Murder in Canton

X

Judge Dee had slept badly. He had dozed off, after having tossed about for a long time, and now that he had awakened after a fitful slumber, he found he had a dull headache. It was one hour before daybreak, but he knew he could not sleep any more, and stepped down from the broad bedstead. Clad only in his nightrobe, he stood for a while in front of the arched window, looking out over the palace roofs silhouetted against the grey morning sky. In­haling the fresh air, he decided that a walk before breakfast would do him good.

He put on a gown of grey cotton, placed his skull-cap on his head and went downstairs. In the anteroom the majordomo was issuing the day's instructions to half a dozen heavy-eyed servants. Judge Dee told him to lead him to the park.

They walked through the dim corridors where the nightlamps had just been doused, on to the rear of the extensive palace com­pound. All along the back of the main building ran a broad marble terrace; below it was a beautifully laid out landscape garden, with paved pathways winding among the flowery shrubs.

'You need not wait,' he told the majordomo. Til find my way back all right.'

He descended the dew-covered steps, and took a path leading to a large lotus pond. Through the thin morning haze that hung over the still water, he saw on the opposite bank a small pavilion and decided to stroll over there. He walked slowly round the pond, admiring the graceful lotus flowers that were just now opening their pink and red petals.

Approaching the pavilion, he saw through the window the back of a tall man, hunched over a table. He thought he recognized those round shoulders. As he climbed the steps, he noticed that the man was peering intently into a small pot of green porce­lain which stood in front of him. Apparently he had heard Judge Dee's footsteps, for he said, still staring into the pot:

'So there you are, at last! Have a look at this tall fellow here!’

'Good morning,' Judge Dee said.

The Governor looked up with a startled frown. Seeing who his visitor was, he quickly rose and stammered:

'Excuse me, sir! I ... I really didn't ...'

'It's too early in the day for formalities!’ the judge interrupted wearily. 'I didn't sleep too well, and came out for a morning stroll.' Taking the other chair, he added, 'Sit down, please! What have you got in that pot there?'

'My best fighter, sir! See those strong, sturdy legs! Isn't he a beauty?'

Judge Dee leaned forward. He thought the large cricket re­sembled a particularly nasty black spider.

'Fine specimen!' he commented, sitting back again. 'I must confess, however, that I am an outsider. The Imperial Censor who came to Canton a few weeks ago — there is a real enthus­iast!'

'I had the honour to show him my collection,' the other said proudly. Then his face fell. He gave the judge a diffident look and resumed, 'He came back here, incognito, you know. I reported to the capital that he had been seen here, and I was ordered to estab­lish contact with him. But shortly after I had sent out my men to make a search for him, the order was suddenly cancelled.' He hesi­tated for a while, nervously tugging at his moustache. 'Of course, I would never be so bold as to meddle with the affairs of the central government, but since Canton is my territory after all, I thought that a few words of explanation.. .' He did not finish his sentence and gave the judge an expectant look.

'Yes!' Judge Dee said eagerly, 'that's true! The Censor wasn't present at the meeting of the Grand Council I attended just before I left. Well, since you have been ordered to cease your efforts, the Censor has presumably gone back to the capital and resumed his duties.'

He leaned back in his chair, slowly stroking his beard. The Governor took a round cover of woven bamboo and carefully put it over the green pot. Then he said with a wan smile:

'My physician has informed me that you discovered a second murder yesterday. And the victim was one of your own men! I do hope that the Prefect isn't getting too old for his job. It's a large city, and...'

'It doesn't matter,' the judge said affably. 'Both affairs had their roots in the capital, and my men made awkward mistakes. It's I who should apologize!’

'Most considerate of you, sir. I hope you are satisfied with the progress of your investigation concerning the foreign trade here?'

'Oh yes. But it's a complicated subject. I think we must devise a better system for keeping all those various kinds of foreigners under control, you know. In due time I shall show you a draft-proposal to confine them severally to special quarters. I have just begun to look into Arab affairs. Then I shall go on to the others too, such as the Persians, and...'

'That's quite unnecessary!’ the Governor interrupted suddenly. Then he bit his lips and added quickly, 'I mean to say, sir, those Persians are ... well, there can't be more than a few dozen. Nice, educated people, all of them.'

Judge Dee thought the Governor had grown very pale. But it might be the effect of the uncertain light. He said slowly:

'Well, I want to get the complete picture, you see.'

'Allow me to assist you, sir!’ the Governor said eagerly. 'Ha, there's Pao!’

Prefect Pao Kwan made a low bow on the steps of the pavilion, followed by a second, even lower one when he got inside. With a worried face he said to the Governor:

'A thousand pardons, sir! Imagine the cheek of that woman! She hasn't turned up! I can't imagine why she...'

'And I can't imagine,' the Governor interrupted him coldly, 'why you don't make sure persons are dependable before you even think of introducing them to me. Well, since I am busy now with His Excellency, you...'

'I can't find words to say how sorry I am, sir,' the unhappy Prefect said, eager to excuse himself. 'But since I know of your interest in crickets, and since my wife said the woman had an uncanny knowledge of the subject...'

Before the Governor could dismiss the Prefect, Judge Dee said quickly:

'I didn't know there were also women-amateurs. She deals in those insects, I presume?'

