Necklace and Calabash: A Chinese Detective Story (Judge Dee Mysteries) Page 3

  They exchanged some remarks about the climate down south while the attendant scrubbed the judge clean. Then he stepped into the pool and stretched himself out in the hot water.

  The elderly man had himself rubbed dry, then told the two boxers curtly, ‘Get a move on!’ They quickly dried themselves and meekly followed the portly man into the dressing-room.

  Judge Dee thought that Lang didn't look like one of the wealthy crooks the captain had spoken about. He even had rather a distinguished appearance with his regular, haughty face and wispy goatee. And wealthy merchants often travelled with a bodyguard. The hot water was loosening up his stiff limbs, but now he realized that he was getting hungry. He got up and had the attendant vigorously rub him dry.

  His two saddle-bags had been put ready in a corner of the dressing-room. Opening the first to get out a clean robe, he suddenly checked himself. His assistant Ma Joong, who always packed his bags for him, was a neat man; but these clothes were folded carelessly. He quickly opened the second bag. His night-robes, felt shoes and spare caps were all there, but this bag had also been tampered with. He quickly looked under his cap on the rack. Nothing was missing from the brocade folder, but a corner of his new identity paper was wet.

  ‘Inquisitive fellow, Mr Lang Liu,’ he muttered. ‘Or just careful perhaps/ He put on a crisp, clean under-robe of white cotton and on top of that a long-sleeved, dark-grey gown. His felt shoes were very comfortable on his tired feet. Leaving his wet clothes and dirty boots there for the servants to take care of, he covered himself with a high square cap of black gauze, took his sword and calabash and walked back to the hall.

  The clerk brought him to a small but clean room upstairs, and lit the candles on the table. He promised the judge his dinner would come soon. Judge Dee opened the window. The rain had ceased; a brilliant moon was shedding its silvery light on the glistening wet roofs of Rivertown. He noticed that the backyard of the inn had a neglected look. In the centre was a patch of scrawny trees and tangled shrubs; behind it a low store-house was built against the back wall. The gate to the narrow, dark alley behind the inn stood ajar. On the. right of the yard were the stables, which reminded him that the next day he would have to tell the groom to get his horse from the blacksmith. The confused noise of shouted orders and the clatter of plates coming from the left wing proved that the kitchen was located there. In that corner of the yard was a roughly made chicken-run, perhaps a profitable hobby of one of the cooks. A knock on the door made him turn round.

  With pleasant surprise he saw a slender girl come inside, clad in a long blue gown. It was fastened round her shapely waist by a red sash, the tasselled ends of which trailed down to the floor. While she was putting the dinner tray on the table he addressed her kindly:

  ‘I saw you on the quay, miss. You shouldn't have come, for it was a terrible sight.’

  She gave him a shy look from her large, shining eyes.

  ‘Mr Wei took me, sir. The captain said two relatives were needed to officially identify the victim.’

  ‘Yes, I see you aren't just a maidservant.’

  ‘I am a distant cousin of Mr Wei, sir. Six months ago, after my parents had died, Uncle Wei took me on as help in the household. And since today the maids are all in a dither about what happened to our cashier…’

  She poured him a cup of tea, holding up the long sleeve of her right hand with her left in a natural, graceful gesture. Now that he could see her properly in the light of the candles, he noticed that it wasn't only her beauty that made her so attractive. There was a subtle charm about her, difficult to define. Sitting down at the table, he remarked casually:

  There's a fine, old-fashioned bath downstairs. I met one of my fellow guests there, a Mr Lang. Has he been staying here long?’

  ‘Only two weeks, sir. But he is a regular visitor. Stands to reason, for he has his own silk shop here, downtown. A very wealthy man, he always travels with at least eight clerks and assistants. They have our best wing, downstairs.’ She arranged the plates and bowls on the table and the judge took up his chopsticks.

  ‘I heard Mr Wei say on the quay that the unfortunate cashier had stolen twenty silver pieces from him.’ She sniffed.

  ‘Perhaps those silver pieces existed only in my uncle's imagination, sir! He was hoping to get that sum restituted by the authorities ! Tai Min was no thief, sir. He was a simple, pleasant boy. Why should the robbers have maltreated him so horribly, sir? Tai never had much money on him.’

