The Red Pavilion Read online

  ‘Oh no, just a local officer. In no way worthy of being counted among your distinguished admirers!’ Rising, he added: ‘I must prepare to go out now. I don’t dare to detain you any longer, and you are doubtless eager to go home and make your toilet’

  Her full red lips curved in a scornful smile.

  ‘Don’t try acting the part of the prudish gentleman! I saw your look just now, it’s no use pretending that you don’t desire to possess what you saw!’

  ‘On the part of an insignificant person like me,’ the judge remarked stiffly, ‘such a desire would be sheer presumption.’

  She frowned. He now noticed the cruel lines about her mouth.

  ‘It would be presumptuous indeed!’ she said sharply. ‘At first I thought I liked that casual air of yours, but now I know better. You don’t interest me, after all.’

  ‘You distress me.’

  An angry flush reddened her cheeks. She got away from the balustrade, picked up her toilet box and snapped:

  ‘You, a petty officer, dare to scorn me! Let me tell you that three days ago a famous young scholar from the capital killed himself here because of me!’

  ‘You don’t seem to grieve for him!’

  ‘If I were to mourn for all the fools who get themselves into trouble because of me,’ she said venomously, ‘I would be in mourning for the rest of my life!’

  ‘You’d better not talk idly about death and mourning,’ Judge Dee warned her. ‘The Festival of the Dead is not yet over. The Gates of the Other World are still open, and the souls of the departed are among us.’

  There was a lull in the music from the house in the park. Suddenly they heard again that chuckle, very soft now. It seemed to come from the shrubbery below the veranda. The Queen Flower’s face twitched, she burst out:

  ‘I am sick and tired of this dismal place! Thank Heaven I’ll be leaving here soon, for ever. An important official, a wealthy poet, is going to redeem me. Then I’ll be a magistrate’s wife. What do you have to say to that?’

  ‘Only that I congratulate you. And him too.’

  She made a slight bow, apparently somewhat mollified. As she turned to go, she said:

  ‘The fellow is lucky indeed! But I wouldn’t say the same for his wives. I’ll have them chased from the house in no time! I am not accustomed to sharing a man’s affections!’

  She went to the other end of the veranda, swinging her shapely hips. She parted the wistaria clusters and disappeared; apparently there was another flight of steps there, leading down. She left behind her a waft of expensive perfume.

  Suddenly the scent was drowned in a nauseating odour of decay. It came from the shrubbery down in front of the veranda. The judge looked over the balustrade, then stepped back in startled surprise.

  Among the shrubs stood the horrible figure of a leprous beggar, his emaciated body covered by soiled rags. The left half of his swollen face was a mass of running sores, the eye had disappeared. The other eye glared at the judge with a malevolent stare. A deformed hand came out from under the rags. Of the fingers only a few stumps were left.

  Judge Dee hastily felt in his sleeve for a handful of coppers. Those unfortunates had to eke out their wretched existence by begging. But just then the leper’s blue lips contorted in a repulsive grin. He muttered something, turned round and disappeared among the trees.

  Chapter 2

  SHIVERING INVOLUNTARILY, Judge Dee put the coppers back in his sleeve. The change from the courtesan’s perfect beauty to the sickening sight of that poor human wreck had been all too sudden.

  ‘I have good news, sir!’ a hearty voice spoke up behind him.

  As the judge turned round with a pleased smile, Ma Joong went on excitedly:

  ‘Magistrate Lo is here on the island! In the third street from here I saw a troop of constables lined up by a large, official-looking palankeen. I asked them to what exalted personage it belonged, and they replied it was the magistrate’s! He has been staying here for a few days, tonight he is returning to the city. I rushed back to inform Your Honour.’

  ‘Excellent! I’ll greet him here and thus save myself the trip to Chin-hwa city. We’ll be back home one day earlier, Ma Joong! Let’s hurry and catch him before he leaves!’

  The two men quickly left the Red Pavilion and went to the hostel’s front gate.

  The crowded street was lined on both sides by garishly lighted restaurants and gambling halls. As they walked along Ma Joong eagerly scanned the balconies. Here and there a few richly dressed young women stood at the balustrades, chatting or leisurely fanning themselves with coloured silk fans. It was hot, a humid, stifling heat.

