Necklace and Calabash

XXI

The Superintendent and Colonel Kang stood waiting in the cor­ridor, in an uneasy silence. The obese eunuch was still on his knees. Judge Dee closed the gold-lacquered door. Handing the envelope to the Superintendent, he said:

'In here you'll find full particulars about everyone who took part in the foul scheme. You shall go back to your office and have the main criminals arrested at once. Thereafter you shall institute a most exhaustive inquiry. You may follow me, Colonel. I have the Chief Eunuch's permission to pass the bridge.' And to the eunuch: 'Lead the way!’

When the three men had arrived at the foot of the bridge, the fat eunuch beat the small golden gong suspended on a marble pillar. After a while four court ladies came out of the building on the other side, and the judge and Colonel Kang went across. Judge Dee told the ladies that the Inquisitor requested the honour of an audience. They were led into a side-room where they waited for a long time. Apparently the Princess was still at her toilet.

At last two court ladies came and conducted the judge and Colonel Kang along an outside corridor to a covered balcony, lined by heavy, red-lacquered pillars, on the east side of the palace. From there one had a fine view over the woodland that led up to the mountains. The Third Princess was standing by the farthest pillar, a round fan in her hand. Behind her stood a frail, elderly lady, her grey hair combed back straight from her high forehead. The judge and the colonel knelt.

'Rise and report, Dee!’ the Princess ordered in her clear voice.

Judge Dee came to his feet, lifting the yellow roll in both hands. The colonel remained on his knees.

'Your humble servant has the honour to return to Your High­ness the August Words.'

The Princess gestured with her fan. The elderly lady came forward. When she took the yellow roll over from the judge, he noticed the white jade bracelet on her wrist, carved into the shape of a curving dragon.

'Your humble servant has also the honour to return to Your Highness the pearl necklace. The thief proved to be a person from outside the palace, exactly as Your Highness deigned to intimate when your servant was granted his first audience.'

The Princess held out her hand, and the judge gave her the necklace with a low bow. Letting it glide through her fingers, she told him, her eyes on Colonel Kang:

'You shall repeat, Dee, the last words I said to you.'

'Your Highness deigned to say that in charging me to recover the necklace, she placed her happiness into my hands.' Judge Dee spoke automatically, for now that he was seeing her face clearly in broad daylight, something had struck him in the line of her cheekbones and the shape of the determined chin.

'Now you know, Colonel. Soon we shall meet again, the red candles burning high.'

Colonel Kang rose and stepped up to her, his shining eyes locked with hers. The elderly lady looked at the tall, handsome pair, a soft smile on her pale, tired face. Judge Dee quickly went to the door.

The two court ladies conducted him back to the Golden Bridge. The obese eunuch stood waiting at the other side. When he had respectfully led Judge Dee to the entrance, the judge told him:

'Go and see your master. I fear he is ill.' Then he got into the brocade palankeen and told the honour guard to take him to the Superintendent's office.

The corridor was crowded with guardsmen and sturdy fellows both in black and grey livery, but all wearing red armlets with the word 'special' written on them, and all armed to the teeth. They bowed low when they saw the judge. He found the Super­intendent standing bent over his desk, which was strewn with thin slips of paper. The Superintendent looked up.

'The main scoundrels have been arrested already, Excellency! I regret to report that the rot had spread even among my own men. What must we do about the Chief Eunuch, Excellency? He can't be arrested without ...'

"The Chief Eunuch died from a heart-attack,' the judge inter­rupted. 'While conducting your investigation you shall pay par­ticular attention to a person who calls himself Mr Hao, and to close associates of his who last night murdered Mr Lang Liu, in the Kingfisher inn. You shall see to it that they are punished with the utmost severity.'

The Superintendent made a bow. Pointing at his own chair, he said, 'Your Excellency please be seated, so that I can explain how ...'

Judge Dee shook his head. He took off the winged cap, placed it carefully on the desk, and put his small skull-cap on his head. Then he divested himself of the yellow stole, and placed it beside the cap.

'I have returned the August Words to Her Highness. From now on I am just the magistrate of Poo-yang. I leave everything in your capable hands, sir.'

The Superintendent fixed the judge with his piercing eyes.

'Do you mean to say that you won't avail yourself of this opportunity to... . Don't you realize that you have a high position in the capital for the asking? I shall be glad to propose that you ...'

'I am eager to return to my post, sir.'

The other gave him a long look. Then, shaking his head, he went to the side-table. He took the sword lying there and handed it to Judge Dee. It was his cherished Rain Dragon. As the judge hung it on his back, the Superintendent said gravely:

'Your drastic action in Poo-yang against the monks of the Temple of Boundless Mercy made the Buddhist clique at court your enemy. And now you have seriously antagonized the power­ful party of the eunuchs. I want you to realize, Dee, that you have embittered enemies at the Imperial Court. But also staunch friends. Including me.'

His thin lips curved. It was the first time Judge Dee had seen the Superintendent smile. He bowed and went out. The lieutenant at the gate asked him whether he wanted a palankeen, but the judge said he preferred a horse. The gates were thrown open and he rode across the marble bridge.