  ‘Out of spite, I fear. Evidently they expected him to carry a large sum, as a cashier. Did you know him well?’

  ‘Oh yes, we often went out on the river together, to fish. He was born and bred here, knew every nook and cranny of the riverbank!’

  ‘Were you er… very friendly with him?’

  She laughed softly, and shook her head.

  ‘Tai Min only liked my company because I am rather good at handling a boat. If it hadn't been for that, he'd hardly have known I existed, for he was completely wrapped up in…’ She broke off suddenly and bit her lip. Then she shrugged and went on, ‘Well, since poor Tai is dead, there's no harm in telling you. The cashier was head over ears in love with my aunt, you see.’

  ‘Your aunt? She must have been much older than he!’

  ‘She was, about ten years, I think. But there never was anything between them, sir. He just adored her from a distance! And she didn't care for him, for she eloped with another man, as you may have heard.’

  ‘Do you have any idea who that man was?’

  She vigorously shook her small head.

  ‘My aunt managed that affair very cleverly; I never even dreamt that she could be unfaithful to my uncle. When he told us that she had left him for another man I could hardly believe my ears. She had always seemed such a quiet, kind woman… much better than my Uncle Wei!’ She gave him a quick, appraising look and added with a faint smile, ‘You are a very nice man to talk to, sir! Perhaps it's because you are a doctor.’

  The last remark unaccountably annoyed the judge. He asked the first question that came to mind:

  ‘Since the cashier admired your aunt so much, her eloping with another man greatly distressed him, I suppose?’

  ‘No, he wasn't sad at all.’ She pensively patted her hair. ‘Rather strange, if you come to think of it.’

  Judge Dee raised his eyebrows.

  ‘Are you quite sure? Those prolonged, purely sentimental attachments often affect a man more deeply than a brief, passionate affair.’

  ‘Absolutely. Once I even caught him humming a song while he was doing the accounts.’

  The judge picked up a morsel of salted vegetable, and slowly chewed it. Mrs Wei had effectively hoodwinked her young niece. The cashier had been her lover, of course. She had gone alone to the village across the mountains marked in red on the map found on Tai Min's dead body. They had agreed that the cashier would follow after a few weeks. But highwaymen had attacked him on the way and murdered him. Now his mistress must be waiting for him in Ten Miles Village, in vain. He would give these facts to Captain Siew, to be passed on to the magistrate in the neighbouring district. Everybody assumed that Tai had been murdered by robbers, but it might be much more complicated than that. ‘Eh, what did you say?’

  ‘I asked whether you were here to see a patient, sir.’

  ‘No, I am just on a holiday. Planned to do some fishing. You must tell me where to go some time.’

  ‘I'll do better than that! I can take you up river myself in our boat. Today I must help the maids, but tomorrow morning I'll be free.’

  ‘That's awfully kind of you. Let's see how the weather turns out. By the way, what's your name?’

  ‘I am called Fern, sir.’

  ‘Well, Fern, I mustn't keep you from your duties. Thanks very much!’

  He ate his dinner with gusto. When he had finished, he slowly drank a cup of strong tea, then leaned back in his chair, in a pleasant, relaxed mood. In the room below someone was playing a moon-guitar. The lilting
melody, faintly heard, stressed the silence of the rest of the inn. The judge listened for a while to the melody that seemed vaguely familiar. When the music stopped he sat up.

  He decided that his worries about Captain Siew and his motives must be ascribed to the fact that he was tired after the long ride through the forest. Why shouldn't the captain be genuinely interested in an outsider's views on the local situation? And as to the elaborate arrangement of his alias, well, he knew that secret service people always took delight in such details. He would be just as thorough himself now ! With a smile he got up and went to the wall-table. Opening the lacquered box that contained writing material, he selected a sheet of good red paper, folded it, and tore it into six oblong pieces. He moistened the writing-brush and inscribed each of the improvised visiting-cards in large letters with his new name ‘Doctor Liang Mou’. Having put those in his sleeve, he picked up his sword and his calabash and went downstairs. He felt like taking a look at the town.

  In the hall Mr Wei was standing at the counter, talking in undertones with the clerk. The innkeeper quickly came to meet the judge. After having made a low bow he said in his hoarse voice:

  ‘I am Wei Cheng, the owner of this inn, Doctor. There was a messenger here for you just now, sir. Since he didn't give his name, I told him to wait outside. I was just going to send my clerk up to tell you.’