  The next street was less noisy, soon there were only dark houses, each having but one lampion over its gate. These were discreetly inscribed with small characters, reading: ‘Fields of Happiness’, ‘Abode of Fragrant Elegance’ and other names indicating houses of assignation.

  Judge Dee hurriedly rounded the corner. In front of a magnificent hostel a dozen muscular bearers were hoisting the shafts of a large palankeen onto their shoulders, with a troop of constables standing by. Ma Joong said quickly to their headman:

  ‘This is Magistrate Dee, of Poo-yang. Announce His Excellency to your master!’

  The headman ordered the bearers to set the palankeen down again. He pulled the window-curtain aside and whispered something to the occupant.

  The portly shape of Magistrate Lo appeared in the door of the palankeen. His rotund body was draped in an elegant blue silk robe, and he wore his black velvet cap at a rakish angle. He hurriedly descended, bowed in front of Judge Dee and exclaimed:

  ‘What lucky chance brought you here to Paradise Island, Elder Brother? You are exactly the man I need! How delightful to meet you again!’

  ‘The pleasure is all mine! I am on my way back to Poo-yang, from the capital. I had planned to travel to Chin-hwa city tomorrow, in order to offer you my respects and to thank you for your kind hospitality last year.’

  ‘Nothing worth talking about!’ Lo shouted. His round face with the pointed moustache and the wispy short beard was creased in a broad smile. ‘It was an honour to my district that the two young ladies I provided for you helped to expose those rascally monks! Heavens, Dee, that case of the Buddhist Temple was talked about all over the province!’

  ‘A bit too much!’ Judge Dee remarked with a wry smile. ‘The Buddhist clique got the Metropolitan Court to summon me to the capital for a review of the case. They asked me many questions, but in the end declared themselves satisfied. Let’s go inside, I shall tell you all about it over a cup of tea.’

  Lo quickly stepped up close to him. Laying his pudgy hand on Judge Dee’s arm, he said in a low, confidential voice:

  ‘Can’t do that, Elder Brother! A most pressing affair

  JUDGE DEE AND MAGISTRATE LO

  demands my immediate return to the city. Listen, Dee, you must help me! I have been staying here for two days, to investigate a suicide. Very plain case, only it so happens the fellow had just come out first in the Palace examinations, and had been appointed a member of the Imperial Academy. He tarried here on his way back home, got involved with a woman, the old story. Fellow called Lee, son of Dr Lee, the famous Censor. I didn’t get round to writing out all the official papers. Do me a favour, Dee, stay here one day and wind up that affair for me, will you? Mere matter of routine! I really must leave now.’

  Judge Dee didn’t relish acting for his colleague in a locality he was completely unfamiliar with, but he could not very well refuse. He said:

  ‘Of course I’ll do what I can to help you, Lo. Magnificent!’

  ‘Well, then, I’ll say goodbye!’

  ‘One moment!’ Judge Dee said hurriedly. ‘I have no authority here, you must appoint me Assessor of the tribunal of Chin-hwa.’

  ‘I appoint you here and now!’ Magistrate Lo declared grandly and turned to his palankeen.

  ‘You’ll have to put that in writing, my friend!’ the judge said with an indulgent smile
. ‘That’s the law!’

  ‘Good Heavens, more delay!’ Magistrate Lo exclaimed testily. He quickly looked up and down the street, then pulled Judge Dee with him into the entrance hall of the hostel. Standing at the counter he grabbed a sheet of paper and a writing brush. Suddenly he paused and muttered, annoyed:

  ‘Holy Heaven, how does the official formula run again?’ Judge Dee took the brush over from him and jotted down the text of the authorization. Then he took another sheet, and copied it.’ We’ll affix our seals and thumbmarks,’ he said,’ then we are all set. You take the original with you and forward it to our boss, the Prefect, at your earliest convenience. I keep the copy.’

  ‘You are awfully good at all those things!’ Magistrate Lo said gratefully. ‘Sleep with the Official Letterwriter under your pillow, I imagine!’

  “While Lo was impressing his seal on the papers, Judge Dee asked:

  ‘Who is in charge of this island?’

