Late that afternoon we met up with the Tiger at the guesthouse in the Northern Heavens, about two kilometres from the Palace complex. We all wore black silk Tang-style robes, modified with slits up the sides over the riding trousers beneath, and with armour over the top. The Tiger and his grooms brought us each a black horse: a small, light-boned Arab mare each for me and Simone, and a big, heavyset, warm-blood stallion for John. All of the horses had been saddled and bridled with antique carved leather tack, black and highlighted with silver fittings.
The Tiger held Simone’s horse while she mounted. ‘If they give you any grief at all, send me a telepathic message,’ he said. ‘Even the best-trained horses will baulk at some of the rigmarole that’s happening at the Palace. The stallion should behave, he’s a warhorse, but you never know.’
John stood next to her horse and reached towards the Tiger. ‘Lend me a hand, brother.’
The Tiger strode to John, they clasped hands, and both of them dropped their heads slightly. A glowing nimbus of shen energy surrounded them, then disappeared into John.
‘Enough?’ the Tiger said.
John nodded, and they released hands.
‘Fat bastard, you nearly killed me,’ the Tiger said.
‘I hear the ring joint on the port boom could do with some work as well,’ John said.
‘Pfft.’ The Tiger waved her down. ‘Let’s see it then.’
‘Hold the horse,’ John said, and the Tiger took the reins.
John raised her hands slightly out to the side, threw her head back, and the air shimmered around her. She grew and widened and thickened, and took male form. John mounted his horse, took up the reins, and shook out his shoulders with an audible crack. ‘That’s more like it.’
‘Oh, it’s about time,’ I said.
‘This is only temporary,’ John said. ‘It’ll last about two hours. What I really need is to sit at the bottom of the lake for a week or so.’
‘Not yet!’ I said. ‘Jade Emperor tomorrow.’
‘Looking forward to that one,’ the Tiger said. He gave me a quick leg-up onto my horse, then stepped back and studied us. ‘Impressive. You’ll make a fine entrance. As I said, if any of them play up, just give me a call.’
‘No need,’ John said, and turned his horse on the spot. ‘I have enough left to keep them in line.’
‘See you at the Grand Court then,’ the Tiger said, and disappeared.
‘Me in the middle, Simone on my left, Emma on my right,’ John said. ‘And both of you look spectacular.’ He sighed with bliss. ‘I really am the happiest old Turtle in the whole wide world to have such a family.’
‘Your hair’s already coming out,’ I said, and pushed my horse into a trot, leaving them both behind.
‘Damn,’ he said. ‘Wait!’
The Palace complex glowed in the dusk: the tops of the walls and the roofs of the main buildings in the administrative area had been decked with coloured fairy lights. The horses snorted and flicked their ears as we approached the main gates, but remained steady and didn’t flinch.
As we approached the gates, they swung open. All of the residents of the Northern Heavens, the students and Masters of the Mountain, and a variety of other Shen, in both human and True Form, were standing in ranks in the Grand Court, on either side of a pathway leading to a dais that had been erected level with the highest balcony at the entrance of the Hall of Dark Justice. Close on a thousand people must have been waiting for us. They all fell to one knee as we entered, the Shen bowing in True Form, and we rode through their ranks up to the dais.
Three of the Tiger’s sons were waiting there to collect the horses and lead them away. We mounted the steps, with John slightly ahead, and at the top we turned to face the crowd.
‘Ten thousand years,’ everybody said in unison, and rose.
There was complete silence for a long moment and I surreptitiously glanced at John to check he was all right. He appeared to be listening to something. After what seemed forever, he stepped forward to address the crowd. His voice sounded as if he was speaking at normal volume, but he could be heard by everybody.
‘I have returned to the Dark Northern Heavens, my dominion and home.’
He spread his hands in front of him and Seven Stars appeared in them, held horizontally. He took the sword from the scabbard and lit it with his internal energy, much faster than Simone could ever do it, the holes in the blade filling in a musical scale. When the sword was completely loaded, a cloud of dark energy floated around it, lit by the different coloured globes in the blade. It produced a sound of pure power, making the ground throb in time with its energy.
