Red Phoenix

Chapter Four

About ten o’clock Saturday morning I put the finishing touches to the first draft of my assignment and set it to print in John’s office. I jumped when he spoke into my ear.

I’m going to call you on your mobile. Ready?

I put my hand on the phone and picked it up when it rang. ‘Yeah?’

‘Do you have time to come down to Hennessy Road with Leo and Simone? There’s something we all need to do together.’

‘Sure. I need a break from this anyway. Give us twenty minutes.’

‘You’ll need longer than that, I have the car. Gold will drive it up for you. Leo can bring you down.’

‘Okay.’ I hesitated, then changed my mind about mentioning the transport situation. Maybe when Simone started school. ‘See you soon.’

‘You forgot to put your hands on the wheel again,’ Leo said as Gold pulled up in the car.

Gold just grinned and disappeared.

At Hennessy Road, Leo and I took Simone up to the large training room on the fifth floor. Mirrors covered one of the long walls, and vertical blinds shaded the windows on the short wall. John and Gold were waiting for us.

The room was prepared for demon training. The Academy’s demon jar sat in the corner, full of large black beads. Black hand towels were stacked neatly on shelves under the windows.

‘Simone, go with Gold to the top-floor conference room and wait for us there,’ John said.

‘Okay, Daddy.’ Simone took Gold’s hand to leave the room.

‘Now.’ John linked his hands behind his back. ‘Have either of you warmed up?’

Leo and I shared a look, then turned back to John and shook our heads.

‘Good. You are to do this cold, without any preparation. We’ll start at level ten.’ John pulled a black bead out of the jar and threw it onto the floor under the mirrors. ‘Leo.’

The demon grew into human form: a Chinese man in his early twenties, wearing jeans and a plain T-shirt.

Leo moved to the middle of the room, faced the demon and readied himself. He nodded without looking away.

The demon threw itself at Leo. He ducked under it, turned, twisted, and threw it over his shoulder onto its back. He rammed his fist through its face and it dissipated into feathery black streamers.

‘Good,’ John said. ‘Towels on the side.’

Leo collected a towel from the shelves and wiped his hands. He tossed the towel into the wicker laundry basket next to the shelves, then returned to stand next to me.

John pulled another demon out. ‘Emma.’

‘Am I limited to physical?’ I said. ‘If I am, hold off releasing it. I’ll take my ring off.’

‘No limit on what you do,’ John said. ‘Energy, physical, anything. Just take it out.’

I raised my hand and transferred my ring from my finger to the chain around my neck anyway. Then I readied myself in the centre of the room and nodded.

John threw the demon to the floor and it took the form of an elderly Chinese woman in a bright green cheongsam. She lunged forward to attack me and I took her out with a ball of chi.

‘Good,’ John said. ‘Obviously not a challenge for either of you. Let’s try something bigger.’ He shuffled inside the jar. ‘Level twenty.’ He glanced up. ‘Call if you’re not confident.’ He stopped and spoke more fiercely. ‘I mean it. This is not a competition. Call if you’re not confident.’

‘Yes, sir,’ Leo and I said in unison.

‘Good.’ John threw the bigger demon and it formed under the mirrors. ‘Leo.’

Leo took it easily. John pulled out another level twenty and I took it just as easily with energy.

‘Level thirty.’

‘Once we’re higher than this I’ll need a weapon, my Lord,’ Leo said. ‘They’re much faster than me and I need an edge.’

‘Emma?’

‘Me too. I can’t generate enough energy without the weapon to take them out.’

‘I’ve seen you take a level twenty-five bare-handed,’ John said.

‘I prefer to use energy. Don’t get my hands dirty.’

‘Against humanoids?’

‘Oh, come on, you know that physical is the only way to go with them.’

‘Very well,’ John said. ‘Take the level thirties, and then we’ll move to weapons.’

‘Is this a test?’ I said.

‘Of course it is. A simulation.’

Leo and I shared a look, then shrugged. Whatever. He was the boss.

John tossed the level thirty to the floor under the mirrors. It took True Form: a massive humanoid, seven feet tall, with black scales and tusks.

