Red Phoenix

John grabbed the large bowl, stuffed a piece of newspaper into it, and lit it with the cigarette lighter. He put it in front of me. ‘See if you can change its colour.’

  I concentrated. Nothing at all. ‘Put it out,’ John said. Again, nothing.

  John lifted the water from the bowl onto the fire and it went out.

  ‘Not surprising, I suppose,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘Two more.’

  John passed me the wooden branch. It was a large twig with leaves on it. ‘Try to make it grow.’ I concentrated. Nothing.

  ‘I think we’re wasting our time here, guys,’ I said. ‘I think in human form I’m just a perfectly normal human woman, and the Snake part spends most of its time hiding.’ I stopped. ‘I can’t believe I just talked about myself taking human form,’ I said with wonder. ‘That is so weird.’

  ‘Try the last one anyway,’ John said. ‘But it’s highly unlikely that you would have Earth; such a thing is extremely rare.’

  ‘You’re Water.’ I pointed at John, and he nodded. ‘You’re Metal,’ I said to the Tiger, who smiled slightly. ‘Qing Long is Wood, Zhu Que is Fire. Who’s Earth? There’s a Fifth Wind?’

  ‘There is a Centre, not a Wind, Emma,’ Kwan Yin said, her voice full of deference. ‘Earth is the Middle. It is the Lord of us all. It is the Jade Emperor Himself. He is Earth and Stone.’

  ‘Oh. I sincerely do not want to meet this guy.’ They all went rigid the minute the word ‘guy’ came out of my mouth. ‘Just the idea of him scares me to death.’

  ‘I think all creatures know instinctively exactly how formidable the Celestial One is,’ Ms Kwan said softly.

  John picked up the stone. ‘The Celestial will be extremely annoyed the minute he finds out about those hybrid elementals.’ He put the stone in front of me. ‘Just try to move it.’

  I concentrated on the stone. Nothing.

  ‘No elemental alignment,’ the Tiger said. ‘See if you can nail the snake down when she transforms again and test it then.’

  ‘The Serpent was extremely powerful. I still may be able to touch you,’ John said. ‘Let’s try.’

  ‘You won’t,’ I said. ‘What did Meredith say? You let your love cloud your judgement.’

  ‘Come and stand between myself and Mercy,’ John said anyway.

  I rose and stood between them.

  ‘Hold my hand, Emma,’ Ms Kwan said, and put her hand out. I took her hand in my left. ‘Now take his.’ I took John’s hand in my right.

  ‘Release my hand. Rest yours on mine,’ Ms Kwan said. I moved my hand so that it was just resting on hers, palm to palm.

  ‘I will move my hand. Stay perfectly still,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘Don’t move.’

  She moved her hand away from underneath mine. Nothing happened.

  ‘Yes,’ I said softly.

  John moved to say something on my right. A black hole opened up in front of him. I was sucked straight into it. Kwan Yin quickly grabbed my hand. Everything rushed together and I was back between them. I sagged. ‘No.’

  John dropped my hand, threw himself up, and stalked away from the table without saying a word.

  ‘Come back here!’ I yelled. He stopped and turned, expressionless.

  ‘You do not have time to do sword katas right now!’ I shouted. ‘My parents are in my room, shell-shocked, and we are going to talk to them and sort this out! And then we are going to find out exactly what happened, and go and kick some serious demon ass!’

  He put his hands up in defeat. ‘All right, all right,’ he said wryly as he flopped back into his chair. ‘Don’t get your scaly tail in a knot.’

  Both Leo and the Tiger laughed gently at that.

  ‘I don’t have—’ I started to shoot back, and then I stopped.

  ‘Damn,’ I said quietly and flopped down into a chair. ‘I am not having a good day.’

  ‘I will be watching you,’ Kwan Yin said. ‘I will return to help you with your mother.’ She disappeared.

  ‘Am I a Shen?’ I said to the Tiger before he disappeared as well.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ the Tiger said. ‘Like we said, none of us has seen anything like you before.’

  ‘Am I already Immortal?’ I said more softly.

  ‘Most definitely not,’ the Tiger said, amused. ‘Don’t try anything stupid. Right now, you are just an ordinary human female.’

  ‘See?’ the stone in my ring said.

  ‘Shut the hell up!’ John and I both snapped at the same time.

