Blue Dragon

me.
    I had a sudden horrible thought. I wouldn’t eat it when it hatched, would I?
    No. Of course not.
    The egg cracked open and I pulled the pieces of shell away, but the nestling would have to climb out itself. Its little hands appeared at the edge of the opening, then it pulled itself up and tumbled out onto the floor of the nest. It lay panting, its little pale sides heaving.
    I lifted it carefully and put it into the centre of my coils. It was exhausted, poor little thing. Its tawny hair was plastered to its head with the liquid from the egg, but it would dry quickly. I held it as it rested, a little human child of about four years old.
    A while later it stirred and touched my face. ‘Hello, Mummy.’
    ‘Hello, my beautiful,’ I whispered. ‘You feel okay?’
    ‘I’m fine.’ The nestling pulled itself upright in the centre of my black coils and stroked my scales. I shivered with pleasure.
    The nestling looked around, its little blue eyes focusing for the first time. It saw the other two eggs. ‘What are they?’
    ‘They are your little friends. Their names are Simone and Michael. They will be hatching soon too, and then the three of you can play.’
    But only good games. Not grown-up games.
    ‘Oh, okay.’ The nestling curled up in the centre of my coils and nuzzled into me. ‘I love you, Mummy.’
    I held it close. ‘I love you too, Emma.’
    I shot upright, gasping. The air conditioner whispered high on the wall. The lights of the city glowed through my curtains.
    Just a dream. Just a dream. I banged my head on the pillow and rolled over. Just a dream !

CHAPTER FIVE
    A fter a few days of tourist activities, my parents were tired but more relaxed about the whole thing. They seemed to be unwinding and enjoying themselves. Both John and Simone worked hard to win them over. My mother, particularly, was becoming very fond of Simone.
    December weather was usually fine and clear, despite the cold, so we took them along the Lugard Road walk. The road was more like a pedestrian path, and wound all the way around the top of the Peak, giving a spectacular view of both sides of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the Outlying Islands.
    My mother was hesitant about the height, but was okay when I held her hand. Simone and John came with us and the five of us enjoyed each other’s company. Simone held my mother’s other hand.
    My father and John seemed to have hit it off; John liked my father’s gruff honesty and my father enjoyed John’s relaxed easy-going nature.
    ‘And this trail goes all the way around the top of the island?’ my mother said.
    ‘Yep,’ I said. ‘About an hour’s walk all the way.’
    ‘If your artificial hip worries you, let me know. I can arrange for you to be transported back,’ John said.
    My mother stared at him, her face expressionless.
    ‘He can see inside you,’ I said.
    ‘That’s very rude, Daddy, you shouldn’t have done that,’ Simone scolded.
    ‘She’s quite right,’ I said. ‘Do it again and you are in big trouble.’
    ‘This is the Western part of the island,’ John said, ignoring us. He stopped at the railing and showed my parents. ‘Below us, all those tall buildings, is Kennedy Town. One of the oldest parts of Hong Kong. Then across the harbour you can see West Kowloon. It’s a good clear day today, you can see the Tsing Ma Bridge—that’s the bridge you came across when Emma brought you back from the airport. And over there,’ he gestured towards the left, ‘is Lantau Island. The airport is off the north side of that. Lantau is actually bigger than Hong Kong Island, but mostly uninhabited; people like to live near the centre of things.’
    ‘It’s incredible,’ my father said. ‘All the buildings are tall buildings. Everywhere. Where are the suburbs?’
    ‘Suburbs?’ Simone said.
    ‘There aren’t any,’ I said. ‘It’s like this from one end of the Territory to the other. Even out in the New Territories, people live in packed high rises in “New Towns”. There are villages of village houses all crammed together as well, but the vast majority of the population live in tiny high-rise apartments.’
    ‘I should arrange for someone to take you to see a government housing estate,’ John said, almost to himself.
    ‘Good idea,’ I said, and then saw the look on my mother’s face. ‘You okay, Mum?’
    My mother was staring at the path in front of us, her face ashen. I turned away from the railing and froze.
    ‘Don’t anybody move,’