‘Nice one,’ I said.

Leo hesitated. ‘You want it?’

‘Nah, you can have it.’

Leo stepped forward, readied himself and nodded.

The demon came alive. It looked at each of us in turn, then quickly saluted John. ‘Dark Lord.’ It nodded to Leo. ‘Black Lion. I am honoured.’ It saw me and stopped. ‘What are you?’

‘Perfectly ordinary human female. What, you’ve never seen one before? I find that hard to believe.’

‘Not like you.’ The demon turned its three red eyes onto Leo. ‘Lion.’

‘A second chance,’ John said.

The demon threw itself at Leo, clawed hands raised. Leo ducked beneath its hands and sliced at its abdomen as he went through. His hands glanced off.

The demon stopped and turned. Leo took two steps back, leapt, and ran a jumping high kick straight through its head.

He landed lightly on his feet and the demon dissipated.

‘Leo!’ John shouted.

Leo didn’t reply. He just turned to face John and held his hands out from his sides.

‘How many rules did you break just then?’

Leo hesitated. ‘I think at least five, my Lord.’

‘It is possible that it could have been a higher level disguising its speed. What if it had been a level fifty and you performed a stupid move like that?’

Leo didn’t reply.

‘You know the drill; you teach it! Treat all weapons as if they were sharp. Treat all demons as if they were Mothers. And never take both feet off the floor. When we return you will face five demons of random levels, and if I see you do any more stupid moves like that you will be restricted from weapons for three weeks.’

‘My Lord.’ Leo wasn’t fazed. ‘How many more? I need a shower now.’ He gestured towards his slacks, which were covered in black demon stuff. ‘Another pair ruined.’ He grinned at me. ‘I see what you mean.’

‘Not much longer,’ John said. ‘If it burns let me know and I’ll dismiss you. You should be fine for a while.’ He turned and threw a bead onto the floor. ‘Emma.’

The demon took female human form. She came straight for me.

I quickly bound her, and she stood frozen, her face a mask of loathing.

‘Move back, Leo, this is going to be big.’

Leo backed away.

I used the chi I had drained from her when I bound her and made it into a huge ball, a good metre across. I threw it at the demon and she exploded.

‘That was a foolish thing to do,’ John said. ‘You are pushing your reserves too hard.’

‘I can handle it.’

‘Not only was that a dangerously large amount of energy to throw at the demon, the energy you received when you destroyed her was an even more dangerous amount.’

‘I need a larger reserve. I need to be able to take out much bigger demons with energy. Is there any other way to enlarge my energy reserve?’

He sighed with resignation. ‘No. I understand. But please be careful; we need you.’ He gestured towards the weapons rack. ‘Your weapons are there; collect them and we’ll move up to level forty. And that means no more stupid grandstanding from either of you.’

‘Can you take one that high, Emma?’ Leo said as he selected John’s sword, Dark Heavens, from the rack.

‘With the sword, yes,’ I said as I collected my own. ‘Bare-handed, probably another year and I’ll have it.’

‘Sooner than that if you continue to work this hard with the energy,’ John said. He shuffled in the jar. ‘Damn, not many that high a level. Wait.’ He closed his eyes and held his hand over the jar.

‘No!’ Leo shouted.

‘You are in serious trouble!’ I yelled.

Two beads slid to the top and flew into his hand. He opened his eyes. ‘There are only about ten left.’

‘For heaven’s sake will you guard your energy, John.’

‘If Ms Kwan saw you do that she’d have your shell for breakfast,’ Leo growled.

‘Too late.’ John threw one of the beads onto the floor. The level forty took human form, a tiny ancient Chinese man. ‘Who wants it?’

Leo stepped forward. ‘I remember this little bastard. I was there when you took him. He’s mine.’

He readied himself and nodded.

The demon didn’t move but something changed in its eyes. It scowled. ‘I will not face something as worthless as you,’ it said, and spat on the floor at Leo’s feet. It looked at me then. ‘Disgusting,’ it sneered. ‘A lowly female.’ It turned to John and gestured angrily towards us. ‘Is this what you held me for? A gay-lo nigger and a little girl? I will not face women,’ it said, glaring at Leo.

