‘Of course! Brother Zhu introduced us ages ago when I first visited him in the Celestial Realm.’
I deflate a little, feeling foolish. ‘Oh, well, I’ll see you there.’ I had no idea Lord Aengus was so well connected. Vaguely, I recall Brother Zhu saying he and Lord Lei’s son are old friends, so the connection makes sense.
Lord Aengus continues, ‘Should I wear my electric blue robe or my white robe? The blue one matches my eyes, you see, but the white robe really sets off my skin.’
I make the appropriate noises as the envoy prattles away about his preparations for the morning. The lift doors open to the roof garden, its lush greenery daubed with the blue shadows of yin Shanghai’s eternal twilight. Lord Aengus hurries onto the terrace, searching for Horsey.
Big Wang’s usual attendants are busy with the visiting ministers and overseeing the Mahjong Council, so it’s only Bullhead and Horsey in their usual spots keeping watch.Bullhead keeps his eyes front and centre as he always does, but his cheeks lift when I wave. Horsey’s sour face turns panicked when he sees Lord Aengus approaching, his gaze darting between the envoy and me. I sigh with great satisfaction and give Horsey my best squinty-eyed smile before making my escape.
The next morning Lord Aengus doesn’t turn up for breakfast so I’m sent to fetch him from his suite. I knock but there’s no answer. I knock again, thinking the envoy might have overslept. Nothing. I tilt my head, listen to the sounds beyond the door. No rustling, no breathing, no snoring. Either Lord Aengus is dead, or the room is empty. Sticking my nose in the gap between the jamb and door, I inhale.
No Lord Aengus.
He’s not dead, thank goodness, but he’s not where he should be. He was genuinely excited about seeing Lord Lei and Lady Dian so his absence is worrying. I hurry to the lift. Maybe he’s still hanging off Horsey’s ear debating the merits of propriety and compassion.
Bullhead stands sentinel outside Big Wang’s quarters. I sag in relief. Horsey must be with Lord Aengus somewhere. ‘Did you see where the envoy and Hor—’ Bullhead raises an eyebrow and I hurriedly correct myself ‘—Lord Ma went? Lord Aengus is late for breakfast.’
Bullhead frowns. ‘Lord Ma has a meeting with the Minister of Rites. Lord Aengus left on his own last night.’
‘Where did that overgrown puppy—’ I freeze. He wouldn’t, surely... But since I am a responsible minister and that idiot foreigner is under my remit, I make my way to the front desk to ask for the hulijing delegation’s suite number. As I cross the lobby, I notice someone trying to make off with one of Big Wang’s Ming vases.
‘Stop there,’ I say, but the thief scurries towards the lifts as if they didn’t hear me. So I repeat myself using Celestial voice. ‘STOP THERE.’
The compulsion ripples through their body, causing them to stumble. The vase flies from their grasp and exposes their face. It’s one of the hulijing ministers.
I’m too far to do anything and can only watch in horror as the vase gracefully arcs upwards until gravity pulls it back down where it will shatter into pieces, much like Big Wang’s heart when he hears of it.
The hulijing minister throws her waterfall sleeves at the falling vase – the silk snakes through the air, deftly catches the vessel, then lowers it into the minister’s waiting arms.
She turns to me, head bowed. Her hair is a mess and her eyes are puffy.
‘Name and title,’ I say.
‘Lady Min, Assistant Junior Minister, Hulijing Court. Ten thousand years of good health to noble Special Liaison Lady Jing,’ she says bowing low, though it’s rather awkward since she’s hugging a vase that’s half her height. When she straightens, she still won’t look me in the eye. She reminds me strongly of a half-drowned whelp, wilted and pathetic.
‘Is there something particularly interesting on the floor? Or am I so ugly you can’t bear to look at me?’
She flushes, terrified, but not of me specifically. I can smell that much.
‘Don’t lie,’ I say. ‘I’ll know if you’re hiding anything.’
She holds out for a second longer, then her whole face crumples. ‘We didn’t know he would get like that! He was laughing, said it tickled, and then... and then...’
What the Tian? A bad feeling, heavy as a stone, drops into the pit of my stomach. I force myself to ask. ‘Get like what?’
Between sobs, she keeps saying ‘All...’unable to get anything more out. Finally, she blurts, ‘Floppy!’ and wails.
‘Of all the dog fart—’ I say, but it only makes her sob even louder. ‘What consenting adults get up to behind closed doors is not my business. Lord Aengus has an appointment with Lord Lei and Lady Dian. We can’t be late. Just take me to him.’
‘C-c-consenting adults?’ she stammers. Understanding dawns and she gasps. ‘Oh, no! That’s not— How could noble Special Liaison Lady Jing think—’
‘Just Lady Jing, please.’
‘It’s not –sob– what you think, Lady –sob– Jing. We were only talking –sob– Brother Yang...’ This sets her off in another round of desperate wailing. ‘Hurry, we don’t know what to do!’ She scampers into the lift with the vase.
Unease multiplies the stones in my gut. That vase is from Big Wang’s collection, kept in pristine condition for the last five hundred years, proudly displayed in the Cathay Hotel lobby.
‘You can’t take that,’ I say. ‘Big Wang will lose his mind if you damage it.’