  ‘Stay and help, if you can, my friend,’ John said to the Tiger.

  ‘I am being summoned,’ the Tiger said. ‘I think I’m about to be debriefed. With extreme prejudice. A great deal of brown sticky stuff is about to hit some swiftly rotating blades. I think you should count yourself lucky that you can’t travel very far right now, and that certain Celestials don’t like slumming it on the Earthly. I’ll be back as soon as I’m finished trying to cover for your worthless shell. Okay?’

  ‘Go,’ John said wearily, waving him away with one hand. ‘Thanks,’ he added sincerely.

  ‘My Lord, my Lady. Dark Turtle, Dark Serpent,’ Bai Hu added, rubbing it in with relish. ‘By your leave.’

  ‘Piss off, Tiger,’ I said, just as wearily. ‘Dark Serpent indeed.’

  The Tiger grinned at me and winked. He disappeared. John eyed me appraisingly. ‘You think you can do it at will?’

  ‘I did it because Simone said you were going and I was just so mad I wanted to explode,’ I said. ‘I really don’t think I have any control over it at all.’

  ‘Well,’ he said, ‘with your temper I don’t think we’ll be waiting too long to see it again.’

  Later I sat on the couch in the living room with only a table lamp for illumination. The apartment was dark and quiet; everybody else was asleep. Kwan Yin had shown me to my mother, and my mother had accepted me, but it had been hard for her. Kwan Yin had done something to both of my parents and they’d fallen asleep without trouble.

  I heard a soft sound. Simone stood in the hallway in her nightdress, leaning on the doorframe. I held out one arm and she crept onto the couch next to me. She put her head on my shoulder and I wrapped my arm around her.

  ‘Are you okay, Emma?’ she said softly.

  ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I just can’t sleep. What about you, sweetheart? You weren’t too scared?’

  ‘I’m okay,’ she whispered. ‘I know it’s you. But why were you a snake?’

  I sighed with feeling. ‘I wish I knew.’

  ‘You wouldn’t hurt us anyway. It’s still you.’

  ‘I know,’ I whispered.

  John appeared in the doorway in his black pyjama pants, his long hair falling over his shoulder. He hesitated, then came to us.

  Simone shifted so that he could sit on the other side of her, and he pulled her into his lap. ‘Turn around,’ I whispered, and he swivelled so that I could braid his hair for him. I braided it tight, enjoying the silken feeling. I threw my arms over his shoulders and held him from behind, then pulled away. He turned so that I could cuddle into him and he wrapped his arm around me. I pulled my feet up and leaned on him.

  Simone put her head on his chest, her huge golden eyes turned towards me. ‘Your hair smells like the sea, Daddy,’ she whispered. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I am what I am,’ he said, his voice rumbling through his chest.

  Simone didn’t move or reply.

  ‘Are you two okay?’ he said softly. ‘You should be sleeping.’

  Simone turned her face away from me, still leaning on his chest.

  ‘You know that Emma loves you,’ John said.

  Simone turned her face back to me and smiled. She reached out and touched my cheek. ‘I know. I think she loves me more than she loves you, Daddy.’

  ‘She would never hurt you,’ he said.

  ‘I know that,’ she said. ‘But why is she a snake?’

  ‘Nobody knows,’ he said. ‘It might be because I’m a snake too.’

  Simone was silent. Then she pulled herse
lf upright, her little arms around his neck, and smiled into his face. ‘We’ll all be just fine, you know that?’

  He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed both of us. ‘Yes, we will.’

  Simone dropped her head back onto his chest and sighed. ‘We’re all going to be just fine.’

  Epilogue

  The Serpent woke.

  It raised its head from the silky

  soft mud, then slithered forward,

  leaving an elegant trail.

  It threw itself up into the

  freezing black water and whipped

  towards the surface.

  It cried. There was no answer.

  Glossary

  A NOTE ON LANGUAGE

  The Chinese language is divided by a number of different dialects and this has been reflected throughout my story. The main dialect spoken in Hong Kong is Cantonese, and many of the terms I’ve used are in Cantonese. The main method for transcribing Cantonese into English is the Yale system, which I have hardly used at all in this book, preferring to use a simpler phonetic method for spelling the Cantonese. Apologies to purists, but I’ve chosen ease of readability over phonetic correctness.

