‘On the Earthly with his daughter.’
‘Tell him goodbye for me as well.’
‘He’s not replying.’
‘I’m not surprised. If I don’t return, destroy the Murasame. That damn blade should have been melted down a long time ago. I can barely control it, and I doubt anyone else short of John himself is capable of holding back its destructive nature.’
‘Done.’
‘Care for my demons. Smally isn’t to return to the laundry, she’s to be given something more rewarding.’
‘Who’s … Never mind. I’ll find her.’
‘Thank you.’ I shrugged. ‘I’m sure I’ve missed a lot of things but that’s all I can think of right now.’
‘One thing before you go down there,’ she said.
‘Yes?’
‘For god’s sake, Emma,’ she smiled slightly. ‘In more ways than one. For all of our sakes — don’t let him use Seven Stars. Don’t even let him take it. Don’t let him summon it. For god’s sake, don’t let him use Seven Stars on the Demon King.’
‘I know, believe me. The knowledge of what it would do keeps me awake at night,’ I said.
‘He told you what it would do?’
‘The King’s essence will wipe out John’s chakras in the sword and his sentience with them. He’ll become a mindless nature spirit, and he may even lose his Celestial alignment.’
‘Don’t tell Simone, but his vow to Raise you will be destroyed as well. He must not use Seven Stars.’
I considered for a moment. ‘Can you stop it from leaving the armoury?’
‘No. It’s part of him; that’s why this is so damn dangerous. If he loses his temper and attacks the King with it …’
‘I’ll talk to him before we go.’
‘Thank you.’
She looked over my shoulder, and I turned to see behind me. It was John.
‘Meredith, out,’ he said.
Meredith nodded, rose and left. John sat next to me on the bench and held both my hands in his, then bent and touched them to his forehead.
‘Let’s just run away together,’ he said. ‘We can find somewhere safe and quiet on a mountain top on the Earthly and disappear. We can live out our lives as humans and share a happy existence, at one with the Tao and at peace.’
‘And Simone?’
He was silent.
‘And Leo? And Martin and Yue? And our students? All our friends, our family, our colleagues, our subjects?’
He still didn’t reply.
I squeezed his hands, still on his forehead. ‘You can do this.’
‘It’s so easy to sacrifice myself to keep the Heavens safe,’ he said. ‘It takes so much more courage to sacrifice you.’
‘You will Raise me. I trust you.’
He bent with grief, still with my hands on his forehead. ‘I wish I trusted myself as much.’ He straightened, lowered my hands and looked into my eyes. ‘Are you absolutely sure about doing this?’
‘Yes, I’m sure.’
‘Say it again,’ he said.
‘I’m sure. I trust you. You will Raise me.’
He hesitated. ‘Are you really …?’
‘I just said I’m sure twice. Now I’m saying it for a third time. Yes, I’m sure. You know I would do anything for our students, and most of all for our family, and I trust you. You will Raise me. Now if we’re to do this on time we need to go.’
He rose without releasing my hands and I rose with him. ‘Come inside then. We need to talk.’
Everybody was standing around the table in the war room, including Simone.
‘We don’t have long to say goodbye,’ John said, putting his arm around my shoulders. ‘If we’re to be conscious at noon, we have to go in the next ten minutes.’
‘I’ll be at the Gates,’ Guan Yu said, and disappeared.
Ma looked me in the eye. ‘Make sure he Raises you, you owe me a hazelnut latte.’ He disappeared as well.
Martin strode to me and embraced me. ‘From both of us,’ he said, kissed the top of my head and disappeared.
Yue embraced me, held me for a while, then pulled back. ‘You rescued me from the cooking pot and freed me from a stone holding me captive. I thank you, my Lady. Return as a Raised Immortal and show us all what you are fully capable of.’ She hugged me again and disappeared.
‘What she said,’ Liu said, and stormed out the door to find Meredith.
Simone sighed and put her hands by her sides. ‘Here we go again.’
I hugged her and she embraced me back.
‘He’ll Raise me,’ I said. ‘He promised.’
