The Gate of the Middle Kingdom

Chapter 15: Writings on the wall

The jar of Snapdragon oil was still sitting in his pocket.

That was the thought crossing through his mind, as he was seated at a table with an ancient vampire and Destiny itself. It was not how Stephen had pictured his night to turn out, and he vaguely wondered why he had come back to the restaurant at all. Then again, he had felt compelled to return, to make certain that Freya had indeed been telling the truth about Victor. What was she to him anyway?

Stephen decided to test the grounds.

"I have a message for you, Victor," he said with his most casual tone of voice. "The owner of the Moon's Circle sends you her regards."

Victor lifted a questioning brow. "Do I know her?"

Stephen shrugged. "You tell me."

"Oh, you know her," Madam Hong said. "Or rather, you knew him."

"Wait, what?" Stephen blinked. "She's a man?"

"Who?" Victor asked, but he was ignored.

"It's not so simple, Stephen-boy," Madam Hong explained. "Those who are touched by the immortal fire do not abide by mortal notions of maleness and femaleness."

"Look, I'm not totally ignorant, nor am I bigoted," Stephen grumbled, "I know there's transgenderism in this world, okay? Stuff like third sex and gender fluidity, right? Or are we talking about hermaphroditism here?"

Madam Hong shook her head. "These are all still mortal notions of gender." She tapped her nose in thought of how best to let Stephen understand. "Let me ask you a question: what do you think I am? Am I a man or a woman?"

Stephen hesitated. "Is this a trick question?"

"You're both, neither, and beyond," Victor answered the question impatiently. "At the moment, you've taken on the form of a Chinese woman, but in the past you've been in the guise of men, of animals, and even inanimate objects. Sex and gender mean nothing to those who don't identify in that manner."

"I wasn't asking you," Madam Hong said, petulantly.

Victor pretended not to hear her. "Who is the owner," he demanded.

"She calls herself Freya," Stephen replied.

Victor narrowed his eyes at Stephen. "I don't know any Freya" he stated. He let his eyes glide over the table, before pinning his gaze on Madam Hong; "But you would not bring up a discussion about maleness and femaleness for nothing. The male counterpart to the name Freya is Freyr. I killed a Freyr some thousands of years ago."

"So... we're talking about a female reincarnation of a male soul? Or something like that?" Stephen ventured to ask.

"Something like that," Madam Hong reiterated.

"You brought him back to pit against me? Are you that desperate to stop me?" Victor growled.

"Don't be so full of yourself, Victor," Madam Hong chided. "Vampires are not the only ones to rise up from death. Freya, being what she is, was bound to come back."

"And what is Freya?" Stephen asked.

Madam Hong smiled. "Someone, not just touched by the immortal fire, but born from it."

That answer did not make any sense whatsoever, Stephen thought.

"Enough of this!" Victor fixed his glare on Stephen. "Did Freyr give you the Snapdragon oil?"

Stephen hurried to take out the jar. Glad to be rid of it, he handed it over to the waiting hand of the vampire.

"What's it for?" he asked curiously.