Red Phoenix

stuff.’
    ‘That’s a good idea, Emma. Whenever it suits you should be fine.’
    ‘I’m teaching Monday. Come with me. I’ll take Simone to the Academy and drop you at the store. You should be fine by yourself. No danger if you’re not with Simone; they know you’re not trained and it’s not honourable to go after you.’
    ‘Thanks, Emma.’ Charlie reached out and squeezed my hand. ‘I appreciate it.’
    ‘Not a problem.’ I stopped at a raised step outside one of the shops. ‘Sit here and have a drink of water, it’s very hot.’
    ‘I’ll buy some cold water, ma’am,’ Michael said, and trotted down the hill to a hole-in-the-wall shop selling drinks and snacks. He returned with some mineral water for everybody. The water bottles were already soaked with condensation from the humidity. Charlie lowered herself to sit on the step and fanned her face, then placed the bottle of water on her flushed cheek.
    ‘It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity,’ she said.
    ‘Take your time. Rest. You have a drink too, Simone.’
    ‘At least it’s cloudy,’ Charlie said. ‘If the sun was out it would be impossible.’
    I shrugged. ‘That’s summer in Hong Kong.’ ‘You’re used to it?’
    ‘I don’t think anybody ever gets used to it.’ ‘So what do you do?’
    ‘Be like Daddy,’ Simone said cheekily. She waved her bottle of water. ‘Stay inside in the air conditioning, and if you go out, have a shower straightaway when you’re inside again.’
    We had dinner at home before Leo took us to Temple Street.
    ‘Sir on the phone, ma’am,’ Monica said through the door between the dining room and the kitchen.
    I put my chopsticks down, went into the kitchen and took the call on the phone next to the door.
    John sounded close to the end of his patience. ‘I could really use you down here, Emma. The Generals are being particularly difficult; there are some major problems in the Northern Heavens because I never go there any more. It’s like taking the battery out of a toy or something. No energy up there. All the trees are dying.’
    ‘We’re going to Temple Street, John. I’m needed to guard.’
    ‘It will be very busy, you won’t be at much risk from demons.’
    ‘It’s not just demons I’m worried about. You know the sort of stuff that goes on down there.’
    He sounded amused. ‘That’s just an excuse and you know it.’
    ‘Simone needs me.’
    ‘All right, you’re out of it just this once. But next time they’re giving me hell you’re coming to help meout. You can’t avoid this forever, it will be your responsibility too. Okay?’
    ‘Yes, my Lord. And speak English.’
    ‘Damn,’ he said softly, and hung up.
    I sat in the back of the big car with Charlie and Simone. Michael rode shotgun next to Leo. Temple Street market was in Kowloon, across the harbour in Yau Ma Tei district.
    Leo drove us down the hill between the highrises of Wan Chai and into Causeway Bay. The road flanked the north shore of the island, four lanes each way. At Causeway Bay we entered the Cross-Harbour Tunnel. Two more lanes merged with the existing four, then everybody had to take turns to enter the two tunnel lanes. Leo inched through the traffic and poked the nose of the Mercedes into the next lane to grab his space; it wouldn’t be handed to him. Anybody who sat back and waited for someone to politely let them into a lane could quite easily become a target of road rage. Everybody pushed; but as John had said, there was method in the madness.
    As soon as we entered the tunnel the traffic accelerated to the speed limit. We shot through the autopay toll gate on the other side and we were in Kowloon.
    The scenery opened up on Kowloon side. There was more room to move here, but all the buildings were still highrises. The expressway continued north and we exited at Mong Kok onto Nathan Road, the main thoroughfare through Kowloon. People packed the sidewalks and the shops were all open, their lights blazing. Typical Saturday night in Hong Kong.
    The Mercedes’ windows fogged up on the outside from the humidity and Leo used the wipers to clear them. He didn’t even have the air conditioning onterribly cold. The humidity was close on a hundred per cent, and the temperature was still blistering.
    ‘If it’s too much for you, let me know, Charlie,’ I said. ‘The temperature doesn’t vary much from day to night. It’s still awfully hot.’
    ‘I’ll make it,’ Charlie said cheerfully. ‘There are