The Code War (56 page)

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Authors: Ciaran Nagle

Tags: #hong kong, #israel, #china, #africa, #jewish, #good vs evil, #angels and demons, #international crime, #women adventure, #women and crime

BOOK: The Code War
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Nancy felt no need to interrupt. Fatty
would get there in the end.

'Which brings us to you, young woman.
Frenchy and I have discussed your next move in the organisation and
there is a logical step for you to take which will give you vital
experience. But I will understand if you feel nervous about
it.'

Nancy felt she knew what was coming. She
rejected the instinct to cross her legs the other way.

'Golden Horse currently has no leader.
We need to appoint someone as their manager who they respect and
yet who is not one of their own. I have spoken to a number of their
old hands and the person they all prefer is you. Obviously, given
what happened there I understand if you prefer not to take that
role.'

Nancy raised her hand and pushed her
hair back from her face. Her fingers lightly brushed her star as
she lowered her hand. It didn't do to answer too quickly.

'I thought this vacancy might come
up between us, Fatty, so I have given it some thought.' Nancy was a
picture of composure. She held her hands together lightly over her
chest and stared thoughtfully at the floor for a minute. 'Golden
Horse is a down-market operation working in the relative backwater
of San Po Kong.' She raised her gaze to meet Fatty's small brown
eyes full-on. 'But I'm not afraid of the men who work there. When
they kowtowed to me at the Blue Diamond they acknowledged their
fault. My honour was restored in front of everyone. I have 'face'
with them and I know they will work for me. I believe I can raise
the quality of Golden Horse's services as well as increase its
margins and profitability. Even San Po Kongers want a bit of luxury
when they relax. However I want something in return.' Now was the
time to re-cross her legs. The deep slit up the side of her cheung
sam opened up a little. Fatty couldn't resist a quick glance before
the silk covered it again. Nancy pretended she hadn't
noticed.

'Give me all of Kowloon from
Yaumati down to the Star Ferry. There is massive untapped potential
there for quality girl-friend bars where rich businessmen can meet
elegant ladies and spend a lot of money on them. Most of the
existing bars I have seen are sordid and cheap. I would like to set
up some tightly-controlled members-only clubs
targeted at
politicians and civil
servants. I plan to offer superior services and a luxury setting
where they will feel comfortable. They buy prostitutes and drugs
anyway so they may as well do it somewhere safe. Also, if people
want to spend money on drugs, why should they have to buy it off
someone on a street corner? Clients will be able to buy what they
like in our clubs and smoke it in complete confidence. They can
have a joint in one hand and a girl in the other. Though they'll
pay a lot of money for the pleasure of both. What do you
say?'

Fatty's eyes gleamed.

'If anyone else made that claim I would
say they couldn't do it. But Nancy, I think you have the vision and
the cunning to pull it off.'

He thought for a minute.

'How about you begin by setting up one
or two establishments. Prove the concept. Establish a business
model that can be copied and then we will multiply it around the
colony.'

'And then export it,' added Nancy. 'We
will start with Thailand and the Philippines and then gradually
adapt it to other countries outside Asia. I know it will work
really well in Britain.'

'Nancy, I will talk to Frenchy. But I
think it's a deal. Next we need to work on the finance.'

'Talking of finance, there's something
else, Fatty.'

'Continue.'

'I would like to go shopping.
F
or some clothes. Some nice clothes. And
some jewellery from a quality shop.'

'Of course, Nancy. I forgot to
mention. Frenchy and I have agreed to raise you from your hostess
salary. I was thinking of $HK10,000 a month. Will that be
enough?'

Nancy considered Fatty for a moment.
Almost but not quite making him squirm.

'For now, Fatty. It will do for
now.'

 

 

Kodrob's Squadroom,
Pentacurse, Inferno

 

There was a mild thump as a closet door
was gently closed. As if by a thief in the night. The door to the
squadroom from Pu Gash's petrol station opened and an apron of neon
light streamed out. Jabez half opened his eyes and saw Kodrob on
his haunches in front of him.

'Here,' whispered the
demon.
'Last of the Pu Gash stash. Don't
spill it.'