John took a huge stride forward to the edge of the dais above the crowd. He held the sword point down and drove it into the dais, falling to one knee at the same time.
‘I, Xuan Wu, Dark Lord of the Northern Heavens, swear that I will devote my existence to the preservation, administration and defence of this Heavenly realm. I vow to provide you with a rule that is just; and to serve you with a government that is fair. This I swear as Xuan Tian Shang Di.’
The sword glowed with an expanding field of dark blue-purple energy that spread outwards towards us. It tingled like electricity as it flowed through me, then disappeared.
John removed the sword from the floor and rose to stand in front of the crowd. ‘I have returned.’
He removed the energy from his sword, made the scabbard leap into his hand, slid the sword into it and dismissed it.
Everybody applauded.
John raised his hand and they were silent. ‘In the last few days the Mountain has suffered a terrible loss: one hundred and seventy-eight students killed by a cowardly demon attack.’ His gaze grew solemn. ‘It is not fitting that we celebrate my return in such circumstances. After the mourning period is ended we will hold a festival to celebrate the living and mourn the dead. Until then, share time with your families and give thanks for their safety.’
The crowd dispersed; some of them clustering to chat, but many of them simply disappearing.
I went to John and put my hand around his waist; he put his arm around my shoulders.
‘A sombre beginning to a new age,’ he said.
‘So that means things can only get better,’ I said.
‘I’ll go find Justin, you can say hello to him,’ Simone said. ‘Be right back.’ She ran down the steps into the crowd.
‘If you don’t mind,’ my father said loudly from the floor below the dais, ‘we’d like to say hello, if we could.’
‘Brendan, Barbara.’ John spread his hands and went down the stairs to them. He shook my father’s hand and kissed my mother on the cheek. ‘It is so good to see you. I hope the Tiger’s caring for you well.’
My father grinned. ‘I knew Emma was joking when she told us you were a girl.’ He wagged his finger at me. ‘You had everybody else in on the joke too.’
‘Oh, but I am,’ John said. ‘I’ve taken male form for this ceremony, but by tomorrow morning I’ll be female again.’ His expression changed to concern. ‘I promise it’s only temporary, and I will marry your daughter as a male.’ He looked from them to me. ‘This doesn’t affect anything, does it?’
‘You have to let me take a photo of you two together as girls,’ my father said. ‘That’ll be one for posterity.’
John hesitated for a moment, watching him, then smiled. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’
‘Where’s Amanda and Jen?’ I said.
‘Jen will be along soon, she sent me a text saying the obstetrician had kept her waiting nearly an hour. Amanda can’t make it. They had a parent–teacher night at the boys’ school.’
‘I said it was very important that she come!’ I said.
‘You can’t just order them around,’ my mother said. ‘It doesn’t work like that.’
‘No!’ John roared. He summoned Seven Stars and ran towards the gates.
I followed, but he was moving faster than any human. When I caught up, he was standing in front of Jennifer and the Tiger’s Number One Son, obviously her new partner, and her sixteen-year-old son, Colin. The three of them were wide-eyed and horrified. There was no sign of Andrew, Jennifer’s other son.
Jennifer screamed and fell to the ground. Colin went to her and held her, then jumped up and attacked John. John held him away easily as Colin tried to hit him.
‘You killed him! You killed Andrew!’ Colin shouted.
‘That was a demon,’ John said.
‘That was my brother!’
‘John,’ I said, ‘my other nephew, Mark — he’s been replaced as well. We have to stop the copy before it kills Amanda!’
John turned to me, still holding the furious Colin at arm’s length. ‘Where are they?’
‘Mum! Mum!’ I shouted, and my parents caught up with us. ‘Where’s Amanda? What school?’
‘Brisbane Central High,’ my mother said, confused. ‘What’s the problem? Where’s Andrew?’
‘John,’ I said, breathless. ‘Are the boys dead?’
‘Probably,’ John said. ‘And if we’re not quick, your sister, her husband and her other son will be dead too.’
Jennifer wailed, a long sound of agony.
‘Where’s Andrew?’ my father said. He grabbed John’s arm. ‘Where is he?’
‘He killed him!’ Colin shouted. He tried to attack John again and this time I held him back. ‘You killed my brother, you bastard!’
