On the day of the coronation, the Demon King came in Kitty Kwok form wearing a many-layered robe of Imperial gold embroidered with six-toed dragons. The sleeves were long and sheer, and her hair was done in a complex style and decorated with golden phoenixes. She brought our robes in cardboard boxes, and laid them on the couch.
‘These are your Emperor’s clothes, Frankie. Come and get dressed.’ She opened a second box and pulled out the brown nun’s robe and tossed it to me. ‘Shave your head and put this on, and be quick about it.’
It was still too early for Bo and Bei to arrive, so I shaved my head myself in my little room. It took a while and made a mess on the floor, particularly since my razor was blunt from overuse. I pulled the brown robe on and tied the sash, then found a dustpan and broom, swept up the hair and threw it away.
When I emerged, Frankie giggled. ‘You look like a man! I can’t tell whether you’re a man or a lady!’
I made my voice low and gruff. ‘That’s because I’m awesome.’
He dissolved into cackles of laughter, and the King tutted at him as she tied the belt of his robe. ‘Emma isn’t a man or a lady. She can’t have babies, so she’s a nothing.’
‘That’s sad, Emma,’ Frankie said.
‘Keep your mouth shut,’ the King told me before I could say anything.
‘We match, Mummy,’ Frankie said, holding his sleeve against her robe. ‘We’re the same.’
She kissed the top of his head. ‘We will always be the same.’
‘Why don’t my friends have fun costumes?’ he said.
‘They’re all somewhere else. Today is just you,’ she said, and rose. ‘Turn around, let me see.’ He spun for her and she patted his head. ‘You are the cutest little Emperor ever.’
‘No, you are the cutest, Mummy,’ he said.
The Western King came in from the bedroom wearing a European white dress uniform with full regalia: peaked cap, gold-fringed epaulettes, crimson sash across his chest, multiple star-shaped medals, and a sword hanging from his side.
‘You look awesome too, Father,’ Frankie said. ‘You’re so handsome. I think your clothes are better than ours.’
‘You think the clothes your mother made aren’t good enough?’ the Western King said.
‘No, no, of course not,’ Frankie said, his voice going up with panic. ‘You look so handsome, but those clothes would only . . .’ He hesitated, then gathered himself. ‘I don’t think I’m good enough to wear something like that.’
The Western King put his hands on his belt and his sword. ‘That’s right. You aren’t.’ He nodded to the Eastern King. ‘You look spectacular, my love. But are you sure you don’t want to wear a uniform too? You know how much I like it when you wear one.’
‘Once we’re established,’ the Eastern King said.
The Western King shrugged. ‘Won’t be long before we have full control, if it works like you say it will.’
‘It will.’ She grinned at him. ‘I’ll wear a uniform later if you like.’
‘You read my mind.’
‘Time to go,’ she said to Frankie. ‘There’s a special carriage out there; you’ll be pulled by dragons.’
‘Ooh, cool,’ he said with delight.
‘Follow, Emma,’ the King said, and we went out the front door.
We walked the hundred metres down the alley to the end, where it opened into a paved court with a dragon fountain in the centre. A cheering crowd had gathered there, held back by demon guards. The people were all wearing new brightly coloured T-shirts and waving small coloured flags — obviously props given to them by the King. The Palace buildings were draped in silk swags of Imperial gold that matched the roof tiles, and gold and red banners flew from flagpoles around the buildings.
An open carriage, Western-style, stood in the middle of the court, with a dozen Dukes on demon horses stationed around it. Six smaller demons stood holding gold silk umbrellas. Jade and another green dragon I didn’t recognise were in the carriage’s traces. Both of them looked tired, and their scales were dull with infirmity.
Are you all right, Jade? I said as I followed the directions of the guards to the rear of the carriage, so I could walk beside it.
The two Kings climbed in, and sat with Frankie between them.
Emma! Jade said. Where’s Jackie? She wasn’t here when I was brought up to pull the carriage. She was taken two days ago. Do you know where she is? Did they hurt her? She wasn’t eaten, was she? So many people have disappeared —
Don’t be concerned, I said. Jackie hasn’t been harmed; she’s being cared for.