‘Make sure you do, Daddy.’
‘Leave us now. I need to talk to Emma,’ John said, gruff.
‘I need more time!’ she said.
‘We don’t have it. You need to leave,’ he said. ‘I’ll be back soon, and I have promised to Raise her.’
‘Look after her,’ Simone said.
‘I will,’ he said, his voice low. ‘Go.’
She went out without looking back.
‘Tell me what to do when it happens,’ I said. ‘Can you?’
‘I can. This is the first time the Jade Emperor’s treated your death as a real possibility and allowed me to talk about it.’ He waved for me to sit at the table next to him, and leaned on it to speak intensely to me. ‘Our best hope is that you are a Celestial Worthy and land in Court Ten. If you do, I will be able to enter the Court with the Elixir, Raise you myself, and Pao won’t be able to do a damn thing about it. If you aren’t Worthy, you will be profoundly disoriented and you will land in Court One.’
‘Who decides whether I’m Worthy? Who decides whether I go to One or Ten?’
‘You do.’
‘What, I can decide which Court I land in?’ I leaned back, relieved. ‘That’s easy. I’ve been in Ten before, I can just go there.’
‘No, you can’t. It is not a choice you can consciously make, so don’t even try. If you land in Court One, you will lose your memory and be unaware of who you are. Your personality may be strong enough to keep your awareness together so you can distinguish yourself from the rest of the … inhabitants. If you do, I can find and Raise you anyway. I wish I had a piece of my shell to give to you. A piece of one of us — a Dragon’s scale or a Phoenix’s feather — will help you to stay together during the transition.’ He rubbed one hand over his face. ‘I don’t have time to give you one. Concentrate if you feel it happening —’
‘Wait,’ I said. ‘I have one of the Tiger’s claws. Will that do?’
‘When did he give you one of his claws?’
‘A very long time ago.’ I put my hand out and the claw appeared in it. It appeared to be made of platinum and was fifteen centimetres long. ‘He told me not to give it back, it might prove useful.’
‘Hold on to it. Put it in your pocket. If you feel it happening, or you see it happening, put your hand on the claw and concentrate on who you are.’ He appeared relieved. ‘It will help me to recognise you.’
I put the claw in my pocket, then took his hand and clutched it. ‘You promised to Raise me. So you must not take Seven Stars.’
‘I know,’ he said, gazing into my eyes.
He bent closer, our mouths touched, and the world around us spun into nothingness.
19
After we’d come around in Yanluo Wang’s office building, we rode a cloud across the lake and landed on the other side very close to noon. As we approached the main entrance to the demonic side of Hell, the doors smoothly opened towards us. They were fifteen metres high, black with massive metal studs on them, and an honour guard of horse- and bull-headed demons, all wearing brown trousers and naked from the waist up, stood inside waiting for us.
John took Celestial Form as we approached, with Seven Stars on his back; then obviously remembered and dismissed the sword. He raised one hand to indicate he realised his mistake and I nodded in reply.
We walked down the deep black tunnel with the demon Dukes flanking us. The
tunnel was four metres wide and so high that the ceiling was invisible. The honour guard formed neat rows on either side of us and paced us as we went down the tunnel towards the King’s throne room.
Is it very dark and misty for you too? John said.
‘No, it’s dim but not very dark, and there’s no mist,’ I said.
‘Welcome home, Dark Lord,’ the horse-head next to me said as it walked beside us. ‘It has been an age since you left the Brotherhood. We had some good times.’
‘Those times are behind me,’ John said without emotion. ‘And this was never my home.’
The horse-head raised its muzzle. ‘There was a time when this place was not our home either. His Loathsome Majesty works with industry and diligence to provide us a new home in the sunlight, something we have not had in millennia.’
‘And I will fight till my last breath to ensure that he does not succeed,’ John said.
The horse-head eyed me. ‘No comment, Lady Emma? You let your man do all the talking? I have heard that you are,’ it pulled his lips back, revealing even horse teeth, ‘equal.’
