Blue Dragon Part 15

'That's a neat trick,' I said. 'When did you learn that?'

'Na Zha taught me,' Michael said. 'Please don't tell my dad or Lord Xuan, Emma. I don't think they wanted me to learn how to do it.'

'Why not?'

Michael laughed softly. 'Think about it.'

I understood. 'I don't think you would use it irresponsibly. I think we can trust you. You're a very honourable young man. I know I trust you.'

'Thanks, Emma.'

The teacher came out and handed me a piece of paper.

'Thanks, Jo,' I said.

Jo immediately snapped out of it.

Michael spoke before she could say anything.

'We'd better go and finish in the uniform shop, Emma. My teacher'll be waiting.'

'You're right,' I said. 'And I'm supposed to be working there. Thanks a lot, Jo. I'll leave you to it.'

Jo smiled, turned, and went back into the cla.s.sroom.

'Have you done anything with metal?' I said. 'That would be very useful.'

'Nothing,' Michael said.

'I'll call Helen's mother,' I said. 'You'd better head back to cla.s.s. I'll pick up the uniform for you at the same time.'

'Very good, my Lady,' Michael said with a smile.

'You are very cheeky,' I said as we went our opposite ways.

I felt bad about making the call, but it was the only way I could be sure.

'Wei?'

'Is Mrs Leung there, please?'

'Wei?'

'Can I speak to Mrs Leung, please?'

'Who asking?'

'I'm calling from the Australian School. I want to check about Helen Leung.'

'Wait.' There were rustles, some shouting, then footsteps.

'Wei?'

'h.e.l.lo, is that Mrs Leung?'

'Who is asking?'

'I'm from the Australian School, Mrs Leung. I just wanted to double-check the pick-up arrangements for Helen.'

'Okay. Is there a problem?'

'No problem. I just want to confirm. The people who can collect Helen are you, Helen's father, her poh poh poh poh,' I used the Cantonese term for 'grandmother', 'and Mrs Kitty Ho.'

'Is correct.'

I was completely floored. I hesitated. I wanted to ask more, but anything I said would probably blow my story. I decided to tackle it head-on and see what reaction I could produce.

'One of the other mothers has claimed that Mrs Kitty Ho is wanted by the police, Mrs Leung. I just wanted to hear your side of the story before we did anything.'

She hung up.

CHAPTER NINE.

Iheld a brainstorming session with John, Michael and Leo. But not a lot of storming happened. We sat silently for a long time.

'Come on, Emma, help us out here,' John said. 'Think.'

'My brain's already worn out from turning this over,' I said. 'I have no idea what's going on.'

'She must be taking the little girl for experiments or something,' Leo said.

'That's obvious,' I said. 'The question is: why? Why do the parents let her? And why did she do it right in front of us? And make such a performance out of it? She came to the uniform shop first, to make sure that we'd follow her.'

'Call the police,' Michael said. 'Let them know. They'll pick her up-end of problem.'

'We have had quite enough contact with the police as it is,' John said. 'Remember, Michael, both Leo and I will die soon. I will die very soon. We want it to be clean and above board, no legal complications whatsoever. I want as little to do with the police as possible right now, so that when I go there are no questions.'

'How soon, my Lord?' Michael said softly.

I dropped my head into my hands.

'I doubt that I'll make it past the middle of next year,' John said. 'In fact, I doubt I'll make it past the end of this year. I have two more sessions with Kwan Yin, including this one coming up. After that, probably less than a year.'

Leo inhaled sharply. He leaned forward over the table and his voice became fierce. 'Simone's not ready yet! She won't be ready! You must stay, my Lord. Once you're gone I won't last long.' He looked down and his voice softened. 'I have a mouth ulcer already.'

'Oh my G.o.d, no!' I said wretchedly. 'No.'

John glanced at Leo. 'After Kota Kinabalu I'll be able to clear it again, Leo. It's only two more weeks. Just be careful.'