  Judge Dee smiled inwardly. This had to be a message from Captain Siew. He found his boots standing amongst the other footwear by the door, stepped into them and went out. Dressed in a black jacket and wide black trousers a tall man with crossed arms was leaning against a pillar. Both his jacket and his round cap had red borders.

  ‘I am Doctor Liang. What can I do for you?’

  ‘A sick person wants to consult you, Doctor,’ the other replied curtly. ‘Over there in the palankeen.’

  Reflecting that the captain's message must be very secret indeed, the judge followed the man to the large, black-curtained palankeen a little farther down the street. The six bearers squatting with their backs against the wall rose at once. They wore the same dress as their foreman. Judge Dee drew the door-curtain aside. Then he stood stock still. He found himself face to face with a young woman. She wore a long black mantle with a black hood that set off the pallor of her comely but haughty face.

  ‘I… I must inform you that I don't deal with women's diseases,’ he muttered. Therefore I advise you to consult…’

  ‘Step inside and I'll explain,’ she cut him short. She moved over to make room for him. As soon as the judge had sat down on the narrow bench, the door-curtain was drawn close from the outside. The bearers lifted the shafts on their shoulders and went off at a quick trot.

  IV

  ‘What does this nonsense mean?’ Judge Dee asked coldly.

  ‘It means that my mother wants to see you,’ the girl snapped. ‘Her name is Hydrangea; she is the Chief Lady-in-waiting of Her Highness.’

  ‘Is your mother ill?’

  ‘Wait till we are out in the forest.’

  The judge decided to wait till he knew more about her mysterious errand before putting this forward young lady in her place. The bearers were slackening their pace. Now it was very still outside.

  After about a quarter of an hour, the girl suddenly pulled the window-curtain open. They were moving along a forest road, lined by tall pine trees. The girl took off the hood with a careless gesture. Her hair was done up in a simple but elegant coiffure, with a gold filigreed comb in front. Her small, slightly uptilted nose gave her face a pert expression. Turning to the judge, she said in the same peremptory voice:

  ‘I must tell you here and now that I don't know what all this is about! I am just following instructions. So you needn't bother me with questions.’ She groped under the bench and came up with a flat box of red-lacquered pigskin, the sort that doctors use to carry their prescriptions. Putting it on her lap, she resumed, ‘In this box you'll find a package of prescription blanks, a dozen of your name-cards, and…’

  ‘I have prepared cards myself, thank you,’ Judge Dee said curtly.

  ‘Never mind. There are also some plasters and six folders containing a quite innocent powder. Have you ever been to the town of Wan-hsiang, eighty miles upriver?’

  ‘I passed through there once.’

  ‘Good. Behind the Temple of the War God lives the Honourable Kuo, retired secretary of the Palace Archives. He knew you from the capital, and he summoned you last week because he is suffering from asthma. Now you are on your way back to the capital. Can you remember all that?’

  ‘I'll try,’ the judge replied dryly.

  ‘The Honourable Kuo wrote to my mother that you would be passing through here, so she had you called for a consultation. She suffers from asthma too, and yesterday she had a bad attack.’ She darted a quick look at him and asked, annoyed, ‘Why do you carry a sword? It'll make a bad impression. Put it under the bench!’

  Judge Dee slowly unstrapped the sword. He knew that outsiders were not allowed to enter any palace armed.

  After they had been carried along through the silent forest for some time, the road broadened. They passed under a double-arched stone portal of massive structure, then crossed a broad marble bridge with elaborately carved balustrades. On the other side of the moat loomed the high double-gate of the Water Palace. The girl pulled the window-curtain close. The judge heard shouted commands, and the palankeen stopped abruptly. The foreman of the bearers exchanged a few whispered words with the sentries; then they were carried up a flight of stairs. The grating sounds of bolts being drawn and chains released indicated that the gate was being thrown open. More shouted orders, and the palankeen was carried ahead for some distance, then lowered to the ground. The door- and window-curtains on both sides of the palankeen were drawn aside at the same moment. The glaring light that fell inside temporarily blinded Judge Dee's eyes. When he opened them he was looking at the face of a sergeant of the guard, close by the window. Behind him stood six guardsmen in their gilt armour, drawn swords in their hands. The sergeant told the girl curtly:

  ‘You are all right, of course, miss.’ And to the judge: ‘State name, profession and purpose of visit!’

