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months, when this is all resolved. They will return to the volcano either in triumph or in chains.’
    Er Lang nodded agreement.
    â€˜Then tell them to stop messing around and join the defence of the Celestial,’ I said.
    â€˜Hope is important in these dark times,’ Er Lang said. ‘The Emperor will not take that away from them. I’ll have the fifteen top physical workers and the top two energy.’
    â€˜Make it thirteen and two. The bottom two physical workers won’t be good enough,’ John said.
    â€˜None of them are good enough.’
    â€˜To survive your training.’
    â€˜Oh.’ Er Lang hesitated, then said, ‘Yeah, you’re right. But it’s not enough.’
    â€˜Nobody has enough,’ I said.
    * * *
    Leo drove me to the two-storey house on Shek O peninsula that used to be a happy residence for David and Bridget Hawkes and their boys. The new staff were all demons.
    The maid at the front door smiled and welcomed us in. Bridget was sitting stiff and nervous in the living room, while the David copy lounged on one of the armchairs.
    He rose when I entered and saluted me; and I saluted him back. He gestured for me to sit in the other armchair, and Leo positioned himself behind me.
    â€˜Before we start,’ I said, ‘I’m holding a poison capsule in my mouth, that’s why my pronunciation isn’t perfect. Try to take me and I’m gone.’
    â€˜You sound like Leo,’ the David copy said, grinning. ‘Retarded.’
    Bridget turned to him to tell him off for the offensive remark, then changed her mind and shook her head.
    He’s just trying to get a rise out of you, I said, and she jumped.
    â€˜None of that,’ the David copy said. ‘Out loud, or go home.’
    â€˜All right.’ I leaned over my knees towards Bridget. ‘I’m here, Bridget.’ I took her hand, and she gasped for breath, trying to hold back the tears. ‘Stay strong.’
    â€˜Thanks for coming, Emma.’ She squeezed my hand and released it. ‘I know how dangerous this is for you, but he won’t tell me anything and I have to know. You’re one of them now, so you must know.’ She wiped her eyes with the shaking heel of her hand. ‘Will I ever see David again? What’s happened to him? The copy won’t tell me anything and it’s killing me. Please, can you tell me? Will my boys ever see their father again?’
    â€˜Oh, is that what this is about,’ the copy said. ‘You didn’t need Emma to come for that, I’ll answer for you. He’s dead and gone, sweetie. We killed him, and you’ll never see him again.’
    She persisted. ‘But what happened to him after that?’
    The copy leaned back, crossed his legs and grinned. ‘I changed my mind; this will be fun. Go ahead and answer her questions, Emma. Let’s see it.’
    â€˜Do you remember when David tried to call me “Empress” and it didn’t work?’ I said to Bridget. ‘He couldn’t say it?’
    â€˜No?’
    â€˜Damn. Okay. The Jade Emperor’s rulings are unbreakable. If he says I can’t talk about something, then I can’t talk about it even if I want to. And this includes what happened to David.’
    â€˜So where is he?’ she said, obviously not hearing a word I’d said.
    Hope in these dark times. ‘If two people are destined to be together, then nothing will keep them apart.’
    â€˜So I have a chance of seeing him again?’
    I couldn’t look her in the eye. ‘Not in this lifetime, Bridget.’
    She hesitated, then, ‘Perhaps in another lifetime?’
    â€˜I can’t answer that.’
    â€˜I see.’ She was silent for a moment, studying me. ‘The David demon says you were Raised. They chose to make you an Immortal.’
    â€˜That’s true,’ I said.
    The demon grew even more smug as Bridget continued.