‘I see what you mean, Leo,’ I said softly. ‘Please, my friend, take your time with this one.’

‘Do you like the taste of turtle, gay-lo?’ the demon said viciously.

Both John and Leo stiffened.

‘Do you like the taste of turtle egg?’

John’s face went rigid and his eyes burned. ‘Take this one out before it speaks again, Leo, or I may be forced to do it myself.’

Leo gestured a come-on to the demon. ‘With a great deal of pleasure, my Lord.’

The demon didn’t move.

‘Come and get me.’

The demon smiled slightly and shook its head.

‘To hell with it,’ Leo said, and swung the sword at the demon’s head.

The demon backed, avoiding the blade, but didn’t fight back. When Leo swung at it again, it backed again. Eventually it reached the wall and turned away from Leo.

Leo lunged after it and it jumped back out of his reach. ‘You will need to do better than that, gay-lo. You have not even touched me.’

Leo’s face went rigid and he lunged to run the demon through before it could escape. It looked down at the sword piercing it with surprise, then smiled up at Leo and exploded.

‘Enough, Leo,’ John said. ‘I can see the level you are at. Shower, change, meet us in the top-floor conference room. Dismissed.’

Leo went to the weapons rack and collected Dark Heavens’ scabbard. He stopped at the doorway and saluted both John and me. ‘My Lord. My Lady.’ Then went out.

‘Your turn, my Lady,’ John said. He threw the level forty onto the floor.

It took True Form: a greyish-green humanoid with tufts of red hair and two bulging eyes.

I moved to the centre of the room, readied my sword and nodded. Physical was the way to go with this one.

The demon was unbound and studied me curiously. ‘What are you?’

‘Why do you things keep asking me that? Haven’t you seen a perfectly ordinary human woman before?’

‘Not like you. You are different.’ The demon turned and saluted John. ‘Dark Lord.’ It saluted me. ‘Lady.’ It threw itself at me.

I ducked under its outstretched arms and spun around it, hitting it on the back of the head with the pommel of my sword as it went through; I couldn’t move my arm around quickly enough to use the blade. It was knocked down by the blow, but turned a neat somersault and landed on its feet facing me, arms outstretched.

‘Nice move,’ I said.

‘Thank you.’

It went for me again, this time throwing a swinging fist at my face. I ducked under the fist and swung at its abdomen with my sword, but it wasn’t there. It had pivoted on our mutual axis and was beside me. It swung at my head but I ducked under the blow, flipped over forwards, rolled, and jumped up facing it. I didn’t lose momentum as it tried to keep up with me; I swung the sword straight at its neck.

It blocked the blow with its forearm and pushed my sword hand back. It was stronger than me and I couldn’t stop it from pushing my sword backwards.

I went with the movement, spun, and used my foot in a roundhouse kick into the side of its chest.

My foot went in with a satisfying crunch. I was through it. I carried my foot through the middle of the black stuff, then spun and leapt back as it exploded.

Not fast enough. Black stuff completely covered me from head to toe.

‘Damn.’

‘Well done,’ John said with satisfaction. ‘I can see the level you are at. Good.’ He didn’t move from the other side of the room. ‘Shower. Change. Meet me in the conference room.’ His voice became fierce. ‘Excellent!’

Everybody was waiting for me in the conference room. Simone had drawn brightly coloured dragons on the whiteboard; one of them was recognisably Jade and the other was Qing Long, the East Wind. She even had their size difference nearly accurate; he was about five times bigger than Jade.

‘Gold, take Simone to my office. I want to speak to Emma and Leo alone.’

Simone scowled.

‘Last time, sweetheart, I promise.’

Simone took Gold’s hand and led him out.

‘Good.’ John leaned his arms on the table. ‘Emma, what we just did is confirmation of something I already knew. You can both take up to level forty without too much difficulty.’

I stiffened as I understood. I was at the same level of expertise as Leo.

‘News, Emma?’ Leo said softly.

‘I didn’t think too much about it before, Leo. You’ve always been better than me at hand-to-hand. But with a weapon and energy, I can take the same level as you.’

