White Tiger

CHAPTER TEN

We walked over the Pont Neuf towards Notre Dame. Simone still had boundless energy and skipped beside us.

The forecourt of the cathedral was packed with tourists from all over the world and there was a long queue curling out from the main entrance.

‘Do you want to go inside?’ I asked Simone. ‘There’s a lot of people waiting.’

‘Notre Dame’s boring,’ she said, and slowed to grab Leo’s hand. ‘Come on, Leo.’ She dragged him across the road towards some three-storey stone buildings around a gated forecourt. Wigged and gowned lawyers walked up and down the stairs. I checked my mini map of Paris: the Justice Building.

‘What are we doing here?’ I said, but they ignored me and I had to hurry to keep up with them.

We went around the corner to where a tiny, dingy chapel nestled under the walls of the office buildings. I checked my map again: Saint Chapelle.

The queue wasn’t as long as the one for Notre Dame. Simone stopped jiggling and stood quietly while we paid the entry fees.

Inside, it wasn’t very impressive. The ceiling was quite low, and there was only a small amount of stained glass.

‘The rose windows are nice,’ I said. ‘Do you want to take a photo?’

‘No,’ Simone said and pulled Leo to the back of the chapel. A curving set of very narrow stairs led upwards. As Simone dragged Leo up the stairs his broad shoulders brushed against the walls, adding to the sheen of many bodies that had been there before.

When we reached the upper chapel the beauty of the interior took my breath away. The ceiling towered above us, with narrow stained-glass windows between the even narrower stone buttresses. The windows extended from ceiling to floor in a glittering dazzle of colours. They were like insubstantial glowing curtains between the fragile stonework of the walls.

A horseshoe of benches had been set up in the centre of the chapel to allow visitors a good view of the stained glass. Simone released Leo’s hand, sat herself on one of the benches and spent ten minutes silently staring at the windows.

A group of young tourists walked past us and Leo watched them carefully. I caught his attention and raised my eyebrows. He shook his head slightly.

Simone hopped off the bench and dragged us down the stairs again.

‘We have to be back at Ms Kwan’s soon,’ I said. ‘Anywhere else you want to go before we leave for London?’

‘Do I have time to go to Boulevard Haussmann and buy some stuff?’ Simone said. ‘I like the shops there.’

‘Sure,’ I said, stretching my feet. ‘Sore?’ Leo said.

‘No,’ I said. ‘Completely killing me.’

He bent to talk quietly to me. ‘Me too.’ He straightened. ‘Not finished yet. Boulevard Haussmann. Okay, I’ll call the driver.’

Simone pointed to the entrance to the Metro station. ‘I wanna take the train. Why can’t we take the train?’

‘Don’t be silly,’ I said. ‘It’s a long way down to the station and a long way up again. It’s much easier to take the van, and we can get to the shops faster.’

‘Okay,’ Simone said. ‘Hurry up, Leo. Can we go to the Eiffel Tower one more time before we leave?’

I sagged. ‘Simone, you’ve been there three times already.’

She grinned up at me. ‘But I like it.’

Leo pulled out his phone. ‘You don’t say.’

After a last lunch with Ms Kwan, we went out into the narrow leafy street where our van waited.

‘I had fun with Aunty Kwan,’ Simone said. ‘She’s my favourite.’

Leo opened the door of the van for us. Simone raced back to Ms Kwan for one last hug and kissed her on the cheek.

‘Look after your father for me,’ Ms Kwan said.

‘Come and visit us in Hong Kong,’ Simone said.

Ms Kwan nodded, smiling.

Leo took Simone and buckled her into the van.

I approached Ms Kwan and spoke softly. ‘I hope it’s all true, Ms Kwan.’

‘Don’t worry, dear Emma,’ she said, smiling gently. ‘Bring him back to me in about eight months; his energy will not last longer than ten. But it is best if I come to him.’ She took my hands and clasped them, and again I felt the warm sensation of comfort. ‘Look after our little Simone. She is very precious.’

‘Don’t worry, I will.’

