Sai Wing frowned slightly, obviously not understanding the meaning of the word. He cocked an eye at Andy, who quickly explained the term. Sai Wing, now glowering, began to nod. “Yes! I am unable to perform those duties which are essential to my good health.”
Kelly ran a hand through her hair, combing it with her fingers. “You’re going to have to explain things better than this,” she said. “If we find Dong Yong, can we make him reverse the spell?”
Sai Wing laughed merrily, his dark mood vanishing completely. “I so love Western women. So forceful, like a man, only with a pretty face and soft skin.” He tapped the table with a fat finger. “You find Dong Yong and make him show you the object he’s placed my virility into. Then you smash it… and it will return to me.” His eyes glittered as he dropped his voice an octave. “And if you could kill him for me, I would be most pleased.”
“We’re not killers,” Lazarus stated flatly. “But we will help you. Can you tell us where we can find Yong?”
“Oh, it will not be difficult to find him,” Sai Wing replied. “Just look for the cemetery.”
Miya sat at the bar, dressed in a seductive black dress. A rose added a bit of color, perched as it was in her raven tresses. She had managed to avoid the predatory advances of a dozen men so far, keeping her attention on Sai Wing’s table. She had arrived in Shanghai only two hours ago but a few well-spent coins had told her that Lazarus and his group were still in the city. She’d followed them from their hotel, curious as to what business they might have with scum like Sai Wing.
Without turning her head, Miya became aware that a woman had taken a seat beside her. It was Femi, who still smelled faintly of the grave. The Egyptian had bathed no less than thirty times since Lunt had revived her, spending so much time in the tub that her pink skin crinkled at the tips of her fingers and toes. She had allowed Miya to dress her in contemporary clothes but the presence of a large ankh necklace reminded everyone who saw her of her ancestry.
“We should kill them,” Femi hissed, her words laced with hate.
“Not yet. Lunt wants to know if Lazarus might have a lead on the Soul Stones. If he does, we’ll let him lead us to them.”
Femi scanned the room like a hungry cat, her eyes narrowing as she examined every male within reach. Miya knew that the look wasn’t simply one of lust. Femi’s hungers were incredible: she’s feasted on two men since leaving Sovereign City. If she kept eating like this, she was going to draw the wrong kind of attention to them. “I still don’t understand the German’s plan,” the Egyptian princess admitted.
Miya smiled, enjoying the opportunity to once again point out Lunt’s failings. “Lunt helped a group of Nazi scientists create a device known as Die Glocke. With it, he was able to summon and release a group of demons known as Satan’s Circus. He thought that he’d worked up enough binding spells to control the members of the Circus but he was wrong. They went out of control, slaughtering most of the scientists who were there and vanishing, with Die Glocke in tow. The event nearly caused Lunt to lose his standing in The Illuminati. Since then, he’s been obsessed with finding them, tracing down every sighting of the Circus but always ending up two or three steps behind them. But not long ago, they were seen in Mongolia, in the company of a young woman and her fiancé. Lazarus is looking for the woman and there’s a good chance that this will lead us closer to the Circus.”
“Why would the Circus have any interest in this woman?”
“Lunt thinks that she and her fiancé discovered the hiding place of the Soul Stones. The Circus members are demonic entities and as you well know, most demons feed on one of two things: living flesh… or souls. The Soul Stones house some of the oldest souls left on the planet. The Circus could gain a lot of strength from ingesting them.”
“If it’s been months, they would have gotten the location from the woman and her lover… and no doubt have killed them.” Femi shrugged her shoulders as she watched Lazarus and his companions end their conversation with Sai Wing. The party quickly headed to the exits. “Eventually I want to break Gray’s neck. He thwarted my plans and I simply won’t allow that to go unpunished.”
“Just keep in mind that you’re working for Lunt,” Miya pointed out. “Until he says you’re free to strike against Assistance Unlimited, you’re just on observation duty. Remember?”
Femi smiled coldly, sliding out of her chair as Miya did the same. The two women set out in pursuit of Lazarus. “I am quite aware of my situation,” Femi answered. “But eventually the time will come when Herr Lunt will owe me for this indignity. And I plan to collect in full.”
Chapter IV
In Evil’s Shadow
Dong Yong’s place of business was at the heart of a Western-styled cemetery located on the outskirts of the city. To reach it, Lazarus and his companions had to pass through a set of wrought-iron gates. They weaved their way through the grounds, taking note of the small number of graves. Those they did see had traditional headstones complete with brief information about who was buried there. Invariably, the names appeared British or American and almost all of them were male. Since Shanghai was now a growing hotbed of international business interests, the cemetery had been a stroke of genius on Dong Yong’s part: those with the means could be buried in Shangai, with a full Westernized funeral service. So far, only a dozen people were interred there, but at the rates being charged by Dong Yong, which was enough to sufficiently line his pockets.
In the center of the cemetery was a large mausoleum. The doors to the structure were propped open and the smell of opium drifted out in stench-laden waves.
Lazarus had brought Samantha and Eun with him, leaving Morgan at the hotel with Kelly and Agnes. Morgan wasn’t happy about the situation but he hadn’t put up much of a fight: being left behind to guard over two beautiful women was not such a terrible fate.
Standing just outside the mausoleum entrance was a burly man with ruddy skin, dark hair and a goatee. He wore a black suit with a crimson tie. His hands were locked together before his crotch and his face wore an expression of deadly glee.
In flawless English, the well-dressed man asked, “What brings you here today, my friends? Have you suffered an untimely loss? Has a loved one passed on from this reality of suffering and heartache?”
Samantha felt a twinge of disgust as the man spoke. Though his words seemed to be ones of concern, the smile on his face made it clear that he felt no real empathy for whatever loss they might have suffered. She was glad that she wasn’t here to actually deal with him about a deceased family member.
Lazarus studied the man before speaking. “You’re Dong Yong?”
“I am. And your name is…?”
“Lazarus Gray. These are my associates Samantha Grace and Eun Jiwon. We’re part of an organization known as Assistance Unlimited.”
“I have heard of you!” Yong exclaimed, his smiling changing to one of suspicion. “I did not know you traveled so far in the line of duty.”
“We’re making an exception today. You know of a man named Sai Wing?”
The smile vanished completely now. “I do. Surely you are not here on his behalf? If so, I am disappointed. He is the lowest of the low and far beneath your rumored station.”
Eun answered, barely disguising his disgust with the entire situation. “Sai Wing says you performed some sort of spell and took away his sexual prowess. Destroy whatever vessel you put it in and we can be on our way.”