Red Phoenix

idea.
    ‘Ocean Park, Charlie,’ Simone said, pointing across the bay to the peninsula on the other side. Deep Water Bay gave a good view of the cable car that wound around the peninsula of Ocean Park.
    ‘Would you like to go there with me? Before I go back to London?’ Charlie said.
    ‘No,’ Simone said. ‘I don’t like Ocean Park. I went with Leo and Monica before Emma came, and bad things happened. I don’t like it.’
    ‘What happened?’ Michael asked me softly.
    ‘One of the dolphins was sick and talked to her,’ I said, matching his low tones. ‘It cried for her help, and she couldn’t do anything.’
    ‘I hate Ocean Park,’ Simone said.
    The road outside the car park at Repulse Bay was blocked with people queuing to go into the car park, even though it was full.
    ‘If queuing ever becomes an Olympic sport, Hong Kong will win all the medals,’ Michael said.
    Simone giggled. ‘That’s funny.’
    The traffic jam finally cleared and we passed the beach to the far south side of the island. Fortunately Stanley wasn’t too packed; everybody was at the beach. I found a place to park and we all piled out.
    ‘You know your way around, Charlie?’ I said.
    ‘I haven’t been here in a while, ma’am, but I think I remember. The market isn’t very big, anyway.’
    ‘Let’s just wander around and see what we find. Stay close to Simone, Michael.’ I glanced around at them. ‘While we’re in there, guys, can we drop the “Lady” and “ma’am” stuff, please? It’ll attract unnecessary attention. Just Emma, okay?’
    ‘Yes, ma’am,’ Charlie and Michael said in unison, and I sighed.
    ‘Can I call you Mummy?’ Simone said brightly.
    I felt like I’d been hit in the stomach.
    I knelt on one knee and took both Simone’s hands in mine. ‘Simone, darling, I’m not your mummy. Your mummy was married to your daddy. She died. I’m not your mummy, so you can’t call me that. It wouldn’t be right.’
    ‘Okay.’ She wasn’t fazed; it obviously wasn’t an issuefor her. ‘When you marry Daddy, can I call you Mummy then?’
    I brushed some hair from her eyes. I would love her to, I really would. I doubted I’d ever have children of my own; I’d probably be too old when John returned for me. If he did return for me. She was the closest thing I would ever have. ‘No, Simone. It wouldn’t be right.’
    ‘Okay, Emma.’ Her little face was serious. ‘I would like to, you know. But if you don’t want me to, that’s fine.’ She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me on the cheek. She released me and took Charlie’s hand. ‘Let’s go.’
    I rose. ‘One more thing, Simone.’
    She smiled up at me.
    ‘If you sense any demons, let us know straightaway, okay? Just say “bad people” or something.’
    Simone dropped Charlie’s hand and put her little hands on her hips, tilting her head with impatience. ‘Of course I will, silly Emma.’ She took Charlie’s hand again. ‘Let’s go.’
    I saw Michael’s face. He had watched Simone’s little performance with something approaching contempt. He noticed me and nodded, professional again.
    We walked down the narrow hill to Stanley market, which was a maze of narrow laneways winding through the village. Each stall had an awning, and the awnings stretched from one side of the lane to the other, giving the impression of being indoors.
    ‘I haven’t been here in a long time, Emma,’ Charlie said. ‘I think it was better when I came before. Everything seems more expensive now.’
    ‘It’s still cheaper than London for this sort of thing, though, isn’t it?’ I said.
    ‘You can’t even buy this sort of thing in London. And everything’s cheaper than London, Emma,’ she said. ‘London’s nearly as expensive as Hong Kong.’
    ‘Nowhere’s as expensive as Hong Kong,’ I said. ‘Everything costs more here.’
    ‘Not Chinese vegetables,’ she shot back, and we laughed together.
    Charlie bought some touristy T-shirts for her nieces and nephews back in London, and some little Chinese toys. She found some nice handicrafts for her other relatives: cloisonné and ceramics. One stall had some delightful Chinese papercuts under a pile of old magazines and she bought them all.
    ‘You should go to China Products in Central as well,’ I said. ‘No, hold on, there’s one in Wan Chai. Next time I go down to the building in Wan Chai, I’ll drop you at the China Products there. You’ll be able to find some really good