as a sign of how often he had now passed into Hell. And that was just through official channels. Zhu Irzh was waved into the antechamber with a mere gesture of the clerk's hand; he looked pardonably smug, but then in Zhu Irzh's case, immigration didn't really apply.
The processing of Miss Qi's details, however, proved to be another matter. Chen and the demon waited for half an hour in the antechamber before the Celestial reappeared. Zhu Irzh was uncharacteristically lost in thought, so Chen picked up a glossy magazine and flicked through it, finding it filled with celebrities whom he did not recognize and eulogies over movie stars of whom he had never heard. Still, he had to admit that this was a vast improvement over his previous expeditions through the Night Harbor, most of which had involved extreme discomfort and hazard. Now, they were being treated almost with respect: he supposed this was a function of traveling first class.
He was starting to become slightly concerned about Miss Qi when she came through the door, looking ruffled.
"I'm so sorry," she explained. "There was some problem with my papers—I can't think what could have gone awry. Our clerk was most careful."
"I very much doubt that there was any fault on the part of your clerk," Chen said. "I suspect they give any Celestial who ventures here a hard time. Except possibly Kuan Yin. But then, she is a goddess."
"And she has her own boat," Miss Qi pointed out, sitting down beside him. "Detective Chen, I can't help being worried. If it's like this in the Night Harbor, when we are still technically on Earth, then how will I be treated in Hell itself?"
Chen wanted to reassure her, but it was a question that was also preoccupying him somewhat. "How did you find your entry onto Earth?" he asked, stalling. Miss Qi's reply confirmed his fears.
"Why, it was a simple, pleasant matter. I merely stepped through into our version of a Celestial temple, and the next moment, I was in its Earthly counterpart. They were very kind to me—they brought me tea before contacting the police station."
"Well, the temple monks must have been very pleased that a Celestial being had graced them with her presence," Chen said. "But I'm afraid you're right. Hell will be a different proposition—to some extent, to Zhu Irzh and myself as well. We'll look after you to the best of our ability. And we are honored guests." Well, guests, anyway.
"That didn't seem to make too much difference to that clerk," Miss Qi said. "He practically interrogated me."
"From what I saw last night, you don't need much help."
Miss Qi looked down at her hands. "I know a few things."
"Oh, come on," Zhu Irzh said. "You're a Celestial warrior, aren't you?"
"Well, yes. I am."
"So why are you pretending to be this helpless little thing?"
"It is important to be humble and modest," Miss Qi said, reprovingly.
Zhu Irzh looked as though he didn't even know what she meant. Chen said, "So, did they tell you what was happening?"
"Yes, although I had to ask the clerk several times. He said that we had to wait here until boarding was called."
Chen looked around. "There don't seem to be many other passengers," he started to say, but then he realized that this wasn't true. The antechamber in which they sat, which had previously appeared empty, was now filled with people: some apparently human, some very definitely not. Close to Chen and his companions sat two individuals, wearing full armor with war bonnets, the dress of ancient China. Beneath the helms, however, they had the faces of boar: fierce tusks and black bristles, with little black eyes like seeds. They were both staring at Miss Qi with a kind of avidity. Chen felt his heart sink; the last thing they needed was to attract attention to the Celestial, but it seemed that this was going to be inevitable. He couldn't tell whether they were aware that she was a warrior or not; nor which option was preferable.
At that moment, however, the
The processing of Miss Qi's details, however, proved to be another matter. Chen and the demon waited for half an hour in the antechamber before the Celestial reappeared. Zhu Irzh was uncharacteristically lost in thought, so Chen picked up a glossy magazine and flicked through it, finding it filled with celebrities whom he did not recognize and eulogies over movie stars of whom he had never heard. Still, he had to admit that this was a vast improvement over his previous expeditions through the Night Harbor, most of which had involved extreme discomfort and hazard. Now, they were being treated almost with respect: he supposed this was a function of traveling first class.
He was starting to become slightly concerned about Miss Qi when she came through the door, looking ruffled.
"I'm so sorry," she explained. "There was some problem with my papers—I can't think what could have gone awry. Our clerk was most careful."
"I very much doubt that there was any fault on the part of your clerk," Chen said. "I suspect they give any Celestial who ventures here a hard time. Except possibly Kuan Yin. But then, she is a goddess."
"And she has her own boat," Miss Qi pointed out, sitting down beside him. "Detective Chen, I can't help being worried. If it's like this in the Night Harbor, when we are still technically on Earth, then how will I be treated in Hell itself?"
Chen wanted to reassure her, but it was a question that was also preoccupying him somewhat. "How did you find your entry onto Earth?" he asked, stalling. Miss Qi's reply confirmed his fears.
"Why, it was a simple, pleasant matter. I merely stepped through into our version of a Celestial temple, and the next moment, I was in its Earthly counterpart. They were very kind to me—they brought me tea before contacting the police station."
"Well, the temple monks must have been very pleased that a Celestial being had graced them with her presence," Chen said. "But I'm afraid you're right. Hell will be a different proposition—to some extent, to Zhu Irzh and myself as well. We'll look after you to the best of our ability. And we are honored guests." Well, guests, anyway.
"That didn't seem to make too much difference to that clerk," Miss Qi said. "He practically interrogated me."
"From what I saw last night, you don't need much help."
Miss Qi looked down at her hands. "I know a few things."
"Oh, come on," Zhu Irzh said. "You're a Celestial warrior, aren't you?"
"Well, yes. I am."
"So why are you pretending to be this helpless little thing?"
"It is important to be humble and modest," Miss Qi said, reprovingly.
Zhu Irzh looked as though he didn't even know what she meant. Chen said, "So, did they tell you what was happening?"
"Yes, although I had to ask the clerk several times. He said that we had to wait here until boarding was called."
Chen looked around. "There don't seem to be many other passengers," he started to say, but then he realized that this wasn't true. The antechamber in which they sat, which had previously appeared empty, was now filled with people: some apparently human, some very definitely not. Close to Chen and his companions sat two individuals, wearing full armor with war bonnets, the dress of ancient China. Beneath the helms, however, they had the faces of boar: fierce tusks and black bristles, with little black eyes like seeds. They were both staring at Miss Qi with a kind of avidity. Chen felt his heart sink; the last thing they needed was to attract attention to the Celestial, but it seemed that this was going to be inevitable. He couldn't tell whether they were aware that she was a warrior or not; nor which option was preferable.
At that moment, however, the
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