But why?
I hesitated, then decided to tell her the truth. She’ll be groomed to marry the young Emperor.
But the demons . . . She hesitated. Will the Little Emperor hurt her?
No, he’s a caring and compassionate child, and he may send her back to you when he discovers the marriage plans. Even if he doesn’t reject her, the marriage won’t happen for a long time. In the meantime, she won’t be harmed; I’ll make sure of it.
Oh, thank the Heavens.
‘Go,’ the Eastern King said, and the dragons pushed into the traces.
Jade made a soft sound of pain as the carriage started to move. Please care for her.
I will. After the coronation she’ll be moved into the consort’s residence.
I could hear Jade grunting with effort in my head. The traces fitted her poorly and she wasn’t built to pull a load.
Will there be other consorts? she said.
The King plans to have four concubines, one from each of the Winds’ houses — Jackie will be the East — and a demon Empress.
Thank you! she said, relieved. So that’s what happened to the girls. They all disappeared on the same day. I will tell their parents; they will be so happy to hear that they’re alive and not eaten. Thank you, Emma, thank you so much.
We turned onto the main thoroughfare through the Celestial Palace, travelling along its wide boulevard with border plantings of peach trees. The crowd on either side of the road, all underweight and desperate-looking, cheered and waved their little flags in a sea of bright colours. Stony-faced demon sentries flanked the route, and obvious plain-clothes guards stalked among the crowds, alert for trouble.
Don’t thank me, I said to Jade. This is a catastrophe for them. Their lives will be ruined.
They will have lives, and they are not in the Pits.
That should not be something to celebrate.
We arrived in the square. The entire area, three hundred metres across, was completely empty except for demon guards in human form stationed at regular intervals around its edge. The Hall of Supreme Harmony stood on the square’s northern side.
The Eastern King took Frankie’s hand and guided him out of the carriage and led him to a sedan chair carried by four horse-head Dukes. I followed in the entourage, giving Jade a friendly pat on her scales as I went past.
I will care for her, I said. I’ll talk to Frankie about letting her see you.
Thank you, Emma.
I followed the sedan chair as the Dukes carried it over the centre bridge that spanned the fung shui waterway, and then onto the carpet through the empty square up to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the riders and parasol carriers flanking us.
At the hall, the Dukes carried the chair over the marble ramp and up to the huge double doors five metres above the stone pavers of the square. The doors opened and they carried the chair inside, then stopped. The riders and attendants remained on the platform outside.
The hall was full of silent demons: Mothers and Dukes, with a few smiling human copies from the Earthly. They stood on either side of the carpeted aisle, their faces glowing with triumph.
The Dukes carefully lowered the sedan chair, and Frankie and the Demon Kings stepped out. The Eastern King’s expression was bright with pleasure as she walked Frankie up the aisle to the dais, the demons silent around them. I followed, and nobody stopped me.
They climbed the stairs onto the dais and I followed them there too. I was flooded with memories from this place. John had knelt on that carpet many times in his majestic Celestial Form. I’d stood on the dais as First Heavenly General, guarding the Jade Emperor. Simone had made a wildly stupid oath here that would limit her choices for love in the future. All was gone, and the throne was empty.
Stand at the back of the dais and keep your damn head down and your hands together like a nun, the King said, and I obeyed.
The King put her hand on Frankie’s shoulder and stood at his right, facing the crowd. ‘Demonkind,’ she said, and the hall went even more silent. ‘We won. The Heavens are ours. One of our own will take the Jade Throne and a bright new dynasty will arise for all of us. We will recover from the shame of being driven from the Earth by the Xuan Wu, and be stronger than we ever were. We are the rightful rulers of the Three Platforms and the Nine Heavens.’ She looked around at them. ‘I have fulfilled my promise, my children. Welcome to life in the sunshine.’
The demons went wild, cheering so loudly that the clerestory windows above us rattled.