  ‘I am Doctor Liang Mou, summoned by the Lady Hydrangea, Chief Lady-in-waiting of Her Imperial Highness.’

  ‘Step down, please!’

  Two guards searched the judge quickly and expertly. They even felt in his boots and brought out his identity paper. The sergeant inspected it. ‘All right. You'll get it back when you leave, sir. The doctor's box please, miss !’ The sergeant opened the flat box and rummaged with his thick forefinger among the contents. Giving it to the judge, he held up his hand for the calabash. He uncorked it, shook it in order to verify there was no small dagger inside, then gave it back. ‘You may now change to the palace chair.’

  He barked an order. Four bearers in beautiful silk livery approached, carrying an elegant litter with gilt shafts and brocade curtains. After the judge and the young woman had stepped inside, it was born noiselessly across the marble-paved courtyard, the sergeant marching in front. The spacious court was brilliantly lit by countless silk lampions, each on a high, red-lacquered stand. A few dozen guardsmen were loitering there, all in full armour and carrying crossbows and quivers packed with long arrows. The next yard was quiet; courtiers in flowing blue robes were flitting about among the heavy pillars that lined the open corridors. Judge Dee pointed at the lotus ponds and murmuring water-conducts.

  ‘All that water comes from the river, Isuppose?’

  ‘That's why it's called the Water Palace,’ the girl snapped.

  At a double-gate of gilt trellis work, two sentries carrying long halberds stopped the litter. The sergeant explained the purpose of the visit, then marched off. The sentries closed the curtains and fastened them on the outside. The two occupants were sitting in the dark again.

  ‘Outsiders are not allowed to see the layout of the inner palace,’ the girl deigned to explain.

  The j
udge remembered that on the map in Captain Siew's office the Water Palace was represented by a blank square. The authorities were nothing if not thorough in their security measures. He tried to guess what course they were following but soon lost count of all the corners they turned, all the steps they were carried up and down. At last the litter was lowered to the ground. A giant in heavy armour and a spiked helmet decorated with long coloured plumes told them to descend. His colossal colleague knocked with the hilt of his naked broadsword on a double-door of tooled iron. The judge got a glimpse of a paved yard, surrounded by a high wall painted a bright purple; then the iron doors swung open and a fat man motioned them to enter. He was clad in a long, gold-embroidered robe, and wore a conical, black-lacquered hat. His round placid face with its broad fleshy nose was completely hairless. Nodding familiarly at the girl, the obese eunuch addressed the judge in a high reedy voice:

  ‘His Excellency the Chief Eunuch wants to see you before you cross the Golden Bridge, Doctor.’

  ‘My mother is in distress,’ the girl quickly intervened. ‘The doctor must see her immediately, for…’

  ‘His Excellency's orders were explicit,’ the moon-faced man told her placidly. ‘You'll kindly wait here, miss. This way, sir.’ He pointed down a long, silent passage.

  V

  Alarmed, Judge Dee realized that he had barely half a minute to decide. It would take only that long to reach the gold-lacquered door at the end of the passage.

  Up to now he had not been concerned about the irregularity of the situation, for the person who had summoned him in this unusual manner had to be someone of consequence, and fully aware of his true identity, duly reported by the wily Captain Siew. That person wished to keep the real purpose of his visit secret, and would assume full responsibility for his having entered the palace under false pretences. But evidently his unknown sponsor had not reckoned with the Chief Eunuch interfering. During the coming interview the judge would either have to lie to one of the highest Court officials, which went against his deepest convictions of his duties to the State, or tell the truth, the consequences of which move he couldn't even guess at. The truth might harm a good cause, but also, perhaps, thwart an evil scheme. He took hold of himself. If a corrupt courtier or a depraved official was intending to use him for a nefarious purpose, it meant that he, the judge, had somewhere fallen short of the ideals of honesty and justice he wanted to live by, and hence fully deserved the ignominious death awaiting him if his true identity were discovered. This reflection gave him back his inner certainty. While the obese eunuch was knocking at the door, Judge Dee groped in his sleeve for one of the red visiting-cards he had written in the Kingfisher.