I try not to huff. What kind of answer is that? Infuriating creature. I squeeze my eyes shut. ‘Yi, er, san,’ I count slowly to ten. Breathe. Open my eyes.
Lord Black watches me, clearly amused. It makes me want to spit in his eye.
‘We see what is in all its forms. We embody the energy of the Cosmos. I cannot properly describe to you what it is to be connected with the Cosmos – all of yin and yang as it exists and as it does not.’
What in holy yin is he talking about?
He chuckles at whatever he’s seeing on my face.‘You will simply have to figure it out on your own terms. Dragon sight has never been gifted before.’
What a load of festering shit balls.
‘Fine, fine,’ I say, rising again to leave, hastily covering the pearl up. It’s so big. How in Tian am I supposed carry it around? What if Niang Niang catches me with it? I shove it inside the robe’s sleeve pocket, hoping it won’t fall out. Hoping I can find a way back to yin Shanghai. Big Wang will know what to do. He’ll know where Mr Lee is, if he’s even okay.
‘I really must be going,’ I say.
‘Longnu also infused the pearl with the ability to transport between realms.’
I still. ‘Come again?’
‘Once it’s planted you’ll be able to conjure your own portal between realms.’
‘Hell and Celestial, or Hell and mortal?’
‘Hell, Celestial, mortal, and more,’ he says, buffing his nails with the pad of his thumb. ‘It’s terribly convenient. But for you, with your mixed heritage, with Big Wang and the Jade Emperor’s support, with your title and your character, I believe you have a promising diplomatic future. Promising and powerful.’
‘But having my heritage become common knowledge would bring dishonour on the Hulijing Court,’ I say wryly. ‘My grandmother says the dragon pearl is hers. She wants it back.’
Lord Black clasps his hands behind his back. ‘It is not hers, nor can it ever be. She is afraid of losing her standing in the Mahjong Council should the demand for yin silver decline. The dragon pearl cannot change modernity, or stop progress. She misinterprets my words.’
‘Imagine that,’ I say, then clear my throat. ‘Do all dragon pearls conjure portals between realms?’
‘No. Only this one.’ Lord Black doesn’t offer anything more.
I try again. ‘What do the other dragon pearls do?’
‘Some are just pearls.’
His empty answers grate. ‘Okay, what do the other special dragon pearls do?’
He smiles genially. ‘All dragon pearls are special.’
The tone he uses, like he’s trying to convince a child that one candy is much the same as another candy, makes me growl in frustration. The shit-bag claps his hands and laughs.
‘You are very funny,’ he says. ‘I like you. You must come visit again.’
I slump back into my seat, dizzied and exasperated. ‘Why me? Why did Longnu give me this pearl?’
‘My cousin was adamant. She sees far.’
‘Right. Dragon sight. She saw into the future.’
‘She sees many things.’
‘Fine, fine.’ I pull the dragon pearl from my sleeve pocket and hold it again in my hand. It is heavy and large. Carrying it around will be most inconvenient. ‘What do you mean byplanted?’
‘Silly melon,’ Lord Black says, almost coquettishly. ‘Here, let me.’ He gestures for the pearl.
I give it to him, and he blows on it. This time the pearl becomes translucent, shrinks until it is the size of a small apricot.