‘You realise what this means?’ John said.

Leo and I shared a look, then turned back to John and shook our heads.

‘You can take turns staking out the school. You can share the guardian duties. You’re just as good a guard as Leo now, Emma.’

‘Oh no!’ I shouted. ‘Is that what this was about? You want to make me bodyguard as well as nanny? You must be joking! My thesis is due in five months and I haven’t even found a topic for it.’ I ran my hands through my hair. ‘No way. I have enough to do as it is.’

‘When Simone starts school, you’ll have plenty of time,’ John said. ‘You and Leo can share guard duties, and spend time teaching here. It will work out very well.’ He leaned over the table to me, his eyes sparkling. ‘Dear Lady Emma, I formally request of you. Will you assist Leo in the guarding of my beloved daughter?’

‘This is brilliant, my Lord,’ Leo said. ‘We can rotate the time. Some spent guarding, some spent teaching. A good balance.’

‘I want a pay rise,’ I grumbled. ‘I cannot believe you are doing this to me.’

‘Wait.’ John pulled a folded chequebook out of his hip pocket. He flattened it on the table, opened it, scribbled on a cheque, tore it out with a flourish and handed it to me.

‘How much?’ Leo said.

‘Ten million.’ I tore the cheque into tiny pieces. ‘But you forgot to sign it.’

‘You can sign it yourself, you know that.’

‘You both hate me. This was a setup from the start.’ I sighed with feeling. ‘I’ll be fiercely busy until she starts school, John. The rebuilding, the management of Hennessy Road and Turtle’s Folly —’

Leo broke in. ‘What?’

‘She calls it Turtle’s Folly,’ John said.

I ignored them. ‘The management of the school and the residence is a huge job. I can’t possibly teach until Simone returns to school and frees up some time for me.’

‘We can hire someone to help look after Simone,’ John said.

‘No way!’ Leo and I said in unison.

‘She’s far too special to give to anybody else,’ I said. ‘She stays with either Leo or me.’

‘How about I bring Charlie over from London to help you out until school starts?’ John said. ‘She can mind Simone while you’re in meetings, and care for her at the Peak so you can finish your thesis. I promised she’d be able to come over and brush up her cooking skills here in Hong Kong anyway. James can mind the house in London by himself for a while.’

‘That’s a great idea,’ I said, and Leo nodded agreement. ‘Simone loves Charlie dearly and would really enjoy seeing her. Perfect.’

My footsteps echoed eerily through the tunnel leading out of the MTR station. There wasn’t anybody else in the tunnel with me. Most unusual for Hong Kong.

A scraping sound came from the tiled area behind me. Loud enough to echo through the tunnel. It sounded like scales dragging along the ground.

I glanced back and saw it. It was enormous; at least six metres long, black and shining. It flicked its forked tongue at me.

I spun and ran. I raced through the tunnel, but my feet slipped on the tiles. It closed on me, the sound of its scales on the tiles a wet, shining slither. Louder and louder . . .

It crashed onto me, pinning me under its enormous, slick body. I couldn’t move.

It wrapped its body around me, but didn’t squeeze. It just held me.

Then it was gone.

I pulled myself up and walked out through the tunnel. Well, it was about time. What a wonderful feeling of satisfaction. I was complete. I was whole. And it felt so good, because I was so very, very dangerous. Now. Who would I kill first?

I woke and stumbled out of bed, then collapsed on the floor, panting and drenched in sweat.

John must have felt my distress because he came in. He wore his plain black pyjama pants and his long hair had come almost completely out of its braid. He knew better than to approach.

I knelt on the floor, gasping.

‘If I could hold you right now, I would. Do you want me to call someone?’

I raised my hand. I took a deep gulping breath and pulled myself to my feet, then sat on the bed. ‘I’m okay.’

He sat on the other side of the bed. ‘That must have been a hell of a nightmare.’

I glanced into his eyes. ‘I dreamed I turned into a snake. No, that’s not right. I dreamed that a snake turned into me.’

He was taken aback. ‘Really?’

I dropped my head. ‘A really big black snake.’

