‘I know… but he is the doctor.’
Robin said nothing, but went to get one of the stiff, rough towels the women used after showers, spread it over the blood and began to mop it up, all the while wondering how on earth she going to explain that she knew Lin had had those plants, without admitting she’d been in the woods where they grew, at night.
Imitating Robin, Penny too fetched a towel to soak up the blood. When most of it was mopped up, Robin dropped the stained towel into the laundry basket, went to get a fresh one and ran it under the cold water tap. As she did so, she glanced up at the high windows over the sinks again. Her heart hammered almost painfully as she imagined leaving immediately. She’d just heard the first indication that Will Edensor might be having doubts about the church, but she had no idea how to talk her way out of the trouble she’d now surely landed herself in. If only she could get rid of Penny, she might be able to climb out of one of those windows and drop down on the other side of the building, out of sight of the courtyard; then she could run for the woods while the higher-ups were distracted by Lin, raise the alarm and get an ambulance to the farm. That, surely, was the right thing to do. Her time was up.
She returned to the mess on the floor with her wet towel and began wiping up the last traces of blood.
‘Go to dinner,’ she told Penny. ‘I’ll finish up here, it’s nearly done.’
‘OK,’ said Penny, getting to her feet. ‘I hope you don’t get in trouble.’
‘Thanks,’ said Robin.
She waited until Penny’s footsteps had died away, then got up, threw the wet towel into the laundry basket too, and had taken two strides towards the sink when a white figure appeared in the doorway.
‘Papa J wants to see you,’ said Louise Pirbright.
73
We find ourselves close to the commander of darkness…
The I Ching or Book of Changes
‘I haven’t finished,’ said Robin stupidly, pointing at the floor, which was still faintly pink.
‘I’ll send someone else to do it,’ said Louise. She was holding her hands in front of her, nervously interlocking her swollen-jointed fingers. ‘You’d better come.’
It took a moment for Robin to make her trembling legs behave. She followed Louise out of the bathroom and through the deserted dormitory. For a brief moment, she contemplated breaking away, sprinting down the passage between the dormitories and climbing over the five-bar gate, but she had no confidence that she’d make the woods without being caught: there were too many people in the courtyard, some of them grouped around Daiyu’s pool to make the usual obeisance, others heading for the dining hall.
Louise and Robin, too, paused at the pool. When Robin said, ‘The Drowned Prophet will bless all who worship her,’ she felt her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth. Having daubed her forehead with water, she followed Louise towards the dragon-carved doors of the farmhouse.
Inside, they passed the scarlet-carpeted staircase, then stopped at a shiny black door on the left-hand side of the hall. Louise knocked.
‘Come,’ said Jonathan Wace’s voice.
Louise opened the door, indicated that Robin should walk inside and then closed the door behind her.
The room Robin entered was large and very beautiful. Unlike Mazu’s study, there was no clutter here. The walls were covered in peacock blue fabric, against which figures of ivory and silver, most of them Chinese, stood in graceful, modern shelving cabinets, in pools of carefully directed light. A fire burned beneath a modern surround of white marble. In front of this, on a black leather couch, sat Jonathan Wace, alone, eating off a low black lacquer table that was laden with various dishes.
‘Aha,’ said Wace, smiling as he set down his knife and fork and got to his feet. ‘Rowena.’
He was wearing an upmarket version of the white tracksuits nearly everyone at the farm wore, which appeared to be made of raw silk. On his feet he wore very expensive-looking leather slides. Robin felt the colour leave her face as he walked towards her.
Wace pulled her into a hug. Robin could still feel herself shaking, and knew he could feel it too, because he was holding her so tightly her breasts were squashed against his chest. He smelled of sandalwood cologne and held her far too long for her comfort. She tried to relax, but every muscle was tense. At last Wace loosened his grip, though still holding her in his arms, so he could look down at her, smiling.
‘You’re quite wonderful, aren’t you?’
Robin didn’t know whether he was being sarcastic. He looked sincere. At last, he released her.
‘Come,’ he said again, and returned to the sofa, beckoning her to a black leather chair that sat at right angles to the fire.
‘I’ve heard how you helped deliver Mazu’s baby, Rowena,’ said Wace. ‘Thank you, very sincerely, for your service.’
Momentarily confused, Robin realised he was talking about Wan’s daughter.
‘Oh,’ she said. Her mouth was still so dry it was hard to get out the words. ‘Yes.’
‘And tonight you offered poor little Lin solace,’ said Wace, still smiling as he added ragout to his plate. ‘You are forgiven,’ he added, ‘for speaking intemperately to Dr Zhou.’
‘I… oh good… I mean, thank you,’ said Robin.
She felt certain Wace was playing some kind of game. The smell of rich food, coming as it did immediately after the smell of blood, was making her stomach churn. Breathe, she told herself. Talk.
‘Is Lin going to be all right?’ she asked.
‘“The way of yang goes to and fro, up and down,”’ quoted Wace, still smiling. ‘She’s been foolish, as you’ve probably realised. Why didn’t you tell anyone she was consuming mugwort?’ he asked, apparently idly, as he picked up his knife and fork again.
‘I didn’t know,’ said Robin, as sweat broke out over her scalp again. ‘I guessed. I saw her with some plants a while ago.’
‘When was this?’
‘I can’t remember, I just saw her holding them one day. When I saw that rash she’s got tonight, I thought it looked like an allergy.’
‘There are no allergies,’ said Wace smoothly. ‘The rash was her flesh revolting at what her false self made her do.’
‘Will Dr Zhou be able to help her?’
‘Of course. He understands spirit work better than anyone now alive.’
‘Has he taken her to a hospital?’
‘He’s treating her now, and Taio’s about to remove her to a place of recuperation, so you needn’t distress yourself about Lin,’ said Wace. ‘I want to talk about you. I hear… conflicting reports.’
He smiled at her, chewing, then, widening his eyes, he swallowed and said,
‘But this is shocking of me… you’re missing dinner.’
He pressed a small bell sitting among the various dishes on the table. Moments later, bald Shawna appeared, beaming.
‘Shawna, another plate, glass, knife and fork for Rowena, please,’ said Wace.
‘Yes, Papa J,’ said Shawna importantly, bowing before leaving the room again.
‘Thank you,’ said Robin, trying to act the part of an innocent woman and church member, one who desperately wanted Jonathan Wace’s approval. ‘Sorry, but… what conflicting reports are there about me?’
‘Well,’ said Wace, ‘I’m told you’re a very hard worker. You never complain of tiredness. You show resourcefulness and courage – the labour was long, I hear, and you forwent sleep to help. You also found our Emily in Norwich when she was taken ill, didn’t you? And I believe you previously rushed to her defence when Jiang was giving her instructions. Then, tonight, you were the first to go to Lin’s aid. I think I’ll have to call you Artemis. You know who Artemis is?’