White Tiger

Emma. Your courage, your talent, your total devotion to Simone…’
    I could feel my face reddening.
    ‘He is a man in love. And men in love do foolish things.’
    ‘He loves me.’ My heart leapt at the words. ‘He does love me.’ My throat thickened. I lowered my head and shook it. ‘He does.’
    ‘I think we would all understand if you were to decide to leave now, Emma. There is no future in this. I think it would be best if you were to leave and find another.’
    ‘No. Simone needs me. And I want to be with him for the short time we have left.’
    ‘It can never be, Emma. You can never share your feelings. You must be especially careful when you are alone together. Do not show your affection for him too much, dear, you could push him over the edge.’
    ‘I think I must be the happiest woman in the whole world.’
    Her eyes turned inward. ‘Simone has woken. You must care for her, and I must care for him.’
    ‘Let’s go,’ I said, and rose. I couldn’t stop my smile.
    ‘I think,’ she said, smiling sadly, ‘you are as great a fool as he is.’
    ‘Oh, I sincerely hope so.’
    She bundled me into her arms and held me for a while. Then we went out together.
    I returned to the kitchen with the teapot and cups. Leo sat at the table, still watching his coffee. I placed the pot and cups into the sink for Monica.
    I stopped as I passed him on the way out of the kitchen and smartly slapped the back of his bald head.‘Keep anything important a secret from me ever again and I will tear your arms off.’
    He didn’t move or look up. ‘You are extremely scary sometimes, you know that?’
    ‘You have no idea,’ I growled, and went out.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
    A week later we all sat quietly at the dinner table. Mr Chen brooded. Simone fiddled with her vegetables. Leo was monosyllabic.
    ‘You need to swim in the sea, Ah Wu,’ Ms Kwan said. Mr Chen didn’t look up. ‘The water is unclean. It would undo everything you have done for me.’
    ‘We are going to Australia the day after tomorrow,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘All of us. Ah Wu, arrange it.’ He glared at her. ‘I can’t go anywhere.’ ‘You will swim in the sea. It is summer there. You will take Simone to the playgrounds.’
    ‘The Northern Heavens must be administered, Mercy. I can’t leave.’
    ‘Your Generals are quite capable, Ah Wu. You are going.’
    He glowered.
    ‘That’s a great idea, Ms Kwan,’ I said. ‘I’ll arrange the plane.’
    ‘You’ll arrange the plane?’ Leo said, incredulous.
    ‘I’ve been through his office. I know what to do.’
    ‘Good,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘I have a place for us to stay, but you will need to bring Monica. I do not have staff there.’
    Mr Chen glared at his vegetables. ‘I will brook no argument, Ah Wu. You need to swim in the sea.’
    He opened his mouth to say something. ‘You’re going,’ I said. ‘You need it.’ He closed his mouth. And that was that.
    As we walked out of Coolangatta airport to the van the fresh warm breeze hit me and ruffled my hair. I breathed deeply; it was good to be out of the pollution of Hong Kong.
    Leo took the keys, opened the van and put the bags in. ‘Road rules?’ he asked me.
    ‘Pretty much the same as Hong Kong, but you can be more polite about waiting at intersections,’ I said. ‘It’s not as busy as back home, so you won’t need to push in. But apart from that, almost identical. You want me to drive?’
    ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he said, and opened the door for me and Ms Kwan. ‘Get in.’
    As I buckled Simone up I had a sudden realisation: I’d called Hong Kong home.
    Ms Kwan provided directions. The apartment building we were staying in was massive; it must have been more than twenty storeys. It was south of the main tourist area in a part of the Gold Coast that had fewer highrises, and it overlooked the beach. The penthouse took up the entire top floor of the apartment building, and had a small roof garden with a spa.
    As soon as we entered the apartment Mr Chen went straight out onto the balcony and leaned on the railing, watching the surf below. The fresh breeze lifted his hair.
    The sky was a deep blue, without a single cloud, and the air was clear enough to see the container ships on the horizon. The sea was a deeper blue, and the surfpounded below us. The wide beach stretched to the horizon in both directions.
    I stood in the open-plan kitchen in the centre of the apartment and watched him.
    After Leo had put the bags into the rooms,