Chapter 10 #2
Is this why Big Wang wasn’t bothered by Lady Soo’s threat?
The pearl was safe somewhere else? Is this why he told me to leave things alone?
For the first time I understand Mr Lee’s frustration with my half-truths.
If Big Wang had told me he’d moved the dragon pearl, he would have saved me from wasting my time with the damned mortal.
A roar followed by a high-pitched whine shatters the muffled silence.
I run towards the sound. Puffy is on the ground, whining and holding her paw close to her body.
A wooden stake as thick as my leg juts out from the soft pad of her paw.
I catch a whiff of honeyed fish and a flash of yellow silk disappearing around the corner of the hall, heading towards the main entrance. Soo.
I can’t leave Puffy like this. Putting my faith in Cutie, I deal with Puffy’s paw, pulling the stake out as smoothly and quickly as I can. The thing is as long as my arm. Luckily, pixiu heal quickly, so I leave Puffy and give chase.
Another roar, this time from the entrance.
Cutie. I run faster. She screeches, sounding the alarm.
But then she stops. There’s a whoosh then the distinct sound of crackling flames.
I round the corner to the main entrance.
The smell of chilli peppers hits me hard.
Cutie paws at her eyes, bucking and whining and knocking over tables as she rears back and forth.
In her pain and panic she’s spewing flames.
I grab one of the emergency buckets of water lining the main foyer.
‘Cutie, calm!’ I shout. ‘Calm!’ She slows, body still twitching violently but she’s no longer thrashing.
I keep talking, reassuring her, telling her what I’m doing as I run up her back and pour water into her eyes to rinse out the chilli spray.
‘Down, Cutie, I’m gonna get another bucket!’ I say.
Her eyes are red and swollen. Three more buckets into her eyes before she stops shaking. The crackling grows in intensity, flames licking the walls and filling the hallway. I realise with a start we have to get out. I whistle long and loud, calling Puffy. There’s no response.
I lead Cutie towards the doors, slide open the wooden bolts, and lurch out to safety. Again, I whistle, listening hard for Puffy’s call. Seconds pass.
My fingers twist in Cutie’s fur, waiting. She can’t have been caught . . . But then, over the flames and the popping wood, I hear it. A rumbling caw. A heartbeat later, Puffy lands outside the entrance.
I’m about to call the perimeter guards to tell them about the fire when a whole contingent of Big Wang’s guards round the corner by Madame Meng’s teahouse.
I wave them down. ‘The Treasury is on fire! Puffy hurt her paw!’ I shout at the guards.
They hurry towards me and shuffle into formation, separating into two groups of around twenty guards.
The first group runs towards the well in the garden and forms a chain, passing buckets of water to douse the fire.
The second group, however, fans out into a large circle around me and the pixiu.
They draw their swords and my relief turns sour.
‘What’s going on?’ I ask, backing into Cutie and Puffy.
One of the guards surrounding me steps forward. Cutie and Puffy growl in warning, but the guard is calm, keeps his distance. My nose twitches and my eyes water from the smoke.
‘I am Captain Zhao Xiuping,’ he says bowing. ‘Lady Jing, we need you to come with us back to the Cathay Hotel.’
‘Wait, why?’ I hate the whine that creeps into my words. Does Big Wang have something else he needs to scold me about? ‘I came to visit the pixiu and saw Lady Soo in the Treasury. She stabbed Puffy then threw chilli powder at Cutie to make her start a fire.’
Captain Zhao sweeps his sharp, black eyes down my body. I follow his gaze. My suit is covered in streaks of soot, charred in places.
‘Lady Jing, you went too far this time. We all know you love your pranks, but Big Wang will be upset at the damage. Don’t make a scene.’ Captain Zhao’s words are quiet, but firm.
There’s too much history between the guards and me.
I almost laugh but the humiliation burns too hot and the heat of it licks up my face.
Soo’s outmanoeuvred me, again. I snarl, and the pixiu echo my reactions.
Their snarl however makes the ground tremble.
The guards raise their swords, an act of aggression which only riles the pixiu even more.
‘For the love of Tian don’t provoke the pixiu! They are here to protect the Treasury. It’s Soo you should interrogate.’ I blink, trying to get rid of the growing burn in my eyes.