‘I would love to see that,’ he said, his voice intense.

‘What?’

‘I’m sure you would be spectacularly beautiful. Black?’ He smiled slightly. ‘Wonderful.’

I looked away. ‘Go back to bed, reptile man.’

‘Are you sure you’re all right?’

‘It was just a freaky dream. That’s all.’

‘If you’re sure . . .’

‘You need your rest. Go back to bed.’

‘As you wish, Emma. Good night.’

‘Night, John.’

It took me a long time to go back to sleep after he’d gone.

Chapter Five

I met my friends April and Louise for lunch in the Thai restaurant in Wan Chai. It had been a long time.

April was a lovely Australian Chinese who I’d met working at Kitty Kwok’s kindergarten before I went to work full-time for John. Her pregnancy was already well along and she had a cute bulge in front, accentuated by her lime-green maternity dress. The dress was an awful concoction of frills, bows and ruffles, and made her seem bigger than she was. Her face had filled out with the pregnancy, but she looked healthy and happy.

Louise was still herself, blonde, bony, and full of freckles and mischief. We’d shared an apartment in Sha Tin before I’d moved in to work as a live-in nanny for John, and I hadn’t heard from her since we’d run into the White Tiger while having lunch at Sha Tin shopping centre and she’d fallen for him on the spot. I’d ferociously warned him off her otherwise she would have ended up as a member of his extensive harem.

‘When’s the baby due, April?’ I said.

‘September. Mid-September,’ April said. ‘It’s a boy.’

Louise glanced up from her menu. ‘You had it tested already?’

‘Sure,’ April said. ‘Every month, when I visit the doctor, I have an ultrasound. They found out last appointment. Andy’s very happy. He says he wants to keep it now.’ She leaned back and smiled with satisfaction. ‘We’re a family. I knew it would all work out.’

‘That’s so wonderful, April,’ I said. ‘So you’re all together now?’

‘Yes, but not living together. He doesn’t have time, he needs to be on the Island to be close to work. So he lives on Hong Kong Island, and I’m at Discovery Bay with the domestic helper. He comes and sees me once every few weeks, and tells me how happy he is.’

‘What about the other wife?’

‘She doesn’t matter,’ April said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Louise and I shared a look.

‘Is he still in the same work, April?’ I said, carefully not mentioning Andy’s underworld connections in front of Louise.

‘He says he’s not involved any more,’ April said, obviously happy. ‘He’s working in Aunty Kitty’s business. Mostly in China.’

‘I’m pleased for you,’ I said, and I meant it.

Louise looked up from her menu. ‘Soft-shell crab. Want some?’

‘Can’t eat crab while I’m pregnant,’ April said.

‘Why not?’ I said.

‘It will make the baby a criminal. Scuttle sideways, like a crab.’

‘What else can’t you eat?’ I said, trying to keep the disbelief from my voice.

‘Lots of stuff,’ April said. ‘Have to be careful. Not make my blood too hot or too cold. The Chinese doctor keeps an eye on me. I drink Chinese medicine, to stay strong. Aunty Kitty is looking after me very well, she has doctors who are looking after me.’

‘Kitty Kwok?’

‘She says she misses you from the kindergarten, Emma. She says you should go and visit her at her house. She keeps asking me to take you over there.’

I didn’t say anything. Kitty Kwok still called me, and approached me at charity functions, and I still carefully avoided her. I was sick to death of the woman. But at least she was helping April with the baby.

‘I’m not going through that when I have a baby,’ Louise said grimly.

‘What?’ I hesitated. ‘What?’

‘Oh, didn’t I tell you?’ Louise said with an evil grin. ‘I’m off to get married at the end of the month. Say bye bye, ladies, I’m marrying a king.’

‘No!’ I shouted, and heads snapped around to look at me. I lowered my voice. ‘Don’t you dare go off with that bastard!’

The waiter approached and we ordered quickly.

After he had gone I turned to Louise. ‘If you go off with him nobody’ll ever see you again. For God’s sake, Louise, don’t do this!’

‘A king?’ April said, trying to keep up.

