Red Phoenix

Tiger.’
    ‘Damn,’ the Tiger said softly, his eyes wide with admiration.
    ‘I’d like to see some temples, if I could,’ my mother said, changing the subject. ‘I’d like to see more of the Hong Kong Harbour too—I’ve heard about it. Some of those handicrafts you brought back last time were wonderful, Emma, I’d like to see more. I’m very interested in Chinese culture, you can show me while we’re here. Things like that.’
    ‘There aren’t many temples in Hong Kong,’ the Tiger said. ‘Not many at all.’
    ‘That’s something people say all the time,’ I said. ‘But there are temples everywhere. You just don’t notice them because they’re part of the scenery. How many temples on the Island?’
    ‘None at all,’ the Tiger said with a grin. ‘There’s a couple in Kowloon, and a couple in the New Territories, that’s all.’
    ‘There’s the Man Mo temple in Hollywood Road, and the Tin Hau temple in Tin Hau,’ I said. ‘And that’s just the big ones.’
    ‘How about the Pak Tai on Kennedy Road?’ John said.
    The Tiger roared with laughter. My parents were bewildered.
    ‘Oh my God,’ I said with a huge grin. ‘I completely forgot. I go past that all the time.’ I explained for my parents. ‘It’s a temple in Wan Chai. Very pretty. The temple is dedicated to the Dark Lord of the North, the god who can control the water and keeps the fishermen safe.’ I gestured towards John. ‘Him.’
    My parents stared at John, eyes wide.
    ‘Hey, I’m in there too,’ the Tiger said.
    ‘One more crack like that last one and I’ll have you taken out,’ I said.
    The Tiger didn’t say anything, he just grinned and saluted, shaking his hands in front of his face.
    ‘It’s a lovely clear night,’ John said. ‘How about we go down to the Peak Tower and have a look?’
    ‘If you don’t mind, John,’ my father said, sounding weary, ‘I think we’d just like to settle in, talk to our daughter, and work out what we’ll do.’
    ‘I understand completely,’ John said. ‘We’ll need to rearrange the schedules so that Emma can spend time with you. I can do that, don’t worry about it. Leo and I will work something out. Go. Spend time with Emma. You probably have questions. She can tell you the whole ridiculous story.’
    ‘Come on, guys,’ I said, rising to lead my parents out. ‘Let him mess up my schedule, I’ll fix it tomorrow.’
    ‘She’s right, my Lord,’ Leo said softly.
    ‘My Lord, by your leave,’ the Tiger said, and disappeared.
    ‘His tail is in serious trouble,’ John said. ‘Unacceptable level of insubordination.’ He sat quietly, musing. ‘I think
    I may order him to clean out the basement of Wellington Street. Far too many rats in there, despite the best efforts of the pest-control people.’
    My parents stood frozen, staring at where the Tiger had disappeared.
    ‘Come on, I’ll explain everything. That’s a great idea,’ I said over my shoulder to John. ‘You know he hates the taste of rat.’
    ‘Don’t know why,’ John said with a grin. ‘My Serpent really likes live rat. I used to spend hours in the basement gorging on them. Since the Serpent left we’ve really had a problem in there.’
    ‘If I start dreaming about eating rats, your shell is in very serious trouble,’ I said quietly to myself as I took my parents out.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
    T he graduation was being held in a large hall in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, right next to the entrance to the Central Harbour Tunnel on Kowloon side. It was a huge squatting mass of brown-tiled buildings beside the five-lane entrance to the tunnel.
    There was no parking on the grounds of the university for us; instead, we parked in the enormous ten-storey affair right next to the Hung Hom KCR railway interchange and the Hong Kong Coliseum. The Coliseum was a towering upside-down pyramid used for canto-pop concerts.
    We took the pedestrian overpass from the car park, walking over the entrance to the Central Harbour Tunnel to the university on the other side. The centre of the campus was open space with the buildings flanking us on all sides. John glanced around appraisingly as we walked through the gardens to the auditorium. I knew what he was thinking.
    ‘Just remember,’ John said as we parted outside the changing room, ‘we’ll be able to sense anything coming in, and will send either Jade or Gold right to you.’
    ‘I’ll be fine,’ I said. ‘Go back to the auditorium. Look after my