The Chinese Maze Murders

Seventeenth Chapter

Judge dee had planned to set out for the Governor's country estate early in the morning. But just as he was finishing his morning tea, Sergeant Hoong announced that Mrs. Yoo and her son Yoo Shan had come to see the judge as requested.

Judge Dee had them brought in.

Yoo Shan was tall for his age. He had an open, intelligent face and an air of self-assurance that pleased the judge.

He made Mrs. Yoo and her son sit down in front of his desk. After the exchange of the usual courtesies the judge said:

"I regret, Madam, that pressure of other business has prevented me from devoting as much time to your case as I would have liked. I have not yet succeeded in solving the riddle of the Governor's scroll picture. However, I have a feeling that if I knew more about the general situation in your household when your late husband was still alive, I would be in a better position to solve the problem. Hence I would like to ask you a few questions, for my own guidance."

Mrs. Yoo bowed.

"In the first place", Judge Dee continued, "I wondered about the old Governor's attitude to his eldest son, Yoo Kee. According to your testimony, Yoo Kee is a heartless man. Did the Governor realize that his son had a wicked character?"

"It is my duty to stress", Mrs. Yoo replied, "that until

his father's death, Yoo Kee behaved most correctly. I would never have dreamed that he was capable of such cruelty as he showed later. My husband always spoke to me kindly about Yoo Kee, he used to say that Yoo Kee was a diligent man and a great help to him in the administration of the family property. And Yoo Kee struck me as an exemplary son who tried to anticipate his father's every wish."

"Then, Madam", Judge Dee went on, "I would like you to give me a few names of the Governor's friends here in Lan-fang."

Mrs. Yoo hesitated. Then she answered:

"The Governor did not like company, Your Honour. He used to spend every morning out in the fields. In the afternoon he would enter the maze alone and stay there for an hour or so."

"Did you ever go inside?", the judge interrupted.

Mrs. Yoo shook her head.

"No", she said, "the Governor always said that it was too damp there. Afterwards he used to drink tea in the garden pavilion behind the mansion. He either read a book or worked on his paintings. I knew a Mrs. Lee, who is quite a gifted amateur painter. The Governor would often invite Mrs. Lee and myself to join him in the pavilion and discuss his pictures."

"Is Mrs. Lee still alive?" inquired the judge.

"Yes, I think so. Formerly she lived not far from our town mansion. She would often come to see me. She is a very kind lady who had the misfortune to lose her husband shortly after their marriage. I once met her when she was walking through the rice fields near our farm and she seemed to take a liking to me. After the Governor married me, she kept up our friendship, and my husband encouraged it.

He was so considerate, Your Honour! He understood that I, as the mistress of such a large mansion full of people I had not known before, would sometimes feel lonely. I know that it was for this reason that he encouraged Mrs. Lee to come often, although as a rule he did not like visitors."

"Did Mrs. Lee break off the relationship when the Governor died?", Judge Dee asked.

Mrs. Yoo blushed.

"No", she said, "it is entirely my fault that I did not see her again. After Yoo Kee had expelled me from the mansion I felt so humiliated and ashamed that I just went back to my father's farm. I have never been to see Mrs. Lee."

The judge saw that she was deeply moved. He asked hastily:

"Thus the Governor had no friends at all here in Lan-fang?"

Mrs. Yoo mastered herself. She nodded and said:

"My husband preferred to be alone. Once, however, he told me that somewhere in the mountains near this town there lived a very old and intimate friend of his."

Judge Dee leaned forward eagerly.

"Who was that, Madam?"

"The Governor never mentioned his name, but I received the impression that he had the greatest regard and affection for him."

Judge Dee's face fell.

"This is very important, Madam. Try to think back whether you cannot remember something more about that friend!"

Mrs. Yoo slowly drank her tea. Then she said:

"I remember now that he must have visited the Governor once, because that was rather a peculiar occurrence. My husband used to receive his tenant farmers once every month; everyone who had a complaint or who wanted advice could come to see him that day.