‘Yep,’ Louise said with satisfaction. She eyed me sideways. ‘Watch this, Emma, this is really good.’ She turned back to April. ‘I’m marrying an Arab sheik. A king. Filthy rich. I’ll be moving to the Middle East at the end of the month. Say ta-ta.’

‘You’re marrying one of them? You have to wear those veils and things, you know,’ April said, explaining. ‘You can’t go out in public. And they sometimes have more than one wife. If he’s really rich it might be worth it, but if he’s not then it’s a waste of time.’

‘Oh my God, you are so mercenary sometimes, April.’ I leaned forward to speak intensely to Louise. ‘This is such a bad idea. You do know how many wives he has already?’

‘They’re great. I’ve met some of them,’ Louise said. ‘They came with him to explain. They all help each other, look after each other, great friends. Can’t wait.’

‘Don’t let his . . .’ I hesitated. I chose my words. ‘His prowess cloud your judgement, Louise. Once you’re over the novelty, you have to live with him, and share him.’

‘You know him too, Emma?’ April said. ‘He has wives already?’

‘Prowess?’ Louise said still grinning. ‘Wouldn’t know, the guy hasn’t touched me.’ The grin widened. ‘He is a perfect gentleman; you have to marry him and go with him before he’ll do anything. Like I said, can’t wait.’

I put my head in my hands. ‘Oh God.’

Louise dropped her voice to a low purr. ‘Soft white fur.’

I folded my arms on the table and dropped my head on them. I wanted to bang my head on the table. ‘Oh God! I am going to kill that bastard when I see him!’ I glared up at her. ‘He promised me he’d stay away from you!’

‘Oh, that explains it,’ Louise said. ‘I had to chase him around for ages. Took a long time to finally make him give in.’

I buried my head in my arms. ‘I am going to kill him.’

The waiter came back and I lifted my head. He placed four jelly coconut milk drinks and a pineapple rice on the table, and turned away.

I stopped him. ‘We didn’t order this.’

He froze, then his face stiffened. He picked up the drinks and the rice with disdain and stomped away.

‘What did your family say when you told them?’ I said.

‘They’re not speaking to me.’ She changed her voice so that she sounded very stern and spoke down her nose. ‘I cannot tell you how disappointed I am.’ She grinned. ‘Makes it easier, really.’

‘You’re throwing your whole life away to be one of a hundred,’ I said.

‘One hundred and seventeen. But the first fifty or so are really old and ugly. No competition. He just keeps them around ’cause he has to.’ Her eyes sparkled. ‘Like you can talk, anyway. I hear yours has scales. Yuck.’

‘What are you talking about?’ April said, completely bewildered.

The waiter came and plonked some dishes onto the table. He glared at me. ‘We ordered some drinks too,’ I said. He stomped off.

‘Scales?’ April said softly. ‘You have a man, Emma? Not this Chen man, is it?’

‘Yep,’ Louise said with satisfaction. ‘Engaged to him.’

‘You going to marry John Chen?’ April turned away. ‘Lucky you. When’s the wedding?’

‘Not for a long time, April. A lot of problems. May never happen at all.’

‘Lighten up, Emma,’ Louise said. ‘The Tiger says it’ll happen.’

I didn’t say anything.

‘Why did you say he has scales?’ April said.

‘He’s a turtle,’ Louise said with relish.

I glanced up quickly. April inhaled sharply, her eyes very wide.

‘You say that about Emma’s man? You insult Emma too? What a horrible thing to say!’

‘What?’ Louise said, not understanding. ‘What did I say?’

April leaned across the table towards Louise. ‘You said he’s a turtle,’ she hissed.

‘That’s a shocking insult, Louise,’ I said.

‘Is it? No wonder the Tiger says it all the time.’ Louise grinned. ‘What does it mean?’

‘Man who cannot satisfy wife,’ April said, very softly. ‘Wife turns to other men.’

‘Cuckold,’ I said.

‘Whoa.’ Louise’s eyes widened with delight. ‘Cool. Good one.’

‘Same thing as wearing a green hat,’ April said.

‘Why turtle?’ Louise said. ‘Why is that particular animal the insult?’

