White Tiger

‘You know what? Neither do I.’

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
    M onica looked after Simone before dinner while I had a session with Mr Chen. I stopped dead halfway through the set I was working on; I’d forgotten the next move. I frantically searched through my memory, but I couldn’t remember what came next.
    Mr Chen waited quietly next to the mirrors. He would only help me if I asked.
    I took myself two steps back through the set and performed the moves again. Again I stopped.
    I dropped my arms and sagged. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t remember what comes next.’
    ‘Your performance of the set is very untidy, as well,’ Mr Chen said. ‘You should be practising more.’
    ‘I can only practise when Simone’s doing something else. It’s hard to find the time.’ ‘What about the evenings?’
    ‘Hey, that’s my time,’ I snapped. ‘You have no right to ask me to work then.’
    He wasn’t fazed by my outburst. ‘I’ve seen you come in here in the evening.’
    ‘Yeah, okay, I practise in the evenings sometimes,’ I said. ‘But most of the time Simone’s worn me out by the end of the day.’
    Mr Chen watched me silently for a while, then Leo tapped on the door and entered. He saluted Mr Chen. ‘I can take Simone sometimes, not a problem.’
    ‘Emma, arrange a roster with Leo for him to care for Simone so that you can practise,’ Mr Chen said. ‘If you are to gain this useful skill, you will need to work with it. Practise at least an hour every day.’
    ‘You sure that’s all right, Leo?’ I said.
    ‘Not a problem. The more skilled people, the better.’
    ‘I’ve been called,’ Mr Chen said. ‘Emma, stay here and practise the set while Simone is with Monica. Leo, Emma was about halfway through a level six Southern Mantis set—remind her of the next part.’
    ‘My Lord,’ Leo said, and both he and I saluted Mr Chen. He nodded to us and went out.
    ‘You should have mentioned it if you didn’t have enough time to practise,’ Leo said. ‘Start from the beginning, see how far you go.’
    I moved through the first part of the set. ‘I don’t like taking so much time off work to do this.’
    Leo nodded as he watched me. ‘Very nice. It’s not time off work, it is work. If you are skilled enough then you can defend Simone as well as I can.’
    ‘Oh come on, Leo. I’m just a tiny woman. How could I possibly be as good as you?’
    ‘Wing chun was invented by a woman.’
    ‘That’s one of the most lethal styles of all,’ I said with wonder. ‘A woman? Really?’
    ‘That’s the story.’ Leo moved forward to correct my stance slightly. ‘Women are smaller and faster. In battle you have the advantage over someone bigger like me, because I have to come down to you.’
    ‘Do you think those guys this afternoon were demons?’
    ‘Hard to tell. But as long as they don’t know you’re learning the Arts, they won’t come after you.’
    ‘That’s reassuring,’ I said. ‘I’ll just have to make sure they never find out that I’m learning.’ ‘It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.’
    ‘I’m not worried about them coming after me,’ I said. ‘I’m thinking of Simone’s safety. If they don’t know I’m trained, I’ll have the advantage of surprise. All the better for me to defend Simone.’
    ‘Excellent,’ Leo said.
    I stopped. ‘This is as far as I can remember.’
    Leo moved next to me, so I could see him in the mirrors, and took up the same position. ‘Okay, I’ll show you the next bit. Tell me when to stop.’
    ‘I really appreciate this, Leo,’ I said softly.
    He smiled at me in the mirror. ‘You’re kidding, right? It’ll be great to have somebody else in the household to practise with, who won’t always be knocking me on my ass.’
    ‘Down, Emma,’ Mr Chen said, gently pushing my arm down. ‘Don’t imagine your opponent higher than you are. You are smaller than most demons, you have the advantage. Make them come down to you.’
    I nodded and lowered my blocking arm, then spun and punched, punched with the other hand, and blocked again.
    ‘Good,’ he said. ‘Again.’
    I went through the set again. Step, punch, block, punch, punch.
    ‘After this week we can’t train on Saturday or Wednesday mornings,’ Mr Chen said, watching me. ‘Now that the weather’s cooler, I’m having my horse moved back from China, from his summer turnout. I’ll be riding with Simone twice a week.’
    ‘I didn’t know you had a horse,’ I said, blocking too high and correcting