Red Phoenix Read Online Free PDF Page B

sound of amusement. I ignored him.
    ‘Very well, my Lady,’ Gold said, unfazed. ‘First matter: housing the Disciples in Happy Valley. About a quarter of the flats are vacant now, but we need to make arrangements for who goes where.’
    John explained. ‘The barracks on the Mountain housed a large number of juniors together with a senior supervising: standard military style. As they moved up through the ranks they received more private accommodation. We can’t do that here; the walls have to stay put, they’re supporting walls.’
    I flipped through the papers in my black folder. ‘I don’t have a copy of the floor plan, Gold. Do you have a spare?’
    Gold waved one hand and a floor plan appeared in front of me. ‘Thanks. Four three-bedroom, four two-bedroom units to a floor. That’s nineteen to a floor with one supervisor. Too many; we need a common area and some study rooms.’ I thought for a moment.
    ‘You think so?’ John said.
    ‘What we’ll do is give the supervisor one of the three-bedroom units, make the other two bedrooms study areas, and the living room a common room for all of them.’ I scribbled on the paper in front of me. ‘How many students to a floor?’
    ‘Seventeen students, one supervisor to a floor,’ Gold said. ‘Twelve floors will handle two hundred and four. Enough.’
    ‘What’s the cube root of six thousand, seven hundred and fifty-three?’ I said.
    ‘To how many decimal places?’ ‘Ten.’
    ‘Eighteen point nine zero one six one five one five eight—’
    ‘Stop. How come you can do that?’ ‘Do what, my Lady?’
    ‘I’ve noticed that. You can do enormous sums in your head.’
    ‘Not in my head, and it’s part of my nature, my Lady. Can we return to the logistics of the accommodation?I’d like to finish it before Simone wakes and starts pestering you.’
    ‘Simone can go to Leo,’ John said.
    ‘Use your super Shen mega-powers, John, and see that Leo’s taken Monica out to the market,’ I said. ‘When Simone wakes up she’ll be right in here annoying us.’
    ‘Mega-powers. You make me sound like something out of a Japanese superhero show.’
    ‘You are ten times weirder than anything on those shows, and that’s saying something.’
    Gold grinned. ‘Even the Beetle Boys?’
    ‘It’s close, but even them.’ I checked my notes. ‘Okay, junior Disciples, twelve floors. How about we give the seniors their own units, or let them share? Is that acceptable?’
    ‘Quite acceptable,’ John said. ‘It will be smaller than the Mountain, but that’s Hong Kong.’
    ‘How many floors, Gold?’
    ‘Probably about ten; plenty of room.’
    ‘There will still be room for you and Jade?’ John said.
    ‘Yes, my Lord. That leaves the top four floors.’
    ‘The mortal human Masters can go there,’ John said. ‘I’ll take the walls out; they’re not supporting walls at the top. We’ll make some big penthouses for them.’
    ‘I’ll get right onto it,’ Gold said. ‘I’ll move in some tame demons to clean up the empty units and prepare them. Next item.’ He checked the agenda in front of him. ‘Armoury. My Lord?’
    ‘That’s your area of expertise, John.’
    John sighed, pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. ‘Only a handful of the most robust Celestial Weapons made it. Some of them are very special. I don’t like the idea of them staying on the Mountain without the Celestial Masters to guard them.’
    ‘Do we have room here for them?’ I said. ‘The seals are set. The answer is: yes,’ John said. ‘Gold.’
    ‘My Lord.’ Gold nodded and scribbled some notes. He glanced up at John. ‘Seven Stars?’
    John leaned back. ‘Seven Stars is the most destructive weapon ever forged. But it was forged for me. It will not shine for another. Leave it where it is. Only my most trusted lieutenants have access. It is safe.’
    Gold was silent for a moment. Then he spoke softly. ‘I really am most profoundly honoured, my Lord.’
    John waved him down.