White Tiger

himself in True Form if he was in front of humans.’
    Jade grabbed some more tissues and wailed into them. ‘I know ! I deserve to die.’
    I sat down again. ‘Put something else in, quickly. Why the hell do you have these?’
    ‘Like I said, my grandmother gave them to me. I’ve had them for a long time. Most hair combs and ornaments are made of tortoiseshell—it’s the best for combs, it never breaks your hair.’ She gasped and stared at me in the mirror. ‘I have snakeskin shoes in my apartment in Happy Valley. Please don’t tell him. I’ll remove them immediately.’
    ‘My God, Jade, you’re a dragon, you’re a serpent yourself! How could you have snakeskin shoes?’
    ‘I just thought of them as nice clothes.’ Her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Please don’t tell him, my Lady.’
    ‘Don’t worry, I won’t, but you are in serious trouble .’
    ‘I know,’ she moaned. ‘I hope the punishment is something fitting. I deserve to suffer most mightily for this offence.’
    ‘I’ll think of something,’ I growled softly.
    ‘Thank you, my Lady,’ she whispered. ‘There. These are only sterling silver, and do not match the dress, but they are better than nothing. You’d better run.’
    John tapped on the door. ‘Sorry, Emma, you have to come, it’s starting.’
    ‘I’m coming.’
    John led me to the entrance of the ballroom and stopped. He smiled down at me. ‘You will be fine, Emma.’
    I took a deep breath. ‘I can do this.’
    We walked into the room together.
    A long black carpet stretched before us, through the middle of the ballroom to the throne at the end. All the dignitaries knelt in orderly ranks on both sides of the carpet, facing the throne, silent.
    The throne was raised on a dais above the floor and was an old-fashioned Chinese Imperial style, made ofjet-black ebony. The back was elaborately carved, but not with the usual dragons; instead it was an elaborate pattern of twining snakes and fierce-looking dragonheaded turtles.
    John and I walked side by side along the aisle to the throne. It was eerie to pass through that silent space with so many people kneeling on either side of us. I desperately wished I could hold his hand.
    Jade and Gold followed behind us; both had changed their clothes. Jade’s cheongsam was plain black; Gold’s long robe was also black, without any decoration.
    When we reached the throne John gestured for me to sit first, his eyes glowing with amusement. I sat, and he sat next to me. ‘You’re doing fine,’ he whispered.
    Jade and Gold both knelt in front of the throne, then took their places as Retainers standing behind us. Jade still sniffled occasionally and her eyes were red. She hadn’t bothered to replace the make-up and she looked pale and drawn.
    ‘Am I on the right side?’ I said under my breath.
    ‘Doesn’t matter at all,’ he replied in the same low tones. ‘This will dissolve into anarchy the minute all the oaths are sworn anyway.’
    Everybody in the hall chanted the Imperial greeting ‘Ten thousand years’ without looking up. ‘Wan sui, wan sui, wan wan sui.’
    The rustling of their robes echoed through the ballroom as they rose and silently moved to the sides of the hall.
    Many round twelve-seater tables appeared, together with elegantly dressed waiters. Everybody sat and the drinks were served.
    ‘We don’t get anything to eat or drink until this whole insufferable charade is over,’ John said. He smiled sideways at me. ‘But it’s worth it to see the look on your face.’
    ‘You really are enjoying this far too much,’ I growled.
    ‘Oh, the fun is just beginning,’ John said, and rose. Everybody in the hall stood also. There was complete silence.
    ‘I have chosen Emma Donahoe to be Guardian and Regent after I have lost this form,’ John said. ‘You will serve her as you serve me. Her orders are to be obeyed as mine. And I swear…’ He took a deep breath and the silence became even thicker. ‘I swear that when I return, I will find Emma, and Raise her, and marry her, and take her to live on my Mountain. This I swear as Xuan Tian Shang Di.’ His voice became fierce. ‘She is my chosen, my promised, my Lady. Is there any dispute?’
    Nobody made a sound.
    ‘Good. Swear allegiance to my Lady,’ John said, and sat.
    ‘Way to go, Ah Wu!’ Bai Hu shouted from one of the front tables, and everybody dissolved into loud applause. I even heard a couple of cheers: there appeared to be some Westerners towards