‘As equal as any Snake Mother,’ I said. ‘Why not go ask them about your attitude towards equality?’
The demon tossed its head and rolled its eyes.
Another pair of doors stood before us, this time black with red trimmings and embossed circular motifs of Snake Mothers in the middle.
Deep breath, Emma, John said. This will be ugly.
I had already used energy manipulation to calm myself. I knew what was on the other side of the doors and I wasn’t looking forward to it. Some of the most distressing experiences of my life had happened in there. I was surprised as I realised: the certain knowledge that I was about to die was much less terrifying than the concern about how I would die. I sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be too slow and painful — and really sincerely hoped it didn’t involve any Snake Mothers. With luck, it would be quick, and after it was done, he would Raise me. He had promised. I wrapped my hand around the Tiger’s claw in my pocket and gripped it.
The doors opened and we stepped into the Demon King’s throne room.
Red pillars embossed with good-luck motifs held the majestically high roof above us, and the windowless wooden room was three hundred metres to a side. What appeared to be the entire horde of Hell occupied the room, not in orderly ranks on either side of a central aisle the way the Shen in Heaven did it, but packed in randomly, all the way to the edges of the room, and in some places piled on top of each other until they were nearly waist-deep in a writhing dark mass. The King’s throne stood at the end of the room, three metres above the floor on a raised dais. He’d given me to Simon Wong on that dais.
As we approached, the demons parted before us, allowing us to walk to the dais.
The King was on the dais, and I took another deep breath. That bastard was in Kitty Kwok form. She appeared as a Chinese woman, ageless as the result of a serious amount of plastic surgery that had turned her face into a tight waxy mask and pulled her hairline up close to the top of her head. She stood next to the throne with her arms crossed over her chest and smiled with satisfaction as we neared.
All the Snake Mothers were gathered at the base of the dais in True Form, the terrified demons closest to them giving them as much space as possible in the crush.
John bent and grabbed my hand. He was so tall that I had to raise my arm to hold it but I gripped it tight, giving whatever comfort I could and feeling comforted myself.
The Serpent in its Celestial Jade cage came into view behind the throne as we drew closer. Its scales were dull and grey and its eyes were white: they’d blinded it. Its tail had regrown but it was red raw skin without scales. The IV on the outside of the cage fed into its back.
This is not fair, I said to the stone.
I completely agree. Don’t let go of his hand. No, wait; move to his right and hold his right hand in your left. I’ll touch both of you and can relay silently.
I pulled John towards me. ‘Me on the right.’
He looked down at me, bewildered, and it took all of my courage to move to his right side and make the demon horde recede to give me room. I swapped hands on the Tiger’s claw and took his right hand in my left, again having to reach high because of his Celestial Form’s size.
I see, he said. Good idea.
Can he feel it? I asked the stone.
John dropped his head slightly. I can feel everything. All of it. I’m half-blind already. Guide me, Emma, I can’t see. He raised his head, his expression determined. Both of us must walk out of this alive. We will walk out of this alive. We must.
You will Raise me.
I promise.
We arrived at the base of the dais, and the demon Dukes formed an honour guard in front of it, the floor of the dais level with their shoulders. A pair of Dukes remained as escorts on either side of us as we stood facing the throne. The Snake Mothers parted and moved away from us, obviously intimidated by John’s Celestial Form. If it came to a battle, there was no way we could take all of them at once. Even if we destroyed the King, we were doomed. I had to ensure that even though I died, John made it out of there free and alive, because all that we loved was at stake.
‘Hi guys,’ Kitty said, and her voice was George’s male voice. ‘How’s things?’
John released my hand and saluted her. ‘Mo Wang.’
‘No, no, don’t stand on formality, we’re all family here,’ she said, waving him down. ‘Have you met my son? I think you have.’ She raised her voice to be heard to the end of the hall. ‘Number One, you’re demoted. Get your ass up here.’
