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Fourteen

After the episode with Mrs Pa's unpleasant visitor on the previous night, Chen had found himself fretting and worrying. The station house was horribly hot. Zhu Irzh was at the Opera, following up on the demonic visit of the day before.

At last, Chen discharged himself from the precinct and caught the tram back to Ghenret, finding that it was marginally cooler at the port. Ghenret was peaceful midevening, with the oily tide lapping at the walls of the docks. The light was kind to the surroundings, blurring the decay of warehouses and go-downs, throwing the monstrous architecture of the rebuilt Paugeng and the labs into sharp relief and hazing the viscous waters of Ghenret into silver. It seemed peaceful and quiet after the events of the previous night. He made his way across the harbor to the houseboat; the door was unlocked. Chen pushed it open and stepped inside.

"Inari?"

Within, the houseboat was green and cool. Water shadows rippled across the low ceiling. Neither his wife nor the badger were anywhere to be seen, but Zhu Irzh lay sprawled in sleep across the couch, one hand thrown over his chest. Chen watched, intrigued, as the demon's claws flexed in and out; he was dreaming. In sleep, relieved of the hellish charm, Zhu Irzh's face was peaceful. Chen felt a sudden unexpected wave of affection. Zhu Irzh woke up. There was a momentary flash of alarm in the golden eyes, then Zhu Irzh smiled.

"Sorry," Chen said. "Didn't mean to wake you up."

"No, that's okay." Zhu Irzh blinked. He rose from the couch and walked across to the window, where he stood stretching. "Sorry to crash out on your couch. I came straight here from the Opera and Inari wasn't here . . . I've slept for too long. It's time we got going, anyway."

"Yes, it is." Chen felt as though he'd been put through a mangle.

"Did you find out anything more at the Opera?"

"No. The missing kids are still missing. I couldn't find any trace of the thing we saw, either. I did some magical work—couldn't make any progress there."

"We're supposed to be meeting Miss Qi at nine."

The demon rolled golden eyes. "Ah yes. Heavenly little Miss Qi."

"I'd watch the sarcasm. She might roll you up like a moth."

"And do what? Send me to Hell?"

"You never know," Chen said. "She might decide that the time is finally right for you to enter Heaven."

Zhu Irzh's face was a study in alarm. "No thanks! I didn't enjoy it much the last time. A distinct lack of uncivilized amenities, if you ask me."

"It is Heaven, after all. Your mind's supposed to be on higher things." Chen picked up his small bag from the side of the couch and swung it over his shoulder, just as Inari came in with the badger at her heels. His wife wore huge sunglasses, hiding her crimson gaze and making her look rather like a pretty insect, but she took them off as soon as she entered the room and Chen could see worry on her face.

"You'll be careful, won't you?" she said to Chen.

"He will," Zhu Irzh replied before Chen could say anything. "We'll give your regards to your family if we run into anyone."

Inari sighed. "Please don't. I'm not really speaking to any of them these days."

"Very wise," said the demon. "The less I have to do with mine, the better. Although—" He stopped, and an expression of sheer horror came over his face.

"Zhu Irzh?" Chen said sharply. "Are you all right?"

"No." The demon collapsed back onto the couch.

"What's wrong?"

"I've just remembered. I knew there was something. It's my mother's birthday. Tomorrow. And we'll be in Hell."

"She doesn't have to know that you're in Hell, does she?"

"She'll know," Zhu Irzh sounded bleak. "She's my mother. Don't ask me how she does it."

"Can't you phone her?" Inari said. "Pretend you're still here, that the connection is bad?"

Chen looked at her with renewed respect. Every time he thought he knew Inari, she surprised him.

"It's a thought, I suppose. But she'll know. That's the terrible thing."

"Look," Chen said. "It's after eight thirty. We've got to get on the road; we can't keep Miss Qi waiting." Turning to Inari, he gave her a farewell embrace and then stepped out onto the deck with Zhu Irzh trailing at his heels.

 

Miss Qi was waiting in the atrium of her hotel, looking prim and well-rested. Chen felt disheveled in comparison, but then he always did when confronted with Heavenkind. He doubted whether they ever sweated, except for that faintly radiant glow redolent of peach blossom or roses, and they certainly never did any of the cruder things to which the human organism was so regrettably prone. But the result was that he felt like an ox next to Miss Qi.

Zhu Irzh did not seem to be experiencing similar misgivings. He said, "Miss Qi? How are you finding the city? Sleeping all right?"

"Well," Miss Qi said. "Not as well as I'm used to. It's rather noisy here, isn't it?"

"It's a big, human city," Chen answered. "There's a lot going on."

"I suppose so." Miss Qi looked doubtful. "And so many very unhappy people. I could feel them in the night, so restless."

"Singapore Three isn't a nice place," the demon said. "It's why I like it."

Miss Qi looked at him with an expression that, in a less refined being, might have been malice. "And now you're going home to Hell."

"Don't," Zhu Irzh said, "remind me."

"It's his mother's birthday tomorrow," explained Chen.

Miss Qi clapped pallid hands together. "But how wonderful! Will we meet her?"

"God, I hope not."

"I really don't have a very clear idea of our schedule," Chen said. "Someone's supposed to be meeting us at the other side of the Night Harbor, but I don't have a name—Sung wasn't clear. Did they give you any information?"

Miss Qi shook her head. "None at all."

Chen sighed. "Oh well. We'll just have to manage, as usual." At that, the hotel doorbell rang and Chen looked up to see Sergeant Ma's lugubrious form standing in the entrance to the atrium.

"Ma!" He introduced the sergeant to Miss Qi.

Ma looked at her with interest. "Pleased to meet you, Miss. I'll be taking you to—to the point of your departure."

"Thank you so much." Miss Qi fluttered through the door. In an undertone, Ma said, "She's going with you?"

"Don't underestimate Miss Qi," Chen said. "She's a Heavenly warrior."

"With respect, sir," said Ma. "Are you sure? She looks as though she'd be more at home at a tea party."

"I'm sure," Chen said. Zhu Irzh shrugged. They followed Ma out to the car.

Singapore Three, even at this time of night, was still almost gridlocked. The city had been bad even before the earthquakes, and now it was close to impossible. Chen had thought he'd been given a tough job as liaison officer with Hell, but it was nothing compared to being a member of the traffic department. He felt almost smug as Ma took the police car the wrong way along a one-way street, up a flight of steps, and shot along the harbor road against the flow of in-bound traffic.

And then they were at the sinister black warehouse that housed the Night Harbor.

 

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