'What?' Michael said. 'My Lord. Leo, sir. Please. Explain.' He spoke with a very slight desperate edge to his voice. 'Please don't keep me in the dark.'

'I told you I'm HIV positive, and that's why we brought you in,' Leo said. Michael nodded. 'Well, it's more than that. It's already full-on AIDS. I was in second stage. But Lord Xuan can keep me clear of the virus as long as I'm in his service. I've been tested, and given the all clear, since I joined the household.'

'But you said you have a mouth ulcer,' Michael said. 'Does that mean...?'

'I'm very drained, Michael,' John said, his eyes burning.

Michael was silent.

'I've already taken myself off bladed weapons until after the trip,' Leo said. 'My Lord, please inform all the staff. Infection control, if I'm wounded. It may be best just to leave me if I'm severely wounded; tell one of the Celestial Masters to send me away. I don't want to infect anybody. I should stop teaching anyway. I don't want to put any of the students at risk.'

'You will continue to teach at the Academy. You will continue your duties as if nothing was different. You will not handle bladed weapons in cla.s.s, but you will still teach them. That is the only difference that I will permit. And that is an order, Leo,' John said.

'My Lord,' Leo said, full of anguish.

'Helen Leung,' John said briskly, returning to the matter at hand. 'What can we do?'

'Has Simone had her over to play?' Michael said.

All of us straightened.

'Very good, Michael,' John said. 'We can have her here and check up on her. We can talk to her.'

'What if that's the intention?' I said. 'What if Kitty lined her up to be brought over here to try something?'

'She's a normal human, yes?' John said.

I nodded a reply.

'Then she can't do anything. Let's ask Simone to invite her here, and see what happens.'

I showed Helen to the door where her Indonesian domestic helper waited for her. 'Bye, sweetheart,' I said. 'I hope you had fun.'

'Bye, Emma,' Helen said. 'Bye, Simone. See you at school.'

'Only one week left!' Simone said with a jiggle of excitement. 'I'm going to Kota Kinabalu for the holidays!'

'I'm going to p.h.u.ket,' Helen said. 'Bye.'

The domestic helper took her out. I dropped Simone with Leo, then went into John's office. I sat across the desk from him and we studied each other. I shrugged.

'Why then?' John said.

There was a tap on the office door.

'Enter, Michael,' John said.

Michael came in, his face rigid with restraint, holding something in a towel. He put it on the desk, on top of the pile of papers. 'I suggest you don't touch it, my Lord.'

Both John and I leaned forward and studied it carefully. It was a little stone turtle, a very common household decoration in Hong Kong. It appeared to be made of rose quartz.

John put his hand over the turtle without touching it, then closed his eyes and concentrated.

'The little girl left it here,' Michael said. 'I could sense it from my room.'

'It's not a bug, is it?' I said. 'We don't have to be careful talking near it?'

'Nope,' Michael said. 'No idea what it is. Not a bug, though.'

John pulled his hand away and opened his eyes, then concentrated again.

Gold appeared between Michael and myself. He leaned forward and studied the turtle carefully. He picked it up. 'What do you say, Dad?'

The stone was silent.

'Give it a tap, my Lady,' Gold said.

I tapped the stone.

'Yes, my...' Its voice trailed off, then went fierce. 'What the h.e.l.l is that?'

Gold turned it over in his hands. 'No idea.'

'Let me have a look,' the stone said.

'Take the ring off first, my Lady,' Gold said. 'I don't think you should touch it either.'

I removed the ring and handed it to Gold. He touched the ring to the turtle.

'Get it off!' the stone squawked.

Gold jerked the ring away. 'Sorry, Dad.'

'Give me back to the Lady,' the stone said.

Gold returned the ring to me and I put it back on my finger.

'I've opened it. You can see what it is now,' the stone said.

'I see,' John said. 'Have either of you encountered anything like this before?'

Gold shook his head. The stone was silent.