Blue Dragon Part 51

'Did it find anything?'

'No,' the stone said. 'Amy, you are a perfectly normal human being. Just extremely talented.'

She sagged with relief.

I didn't tell her it was exactly the same thing the stone had said about me.

She smiled. 'Why does it sound English?'

'To annoy me,' I said. 'Go back to the Folly. I'll contact you later and we'll have you checked out.'

'Why do you call it the Folly?' she said. 'Both the student residences are called the Folly-the Old Folly and the New Folly.'

I laughed. 'Full name is Turtle's Folly. Mr Chen bought the Old Folly at the top of the market, paid double the current market value for it. He lost a serious amount of money on it.'

She smiled wryly. 'I thought G.o.ds didn't make mistakes.'

'This one has made some absolutely spectacular ones.' I spread my hands. 'I'm one of the biggest, according to him.'

'Isn't calling someone a "turtle" here in Hong Kong an insult?'

'd.a.m.n straight. Don't call it Turtle's Folly when the Chinese kids are around; some of them are sensitive about it.'

'And if someone mentions it in front of the Dark Lord, does he get very mad?'

'No,' I said. 'He's thoroughly delighted with the name. I wish I'd never thought of it, because he had it translated, and has a piece of calligraphy hidden away somewhere that he wants to put in bra.s.s above the door.'

Her mouth dropped open.

'Go home, and don't worry. The worst we'll probably find is that you're a lost Shen, or half Shen, or something like that, and you'll have extra talents we can bring on.'

'I just want to be completely human,' Amy said. She saluted me and left, closing the door softly behind her.

'Well?' I said.

'There's something there,' it said, 'but I'm not sure what it is. Wait until Gold has a look at her. We'll both see inside.'

'Is it possible that she's a demon?'

The stone hesitated. I heard it hesitate.

'Well?'

The stone's voice was completely emotionless. 'Yes, Emma, it is quite possible.'

'But she doesn't know if she is?'

'Correct,' the stone said.

'Has this happened before? Somebody was a demon but didn't know about it?'

The stone hesitated, then obviously decided to answer before I could shout at it. 'Yes, of course. It was a favourite trick of the previous King. Create a half demon, half human. Plant a trigger in it, similar to a program. The demon itself is unaware of its true nature. When the time is right, the trigger is activated and the demon usually self-destructs, taking all around with it.'

'Holy s.h.i.+t,' I said softly. 'Why didn't John tell me about this?'

'Two reasons,' the stone said. 'The first is obvious. The second is that the current King is slightly more honourable than its predecessor and does not engage in this sort of underhand activity.'

'He can be pretty underhand when he wants to,' I said grimly.

'He is a Demon King.'

'Will Gold be able to tell if Amy is a demon?' I said.

'Yes.'

'You sure?'

If the stone could sigh it would have. 'Of course. He is my son.'

'You mean child child.'

The stone didn't speak to me for a long time after that.

I arranged the examination for two days later so that John and Meredith could be present as well as Gold and me: John for his demon-spotting skills, and Meredith as the best demon-binder on the Mountain. JC Poon, the Demon Master, was on call, but didn't need to be present unless Amy was a demon and was either bound or tamed. If she turned and attacked us we would destroy her and he wouldn't be needed at all.

We used a training room on the twenty-second floor by silent mutual agreement. It would be the best place if she turned; the seniors and Celestials would be close by.

Amy walked in and stopped dead when she saw all of us. Her face went ashen, then she remembered and fell to one knee, saluting us all.

'Come in, Amy,' I said, as gently as I could. 'I think you know everybody. Do you know Meredith?'

Amy shook her head, her eyes wide. She was panicking. She knew something was up.

I gestured towards Meredith. 'Master Liu, Energy Master, Tai Chi Master.'

Amy saluted Meredith and Meredith nodded back, her angular, intelligent face serious. She was already examining Amy.

'Okay, Amy,' I said, trying to be brisk and businesslike. She broadcast raw terror. 'Sit cross-legged on the floor in the centre of the room and Gold will have a look inside you.'

She did as she was told.

Gold knelt behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. 'Relax, dear. I won't hurt you. Everything will be just fine.'

Amy was shaking.

Gold didn't move, but I saw him contact Meredith. Meredith silently moved forward and put her hand on top of Amy's head.

Amy went rigid at the touch and then her face went slack. Gold nodded and Meredith moved away.

Human at the top level, Gold said. Gold said. My Lady, could you bring my parent here, please? I would like it to provide a second opinion. My Lady, could you bring my parent here, please? I would like it to provide a second opinion.

I moved quietly to Gold and put the stone in front of him. I released it, and it hovered in front of Gold's face, between his nose and the back of Amy's head. Gold nodded, his face still full of concentration.

Going deeper. Dad?

Human. No apparent demonic attributes at any of the top levels, the stone said. the stone said.

Gold stiffened. What a b.a.s.t.a.r.d. What a b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

With you there, the stone said. the stone said. No wonder she wanted to learn to defend herself. No wonder she wanted to learn to defend herself.

Gold sighed, his shoulders moving. Going deeper. Going deeper.

What was that? the stone said. the stone said.

What? Gold said.

For a moment there...nothing.