He unscrewed the cap carefully, lest he
burn himself, and passed the bottle to Jabez. 'Holy water. It's
morally wrong to keep it around here. Best you dispose of it.'

'Kodrob, you devil, you're smiling. I
believe you have a sense of humour.' Jabez took a couple of
swallows and breathed a sigh.

'Gallows humour, angel. You know how it
is. A light burns twice as bright just before it goes out. All
that.'

'What will you do?'

'Well, I've always wanted to
travel. I haven't seen half of what Inferno has to offer. The lava.
The burnt plains. The desperate crowds. I want to see more of
them.'

'You mean you're going on the run?'

Kodrob grinned. 'I mean that if
they want me, they'll have to put the effort in to find me. No
sense in going out cheap. We never surrendered to the Medes nor the
Hittites nor the Babylonians. Not even when they clobbered us good.
Not even when they put their knives to the throats of our women
when they captured the baggage trains. Surrender is not in my
nature.'

'Did anyone surrender in those
days?'

'Not many. Funny thing though.' Kodrob
was suddenly looking intently at Jabez's face, studying his
features closely. Something about the angel's appearance had
stirred his memory.

'What?'

'There was a tribe to the south of us.
Judeans, they called themselves. Looking back they make me laugh. I
hated them at the time but you know the thing is they never beat us
in battle but they never surrendered neither.'

'Meaning?'

'Well, we'd be close to
slaughtering them in some field outside their city, Jerusalem and
they'd stop and say 'let's negotiate', and we'd say 'what with?'
and they'd say 'well, what do you want?' and we'd say 'to kill you'
and they'd say 'no money in that, let's negotiate' and so it went
on and on and on until somehow they'd wangled their way out of it
and we'd go back to Nineveh with a bucket of frogs' legs or
something useless wondering what had hit us and they'd go laughing
home to Jerusalem with their heads still on their shoulders. And
then we'd attack them again the next year and do it all
again.'

Jabez managed a smile despite his
pain.

'What about you?
W
here you from Jabez? You didn’t come
across the Judeans in your incarnation did you?' Kodrob was still
looking at Jabez curiously.

'Me? Oh, mine's a long story. But I've
been meaning to ask you, what did you do when you weren't fighting?
In winter time for instance when the campaigning season was
over?'

'I was a saddle-maker. I worked with
leather. Always been good with my hands.' Kodrob hadn't noticed
Jabez's quick change of subject. 'Anyway, that's all over.'

He rose to his feet. 'By the way, I've
heard you're going home.'

Jabez looked up at him.

'Apparently the Lamb
is going to let himself get royally humbled by
Inferno's Leader in order to get you back. Just as well I stopped
Zhivkin from slicing you or he'd be doing it for nothing. Everyone
in Paradise and Inferno will be watching. It's going to be the
biggest event of all time in the Fifth. Leastways, that's what
they're all saying. Anyway I'd better be going. You'll be safe now
that they've got what they really want. But someone could come to
the squadroom at any time and I want to get a head
start.'

Jabez was clearly shocked to hear
Kodrob's news. His face became pale despite the heat.

But he held out his hand anyway. 'My
best wishes go with you.' The demon took his hand and shook it.

 

 

Ruth's Mansion,
Paradise

 

Nancy stood up to leave Fatty Lo's
office with a shine in her eyes. An ambitious young woman on her
way to the top. She skipped out of the door with her confident head
high, her body radiating happiness.

Ruth had seen enough. She raised
her hand and the scene rapidly faded from the centre of the room.
Gloom invaded like a cancer. Ruth, Luke and Agatha continued
staring at the floor for a while, not wanting to meet each other's
eyes.

'So that's it. Our hope is gone.' Luke
spoke for all.

'The enemy's plan has succeeded. Nancy's
been pumped full of Mya Ling's ambition. Her meeting with Dan had
negligible effect.' Agatha turned to Ruth. 'I'm sorry Ruth, I don't
mean to criticise. You did brilliant work getting them together
ahead of schedule.'

'Very soon now, the Lamb
will suffer as big a humiliation as he did on
Earth.' Even Ruth could see no last-moment cavalry to prevent
another Calvary. 'There's only one last act of this whole miserable
play to come and I can only see it ending one way.'