I didn’t want to discuss it. ‘I have no idea.’

‘I don’t know either,’ April said. ‘Just turtle is very offensive animal. Lot of insults attached to it.’

I studied them. April: living in dreamland, believing she had a family when she only saw her man every few weeks. Louise: willing to share a man with more than a hundred others. And me.

I was probably the most pathetic of us all.

‘Will I still be able to see you, Louise?’ I said.

‘Since you know all about it, you might be able to talk to me occasionally,’ Louise said, still obviously happy. ‘Don’t count on anything; usually when we go there we’re gone for good. Never seen again.’

‘What?’ April said. ‘You don’t mean that, do you? I don’t understand.’

‘Your poor family,’ I whispered.

‘Thoroughly worth it.’ Louise glanced down at the dishes. ‘Is this what we ordered?’

I looked at the dishes as well and sagged. ‘Nope.’

‘The economic downturn hasn’t affected this place at all,’ Louise said as she tried to catch the waiter’s eye. ‘They still act as if they’re doing us a favour by letting us eat here.’

‘I’m glad everything turned out for all of us,’ April said. ‘We’ll all be happy married women.’

I really did feel the need to bang my head on the table.

I tapped on John’s office door and opened it a crack. ‘Free to talk?’

‘Just let me save this file,’ he said, studying the computer, then turned and leaned his elbows on the pile of papers on his desk. ‘What?’

‘It’s May fifth. The festival’s started. And you haven’t done anything.’

‘Aiya,’ he said, and I giggled. ‘What?’

‘That’s an extremely Cantonese sound coming from you,’ I said, still smiling.

‘I’ve heard you say it too. You can pick people who have lived in Hong Kong for any length of time, even expats. They all say it.’

‘Cheung Chau,’ I said, bringing him back to the point.

‘Aiya,’ he said again. ‘It’s already started?’

‘The buns are up, John. The three effigies have already been built.’

‘When’s the big day?’

‘Three days from now. May eighth.’ I sighed with exasperation. ‘Why don’t you ever look in your diary?’

‘I have a secretary and I have you,’ he said. ‘I don’t need to.’

‘You forgot your own birthday, Pak Tai.’

‘You know it’s not my birthday,’ he said impatiently. ‘It’s the Buddha’s birthday. They just lumped me into the holiday because it was convenient.’

‘Did you know him?’

‘Who?’

‘The Sakyamuni Buddha.’

He hesitated, watching me, then, ‘No.’

‘What about the teachings?’

‘What about them?’

‘Are they true? The Buddhist Precepts?’

He sighed. ‘You know better than to ask me that, Emma. You know you have to find your own way.’

I shrugged it off, it was worth a try. ‘Okay, so when’s your birthday?’

‘You know I have no idea,’ he said. ‘After four and a half thousand years I’d challenge anybody to have an idea. I doubt if I was ever actually born, anyway. I just am.’

‘Well then, Eighth Day of the Fourth Moon it is. May eighth this year. Three days from now. Thursday.’

He leaned back and retied his hair. ‘Aiya.’

‘I’ve already cancelled all your classes, and booked the boat to take us over. We leave at ten in the morning. Okay?’

He grinned broadly. ‘You already arranged it?’

‘Of course I did. You don’t think I’d leave it to you, do you?’

Cheung Chau was a dumbbell-shaped island about an hour’s boat ride from Central Pier. The island was only three hundred metres wide at its narrowest point and hardly any height above sea level. The two ‘weights’ on the dumbbell stretched to either side, and were slightly higher.

The island was completely packed with people for the festival. John carried Simone so that she wouldn’t be crushed.

The air was full of the noise of shouting, drums and gongs, and the smells of food and sweat. A thick pall of incense smoke hung over the entire island.

We stopped for lunch at one of the small restaurants near the pier before we went anywhere. The restaurants usually specialised in live seafood, held in tanks next to the kitchen. Diners could select exactly which fish and shellfish they wanted, how they wanted them served, and the restaurant would oblige. But for the week of the Bun Festival the entire island of Cheung Chau went vegetarian in Pak Tai’s honour. The butcher shops closed for the holidays.