My Lord Xuan, please take a quick look, Gold said. Through me, so that you cannot harm her. Through me, so that you cannot harm her.

John approached them and bent to place his hand on Gold's shoulder. His face went rigid with concentration, then he released Gold and moved back.

Definitely not a demon, John said. John said. Could be something else there, but it's so well hidden it's hard to say. Probably just exceptional talent. I have seen humans this talented before. If a talented human suffers such as she has, it can also bring forward the energy control. Could be something else there, but it's so well hidden it's hard to say. Probably just exceptional talent. I have seen humans this talented before. If a talented human suffers such as she has, it can also bring forward the energy control. He smiled. He smiled. Suffering brings wisdom and control. Suffering brings wisdom and control.

The ring rose above Gold and returned to me, and I picked it out of the air. Gold took his hands away from Amy's shoulders and rose.

Meredith crouched beside Amy and put her hand on Amy's shoulder. 'We're finished now, dear.'

Amy shook herself out, then heaved a huge sigh and pulled herself to her feet, swaying slightly. Meredith held her elbow to help her.

'That was weird,' Amy said. 'You knocked me out or sedated me or something, didn't you?'

Meredith smiled but didn't say anything.

'I thought I could hear people talking but there wasn't a sound,' Amy said.

'You are quite correct, Amy,' John said.

I went to Amy and took her arm. I looked her right in the eyes. 'You are a completely normal, talented human who has had her talents boosted by a prolonged period of suffering.'

Amy's eyes widened. 'You know about that? You know?'

'Nothing to be ashamed of, Amy,' Gold said. May I see her back to the Folly? May I see her back to the Folly?

'Go,' I said. 'Amy, Gold will escort you back.'

'The long way,' Meredith said. 'Not directly; she wouldn't be able to handle it right now.'

'Oh, I'm taking the long way,' Gold said, smiling into Amy's eyes. He gently took her elbow to lead her out. 'Are you free Friday night? A group of us grown-ups are going to Lan Kwai Fong to try out the new Italian restaurant there. And to get away from the little ones for a while. You're welcome to come; you spend a lot of time with the younger students as well.'

'Little ones?' Amy said. 'You look the same age as most of the students.'

'Appearances can be deceiving. I'm slightly older than I look,' Gold said, amused. 'You are a very interesting person, you know that? A lot of depth to you. I'd love to see more of it.'

'Tell Gold I heard that and he's seeing somebody already,' I said quickly, and the stone relayed the message.

Broke up with him a month ago, Gold said. Gold said.

'He's to tell her all about himself up front. And if she's too traumatised by what she's been through then it's strictly hands off.'

Of course.

Another bolt hit me. They would be great together. Totally made for each other. And she was was something special, but it wasn't ready to come out yet. something special, but it wasn't ready to come out yet.

I shook myself out of it. Meredith and John stared at me. 'What?'

'We saw that,' John said. He pointed at the floor. 'Your turn.'

I hesitated, then moved to sit cross-legged in the middle of the room. Meredith took up position behind me and put her hands on my shoulders.

I relaxed and let her in.

It didn't take long. She flipped through me like a magazine, then put me back and released me.

'Well on the way there,' she said, rising. She reached down and helped me up. 'Impressive.'

'Have you had any flashes about us? You and me?' John said.

'No. Only the students.' I gestured towards the door. 'Amy and Gold are made for each other. They'll be great together.' It hit me again. 'In fifteen or twenty years, their kids will be some of the best students you and I have ever seen, and we'll teach them together.'

I heard what I'd just said and dropped my head as my throat thickened. John looked away, but Meredith grinned broadly.

'See?' she said, and linked her arm in mine. 'It will be. Let's go and buy the young Immortal-to-be some lunch.'

The next afternoon I paired up my energy students and they worked with chi together, one manipulating the energy and the other supervising. It was incredibly satisfying to have half a dozen students all taking their first steps together.

I paired Amy with Brad, a hefty young black man from Argentina. We didn't recruit many young people from South America; there wasn't much interest there in the Asian Arts. But the movie industry was helping us immensely. Young people saw Hollywood wire-fu and wanted to learn some for themselves. Many were disappointed when they realised that the stuff they saw on movies was pure fantasy, but others were intrigued by the real Arts and continued. And some eventually came to the Mountain and discovered that the stuff depicted by wire-fu was the least least of what they could do. of what they could do.

John said that he had never seen so many talented students in a single year. He pondered out loud that the Mountain didn't just need to be rebuilt, it needed to be extended. And then he grinned at my moans of dismay.

As I pa.s.sed Amy, I gently placed my hand on top of her head. I felt her working under Brad's supervision and suddenly realisation hit me like a thunderbolt. Amy was a dragon. And Brad was a demon. And Brad was a demon. I had to think quickly; now that I knew the truth I didn't have much time. I had to think quickly; now that I knew the truth I didn't have much time.

'Call the energy back, guys,' I said casually. At the same time, I tapped the stone and silently ordered it to get Gold in right away right away.

'Everybody up,' I said, and they all rose. 'Remain in your pairs and move so that you are an equal distance apart in the room. Spread out and make s.p.a.ce.'

Gold appeared beside me.