'Yes, indeed, Excellency,' the Prefect said, grateful for the inter­vention. 'My wife told me that the girl has a remarkably fine eye for a good cricket. Well, the word "eye" is badly chosen, in this particular case, for she's blind, apparently.' He continued to the Governor, 'As I reported to you yesterday, sir, my wife ordered her to appear here at dawn, before your morning audience, so as to take as little as possible of your valuable time and...'

'I'd like to have her address, Mr Pao,' Judge Dee cut him short. 'It might be a good idea to take a few crickets back with me, as a souvenir of Canton.'

This request seemed to upset the Prefect even more. He stam­mered:

'I ... I asked my wife for her address, but the stupid woman said she didn't know.... She had met her only once, in the market. She had been so impressed by her sincere devotion to crickets that she...'

Seeing that the Governor was getting red in the face and was about to give the Prefect a severe dressing down, Judge Dee came to the rescue.

'It doesn't matter, really. Well, I'll go back to my own quarters now.' He rose and said quickly to the Governor, who had got up too, 'No, don't bother! Mr Pao will show me the way.'

He went down into the garden, followed by the flustered Pre­fect.

When they had come to the terrace, the judge said with a smile:

'Don't mind your chief's bad temper, Mr Pao! I myself am never at my best either, so early in the morning!’ As the Prefect gave him a grateful smile, he continued, 'The Governor seems very diligent about his duties. He often makes the rounds of the city incognito, I suppose, in order to get a personal impression of the situation here.'

'Never, sir! He is a haughty man; he would consider that de­basing himself! He is very hard to please indeed, Excellency. And since I am much older than him, and very experienced, I don't find my work here very ah ... agreeable. I have been serving here five years already, sir. My last post was magistrate of a district in Shantung, my native province. I did rather well there, hence my promotion to Canton. Here I took the trouble of learning Can­tonese, and I have a thorough knowledge of local affairs, if I may be allowed to say so. The Governor ought to consult me before taking decisions, really. But he is a proper martinet, he...'

'Criticizing one's superiors behind their backs is considered un­becoming to an official,' Judge Dee interrupted him coldly. 'If you have complaints, you may communicate them to the Board of Personnel through the proper channels. I want you to accompany me when I call on Mr Liang Foo, presently. I want to have a further consultation with him. Be ready for me one hour after breakfast.'

The Prefect led the judge silently to his anteroom, and there took his leave with a bow.

Judge Dee ate a simple breakfast in his private dining-room, attended by the majordomo, then had a leisurely cup of tea. His headache was gone, but he still found it difficult to concentrate. Looking absent-mindedly at the red glow of dawn that was now colouring the paper windows, he wondered about the blind girl. Had the Governor really never met her before?

With a sigh he put his cup down and went up to his bedroom. He changed into his official robe, put on high, winged cap, then went to the hall. As he seated himself behind his desk, his eye fell on a large, official-looking envelope. He slit it open and glanced through the brief message. Then he took a long roll of blank paper from the drawer, moistened his brush and began to write.

He was still thus engaged when Tao Gan came in and wished him a good morning. The lean man sat down and said:

'I just called at the tribunal, sir. The Prefect had not yet arrived, so I explained everything to the headman of the constables, a rather shrewd fellow. Too shrewd, I must say,' he added wryly. 'When I first ordered him to have that prostitute redeemed, then told him to make discreet inquiries about a blind girl, he gave me a knowing leer, and from then on addressed me in a tone which I found unduly familiar.'

'Excellent!’ Judge Dee exclaimed. 'Since the rascal thinks you are just a common lecher, he won't blab to the Prefect. And it is essential that neither he nor the Governor gets to know about our interest in the blind girl.' He told Tao Gan about his conversation in the pavilion, then added, 'I got the impression that the Gover­nor has met her before, but doesn't want the Prefect to know. We can only guess at the reason why she didn't keep the appointment. She can't have been kidnapped, for then she wouldn't have been able to take her crickets and her other belongings. I rather think she just wanted to disappear. Let's hope that the headman is as shrewd as you think, and finds a clue to her whereabouts. We must have a talk with her. Well, I am just finishing my pre­liminary report to the Grand Council. We'll go through it to­gether presently.'

He went on covering the document roll with his strong cal­ligraphy. After a while he sat back in his chair and read the report aloud. Tao Gan nodded. It was a concise statement of all the facts and he had nothing to add. The judge signed and sealed it; then he tapped the envelope lying on his desk and said:

'This letter just arrived from the capital by ordinary courier. It is an advance notice from the Chancery that a special messenger with a secret letter from the Grand Council is on his way, escorted by military police; he's due to arrive here tonight. Let us hope this means they have discovered the purpose of the Censor's clan­destine visit here. For to tell you the truth, I can't make head or tail of what is going on!’

TAO GAN AND JUDGE DEE

The majordomo came in and announced that Judge Dee's palan­keen was standing ready in the front courtyard.

Prefect Pao was waiting for them there. He made his bow while a dozen mounted guards presented arms. Twenty uniformed bearers stood at attention by the magnificent palankeen. It had a high purple canopy, crowned by a three-tiered gilt spire.

'Can that cumbersome thing pass through Mr Liang's gate?' Judge Dee asked sourly.

'Easily, Excellency!' Pao replied with a smile. 'The late Ad­miral's residence is in fact a palace, built in the ancient style.'

The judge grunted. He ascended the palankeen, followed by the Prefect and Tao Gan. The cortиge set into motion, preceded by the mounted guards.