I looked down at my hands where she held them. I wanted to tell her how much it meant to meet her, what it felt like to talk to her, how special she was. I wanted to thank her. But I couldn’t find the words. I looked up at her in desperation, to find her smiling at me.

‘It’s all right,’ she said, ‘I understand.’

I climbed into the van and sat next to Simone.

Mr Chen came out of the house, stood in front of Ms Kwan, and smiled down at her.

‘Let me know if you see any more of them,’ she said.

‘I will. Go back to your garden, Lady.’

‘I certainly will. All of this is much too elaborate for me.’ She raised her arms and sighed theatrically. ‘Ah, the sacrifices I make for you, Ah Wu.’

He stayed perfectly still, watching her. Then he fell to one knee before her and held his hands clasped in front of his chest in the Chinese salute.

Leo gasped.

Ms Kwan stamped her foot. ‘Ah Wu! If you ever do that to me again I will not speak to you for a hundred years.’

He rose and saluted her again.

Her voice trembled as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. ‘You are a silly old man.’

‘I know. I will see you in eight months.’ He climbed into the van and closed the door. ‘Let’s go.’

I glanced back through the rear window of the van as we pulled away. She was gone.

It was a short hop from Paris to the UK. A driver with a stretch limousine waited for us at Gatwick.

Leo and I sat facing the rear, and Mr Chen and Simone sat across from us, facing the driver. It was a crush with Mr Chen’s long legs and Leo’s huge mass and I understood why Mr Chen usually ordered a van.

Simone slept in the car, but Mr Chen seemed full of energy. He looked ten years younger after seeing Ms Kwan, nearly the same age as me. Whatever it was that she’d done to him, it had worked.

‘Leo, do you think you will be all right without me tomorrow?’ he said. ‘If you and Emma take Simone to the Science Museum?’

‘Should be okay, Mr Chen. There’ll be plenty of people around everywhere we go,’ Leo said.

‘They only come after you when there aren’t people around?’ I said.

Both Leo and Mr Chen nodded.

‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Good.’

They stared at me.

‘Why good?’ Leo said.

‘Because if we always make sure there are plenty of people around, Simone will be safe,’ I said. ‘Obvious.’

Leo and Mr Chen shared a look.

‘Where are you planning to go, Mr Chen?’ I went on. Leo dug me in the ribs and I yelped. I rounded on him. ‘What?’

‘You ask too many questions,’ Leo said.

‘The hell I do. You’re always keeping me in the dark. I need to know what’s going on.’ I gestured towards Simone, who was sleeping on Mr Chen’s lap. ‘For example, now I know that she’s safer with more people around, I can make sure we’re always in busy places.’

Leo chuckled and shook his head.

‘I want to go to Cambridge and meet up with some of my old postgrad colleagues,’ Mr Chen said. ‘It’s been a long time.’

‘You studied at Cambridge?’ I said, and yelped when Leo dug me in the ribs again. I slapped his arm. ‘Cut it out!’

‘Leo, I think I am capable of telling Miss Donahoe if I do not wish to answer her questions,’ Mr Chen said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. ‘I have a PhD from Cambridge. I did it about…’ He paused, thinking. ‘Thirty years ago, I think. I had to rewrite the thesis six times before they’d accept it. I nearly gave up.’

‘Thirty years ago? How old were you when you did it?’

His face shifted until he seemed younger, in his mid-twenties. ‘I was about twenty-five when I studied there.’ He changed again, until he appeared in his mid-fifties. ‘I will be about fifty-five when I go back.’ He changed back to his mid-thirties.

Dear Lord, it was real. I was working for a god!

‘My Lord, that was an unnecessary waste of your energy,’ Leo said, irritated.

‘What?’ I said, glancing from Leo to Mr Chen.

Leo thrust his hand palm-up towards Mr Chen. ‘Throws his energy away all the time.’

I turned my attention back to Mr Chen. ‘Please don’t waste your energy on small things.’