  ‘Oh,’ Lo replied airily, ‘a fellow called Peng Dai or Tai, he is the warden of the resort. Wonderful man, knows absolutely everything that’s going on here. He owns all the gambling halls, you know, and the brothels too. He’ll tell you all you need. Send the report to me when you are through, any time that suits you!’ Drawing him outside again, he added: ‘Many thanks, Dee, I do appreciate this!’ He was about to ascend his palankeen when he saw a constable lighting a large lampion, marked in red letters: ‘The Magistrate of Chin-hwa’. ‘Put that out, you fool!’ Lo barked at him. And, to Judge Dee: ‘Don’t like to throw my weight about, you know! ‘Govern by benevolence,’ as our Master Confucius says. Well, goodbye!’

  He disappeared into the palankeen, and the bearers placed the thick shafts on their calloused shoulders. Suddenly the window-curtain was pulled aside and Lo poked his round head outside.

  ‘Just remembered the warden’s correct name, Dee! Feng Dai the man is called. Able fellow, you’ll meet him at the dinner.’

  ‘What dinner?’ Judge Dee asked, bewildered.

  ‘Oh, didn’t I tell you? Tonight the notables of Paradise Island are giving a dinner for me in the Crane Bower, and you’ll have to deputize for me, of course. Can’t disappoint them. You’ll enjoy it, Dee, delicious food they serve there, especially their roast duck. Tell them I am sorry, will you? Called away on urgent business, pressing affairs of state, and so on. You know best how to formulate those things. Don’t forget to take some sweet sauce with the roast duck!’

  The curtain was drawn closed, and the cortege disappeared in the darkness. The constables running in front did not beat their gongs or shout to make way for the magistrate, as was the custom.

  ‘Why all the excitement?’ Ma Joong asked perplexedly.

  ‘Evidently some unpleasant affair cropped up in Chin-hwa during his absence,’ said the judge. He slowly rolled up the authorization and put it in his sleeve. Ma Joong suddenly grinned and said, with satisfaction:

  ‘Anyway, we’ll now have a couple of days in this gay place!’

  ‘One day only,’ Judge Dee said firmly. ‘I gained one day by meeting Magistrate Lo here, and that one day I shall devote to his affairs-not more. Let’s go back to the hostel, I have to change into a formal robe for that accursed dinner!’

  Back in the Hostel of Eternal Bliss, Judge Dee told the manager that he would be dining in the Crane Bower, and to have a rented palankeen stand ready in front of the gate to take him there. They went on to the Red Room, where Ma Joong helped the judge to don his ceremonial robe of green brocade, and the winged judge’s cap of black velvet. Judge Dee saw that the maid had drawn the red curtains of the bedstead open, and placed a teapot in the padded basket on the table. He doused the candles and went out, followed by Ma Joong.

  When the judge had locked the door and was about to put the large key in his sleeve, he halted, and said:

  ‘I’d better leave this heavy key in the door. I have nothing to conceal!’

  He inserted the key into the lock again, and they walked to the front courtyard. Eight bearers stood waiting there by the shafts of a large palankeen. Judge Dee ascended, motioning Ma Joong to join him inside.

  While they were being carried through the noisy streets the judge said:

  ‘After we have arrived at the restaurant and you have announced me, you go and make the rounds of the gambling halls and winehouses. Make discreet inquiries about the Academician’s suicide-how long he had been staying here, what people he associated with, in short everything you can learn. According to my friend Lo, it’s a straightforward case, but one never knows with suicides. I’ll leave the dinner as early as I can. If you don’t find me there, wait for me in my rooms in the Hostel of Eternal Bliss.’

  The palankeen was being lowered to the ground. When they had stepped down into the street, Judge Dee looked up, amazed at the towering edifice in front of him. A flight of twelve white marble steps, flanked by life-size bronze lions, led up to a high double door, lacquered a brilliant red and lavishly decorated with brass ornaments. Over it hung a huge gilded board, inscribed with two large black letters reading ‘Crane Bower’. Above rose second and third stories, each surrounded by a covered balcony of carved wood, and screened by intricate lattice work, all gilded. Enormous lanterns, covered with delicately painted silk, were suspended all along the upturned eaves. He had heard much about the astonishing display of wealth on Paradise Island, but he had not expected such dazzling luxury.