  The dialect mainly spoken on the Mainland of China is Putonghua (also called Mandarin Chinese), which was originally the dialect used in the north of China but has spread to become the standard tongue. Putonghua has a strict and useful set of transcription rules called pinyin, which I’ve used throughout for Putonghua terms. As a rough guide to pronunciation, the ‘Q’ in pinyin is pronounced ‘ch’, the ‘X’ is ‘sh’ and the ‘Zh’ is a softer ‘ch’ than the ‘Q’ sound. Xuan Wu is therefore pronounced ‘Shwan Wu’.

  I’ve spelt chi with the ‘ch’ throughout the book, even though in pinyin it is qi, purely to aid in readability. Qing Long and Zhu Que I have spelt in pinyin to assist anybody who’d like to look into these interesting deities further.

  Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter: A harbour on the south side of Hong Kong Island that is home to a large number of small and large fishing boats. Some of the boats are permanently moored there and are residences.

  Admiralty: The first station after the MTR train has come through the tunnel onto Hong Kong Island from Kowloon, and a major traffic interchange.

  Ancestral tablet: A tablet inscribed with the name of the deceased, which is kept in a temple or at the residence of the person’s descendants and occasionally provided with incense and offerings to appease the spirit.

  Anime (Japanese): Animation; can vary from cute children’s shows to violent horror stories for adults, and everything in between.

  Bai Hu (Putonghua): The White Tiger of the West. Bo: Weapon—staff.

  Bo lei: A very dark and pungent Chinese tea, often drunk with yum cha to help digest the sometimes heavy and rich food served there.

  Bu keqi (Putonghua) pronounced, roughly, ‘bu kerchi’: ‘You’re welcome.’

  Buddhism: The system of beliefs that life is an endless journey through reincarnation until a state of perfect detachment or Nirvana is reached.

  Cantonese: The dialect of Chinese spoken mainly in the south of China and used extensively in Hong Kong. Although in written form it is nearly identical to Putonghua, when spoken it is almost unintelligible to Putonghua speakers.

  Causeway Bay: Large shopping and office district on Hong Kong Island. Most of the Island’s residents seem to head there on Sunday for shopping.

  Central: The main business district in Hong Kong, on the waterfront on Hong Kong Island.

  Central Committee: Main governing body of Mainland China.

  Cha siu bow: Dim sum served at yum cha; a steamed bread bun containing barbecued pork and gravy in the centre.

  Chek Lap Kok: Hong Kong’s new airport on a large swathe of reclaimed land north of Lantau Island.

  Cheongsam (Cantonese): Traditional Chinese dress, with a mandarin collar, usually closed with toggles and loops, and with splits up the sides.

  Cheung Chau: Small dumbbell-shaped island off the coast of Hong Kong Island, about an hour away by ferry.

  Chi: Energy. The literal meaning is ‘gas’ or ‘breath’ but in martial arts terms it describes the energy (or breath) of life that exists in all living things.

  Chi gong (Cantonese): Literally, ‘energy work’. A series of movements expressly designed for manipulation of chi.

  Chinese New Year: The Chinese calendar is lunar, and New Year falls at a different time each Western calendar. Chinese New Year usually falls in either January or February.

  Ching: A type of life energy, ching is the energy of sex and reproduction, the Essence of Life. Every person is born with a limited amount of ching and as this energy is drained they grow old and die.

  Chiu Chow: A southeastern province of China.

  Choy sum (Cantonese): A leafy green Chinese vegetable vaguely resembling English spinach.

  City Hall: Hall on the waterfront in Central on Hong Kong Island containing theatres and a large restaurant.

  Confucianism: A set of rules for social behaviour designed to ensure that all of society runs smoothly.

  Congee: A gruel made by boiling rice with savoury ingredients such as pork or thousand-year egg. Usually eaten for breakfast but can be eaten as a meal or snack any time of the day.

  Connaught Road: Main thoroughfare through the middle of Central District in Hong Kong, running parallel to the waterfront and with five lanes each side.

  Cross-Harbour Tunnel: Tunnel that carries both cars and MTR trains from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon under the Harbour.

  Cultural Revolution: A turbulent period of recent Chinese history (1966-75) during which gangs of young people called Red Guards overthrew ‘old ways of thinking’ and destroyed many ancient cultural icons.