‘Oh come on,’ Mr Chen said. ‘You should have seen the look on your face.’ He smiled at me and his eyes wrinkled up. I felt a rush of affection for him, then pushed it away. Only around for a limited time, and not even human. No chance.

‘What was your PhD in?’ I said.

‘Comparative literature. I compared the stories surrounding the English King Arthur with the stories surrounding me. It was fascinating to draw the parallels—the stories become more embroidered and elaborate as time passes. My supervisor had never even heard of me, he hadn’t done much Chinese literature. He said I was very interesting.’

I choked back the laugh. ‘I’d love to read it.’

‘It’s in my study somewhere.’

‘Oh geez, I’ll never see it then.’ I rounded on Leo before he could dig me in the ribs again and shoved him. ‘Cut it out!’

Mr Chen chuckled. ‘You have family here in England, don’t you?’

‘Yes, a big sister. Moved to England with her husband about ten years ago. I haven’t seen her in ages.’

‘If you would like to take some time to visit her, you can,’ Mr Chen said. ‘No, thanks.’

‘You should see your family, Emma.’

‘Maybe next time.’

‘Very well, but next time you will see them.’ I sighed. ‘Okay.’

‘What’s the matter—problems with your family?’ Leo said.

‘None of your business.’

‘Suit yourself.’ He looked away. ‘At least I know when not to ask questions.’

‘Bastard,’ I said under my breath. ‘I heard that,’ he said, a low rumble.

Simone woke as we were passing Hyde Park in Kensington and watched the scenery with delight.

The limousine stopped in a quiet leafy side street outside a white four-storey townhouse with towering ground-floor windows.

A caricature of an English butler waited at the front door: mid-fifties, bow tie, the whole works. The driver opened the door for us and Simone ran to the butler and threw herself into his arms. She kissed him quickly, then pulled herself free and ran into the house.

‘Help the others with the bags, James,’ Mr Chen said, walking up the stairs to the entry.

James came down the stairs to the boot of the car.

Leo stopped in front of him. ‘I don’t need your help, Mr O’Brien.’

‘Orders, Mr Alexander,’ James snapped back.

They stood and glared at each other. I decided to go inside the house without getting involved.

I followed Mr Chen into the entry hall. Old-fashioned black and white tiles covered the floor, and the ceiling stretched away forever. Curved stairs led to the next floor up, with more stairs to higher levels. What appeared to be expensive European art hung on the walls.

Simone was hugging and giggling with a grandmotherly English woman wearing a pale blue maid’s uniform.

‘I missed you, Charlie!’ Simone cried.

‘I missed you too, little Princess,’ Charlie said, lifting Simone and squeezing her. She lowered Simone to look at her properly. ‘You are growing so fast, you’re already a proper little lady.’

‘That’s what Aunty Kwan said.’ Simone screwed up her face. ‘I’m hungry.’

Charlie smiled at me. She had a soft, round face with cheerful sparkling blue eyes. Her greying brown hair was tied in a loose bun.

‘Hi,’ I said. ‘I’m Emma, Simone’s nanny.’

‘Pleased to meet you.’ She smiled down at Simone. ‘Let’s go and find you something to eat.’ She patted my arm. ‘Would you like something, Emma?’

‘A cup of tea would be lovely, Charlie,’ I said.

‘Me too, Charlie, in the study,’ Mr Chen said from where he was checking some documents on a rosewood hall table.

Leo and James came in with the bags, still glowering at each other.

Mr Chen saw them. ‘Will you two let it go!’

Leo and James dropped their heads, apologetic.

‘Put Miss Donahoe’s bags in the room next to Simone’s, James,’ Mr Chen said. ‘And as soon as you two are finished with the bags I want to see both of you in my study.’

Charlie spoke conspiratorially to Simone and me. ‘Come on, girls, let’s leave these silly men to their own business.’

Mr Chen glanced up at us, eyes sparkling, from the other side of the entry, but didn’t say anything.

Charlie sat us at the kitchen table and gave Simone some warm scones with lashings of jam and cream. Simone messily buried her face in them, and slurped on some milk.