 

 

Halfway
Island

 

Satanic standards bedecked the rocky
island. Flags and black bunting streamed from one end of it right
up to the centre. There, troll smiths had built a crude but solid
platform, raised high enough that everyone in the Fifth, Inferno or
Paradise should have the clearest view.

Inferno's five fingers were crammed with
demons of all ranks. For once, enmities were suspended and scores
went unsettled as even gurns came out of their holes to watch the
spectacle.

Squawhouses were empty for the
first time in the memory of the damned and jugs of diesel and tar
were passed from satyr to banshee and on to mawl and vixen. Jager
and Charnel imps flew in from their deep space sabotages and landed
indelicately (and often drunkenly) on the edges of the lava lakes,
so little space was there left. Inferno's deep rocky halls were
empty, for this was the rocky horror show
to end them all. They would memorise this day throughout
all of their huskings until the moment of their final burn. 'Where
were you standing when you saw the Leader humble the Lamb?' would
become the most common conversation starter in squawhouses and tar
barns till Hell froze over. New arrivals from Earth were landed in
a special field where arm-banded imp marshals growled at them to
shut up, watch the show and ask questions later.

On the other side of the rock, in
Paradise, the mood was very different. Angels and non-flying
Heaven-dwellers all stayed at home, crying and mourning. There was
no public assembly to watch the proceedings. Tools were downed and
globes were closed. No-one wanted to watch but no-one could work
either. The Music continued. But the small number of choristers
from all over Heaven who could force themselves into voice at this
time could not bring forth any joyful sounds and instead turned to
Gregorian chants and funeral airs for their inspiration.

Jo and Chan sat with their
wing
s around each other, knees drawn up,
staring at the beauty of the mineral trees around them while their
tears fell and were soaked up by the desert underneath them.
'Surely the Creator will step in and put a stop to this, won't he?'
said Jo. Chan squeezed her shoulder and said nothing.

In the Boot and Shoe Archipelago,
Gianni, Maria and their friends huddled together in the piazza for
comfort and resolved to watch every last moment of the unfolding
tragedy together. The Lamb's friends should not desert him again,
they whispered to each other. The charcoal in the pizza ovens burnt
out. That had never happened before.

Even in Montefalco, raptors ceased
their predation, pterodactyls ceased flying and herbivores lay in
their swamps not even chewing the cud. All knew the world was
upside down.

Luke, Agatha and Ruth remained
together, holding hands and consoling each other. They wondered
what they could have done differently. They lamented every
decision, every action and every bright idea.

Throughout the Kingdom angels
asked each other 'Who's Jabez?' But if they wondered silently
whether the unknown engineer was worth it, they answered
themselves, yes. Because if it was me instead of him, I know the
Lamb would come even for me.

Inferno's Leader now appeared,
flying high above Halfway, gradually gliding lower in circles. He
smiled down graciously at his excited subjects, his charm switch
temporarily on. He waved, fluttered onto his back and planed as if
reclining on a sofa, to a storm of applause. Not that there was
anything positive in it for Infernals, of any rank, except a brief
pause in their dismal routine. Their victory lay only in hurting
the other side. Their circumstances would be exactly the same the
next day. More misery and decline.

The Leader landed on Halfway and
bowed to his dark flock. His dazzling female guard detail,
resplendent in metallic red robes with matching flame guns formed a
line to one side. Olive leaves garlanded the Leader's forehead
making him every bit the Nero. He opened his arms while his siren
cheerleaders orchestrated adoration from the mob. 'Lu-ci-fer,' they
chanted in delirious devil worship.

Now across the void came six
swarthy satyrs, hells' angels in their bullet-riveted capes,
bearing a billowing package which they placed at Halfway's Inferno
End. Its curtains flapped back like a slit skirt, concentrating the
eyes of demons and angels alike. Every head in both kingdoms peered
at the drapes and their hidden structure. Out from the curtains,
like a magician's assistant emerged Bezejel herself, flamboyant
dominatrix, prancing the stage like one to the clamour born,
effortlessly raising Hell's roar several notches.

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