I removed my hand from his forehead but Simone didn’t let go. I crouched to look at him directly. ‘It’s after eleven o’clock, John.’
He shot upright. ‘I have a class to teach!’ He grabbed his forehead and fell back on the pillow.
Simone and I both held him; she by the hand and I by the arm.
‘Are you okay?’ I said.
He nodded, his eyes closed. He opened them and smiled at us again.
‘Are you ill, my Lord?’ Leo said from behind us.
John shook his head. ‘No. Just . . .’ He didn’t finish.
‘We should get the Lady,’ I whispered.
‘How long until we go?’ he said, his eyes searching my face. ‘What day is it today? How long?’
‘It’s Saturday today. We go Monday,’ I said.
‘I’ll make it.’ He smiled. ‘Leave me. I just need to sleep.’
I dropped my head into my hands, then brushed my hands through my hair, desperate. ‘Leo, please take Simone out.’
Simone didn’t protest and I didn’t look as they left.
‘Can I feed you myself?’ I said.
‘No, of course not,’ he said. ‘You are the last person in the world who should try that.’
‘You won’t make it, John!’ I whispered fiercely.
He didn’t say anything.
‘Can Meredith feed you?’
‘I don’t want to risk it,’ he said. ‘I could easily destroy her.’ He turned his head to me. ‘More than death, Emma. If I were to drain her, it would be destruction.’
‘Call the Lady,’ I said. ‘She keeps saying she’ll come and do it here.’
‘I’ll make it,’ he said. ‘If I call her and she feeds me here, we’ll have demons down our throats straightaway. They’ll know how weak I am and come after all of us. Every single place will be under attack. Here, the Folly, the Academy, everywhere. Best to wait until we are far from their Centre. She is an incurable optimist offering to come here herself. But the consequences would be disastrous.’
‘You were okay to be fed by her here after the Attack,’ I said.
‘There weren’t any demons to come and get us then,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘Most of them were destroyed on the Mountain, and the remaining ones were regrouping. But they are stronger now, and they would be here immediately.’
‘Oh God.’
He turned his head away and closed his eyes. ‘Leave me,’ he whispered. ‘I’ll make it.’
I threw myself up and stormed out. It was too late to rearrange the flight plan. I knew I should have arranged the flight for Saturday, but we had a lot of loose ends to tie up at the Academy before we left and the three of us had planned to do it together over the weekend with the kids home from school.
I should have arranged it for Saturday!
John slept the rest of Saturday and most of Sunday, only coming out occasionally to find something to drink; even so he became very dehydrated. The apartment was like a funeral home the whole weekend. Everybody tiptoed around, talking in whispers. Simone watched him. Wherever she was, whatever she was doing, she would unfocus to check him, and then snap back, her little face grim.
We were due to fly out Monday afternoon. I packed for Simone; Leo packed for John. John wasn’t even aware of Leo’s presence in his room until we woke him to clean him up. He hadn’t shaved in three days; his beard was almost completely white and his greying hair was a mess.
I hovered until Leo carried him into the bathroom and closed the door in my face.
John slept on the boat. When we arrived at Macau, Leo had difficulty waking him. He leaned on Leo as we went through customs and immigration. After he had coerced the staff into not seeing our bag of weapons, his hair was almost completely grey. Simone held his hand, stricken.
‘I’ll make it,’ he said softly. ‘A few more hours. We’ll get there.’
After we boarded the plane, John passed out. Leo caught him, scooped him up like a child and carried him to the back of the plane, Simone and I following. The airport ground staff closed the door of the plane and rapped the side: we were okay to go.
Leo gently placed John on the bunk bed. He was limp and his face was ashen. He looked very old. I didn’t waste any time. I dropped the carry bag on the floor next to the bunk and went forward to the main cabin to tell the pilot over the intercom that we were ready. I threw myself onto one of the chairs, dropped my handbag, and picked up the phone.
We were lucky: it was Brian, a cheerful Australian who did a lot of private contract work and had absolutely no idea of the true nature of his employer for this trip.
‘We can go, Brian,’ I said.
‘Okay, Emma,’ he said. ‘My co-pilot’s arranging clearance for us. We should be given the go-ahead in the next five minutes — the airport isn’t too busy right now.’
‘Brian,’ I said softly, ‘Mr Chen is terminally ill. We’re going for treatment in Borneo.’ Brian began to speak, but I cut him off. ‘Don’t ask. Just be aware that Mr Chen has already collapsed and we need to get him there as quickly as possible.’ I tried to control my voice. ‘We only have hours. For God’s sake, get us there. If there’s a delay, we could lose him. We have to make it. Please.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ Brian said. ‘Weather is good.’
‘Thanks.’
‘We have clearance,’ said a male voice with a Cantonese accent over the intercom; the other pilot.
‘Tell everybody to strap in,’ Brian said. ‘We’re up to go.’
I went through the galley to the little room at the back of the plane. Leo sat cross-legged on the floor next to the bunk, Simone in his lap, both of them watching John.
John was unconscious.
I went to him and took his hand. Leo moved to grab me, but I waved him back. ‘It’s okay, Leo, he can’t hurt me while he’s asleep.’
Leo nodded.
I looked inside him and my stomach fell out.
‘What, Emma?’ Simone said softly.
‘Look inside,’ I whispered.
Simone concentrated then made a sound of misery. ‘No.’
‘What is it?’ Leo said.
‘There’s nothing there,’ I whispered.
‘He’s gone?’
‘He’s still there,’ Simone said. ‘But there’s hardly anything.’
I dropped my head, still holding his hand. ‘He won’t make it.’
‘Call the Lady,’ Leo said.
‘We’ll be taking off in a minute,’ Brian’s voice said over the intercom. ‘Buckle up, everybody.’
‘I’ll call her when we’re airborne,’ I said. ‘Bring him into the main cabin. He’ll need a seatbelt.’
‘He’s better where he is,’ Leo said.
‘You know what take-off from this part of China is like,’ I said. ‘We could hit turbulence. He needs to be strapped in.’
Leo didn’t say anything. He gently lifted John and carried him into the main cabin. I took Simone’s hand and led her in as well. Leo