‘What’s the problem between James and Leo?’ I asked.

‘James will never forgive Leo,’ Charlie said. ‘He blames him for…’ She hesitated, and glanced at Simone. ‘You know. What happened.’

‘I don’t think it was Leo’s fault,’ I said. ‘He’s very good.’

‘It wasn’t Leo’s fault at all, dear,’ Charlie said, ‘but I think James has to blame somebody.’

Charlie and I were firm friends by the time James came in.

‘I’ve put your bags in your room, Emma,’ he said, and I nodded my thanks. He didn’t lose his crisp London accent, and I began to suspect that the old-fashioned butler thing wasn’t an act. He bent over Simone to kiss the top of her head. ‘Hello, sweetie.’

‘Hello, James,’ Simone said through a crumbly mouthful of scone.

James pulled a cup and saucer from a cupboard and sat at the table with us. Charlie poured him some tea.

‘So, Emma,’ he said, ‘how long have you worked for Mr Chen?’

‘Full-time, about six months,’ I said. ‘But I’d been caring for Simone part-time for another six months before that.’

‘And Simone is happy?’ James said.

Simone nodded through her food. ‘Good. Where are you from, Emma?’

‘Australia. Queensland.’

‘Don’t know anyone there,’ James said. ‘How long have you worked for Mr Chen?’ James hesitated, probably working out something suitable in his head.

‘It’s okay, I know,’ I said. ‘What, already?’ Charlie said.

Simone piped up. ‘We were followed by some demons in Paris. Leo caught one, but Aunty Kwan let it go. So Leo had to tell Emma about Daddy and everything.’

The English staff shared a look. ‘A demon, eh, Simone?’ James said.

‘Yes,’ Simone said with confidence. ‘That’s the right word, isn’t it?’ she added, unsure.

‘Yes, pet, that’s the right word,’ Charlie said kindly. She stiffened and spoke more sternly, ‘I’ll have none of that here.’

‘Not much we can do about it, is there?’ James said. ‘Daddy and Leo will look after us,’ Simone said, full of confidence.

‘They had better,’ James said.

‘So, James,’ I said, trying to turn the conversation away from a topic that might frighten Simone, ‘how long have you worked here?’

‘My family’s been in Mr Chen’s employ for five generations,’ James said. ‘I hope my nephew will take up the mantle when I retire, he’s majoring in hospitality.’

‘My family’s been looking after him for three generations,’ Charlie said. She smiled indulgently at Simone. ‘If only my grandmother could see you, dear.’

‘Mr Chen’s owned this house for about a hundred and fifty years,’ James said. ‘Keeps it very well maintained.’

‘A hundred and fifty years? He’s been coming to the UK for that long?’

‘Longer than that,’ Charlie said. ‘Apparently he’s very unusual in being able to do it, most of them can’t. The records say he stayed away during the Wars, but he’s spent a lot of time here otherwise—diplomatic and trading things.’

‘Wars? World Wars?’

‘Opium Wars,’ James said. ‘Bad times. Don’t even think he was in China. Probably went to the top of the Mountain in disgust. Very unhappy about the whole thing.’

‘He wasn’t involved?’

‘Of course not,’ Charlie said, genuinely shocked. ‘He is an honourable man.’

‘Played cricket for Cambridge when he studied there,’ James said proudly. ‘Best bowler in the team. Brutal fast ball. Broke the lights in the front hall practising.’

‘Twice,’ Charlie said.

I had to laugh; but I could see it.

‘But we haven’t seen nearly as much of him as we’d like, with things the way they are. He spends most of his time in Hong Kong now,’ Charlie said. ‘Poor dear can’t even go to his Mountain. It’s very hard for him.’

‘When Daddy goes, I’m going with him,’ Simone said. ‘We’ll go and live on his Mountain together.’

We all shared a silent look.

Charlie wrapped her arm around Simone’s shoulders and gave her an affectionate squeeze. ‘We’ll just have to see what happens, dear.’ She smiled at me without releasing Simone. ‘Go and unpack, Emma. Simone and I will be fine here, we have a lot of catching up to do.’

