Red Phoenix

son number two hundred and something. I inhaled sharply. ‘All of them died in that attack and he didn’t even bat an eyelid.’
    ‘If you mean he didn’t care, that’s correct,’ John said. ‘He has hundreds of children; they mature, grow old, die. He’s used to it. He’s really past caring.’
    Michael was obviously confused by the whole exchange.
    ‘Some of his children have special abilities,’ John said. ‘Others are ordinary humans. This one is interesting: he has a great deal of chi and…’ He eyed me meaningfully. ‘A huge reserve of ching.’
    ‘Normal for his age, though,’ I said.
    ‘Could be, could be.’ John nodded. ‘You are showing remarkable restraint, Michael, and I am impressed. We are discussing your father, who you have waited so long to find, and you remain silent. We are discussing you, and you also remain silent. We have said things that you obviously don’t understand, but you have the discipline not to ask. This sort of discipline will suit you well in the training, you should go far.’ He rose. ‘I’ll take him, Emma, he is eminently suitable. Swear him to silence first, then tell him all: about me, about his father, everything. After that we’ll see if he’s willing to serve as Retainer. I want him to swear allegiance before I begin training him. I leave this in your capable hands.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘Emma.’ John sighed with exasperation. ‘When will you stop calling me “sir” outside the training room? It is entirely not fitting.’
    ‘Sorry, John,’ I said. ‘Force of habit when you boss me around like that.’
    He bowed slightly. ‘If it pleases you, my Lady Emma.’
    I rose and bowed slightly back. ‘With a great deal of pleasure, Lord Xuan.’ I grinned. ‘And speak English.’ ‘I was.’
    Michael looked at us, from one to the other, with complete bewilderment. Time to put the poor kid out of his misery.
    John went out, and I sat again. ‘Now, Michael, where to begin?’ I suddenly remembered a conversation I’d had with Leo and Ms Kwan what seemed like centuries ago. ‘First,’ I said, ‘I need you to swear on your honour that you won’t tell anybody what I’m about to tell you. Nothing is to travel beyond the walls of this room; you are not to share it with anybody unless they know already.’
    He looked me right in the eye and I could see that he meant it. ‘I swear.’
    ‘Good. Now, how much do you know about Chinese culture in general?’
    He was carefully obedient and answered my weird question. ‘Enough.’
    ‘Do you know the names of any of the Chinese deities?’
    ‘A few.’
    ‘Have you heard of Pak Tai?’
    ‘God of Martial Arts? Sure. We have an altar for him at the studio.’ He opened his mouth and then closed it again.
    ‘Did Leo put that altar there?’
    ‘How did you know that? He won’t talk about it. He even puts incense on it. It’s really weird.’
    ‘How much do you know about Pak Tai?’
    The kid was good. He patiently let me lead him through my pointless series of questions. He really wanted the job. ‘God of Martial Arts, always in black. Controls water. Destroys demons. They hold the Cheung Chau festival for him.’
    ‘Do you know his name in Putonghua?’
    He grimaced. ‘My Putonghua is terrible. My Cantonese is passable, but not great. It’s all English at home, my mom doesn’t speak much Chinese.’ He seemed about to say something then changed his mind.
    ‘Pak Tai in Putonghua is Xuan Wu, Xuan Tian Shang Di, Dark Lord of the North.’
    His face began to betray him. He waited for me.
    ‘Have you ever heard of Kwan Yin? Gwan Yum?’
    ‘Of course. Goddess of Mercy.’
    ‘White Tiger God of the West?’
    He nodded, then scowled, beginning to lose patience. He’d done well to let me take him this far without becoming irritated at the seemingly pointless nature of the questions.
    ‘Okay.’ I leaned back. ‘They’re real. They’re all real.’
    ‘Of course they’re real,’ he said. ‘People put altars up for them all over the place.’
    ‘No, Michael. They’re extremely real. In fact, you just met one of them.’
    He went completely still.
    ‘Mr Chen, the gentleman you just met? Your prospective employer? He’s Pak Tai. He’s Xuan Wu.’ I smiled. ‘That was the God of Martial Arts.’
    His expression didn’t shift. The kid was good.
    ‘Lord Xuan Wu married a human woman, and had a child with her. That child is the little girl you saw. Her name’s Simone. Her mother was