Blue Dragon

it; one with a horse’s head, one with a bull’s head. Both of them bowed slightly to me as I approached.
    ‘Please sit and enjoy the show, my Lady,’ the King said. ‘Nobody will harm you, I promise.’
    I shrugged. What the hell. I kicked off my shoes and pulled my feet up to sit cross-legged on the gold silk cushions next to him on the throne. He glanced admiringly at me, his handsome face lighting up with a kind smile.
    ‘You are an exceptional woman, to do what you have done.’ He faced the hall. ‘Please watch carefully, my Lady, because I am relying on you.’
    ‘To do what?’
    ‘All will become apparent,’ he said. ‘Watch.’
    The doors flew open. Simon Wong strode in, holding John’s head by the hair.
    I collapsed over my knees but didn’t make a sound.
    ‘Steady, Emma,’ the King said softly. ‘Remember, it is just a shell.’ He made a soft sound of amusement. ‘The shell of the Turtle.’
    ‘You are such a bastard,’ I said quietly. I swallowed hard. I didn’t want them to see me lose it. I took some deep breaths.
    ‘Don’t look at it, dear,’ he said. ‘He’s done some rather nasty things to it. My, but he is a piece of work.’
    ‘I will kill that piece of shit one day,’ I whispered into my knees.
    ‘You will never get the chance, dear,’ he said. ‘Now stay quiet and watch. Without looking at the Turtle’s head.’ He stopped and his voice filled with humour. ‘Your English is a remarkable language, you know. You have a word for everything. Even for what he has done to this head. A single, precise syllable, with so many layers of meaning.’
    I pulled myself upright. I had to retain my dignity. I didn’t look at the head, as much as I wanted one last glimpse of John’s face. I knew that it wouldn’t be him. And I knew exactly what the King was talking about.
    Hundreds of demons appeared in the hall and stood silently watching Wong. They were all in True Form and all different types: humanoids, dogs, worms, bugs, slime, everything. There were some that I didn’t even recognise and some that were just creeping horrors.
    ‘I have the head of the Dark Lord,’ Wong said loudly, holding the head up and turning around so that all could see it.
    He dropped it and kicked it to the base of the dais.
    I nearly went for him but the King grabbed my arm. ‘Don’t waste your time, dear.’
    Wong walked to the bottom of the steps. ‘Your Most Loathsome Majesty.’
    ‘Hi, Simon,’ the King said.
    ‘You vowed that whoever brought you the head of the Dark Lord while he was in this weakened state would be promoted to Number One.’
    ‘That is quite correct, Number One,’ the King said.
    Wong grinned viciously with satisfaction. He walked carefully up the stairs and stood in front of the King. ‘I want to see.’
    The King gestured with one hand and a male demon appeared on the dais before us. He appeared to be a Chinese man in his mid-fifties with an intelligent face marred by cruel eyes. Number One. He wore a standard Western-style shirt and tie. His shirtsleeves were rolled up. He fell to one knee and saluted the King. ‘You summoned me, Your Most Loathsome Majesty?’
    ‘Made a run for it, did you, Number One?’ Wong said. ‘Wondered why I didn’t see your ugly face in the crowd.’
    ‘There is no running from me, One,’ the King said.
    ‘I wasn’t running, Dad,’ Number One said. ‘I was in my quarters, killing all my wives and children.’
    ‘Damn,’ Wong said under his breath.
    ‘Oh, so sorry, I didn’t realise,’ the King said warmly. ‘Want to go back and finish?’
    ‘Nah, Dad,’ Number One said. ‘All done.’
    ‘Good. You have been replaced. Choose. Demotion or destruction,’ the King said.
    ‘Seppuku,’ the demon said without rising.
    ‘Oh my,’ Wong said. ‘This is turning out to be a very fine day indeed.’
    ‘Not in front of the Lady, One,’ the King said. ‘I do not wish to distress her.’
    ‘You don’t know me well at all, King. I want to see this. I know this one. Tell you what,’ I leaned forward to speak to the demon kneeling before me, ‘how about I act as second for you?’
    Wong stiffened but the King clapped his hands with delight. ‘Truly remarkable!’
    ‘I want to see him die slowly ,’ Wong said, his voice almost a whine. ‘I want to see him suffer .’
    ‘It is One’s choice,’ the King said. ‘Just shut up and be a good boy, Simon. You’ll get your turn.’
    Wong scowled but didn’t say