Blue Dragon

motherless bastard.’
    ‘Well, I am,’ John said mildly. ‘I have no idea as to my origins or heritage. I just am .’
    Ah Yat disappeared.
    ‘Damn. I wish you’d stop doing that,’ I said. ‘It’ll take ages for her to pull herself together and come back.’ I turned to my parents. ‘What would you like to do today? Would you like to see the Academy? Some kung fu? The students would love to show you.’
    ‘Anything you like will be fine with us, Emma,’ my mother said weakly.
    ‘Sunday, Emma,’ John said.
    ‘Oh yeah, I forgot,’ I said. ‘I’ll find Simone and let Leo go. He should have said something.’
    ‘Go,’ John said.
    Leo and Simone were working with the sword together. Simone was using my weapon.
    ‘Can you make it sing, Simone?’ I said.
    ‘Watch this.’ Simone put the sword out in front of her and stilled. The sword made a pure resounding note of indescribable beauty. Simone ran it through a gentle scale, each note making the air vibrate in harmony. The sound stopped and she relaxed.
    Leo and I stared at her with awe.
    ‘That was wonderful,’ I said. ‘How come it sounds so splendid for you?’
    ‘I used shen,’ Simone said, ‘not chi.’
    ‘Does Mr Chen know you can do that?’ Leo said.
    Simone smiled and shook her head.
    ‘We need to let Leo have his day off, Simone,’ I said. ‘I’m still having breakfast with my mum and dad. Want to sit with us?’
    ‘Sure,’ Simone said. ‘I forgot, Leo, sorry. You go.’
    Leo saluted us both and went out without saying a word.
    ‘Can you do shen work apart from that, Simone?’ I said as we went down the hall together.
    ‘No. Just that. I did it by accident the first time. It sounds really pretty.’
    We went into the kitchen together.
    ‘Hello, Mrs Donahoe, Mr Donahoe,’ Simone said.
    ‘Hello, dear,’ my mother said. ‘Are you okay after last night? You weren’t too scared?’
    John grabbed his teapot and cup, nodded to my parents, and rose.
    ‘Wait!’ I said quickly, and he stopped in the doorway. ‘Did you know that Simone can make the sword sing with shen?’
    John glanced sharply at Simone, then returned to the table and put down the pot and cup. He pulled Simone to sit in his lap.
    ‘You put shen into Emma’s sword?’ he said.
    ‘It sounds really pretty when you use shen, Daddy,’ Simone said. ‘Much nicer than when you use chi.’
    ‘Don’t try to use ching, you’re too little,’ John said sternly.
    ‘Don’t be silly, Daddy,’ Simone said. ‘Of course not.’
    My parents silently watched the exchange, bewildered.
    ‘Good,’ he said gently. ‘Can you hold out your hands for me and put some shen into them?’
    ‘Is that okay to do?’
    ‘It should be all right while I’m holding you.’
    Simone held her hands out and concentrated. A ball of pure silvery-white shen energy appeared above her outstretched palms.
    My mother gasped quietly.
    ‘How much do you have, do you think?’ he said.
    ‘I don’t know. There’s still a lot inside me.’
    ‘Put it back, sweetheart.’
    The shen disappeared.
    ‘Is she already Immortal, John?’ I said. ‘You said only Immortals can work with shen.’
    John put his hand on Simone’s forehead and concentrated. ‘No.’
    ‘Well then, why can she do that?’
    He smiled gently. ‘Because she is who she is. Same as you.’ He rested his chin on the top of her head. ‘Don’t do that too much, sweetheart, it can be dangerous. Don’t do it unless I’m watching you.’
    ‘Okay, Daddy,’ Simone said. ‘Where’s Ah Yat? I’m hungry .’
    ‘You’re always hungry when you’re working with energy,’ I said.
    Ah Yat appeared. ‘Yes, my Princess?’
    ‘Can I have some ramen, please, Ah Yat?’
    Ah Yat bowed slightly. ‘My Lady.’
    ‘I have work to do. I’ll leave you to it,’ John said. ‘When you want to go out, call me. I’ll take you. There may be strays.’ He nodded to my parents. ‘Brendan, Barbara.’ He rose and gently slid Simone onto the chair. ‘Don’t do shen work unless I’m with you.’
    ‘What about the sword?’
    ‘That too.’
    ‘Okay, Daddy.’ Simone hopped off the chair and went to the fridge to find some apple juice.
    Emma, I need to talk to you, John said silently. Come with me into my office.
    ‘I’ll be right back,’ I said to my parents. I glanced at my tea. ‘I’ll never finish this.’
    Bring it with you .
    ‘Good idea.’
    My parents stared at me as if I was completely crazy.
    ‘I am completely