‘That wasn’t Andrew. He was replaced by a demon,’ I said. ‘And we need to be quick, because Mark’s been replaced as well.’
‘Emma. Where is the school?’ John said. ‘Visualise it.’
We concentrated together for a moment, his consciousness touched mine, and I shared the location in Australia with him.
‘Stay with them,’ he said, and disappeared.
Colin aimed a fist at me and I stopped his hand in front of my face.
‘That wasn’t Andrew!’ I said.
‘You killed him.’ Colin’s voice lowered with menace. ‘This is all your fault.’
He went to Jen and helped her up. ‘Let’s get out of here, Mum, these people are crazy.’ He glared at me. ‘You will pay for this, Emma. One day, one of us will find you when your back’s turned and your precious god isn’t looking out for you, and you’ll pay.’ He looked at Jen’s partner. ‘You too, Greg. You’re one of them. Get us out of here and then you can leave us the fuck alone. We’ve had enough of you people. Stay away.’
Greg took his hand and all three of them disappeared.
‘Andrew’s dead?’ my mother said, and collapsed into my father. ‘He’s dead? What about Mark? Is Amanda all right?’
‘Trust John,’ I said.
‘We did trust John,’ my father said. He pointed an accusing finger at me. ‘We trusted him, and now Mark and Andrew are dead, and Amanda, Allan and David are in danger.’ He turned away. ‘Let’s find the Tiger and get out of here.’
My parents walked away from me without looking back.
‘Where’s Simone and Leo?’ I said.
‘They went with the Dark Lord,’ the stone said.
Not many people had noticed the small commotion at the gates, and the Grand Court was still full of people socialising.
‘It is your duty to host this ceremony in his absence, ma’am,’ the stone said.
‘I understand completely,’ I said.
In a daze, I walked through the middle of the Grand Court, through the internal gate and into the residential part of the Palace. I passed through the gardens and over the bridges without seeing them, and finally ended up in the Emperor’s Residence. I took a shower and changed without really being aware of what I was doing. Simone and Leo found me later, curled up against the wall in the living room, staring into space.
Simone pushed her face into mine. ‘Emma, Aunty Amanda and Uncle Allan and David are fine. Daddy held down the demon copy and absorbed its explosion.’
‘Mark and Andrew are dead,’ I said.
Leo sat next to me on the floor. ‘There was nothing any of us could do. You sent them home straightaway. It was their choice to lose their guard and stay up here and put themselves in danger.’
I buried my face in my knees. ‘If I’d never started all of this, they’d still be alive.’
‘None of this is your fault, Emma,’ Simone said, sitting on the other side of me. ‘Don’t blame yourself.’
‘It is my fault,’ I said. ‘I wish the demons would just take me and leave everyone else alone.’
My phone rang and I answered it.
‘Emma, it’s me! It’s Mark. I’m with Andrew — we’re okay.’
I sat up straighter. ‘Mark! Where are you? Are you sure you’re all right? Tell me where you are and I’ll come get you —’
Kitty cut me off. ‘How much do you want them back, Emma?’
Simone hissed under her breath; she could hear.
‘Whatever you want,’ I said.
‘I want you, my darling,’ she said, her voice close to the Demon King’s in silkiness. ‘Will you swap yourself for the lives of your two relatives here?’
‘How do I know they’re not copies the Death Mother made?’
‘You don’t. Want to leave them with me?’ Her voice filled with menace. ‘I’m sure I can find some use for them. I haven’t had a transfusion in a while, and they’re such fine, strong, healthy boys.’
‘Where and when?’
‘My kindergarten in an hour. Can you make it in an hour?’
‘I’ll be there.’ I snapped the phone shut. ‘Where’s John?’
‘He’s dead, Emma,’ Simone said. ‘He’s in Court Ten.’
‘Contact Court Ten, tell Pao to let him out now.’
‘Uh … I already did.’ She dropped her head. ‘Apparently you and Daddy were really rude to Judge Pao and he’s royally pissed with you, so he’s going to hold Daddy up.’
‘Tell him the circumstances.’
‘I just did. He says, “Too bad”.’
