chance that things would finally be put right.
Zhu Irzh yawned with a snap of his fanged teeth. His companion looked at him askance, but after the events of this evening Mrs Pa was past being alarmed. They stayed quite late, talking to her. How strange it was, she thought, that this young man from Hell could still be so like her own people in some ways.
Precious Dragon, worn out, slept beside her as they talked. She checked on him occasionally, for there were things that she did not want him to hear, but he slept soundly on, his mouth open around the bulge of the pearl. When Chen and Zhu Irzh left, the dove-colored light of the rising sun was already pale in the sky behind Paugeng, and Ghenret was awakening around her. Just as well, Mrs Pa thought, because she wouldn't have gone to that outhouse in the dark for anything after all that.
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
Zhu Irzh yawned with a snap of his fanged teeth. His companion looked at him askance, but after the events of this evening Mrs Pa was past being alarmed. They stayed quite late, talking to her. How strange it was, she thought, that this young man from Hell could still be so like her own people in some ways.
Precious Dragon, worn out, slept beside her as they talked. She checked on him occasionally, for there were things that she did not want him to hear, but he slept soundly on, his mouth open around the bulge of the pearl. When Chen and Zhu Irzh left, the dove-colored light of the rising sun was already pale in the sky behind Paugeng, and Ghenret was awakening around her. Just as well, Mrs Pa thought, because she wouldn't have gone to that outhouse in the dark for anything after all that.
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
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