby in China…’ I pulled myself together. ‘And now she appears to be missing.’

‘I don’t know about that particular case, my Lady,’ Ralph said, ‘but I doubt very much that you’ll ever see your friend again. It’s obvious they wanted her for the child. With the child in their possession she becomes expendable.’

I knew it anyway but it hurt to hear it out loud. ‘Oh God. ’

We were all silent again for quite some time. ‘Anything else for us?’ John finally said.

The demon shook his head. He put the piece of paper back in his pocket, then took off his glasses and wiped them on the corner of his jacket. ‘That’s all I have for you. I’m not holding anything back. I hope I’ll be rewarded appropriately, my Lord.’

‘What do you want?’ I said. ‘Do you want to stay with us?’

‘I can take you up and do it now,’ John said. ‘Or later, if you prefer. Either way.’

‘Probably the sooner the better, my Lord,’ the demon said, still smiling. ‘Every minute is a minute spent with them seeking me. Can we do it now?’

‘Just be sure that you don’t have anything else for us first,’ John said. ‘If you like you can take some time, make sure you haven’t missed anything vital.’ He studied the demon intensely. ‘You are safe here.’

‘You know as much as I do, my Lord,’ the demon said. ‘Please. Now.’ He shrugged. ‘Nothing else I need to do, and I’m living in constant fear.’

‘I do not believe this,’ I said. ‘Why don’t you try for perfection instead? Come on. You have a chance.’

‘You are most gracious, my Lady,’ the demon said, ‘but I don’t have any chance whatsoever. I am too big. Once I walk out your door I am theirs, and it will be slow.’ He gestured towards John with his glasses. ‘With him it will be quick.’

‘Then why did you go through all of this to come to me?’ I said.

‘For it to be quick.’

Simone was full of bounce as we left the cinema at Pacific Place; she’d enjoyed the movie tremendously. I quietly wondered if I’d ever see a film aimed at adults. I’d seen every children’s film released in the past year. John couldn’t go with me to the cinema because we’d be too close. We’d even given up on the charity functions.

Simone jiggled happily beside me as we walked through the shopping centre to the food court for some afternoon tea. We bought the food, and then stood and waited for a table to clear. The food court was always full, with standing room only; the only way to get a table was to wait for one.

Simone chatted merrily about the Christmas decorations as we waited. It was only the first week of December but the Christmas hysteria was in full swing, even though most residents of Hong Kong didn’t celebrate the holiday. Chinese New Year would be even worse for advertising and decoration, but the coloured lights strung on the outside of the buildings were always entertaining. I particularly enjoyed watching the decorations change from Christmas to New Year; on the sides of many buildings Santa would miraculously transform into the God of Fortune with a slight change of costume. The previous year’s decoration changes had been particularly clever, with reindeer suddenly transforming into goats for the Year of the Goat. I wondered what they would do for the Year of the Monkey. I felt a pang as I remembered a cruise on the harbour to watch the fireworks. Only less than a year ago. Probably only two years left.