‘Leo, carry me down, we’ll take the car from Central to the kindergarten, and you can drive the boys home.’
‘Don’t throw yourself away, Emma,’ Leo said. ‘There’s a damn good chance these boys aren’t the real ones.’
I looked him in the eye. ‘If this was one of your nephews, and there was a chance it was really him, what would you do?’
He held my gaze for a long time, then looked away. ‘I’ll take you down. Simone, stay here where it’s safe. I don’t trust that demon bitch at all.’
‘Daddy says don’t do it,’ Simone said.
‘Tell Daddy I love him.’
Simone jumped to her feet and ran away.
‘And I love you too, Simone.’
Leo wasn’t good at landing anywhere on the Earthly except Central, so we arrived at the Star Ferry terminal and collected the car from its park under the Landmark building. I sat silently in the passenger seat, watching the traffic and lights of Hong Kong, as Leo drove.
‘We’ll come for you,’ Leo said eventually, as we sat in the stop-start traffic to enter the Cross-Harbour Tunnel.
‘I know you will. I hope these are the real boys.’
We entered the tunnel and went from near standstill to the speed limit. Leo weaved across the lane and the car next to us sounded its horn, making him jump.
‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘Distracted.’
‘Is anyone talking to you?’
‘No.’
‘Leo.’ I turned to see him. ‘Don’t worry. He will find me. He vowed that he would.’
Leo’s expression cleared. ‘That’s right, he did.’
‘Even if Heaven and Earth have to be moved for him to achieve it, that oath will be fulfilled. We knew all along that he would have to find me — and for that to happen, I have to be lost.’
He wiped his hand over his face. ‘I don’t want to lose you.’
‘I don’t want to lose you either, mate. I hope you’re still here when he brings me back.’
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded once. ‘I will be. I’ll wait until you’re back and we can say goodbye properly.’
We shot out of the tunnel on the other side and immediately slowed. The automatic tag on the windscreen beeped as we passed under the gate.
‘Sometimes it feels very strange to be back here,’ Leo said. ‘And sometimes it feels like I’ve come home.’
‘Yeah, the same for me. But when I arrive on the Mountain, it just rings like a bell inside me and I feel: now I’m home.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Look after Michael,’ I said as we travelled down Waterloo Road in the evening traffic towards Kitty’s kindergarten in Kowloon Tong. ‘Help him. Gaining Immortality wasn’t a gift after he’s lost so much.’
‘He and Simone have a lot in common,’ Leo said.
‘There’ll be some issues when he finds out how she feels. They’ll need your guidance; you and John together will have to support them through it.’
‘Geez.’
We turned into the street where the kindergarten was located. This older part of Kowloon Tong had originally been a prestigious enclave of two- and three-storey houses close to the old Kai Tak airport back when tall buildings weren’t allowed there. Now all the individual houses had been converted into kindergartens and love hotels. There were no cars on the street; the kindergartens were closed for the evening, and the love hotels had private car parks with curtains to hide the numberplates of the customers’ cars.
We parked outside Kitty’s kindergarten five minutes past the hour she’d given me.
‘I want you to do something for me,’ I said as Leo turned off the ignition.
He waited without looking at me.
‘Give Martin a chance,’ I said. ‘He really does love you, Leo. He could give you something to live for.’
He pressed the button to open the boot and guided his wheelchair to the front of the car without speaking. I got out of the car to wait for him. He wheeled himself around so he was next to me.
‘One other thing.’ I looked up at the dark kindergarten building. ‘If you see me changed after I’ve gone to them, do me a favour and end it for me.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘Kitty’ll use me for a breeding experiment. She’ll fill me with demon essence and I don’t ever want to face that again. Promise me.’ I took his hand. ‘I couldn’t bear to have it burnt out of me again. John can’t do it; and if I’m changed, I can’t be Raised. I know he made that vow, but if I’m filled with essence I’d rather be dead. So if you find me, and I’m changed, end it for me.’
‘I won’t promise you, Emma. But if I do see you again, I’ll keep it in mind.’
I bent to hold him close. ‘Thanks, mate.’
I pushed away and took a few deep breaths. ‘Let’s go.’