‘Don’t be fooled by her pretty words,’ another guard urges. ‘She’s using her control over the pixiu to go against you,’ he says to Zhao.
‘Where’s Old Hu?’ I say desperately. ‘He’s their handler, he’ll tell you they are loyal to the guard and to the Treasury.’
The guards don’t look convinced. A dozen blue flaming swords point at my furry charges. The guards could inflict real damage on the pixiu, damage they wouldn’t recover from.
‘Down,’ I say to Cutie and Puffy. ‘You must listen to the guards.’
Puffy whines and nudges me with her nose.
‘It’s okay,’ I reassure her. ‘Obey the guards. I’ll be fine.’
Cutie seems confused. She paws at her eyes. I keep a hand on her neck, letting her know she’s safe. I take stock of the guards – many of them are Bullhead’s underlings. Not his elite troops, but his third-rate guards.
‘Why you?’ I say.
Captain Zhao blinks at me, confused. ‘We are to escort—’
‘Yes, I heard you, but why aren’t Lord Nioh or Lord Ma here?’
‘We are the South Wind elite division—’
‘Blah blah blah blah. You are only the third division. Babies. Where is the North Wind troop?’
Captain Zhao’s eyes widen at my insult. The guards jab their blue flaming jian towards me, like I should be frightened.
‘Are we playing you show me yours I’ll show you mine?’ I smile as sweetly as I can, wishing I’d brought Mafan with me. Instead, I slowly remove my jacket. Captain Zhao splutters, his face goes red. I drop the nicey-nicey. ‘I am going nowhere with you turd-eggs.’
The guards confer with each other in low whispers, but their voices rise like puffs of steaming farts. Idiots either don’t realise or don’t care that I can hear every rotted word.
‘Not again,’ says one. ‘Do we have to?’
‘We have orders,’ Captain Zhao says, his tone full of rebuke. ‘She came out of a burning Treasury. This is a security matter. We must take her into custody.’
‘How are we gonna do that?’ yet another voice asks. ‘You’ve heard the stories. She’s a complete pain in the pigu.’
Another guard barks a short, harsh laugh.
‘The North Wind division all complain about her.’ He lowers his voice, casts a glance at me.
I glower at him, but he’s already turned back to his comrades.
‘She used to run through the streets in nothing but her underclothes; they had to chase her down and force her to dress properly.’
They all look at me. ‘What is she wearing now?’
‘At least she’s got clothes on.’
A few of them chuckle. I feel the heat rising up my neck, reminding me why I hate spending time with anyone other than Bullhead and Horsey. At least those two have the balls to disparage me to my face.
‘She’s that arsonist,’ another guard pipes up. ‘The one who set fire to the robes of a Hulijing Court emissary.’
Tian. I threw a burning drink on that bitch the one time, and now I’m forever known as that arsonist. Rage fills me. He has no idea what he’s talking about. She got what she deserved.
‘She’s feral as a monkey,’ another says, tsking. ‘Poor Lord Ma. His hair has gone white from her antics.’
‘Lady Jing,’ Captain Zhao says. ‘You must come with us.’
Across the street, Mr Lee stands before the teahouse gate, Mafan clutched in his right hand and diminutive Madame Meng on his left. Both watch me with worried expressions. They must have heard all the commotion.
The guards rearrange themselves, and I see an opening between their flanks.
A chance to escape. I’m faster than they are.
I could easily outrun them, have done on more than one occasion.
But I’d have to leave Mr Lee here. I glance at him.
He’s none of my concern, and yet, that irritating guilt snaps at me like an angry tortoise. Damned inconvenient mortal.
If I allow the guards to take me, they could take both me and Mr Lee back to Big Wang.
But then I’ll be punished. I accused Soo again without evidence or witness.
No doubt she’ll hear of it and demand I apologise.
And since I disobeyed Big Wang’s direct orders to stay away and stop causing mafan, no doubt he’ll force me to do it, just like before.
I shake my head, back away from the guards.
No way in Hells am I kowtowing to that bitch ever again.
Captain Zhao sheathes his sword, but does not relax his stance. ‘Please, Lady Jing, don’t make a scene.’
I can feel Mr Lee’s doe eyes on me. He’s got Mafan, I reason with myself. And Madame Meng. He’ll be fine. Shoving the guilt away, I snarl at Captain Zhao and run.