Once there was an old peasant waiting in the courtyard. As soon as the Governor had seen him he rushed to him and bowed deeply. He took that peasant straight to his library and remained closeted with him for several hours. I thought that that might have been the Governor's friend, probably a recluse. But I never asked."

Judge Dee stroked his beard.

"I suppose", he said after a pause, "that you kept some scrolls written by your husband?"

Mrs. Yoo shook her head.

"When the Governor married me", she said simply, "I could neither read nor write. He himself taught me a little, but of course I never made such progress as to enable me to appreciate calligraphy. There must be some specimens of the Governor's calligraphy in Yoo Kee's mansion. Your Honour might refer to him."

Judge Dee rose.

"I appreciate that you took all the trouble to come, Madam. Rest assured that I shall do my utmost to discover the hidden message of the Governor's picture. Let me congratulate you on your son. He seems a most intelligent youngster!"

Mrs. Yoo and Yoo Shan rose and bowed deeply. Then Sergeant Hoong saw them out.

As he came back he said:

"Nothing, Your Honour, seems more difficult than to obtain a specimen of the Governor's handwriting! Perhaps we could apply to the capital for one. The Grand Secretary must have many original memoranda to the Throne drawn up by the Governor."

"That would take several weeks", the judge replied. "Perhaps that Mrs. Lee has a picture inscribed by the Governor. Try to find out whether she is still alive, and where she lives, Sergeant. The information about that hermit who was a friend of Governor Yoo is so vague that I have little hope of locating him. Probably he is dead."

"Does Your Honour intend to hear the case of Candidate Ding this afternoon?", the sergeant inquired.

The night before Judge Dee had vouchsafed no further explanation of the discovery he had made in Candidate Ding's poem, and the sergeant was curious to know.

Judge Dee did not answer for a while. Then he rose and said:

"To tell you the truth, Sergeant, I have not yet made up my mind. Let us see when we have come back from our expedition to the country house. Please go out and see whether my palanquin is ready, and have Majoong called!"

Sergeant Hoong knew that it was no use insisting. He went out and had Judge Dee's private palanquin made ready, with six bearers.

The judge ascended his palanquin. Ma Joong and Sergeant Hoong mounted their horses.

They left the city by the east gate and moved along the narrow road through the rice fields.

When they were approaching elevated terrain, Ma Joong asked a peasant about the way. It appeared that they should take the first road to the right.

This side road proved to be very neglected. It was so overgrown with wild weeds and shrubs that only a footpath in the middle remained.

The bearers put the palanquin down. Judge Dee descended.

"We had better proceed on foot, Your Honour!", Ma Joong observed. "The palanquin cannot pass through here."

So speaking, he fastened the reins of his horse to a tree. Sergeant Hoong followed his example.

They went on in single file, the judge in front.

After many turns they came unexpectedly upon a large gate house. The double doors had once been covered with gold and red lacquer but now there was nothing left but the cracked boards. One panel hung loose.

"Anyone can walk in here!", said the judge in amazement.

"Yet there is no safer place in Lan-fang!", Sergeant Hoong remarked. "Even the most audacious robber would not dare to cross this threshold. This is haunted ground!"

The judge pushed the creaking door open and entered what had once been a beautiful park.

Now it was a wilderness. The roots of towering cedar trees had broken through the flagstones and thick undergrowth obstructed the way. Deep silence reigned. Even the birds did not sing.

The path seemed to disappear into a cluster of shrubs. Ma Joong parted the thick foliage to let the judge pass through. They saw a dilapidated mansion surrounded by a broad elevated terrace.

It was a one-storied, quite extensive building that must once have been an impressive sight. Now the roof had caved in at several places, and wind and rain had played havoc with the carved woodwork of doors and pillars.

Ma Joong went up the crumbling steps of the terrace and looked around. There was no one about.

"Visitors have arrived!" he shouted in a stentorian voice.

The echo was the only answer.

They entered the main hall.

Here the plaster hung down in strips from the walls. A few pieces of broken, bare furniture stood in a corner.

