Marianne takes a paper parcel from her bag. ‘For venerable Niang Niang, we offer as a gift Parisian lingerie, world-renowned for its ability to enhance our best features. In addition, my grandmother is willing to share her beauty secrets in exchange for the location of the demon hunter shrine.’ She offers the parcel with both hands.
A handmaiden takes the parcel up the dais steps, unwrapping it before holding the lingerie up for Niang Niang’s inspection.
The colours are well chosen – garnet, coral, lilac, sapphire. All colours Niang Niang is partial to. She holds the bra, glancing between it and Mémère. ‘What are these beauty secrets you speak of?’ Niang Niang says, doing a poor job of hiding her eagerness.
‘Will you permit my grandmother to approach you?’ Marianne asks.
Niang Niang stares at my grandmother, hostility warring with greed. Finally she nods.
Mémère walks towards her in nothing but her lacy underwear and a pair of matching pink stiletto heels which make her hipssway. I stare at the heels, distinctly remembering she wore black boots at the jetty. She must have changed in the sampan.
‘See and feel how smooth my grandmother’s skin is. She is naturally quite hairy.’
Mémère extends her leg for Niang Niang to inspect. Niang Niang peers at it before running two fingers over Mémère’s shin, like she’s checking for dust, shaking her head the whole while.
‘My grandmother can teach you how to achieve a jade garden,’ Marianne says.
Mémère turns her back to us, facing Niang Niang. I can’t see, but whatever she does makes Niang Niang jerk back, eyes wider than I’ve ever seen.
‘She’s normally very hairy?’ Niang Niang says.
Marianne smirks, clearly pleased with her choice of gift. ‘Very,’ she confirms.
Niang Niang looks like she’s staring at Mémère’s crotch.Jade garden?I look at the others to see if any of them understand what my grandmothers are talking about. Neither Max nor Lord Aengus are paying the least bit of attention – both are making eyes at the hulijing handmaids. Lord Black watches the exchange with polite interest. Tony, however, is studying the floor and his ears are bright red. He knows. But he probably won’t tell me, so I turn back to the dais.
Whatever it is, Niang Niang is clearly impressed. She nods at Mémère, a sign of grudging respect. ‘Fine. I will tell you in exchange for the secret to making a jade garden.’
Mémère bows and is about to leave the dais when Niang Niang points at her shoes.
Barefoot, Mémère returns to Marianne’s side, wearing her lingerie and a satisfied smile.
‘I’ve heard talk of the shrine,’ Niang Niang says, ‘though I’ve never seen it. If it exists, it will be just beyond our eastern borders, where the mountains meet the forest.’
Marianne takes out another parcel from her bag, and gives it to a handmaiden. ‘We have written out detailed instructions. However, my grandmother is willing to return and show you how to properly use the wax.’
Niang Niang stands ready to dismiss us. But as she stares down at Mémère, her eyes fill with some unspoken emotion. ‘I cannot pretend to understand the Cosmos. They killed my Rey. Perhaps that was my punishment. In the end, I made sure none of them survived.’ With that, she descends the dais and leaves the Hall, her handmaids following her in one long train.
‘That was certainly eye-opening,’ Lord Black quips. ‘I think I know where this shrine can be found.’ He gestures for us to come close. ‘Don’t be alarmed, we’re going to travel my way, by dragon pearl.’
Lord Aengus tries to get to his knees, no doubt to spew courtly piss-fart about being honoured to travel by dragon pearl, but Lord Black grabs him by the arm.
‘No need, I already know,’ he says to Lord Aengus, then turns to me. ‘I fixed your dragon pearl, by the way. I’ll place it for you later.’ He dips his chin.
Forty-Two
The Shrine
The shift is instantaneous. The Hall disappears. We stand at the mouth of a cave surrounded by forest. Though I’m better at realm shifting than I was, it still makes my head spin. Lord Aengus and Tony fall to their knees and dry-retch. The Durands are unaffected; perhaps their ability to mist means they’re more accustomed to the dizzying shifts.
No golden mist emanates from the cave. Disappointment hits me in the gut. He’s not here. I look over to Mémère. She holds Marianne and Max’s hands, one on each side of her. All three stare at the cave, faces grim.
‘How did you know where to find the shrine?’ I ask.
‘I happened by here once and noticed it had a strange energy. But I never thought to investigate further,’ Lord Black says.
‘Is it safe?’ Tony asks.
Lord Black cocks his head to one side, listening. ‘There is someone here... heading towards us. There she is,’ he says, gesturing towards the cave with his chin.