The Demon King raised her hand. ‘Let’s see if this works, shall we?’ She looked down to speak to Frankie. ‘Time to take your throne, Little Emperor.’
She took his hand and guided him to the Jade Throne that was carved with six-toed dragons. He stepped up onto a footstool, turned with his face full of concentration and sat on the gold silk cushions. As one, the hall went silent. Everyone except the Western King fell to one knee.
‘Wen sui, wen sui, wen wen sui,’ we all said in unison.
The sun broke through the windows above us, shining rays of light that shifted across the dais. Frankie’s expression went blank, then filled with a new level of heightened awareness. His robes changed to fit him better and he sat with more confidence. Two Palace fairies in silvery robes materialised on either side of the throne.
‘It worked,’ the Eastern King said, breathless. ‘Tell us to rise, darling.’
‘Rise,’ Frankie said, and everybody stood up. ‘Wow,’ he added under his breath.
‘Now to test if you really do have full control,’ the King said. ‘A girl has been hiding from you since you came up here; she doesn’t want to come and play. I think you should tell her to. Order Princess Simone of the Northern Heavens to present, Frankie.’
The silence in the hall deepened as the demons held their breath expectantly.
‘Um . . .’ Frankie raised his voice. ‘Princess Simone of the Northern Heavens is to present!’
Simone appeared in front him wearing her robes and armour. She fell to one knee. ‘Wen sui, wen sui, wen wen sui.’
The demons erupted again in cheers and celebration.
The Eastern King’s face was full of joy. ‘It worked. It worked!’
The Western King grabbed her, lifted her and spun her around. ‘You are the best!’
She kissed him hard. ‘So are you.’
He released her and she took Frankie’s hands. ‘Oh, my darling, things are about to become very, very good for us. I love you so much.’ She rested her cheek on the top of his head. ‘Everything will be all right now.’
The demons were raucously celebrating. A few fights broke out at the back of the hall. The guards dealt with them quickly, destroying all the demons involved and any nearby as well.
‘Tell her: “Go to the Northern Heavens Celestial Palace Residence and stay there”,’ the Eastern King said.
‘Go to the Northern Heavens Celestial Palace Residence,’ Frankie said.
‘And stay there!’ the Western King shouted.
‘And stay there,’ Frankie added, his voice small.
Simone disappeared without rising.
‘Now the last part, then we can have a really nice lunch,’ the King said.
She guided Frankie off the throne, back down the stairs and along the carpet to the exit. I followed them out through the double doors to the platform that overlooked the great court. The white marble balustrade was carved with cloud patterns representing the heavenly clouds that surrounded the entire Celestial Palace complex. The wind whistled across the empty space below.
A pair of Dukes in black armour that mimicked the Imperial Elite uniforms stood on either side of us. One pushed me back so I was standing behind and to the right of Frankie.
‘Say, “All the Celestial Shen are ordered to kowtow to the First Serpent Emperor”,’ the Eastern King told Frankie.
‘All Celestial Shen are ordered to kowtow to the First Serpent Emperor,’ Frankie said. ‘That’s me!’
There was a rush of wind across the square and the Celestials appeared in neat rows covering its area. The Four Winds were at the front, with the Generals in ranks on the other side of the carpet. Behind them stood all the Celestials I knew: the senior children of the Four Winds, and the Taoist Immortals. All the Shen of Heaven were there, except for John and the Jade Emperor, who were unable to leave their prisons.
‘Down!’ one of the Dukes roared, and everybody in the square fell to their knees.
‘One kowtow,’ the Duke said, and everybody bowed low over their knees, touching their foreheads to the paving.
‘Two kowtow. Three kowtow. Up!’
The Shen all stood.
‘Down!’
Two more times the Shen kowtowed three times to Frankie, a total of nine Imperial obeisances. When the nine were done, the Shen stood in orderly ranks. They didn’t make a sound. I checked through the crowd for family members, my heart breaking as I saw them. Leo and Martin were there, the first time I’d seen them in months. Michael knelt behind his father. Some of them gazed desperately into my eyes and I was unable to say anything to them.