One of the horse-head Dukes changed to male human form — the Demon King’s Number One — and walked up the stairs onto the dais. He moved stiffly, his eyes wide and his face fierce with effort. The King was controlling him. He stopped at the throne and turned to face the gathered horde.
The Demon King sauntered up to him. ‘Someone gave the forces of the Celestial about sixteen gigs of data with all our strengths and plans on it.’
The gathered demons hissed with venom.
‘Do you have anything to say for yourself?’ the King said.
Number One stood rigid and silent. He opened his mouth and closed it again.
‘Go on, you may speak,’ the King said.
‘Seppuku,’ Number One said. His voice gained a desperate edge. ‘Death with honour, Loathsome Majesty. I beg you.’
‘Oh, that’s very good considering what you’ve done.’ The King turned to speak to the gathered horde. ‘He betrayed us all, and he will be punished.’
The King turned back to Number One, took his chin in her hand and moved his face from side to side. ‘Such a shame, your human form is so very well constructed. Did you have help making it?’ She pushed his face away. ‘Never mind.’ She turned to John. ‘You’re not even strong enough to put him out of his misery?’ She looked from Number One to John. ‘I’m sure he’s asking you for a quick release. He has a good idea what’s next.’
John didn’t reply, and the Demon King turned back to Number One. ‘Are you wearing contacts, son?’
Number One shook his head.
‘That’s the natural colour of your eyes? Really? You went with blue, even without coloured contacts?’
Number One nodded.
‘A wonderful addition to my collection, particularly since I’m starting a new one.’ The Demon King studied Number One. ‘This is going to hurt.’ She changed to male human form and turned his blood-coloured eyes onto me. ‘This is really going to hurt. I could let him go quickly and painlessly, Emma. What would it be worth to you?’
‘The only things you want from me are things I cannot give you,’ I said.
The King studied Number One. ‘How about a Tiger’s claw?’
‘I won’t give you a piece of my friend the Tiger. I’d be mad to,’ I said.
‘You know what?’ the King said to One. ‘Taking your eyes would be altogether too quick and easy. I’ll end up with
them anyway, and I’m starving.’ He took a step closer and gazed almost lovingly into the young man’s eyes. ‘Go to my private quarters, strip, bathe and wait for me. I’ll be along shortly.’ He grinned without humour. ‘I’m absolutely starving, but you, I think, I will take my time with.’
Number One disappeared and the gathered demons all sighed.
‘Lucinda,’ the King said, facing the horde.
A Snake Mother slithered to the front of the dais and stood in front of us as if we weren’t there. ‘Majesty?’
‘Do you want the job?’
‘With all due respect, Majesty, I love you with all my heart, but I would prefer to remain where I am. I would be honoured to advise and counsel you, but I do not wish to hold that sort of power.’
The King pointed at her. ‘See? That’s why you’re the smartest one here.’
She bowed gracefully over her coils. ‘Loathsome Majesty.’
‘Okay, position vacant,’ the Demon King said. ‘Go for it, kiddies. As soon as we’re done with the Dark Lord here, whoever who has the tits for it can take it.’
The demons rumbled with subvocal comments.
‘And now be quiet, because I’m going to give the Dark Lord his treaty,’ the King said. ‘Come on up, Ah Wu.’
I took John’s hand to speak to him through the stone. I’ll do it. Don’t go near the cage. I tried to release his hand but couldn’t; he held me. We can’t win this, John. Let me go.
No. Don’t sacrifice yourself. The Heavens can fall, I don’t care. Let’s just go.
Simone is in the Heavens, John. Simone, Leo, Ming, Yue — my family on the Earthly — we must protect them all.
He hesitated, then said, I love you. I will Raise you.
You are my life, Xuan Wu, and I trust you with it. I shook his hand free. ‘I’ll do it.’
The Demon King linked his hands behind his back. ‘Sure. Come on up.’
I walked up the stairs onto the dais, full of dread. I had to find the treaty and make sure that John left with it.
‘Where’s the treaty, George?’
He gestured to a large plain binder sitting on the dais next to the Serpent’s cage. ‘Just take it and go.’