  Ma Joong went up and rattled the brass knocker vigorously. After he had announced to the solemn head-waiter the arrival of Assessor Dee, he waited till the judge had been shown inside, then rushed down the marble staircase and joined the motley crowd thronging the street.

  Chapter 3

  JUDGE DEE TOLD the manager who came to meet him in the hall that he had been invited to the dinner in honour of Magistrate Lo. After the man had made a low obeisance, he took the judge up the broad staircase, covered with a thick blue carpet, and ushered him into a large room on the second floor.

  An agreeable fresh air greeted the judge, for the room was artificially cooled by two brass basins, filled with ice-blocks. In the middle stood a round dining-table of shining blackwood, loaded with porcelain plates of cold meats and silver wine beakers. Six highbacked chairs of carved ebony with cool marble slabs as seats stood around it. In the bay window four gentlemen were drinking tea and nibbling melon seeds, sitting at an elegant side-table with a red marble top. They looked up, astonished, when Judge Dee entered. A lean, elderly man with long, greying sidewhiskers got up and came to meet him. He asked politely:

  ‘Who might you be looking for, sir?’

  ‘Are you Mr Feng Dai?’ Judge Dee asked. When the other nodded, he took Magistrate Lo’s authorization from his sleeve and gave it to him, explaining that Lo had asked him to attend the banquet in his place.

  Feng Dai returned the document with a low bow, and said:

  ‘I am the warden here, I am completely at Your Honour’s service. Allow me to introduce the other guests!’

  The thin old man with the small skullcap was presented as Wen Yuan, a wealthy curio-dealer who owned all the antique and souvenir shops of Paradise Island. He had a long face with hollow cheeks, but his small eyes looked very observant, under grey, ragged eyebrows. He had a short, grey moustache, and a pointed, neatly trimmed beard. The distinguished-looking younger gentleman, wearing a square gauze cap and seated next to the curio-dealer, proved to be the head of the guild of wine merchants, called Tao Pan-te. And the handsome youngster sitting with his back to the window was introduced as Kia Yu-po, a student on his way to the capital to take part in the literary examinations. Feng added proudly that the young man had already made a name for himself as a poet.

  Judge Dee reflected that the company looked more promising than he had expected. He conveyed to the four men in a few polite phrases Magistrate Lo’s apologies. ‘Since I happened to be passing through here,’ he concluded,’ the magistrate charged me with settling the case of the Academician’s suicide th
at occurred three days ago. I am, of course, a newcomer here. Therefore I’d be grateful if you would let me have your views on this case.’

  There was an uneasy silence. Then Feng Dai spoke gravely:

  ‘The suicide of the Academician Lee Lien was a most regrettable occurrence, sir. Unfortunately, however, such cases are not rare here. Some visitors who lose heavily at the gaming tables choose that way of ending their troubles.’

  ‘I understood that in this particular case the motive was rather unrequited love,’ Judge Dee observed.

  Feng cast a quick look at the three others. Tao Pan-te and the young poet looked studiously at their tea cups. The curio-dealer, Wen, pursed his thin lips. Plucking at his goatee, he asked cautiously:

  ‘Did Magistrate Lo say so, sir?’

  ‘Not in so many words,’ the judge admitted. ‘My colleague was pressed for time, he couldn’t give me more than a bare outline.’

  Wen gave Feng a significant look. Tao Pan-te regarded the judge with his tired, melancholy eyes, and began quietly:

  ‘The atmosphere of Paradise Island is, unfortunately, conducive to emotional conflicts, sir. We who have grown up here have become accustomed to a rather frivolous, casual attitude to love. “We have come to regard it as a kind of elegant pastime, a game played for the trifling stakes of a few hours of ephemeral pleasure. The man who meets with success is a happy memory the richer, the loser good-humouredly seeks for a more complacent playmate. But people from outside often find it difficult to see their liaisons in this detached manner. And, since our dancing girls and courtesans are skilled in all the arts of love, those outsiders often allow themselves inadvertently to become too deeply involved-with tragic result.’