  Dai pai dong (Cantonese): Small open-air restaurant.

  Dan tian: Energy centre, a source of energy within the body. The central dan tian is roughly located in the solar plexus.

  Daujie (Cantonese): ‘Thank you’, used exclusively when a gift is given.

  Dim sum (Cantonese): Small dumplings in bamboo steamers served at yum cha. Usually each dumpling is less than three centimetres across and four are found in each steamer. There are a number of different types, and standard types of dim sum are served at every yum cha.

  Discovery Bay: Residential enclave on Lantau Island, quite some distance from the rush of Hong Kong Island and only reachable by ferry.

  Dojo (Japanese): Martial arts training school.

  Eight Immortals: A group of iconic Immortals from Taoist mythology, each one representing a human condition. Stories of their exploits are part of popular Chinese culture.

  Er Lang: The Second Heavenly General, second-in-charge of the running of Heavenly affairs. Usually depicted as a young man with three eyes and accompanied by his faithful dog.

  Fortune sticks: A set of bamboo sticks in a bamboo holder. The questioner kneels in front of the altar and shakes the holder until one stick rises above the rest and falls out. This stick has a number that is translated into the fortune by temple staff.

  Fung shui (or feng shui): The Chinese system of geomancy that links the environment to the fate of those living in it. A house with good internal and external fung shui assures its residents of good luck in their life.

  Gay-lo (Cantonese slang): gay, homosexual.

  Guangdong: The province of China directly across the border from Hong Kong.

  Guangzhou: The capital city of Guangdong Province, about an hour away by road from Hong Kong. A large bustling commercial city rivalling Hong Kong in size and activity.

  Gundam (Japanese): Large humanoid robot armour popular in Japanese cartoons.

  Gung hei fat choy (Cantonese): Happy New Year.

  Gwun Gong (or Guan Gong): A southern Chinese Taoist deity; a local General who attained Immortality and is venerated for his strengths of loyalty and justice and his ability to destroy demons.

  H’suantian Shangdi (Cantonese): Xuan Tian Shang Di in the Wade-Giles method of writing Ca
ntonese words.

  Har gow: Dim sum served at yum cha; a steamed dumpling with a thin skin of rice flour dough containing prawns.

  Hei sun (Cantonese): Arise.

  Ho ak (Cantonese): Okay.

  Ho fan (Cantonese): Flat white noodles made from rice; can be either boiled in soup or stir-fried.

  Hong Kong Jockey Club: a private Hong Kong institution that runs and handles all of the horseracing and legal gambling in Hong Kong. There can be billions of Hong Kong dollars in bets on a single race meeting.

  Hutong (Putonghua): Traditional square Chinese house, built around a central courtyard.

  ICAC: Independent Commission Against Corruption; an independent government agency focused on tracking down corruption in Hong Kong.

  Jade Emperor: The supreme ruler of the Taoist Celestial Government.

  Journey to the West: A classic of Chinese literature written during the Ming Dynasty by Wu Cheng’En. The story of the Monkey King’s journey to India with a Buddhist priest to collect scriptures and return them to China.

  Kata (Japanese): A martial arts ‘set’; a series of moves to practise the use of a weapon or hand-to-hand skills.

  KCR: A separate above-ground train network that connects with the MTR and travels to the border with Mainland China. Used to travel to towns in the New Territories.

  Kitchen God: A domestic deity who watches over the activities of the family and reports annually to the Jade Emperor.

  Koi (Japanese): Coloured ornamental carp.

  Kowloon: Peninsula opposite the Harbour from Hong Kong Island, a densely packed area of highrise buildings. Actually on the Chinese Mainland, but separated by a strict border dividing Hong Kong from China.

  Kowloon City: District in Kowloon just before the entrance to the Cross-Harbour Tunnel.

  Kwan Yin: Buddhist icon; a woman who attained Nirvana and became a Buddha but returned to Earth to help others achieve Nirvana as well. Often represented as a goddess of Mercy.

  Lai see (Cantonese): A red paper envelope used to give cash as a gift for birthdays and at New Year. It’s believed that for every dollar given ten will return during the year.

  Lai see dao loy (Cantonese): ‘Lai see, please!’