‘Tell them they’re ordered to love you,’ the King said. ‘No, wait. Order every resident of the Celestial to love you.’
‘Yay,’ Frankie said under his breath, then raised his voice. ‘You are all ordered to love me! You have to love me.’ He hesitated, then said, ‘Cheer for me if you love me!’
The Shen broke into cheering as loud as the demons had cheered inside the hall. My throat filled at the sight of the Winds and all the senior Celestials forced to worship my son, and I realised I was cheering as well. We had all lost our wills.
‘Silence in the name of the Emperor!’ the Duke shouted, and we immediately stopped cheering. The quiet was eerie.
The King held her hand out to one of the Dukes, who passed her my speech. ‘Repeat what I say to you, Frankie, then you can go play with your friends.’
‘Okay, Mummy,’ Frankie said.
‘Here we go,’ the King said. ‘As the first Serpent Jade Emperor of this Dark Reptile Dynasty, I will provide the people of the Celestial . . .’
Frankie carefully repeated the words of the speech, concentrating to get it right.
Simone? I said.
Don’t talk to me, Emma.
The King wants to father a child on you. Can you run? Run now. Run!
I said don’t talk to me. She cut off communication.
Frankie finished the speech and looked up at the Demon King, expectant.
‘Now order everybody to obey me,’ the Demon King said. ‘Why you, Mummy?’
‘Because it will make things easier.’
‘But I’m the Emperor.’
‘Yes, you are, my sweet little boy, but you can’t be here all the time, so I’ll run things for you when you can’t.’
‘Okay, Mummy,’ Frankie said, unsure. ‘You all have to obey my mummy when she tells you things, and that’s an order!’
I opened my mouth to order the Kings arrested and the Celestials freed, but didn’t have the chance. The Western King took three huge strides to me and slapped me so hard I was knocked down.
‘No, Daddy, why?’ Frankie wailed. ‘Don’t hurt my Emma!’
‘Say another word and the child will suffer,’ the Western King said into my face. He grabbed me by the arm and hauled me to my feet, then shook me. I opened my mouth again and he backhanded me. ‘You were ordered to shut up.’ He clamped his hand over my face to stop me from speaking, holding me so tight I couldn’t breathe. ‘Hurry up and fix this, George!’
‘You said it wrong, my darling,’ the Eastern King said to Frankie. ‘You were supposed to say “All Celestials are ordered to obey the Celestial Regent, not my mother”.’
‘But that’s the same thing,’ Frankie said, confused. He glanced back at me, his expression blank, then turned back to the crowd.
I tried to breathe through the Western King’s hand but only a sliver of air was entering. My chest pumped with the effort. If he didn’t release me soon, I’d pass out.
‘You are ordered to obey the Celestial Regent, not my mummy,’ Frankie said loudly. ‘I don’t know how that’s different,’ he added under his breath.
The Western King released me and I fell to my knees, gasping. He went to Frankie and raised his hand to hit him. Frankie quailed, still on the throne.
‘Not here, my love,’ the Eastern King said, and the Western King subsided. ‘Now, Frankie, last one. Say “The Celestial Regent has freedom of will and does not have to obey me”.’
‘Is that you, Mummy?’ Frankie said.
‘That’s right.’
‘Okay. The Celestial Regent has . . .’ He looked up at her. He’d forgotten.
‘Freedom of will and does not have to obey me,’ she finished.
Frankie recited the rest of the words.
‘I think that’s enough for today,’ the Eastern King said. ‘He’s tired and making mistakes.’
‘Excuses,’ the Western King said.
‘Let’s go home and have the best lunch ever,’ the Eastern King said with forced brightness to Frankie. ‘You’re really the Emperor now, my darling, and they love you as much as I do!’
‘Did you see them, Emma?’ Frankie called to me as I struggled to my feet. ‘Did you see them all bow to me?’ He smiled up at the Eastern King. ‘Let’s go have something to eat. I’m hungry.’