Ma Joong shouted again. But there was stilll no answer. Judge Dee lowered himself carefully into an old chair. He said:

"You two had better have a look round. You will probably find the old couple working in the garden behind the house."

Judge Dee folded his arms. Again he marvelled at the uncanny stillness that hung over this place.

Suddenly he heard the sounds of running feet.

Ma Joong and Sergeant Hoong came rushing into the hall.

"Your Honour!", Ma Joong panted, "we have found the dead bodies of that old couple!"

"Well", Judge Dee said testily, "dead people can do no harm. Let us go and have a look!"

They led the judge through a dim corridor. It gave on to a fairly large garden surrounded by old pine trees. In the middle stood an octagonal pavilion.

Ma Joong pointed silently to a flowering magnolia tree in a corner.

Judge Dee went down the stairs of the terrace and walked through the tall grass. On a bamboo couch, right under the magnolia tree he saw the remains of two people.

The bodies must have been lying there for several months. The bones were sticking up through the ragged, decaying robes. Strands of grey hair were attached to the bare skulls. They lay side by side, their arms crossed on their breast.

Judge Dee bent over and scrutinized the bodies intently.

"It seems to me", he said, "that the two old people died a natural death. I think that when one of them had succumbed to weakness and old age, the other just lay down there too and died.

I shall have the constables carry these bodies to the tribunal for an autopsy. But I don't expect any exciting discoveries."

Ma Joong shook his head disconsolately.

"If there is any information to be obtained here", he remarked, "we must get it all by ourselves!"

Judge Dee walked over to the pavilion.

The intricate lattice work of the window openings proved that formerly it had been a very elegant place. Now there was left nothing but the bare walls, and one large table.

"Here", Judge Dee said, "the old Governor used to paint and read his books. I wonder where that gate in the back fence leads to."

They left the pavilion and strolled over to the wooden gate. Ma Joong pushed it open. They found themselves in a paved yard.

In front, a large stone gate loomed against the green foliage. The curved roof was decked.with blue-glazed tiles. On left and right there rose a wall of thick shrubbery and closely planted trees. Judge Dee looked up at the inscribed stone slab inserted in the plaster over the gate.

He turned round and said to his companions:

"This is apparently the entrance to the Governor's famous maze. Look at that stanza written there:

The sergeant and Ma Joong looked up intently. The inscription was written in very cursive style.

"I can't identify a single letter!", Sergeant Hoong exclaimed.

Judge Dee did not seem to have heard him. He stood there gazing enraptured at the inscription.

"That is the most magnificent calligraphy I have ever seen!", he sighed. "Unfortunately the signature is so covered with moss that I can hardly read it. Yes, that is it. 'The Hermit clad in Crane Feathers'. What a curious name!"

The judge thought for a moment. Then he continued:

"I cannot remember ever having heard of a person of that name. But whoever he be, that man is a superb calligrapher! Seeing such writing, my friends, one understands why the ancients praised great calligraphy by comparing it to 'the tension of a crouching panther, and the wild force of dragons sporting among rain and thunder'."

Judge Dee passed through the archway, still shaking his head in admiration.

"Give me handwriting that a man can read!", Ma Joong whispered to the sergeant.

In front rose a row of age-cold cedar trees. The space between their heavy trunks was filled with large boulders and thorny shrubs. The tree tops met on high, screening out the sunlight.

The air was foul with the smell of decaying leaves.

On the right, two gnarled pine trees on either side of the path formed a natural gateway. At the foot of one stood a stone tablet with the inscription "Entrance". Beyond it a dim, damp tunnel went straight on for a while, then disappeared in a curve.

As he was looking into this green tunnel Judge Dee suddenly felt an uncanny fear.

Slowly he turned. On the left he saw the opening of another tunnel. A number of large boulders were piled up among the cedar trees. One stone was marked "Exit".

Ma Joong and Sergeant Hoong stood behind the judge. They did not say a word. They too felt the weird, threatening atmosphere of this place.