‘I’ll show you the way,’ James said, rising.

‘Thanks.’

I lifted the suitcase onto my bed, then fell to sit beside it. He’d owned the house for a hundred and fifty years. They’d been working for him for generations. He’d studied in Cambridge thirty years ago.

A little knot of excitement tightened inside me. He was a god!

Mr Chen appeared in the doorway. ‘Everything all right in here, Emma?’

‘Yes, sir. This room is lovely.’

The room had been decorated in a delightful relaxed cottage style with a fluffy white double bed. The large window overlooked the leafy street.

‘If you need anything, just ask Charlie or James,’ he said.

‘You’ve really had this house for more than a hundred and fifty years?’

He came in, leaned on the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. ‘Something like that. One of my newer acquisitions.’

I shook my head with disbelief.

‘You’re handling this remarkably well, Emma.’

‘I think the shock of the whole thing will catch up with me soon.’

‘I do only have a limited time, Emma. And once I’m gone, I don’t know how long it will take me to come back. I’m glad Simone has you now; she adores you.’

‘She thinks you’re going back to the Mountain and taking her with you, doesn’t she?’

He dropped his head. ‘That’s right.’

‘Why can’t you go back to your Mountain?’

‘When she was newly born I could,’ he said. ‘The Mountain is on the Celestial Plane, and a child can travel there under the protection of its mother. The three of us would go there regularly, and I could rebuild my energy there. The Mountain is a part of me, a part of my essence.’

‘But now her mother’s gone, Simone can’t go?’

‘That’s right. And I can’t leave her here alone while I travel to the Mountain; the demons would try for her immediately. I must stay here to defend her.’

‘So you’re stuck here like this.’

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I am so weakened now that I cannot even take myself to the Mountain without major risk.’

‘What about taking True Form? Does that help you build your energy back?’

‘Yes, but if I were to take True Form now I would not have the strength to return to human form. I would be stuck in True Form for a very long time. And that would mean leaving Simone unprotected.’

My heart went out to him: he was suffering for Simone; but, even worse, he would soon leave her.

I snapped myself out of it and changed the subject. ‘You’ve really employed Charlie’s and James’s families for generations?’

He shrugged. ‘Charlie’s grandmother was an extraordinary woman. She taught me that Westerners expect to be treated differently, and the relationship they have with their Lord is different from what I was accustomed to. Frankly, I much prefer less formality; the Western way of doing things is very refreshing.’

‘How old are you, Mr Chen?’

He smiled slightly. ‘I have no idea. I don’t remember being born, or gaining consciousness. I do know that I am more than four thousand years old.’

Far too old for me.

‘Does your True Form really have two heads?’

He hesitated, studying me. Then he obviously decided to risk it. ‘Yes. I am widely regarded as the ugliest creature in creation.’

Tall, dark, magnificent, the ugliest creature in creation…It didn’t matter.

‘It’s the inside that counts,’ I said softly. ‘The outside doesn’t matter at all.’

‘You are quite correct,’ he said, gazing into my eyes. ‘The inside is the only thing that is important.’

‘Will we be attacked by demons while we’re here? Or will they wait until we’re back home?’

‘I honestly don’t know,’ he said. ‘They found my weakness when my wife was killed. They are beginning to move in. They definitely won’t attack when I am at Simone’s side; even weakened like this I am capable of taking any of them.’ He sighed. ‘I would understand if you chose to leave now. They will not come after you if you leave my service.’

‘No!’

I said. ‘I am staying with Simone!’

‘You really do love her, don’t you,’ he said softly, his face intense.

The words came out before I even thought about them. ‘More than anything in the world.’ And it was true. Simone was very special to me.

We shared a thought: both of us loved her more than anything in the world.

He turned to leave. ‘I think that Simone and I are very lucky to have you, Emma,’ he said without looking back.

I watched him go, feeling that I was the one who was privileged.