Snake Agent: A Detective Inspector Chen Novel by Liz Williams Page B

hadn't eaten anything that day, and I caught my foot on the rug and fell. He grabbed me just as I was getting up. 'What did you hear?' he shouted. 'What did you hear?' I told him I hadn't heard anything, but he knew I was lying. He pulled me up by my nightdress and took me into the study. He took something out of the desk—I don't know what it was. It moved. It was like a lump of flesh, a big shrimp. And he forced it into my mouth—" the ghost's voice wavered "—so that I couldn't speak or breathe properly, and then he made me go back upstairs. He made me lie down on the bed and then he just—he just sat there, looking at me. Watching me choke. And he kept saying something—a name, I don't remember, and something came through the wall and stood by the bed. The back of my head hurt and it got worse and then. . . And then the person by the bed leaned over me, and I heard my father say, 'Why is this so important?' and the person was saying something, and all at once I knew why my father was doing these things, but it was too late."
    Chen was watching her closely. He said, "And why was it so important, Pearl? What was he doing?"
    Pearl's spectral face creased in concentration, but then she said, "It's no use. It's gone. I can't remember. I'm sorry."
    "All right. What happened then?"
    "It was at the funeral, I think—I could see my mother. I tried to talk to her, to tell them what he'd done, but no one could see me. It was as though they were all behind glass. And then it all went blank and the next thing I remember is someone putting me on a boat. Next thing I knew, I was in Hell. They put me in the brothel with the other girls, we saw clients. . . and one of them worked for the Ministry of Wealth. I thought, if the First Lord knew that my dad had betrayed him, he might help me, so I got the client to take a message to him." Her shadowy face showed sudden determination, and for the first time, Chen realized how this dead girl had managed to overcome at least some of the sorry circumstances of her life and death. He leaned across and patted the air above the ghost's knee.
    "Pearl, I can't give you back your life. But I can make sure that you go where you belong. We'll see if we can get you on the next ship to Heaven."
    "Hang on a minute," Zhu Irzh said.
    Chen glared at him. "I fail to see what possible use she'll be to you, Seneschal. She was sent to Hell in the first place to keep her quiet. And Heaven won't let sleeping spirits lie. She'll have to go to the right place sooner or later."
    "I have my instructions," the demon said stubbornly. "I was told to find her, and bring her back." He lowered his voice. "She has information, Chen. You heard her—she knows something about whatever's going on. My employer wants to see her. I was told to bring her back."
    "You don't really want to do this, Zhu Irzh."
    "Are you accusing me of having principles?" the demon said, outraged. Chen did not see the demon move, but the unwavering tip of the katana was suddenly at Chen's throat. Zhu Irzh took a gliding step forward; Chen backed away until he was up against the wall. He stared along the black blade, to meet the demon's golden eyes.
    "This is a gateway," Zhu Irzh said. "As you very well know. I can return to my own world from here. I have license to be here. Besides, your goddess may not be happy with you bringing stray spirits to her door like lost dogs. She might prefer you to sort out your problems by yourself."
    This was uncomfortably close to the bone. Chen risked a glance at the little statue of the goddess that stood upon the altar, and saw a cold and motionless piece of stone.
    "So," the demon purred, following his gaze. "That's the trouble with Heaven: the only thing it ever rewards is impeccability, and so few of us are capable of that, aren't we?"
    "You're not taking Pearl Tang back to Hell," Chen said.
    "Try and stop me," the demon replied. He raised a hand. The door blew open. Around them, the room began to blur. Red,