Judge Dee again looked into the entrance. The tunnel seemed to exhale a cold current of air. The judge felt chilled to his very bones. Yet the air was completely still. Not a leaf moved.

Judge Dee wanted to avert his gaze but the dim tunnel held him hypnotized. He felt a compelling desire to enter. He thought that he could see the tall figure of the old Governor standing in the green dimness beyond the curve, beckoning him.

With a great effort the judge mastered himself. In order to free himself from this evil atmosphere he forced his gaze to the ground, covered with a thick layer of decaying leaves.

Suddenly his heart stood still. In the middle of a muddy stretch, right in front of his feet, he saw the imprint of a small foot, pointing towards the tunnel. This eerie signpost seemed to order him to enter.

Judge Dee heaved a deep sigh, then turned round abruptly. He said casually:

"Well, we had better not venture into this maze without adequate preparations!"

So speaking he passed under the archway, crossed the paved yard and walked back into the garden. Never had the warm sunlight been so welcome to him.

Judge Dee looked up at a huge cedar tree that rose high over the pines. He said to Ma Joong:

"I would like to have at least a general idea of the size and shape of this maze. We need not go inside for that. If you climb this tree you should be able to obtain a view of the entire area."

"That is easily done!" Ma Joong exclaimed.

He loosened his girdle and took off his outer robe. Then he jumped and just caught the lowest branch. He pulled himself up. Soon he had disappeared among the thick foliage.

Judge Dee and Sergeant Hoong sat down on a fallen tree. Neither of them spoke.

They heard a crashing sound above them. Ma Joong jumped down. He looked ruefully at a tear in his under garment.

"I climbed up right to the top, Your Honour", he said. "From there I could overlook the maze. It is circular in form and extends well, over an acre, right up to where the mountain slope begins. But I could discover nothing of its design. The tree tops meet nearly everywhere, I could see only short stretches of the path. Here and there a light haze hangs over it. I would not wonder if inside there were a number of stagnant pools."

"Did you see nothing like the roof of a pavilion or a small house?", inquired Judge Dee.

"No", Ma Joong replied, "I saw only a sea of green tree tops!"

"That is curious", Judge Dee mused. "Since the Governor spent so much of his time in that maze, one would expect him to have had some small library or studio inside."

The judge rose and straightened his robes.

"Let us now have a closer look at the mansion itself," he said.

They passed once more the garden pavilion and the two still figures under the magnolia tree. Then they ascended the terrace.

They inspected a number of larger and smaller empty rooms. Most of the woodwork had rotted away, the bricks showed through the plaster.

As the judge was entering a dim corridor, Ma Joong who had been walking ahead of him called out:

"Here is a closed door, Your Honour!"

Judge Dee and Sergeant Hoong walked up to him. Ma Joong pointed to a large wooden door that was in excellent state of repair.

"This is the first door we find in this place that closes properly!", the sergeant observed.

Ma Joong put his shoulders against it and nearly fell inside. The door swung open smoothly on well-oiled hinges.

Judge Dee stepped inside.

The room had only one window, barred with a solid iron grating. It was empty but for a rustic bamboo couch in a corner. The floor was swept clean.

Sergeant Hoong entered the room too and walked over to the grated window.

Ma Joong hurriedly stepped out.

"Since our adventure under the bronze bell" [2], he called to Judge Dee from outside, "I have become very chary of closed spaces! While Your Honour and the sergeant are inside, I shall stand guard here in the corridor and see that no well-wisher slams that door shut on you!"

Judge Dee smiled bleakly.

With a glance at the barred window and the high ceiling he remarked:

"You are quite right, Ma Joong! Once that door is locked we would not easily escape from this room!"

Feeling the smooth bamboo of the couch that did not show one speck of dust, he added:

"Someone has been living here until quite recently!"

"Not a bad hiding place", the sergeant commented. "This may have served as the lair of a criminal!"

"A criminal or a prisoner", Judge Dee said pensively.

He then ordered Sergeant Hoong to seal the door.

They inspected the other rooms but did not discover anything. As noon was approaching, Judge Dee decided to go back to the tribunal.