LITMIR.BIZ

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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 God, 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 class, 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 Phuket,’ 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 hell 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.

      ‘Would it be safe for me to look inside it?’ I said. ‘What’s so different about it anyway?’

      ‘Look inside,’ John said. ‘But slowly, carefully.’

      I opened my Inner Eye and studied the little pink turtle. Gold placed it on the pile of papers so that I could have a better look. It was like a miniature black hole. It was sucking reality into it. I suddenly knew that if I were to touch it, I would be pulled straight into it.

      ‘So that was the point of the exercise,’ I said softly. ‘To get one of us to touch that.’

      ‘That bitch is using human children to do her dirty work,’ John said.

      ‘Would it just kill me, or would it transport me somewhere?’ I said.

      ‘Probably a transport device,’ Gold said. ‘Shades of Star Trek.’

      ‘Never seen anything like it before,’ the stone said. ‘Ingenious. Wait until the Grandmother hears about this. She’ll be after this demon personally.’

      I nodded to Michael. ‘Thanks.’

      ‘Sometimes I am extremely glad we have you around, Michael,’ John said. ‘You are the only one in the household who sensed this thing. Try to keep your abilities to

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