The Chinese Maze Murders

Fourth Chapter

Ma Joong looked astonished but Judge Dee vouchsafed no further comment. Silently they strolled back to the tribunal. Chiao Tai opened the gate for them and informed the judge that Tao Gan was waiting for him in his private office.

Judge Dee had Sergeant Hoong called in. As his four lieutenants seated themselves in front of his desk the judge gave a brief account of his encounter with Candidate Ding. Then he ordered Tao Gan to report.

Tao Gan's face was even longer than usual as he began:

"Matters don't look too good for us, Your Honour. That man Chien has established himself in a powerful position. He has drained the district of its wealth but he has been careful to leave alone members of influential families who came here from the capital, in order to prevent them from sending unfavourable reports about him to the central authorities. This applies to General Ding whose son Your Honour just met, and to Yoo Kee, the son of Governor Yoo Shou-chien.

Chien Mow has been clever enough not to turn on the screws too tightly. He takes a generous percentage of all business conducted in this district, but leaves the merchants a reasonable margin of profit. After a fashion he also maintains the public peace; if a man is caught stealing or brawling he is beaten half to death on the spot by Chien's henchmen. It is true that these men eat and drink in restaurants and inns without paying a copper. On the other hand Chien spends freely and many of the large shops have a good customer in him and his men. It are the small shopkeepers and tradesmen that suffer most from his tyranny. On the whole, however, the people of Lan-fang are resigned to their fate and reason that it could easily be worse." Are Chien's men loyal to him?", the judge interrupted.

"Why should they not be?", Tao Gan asked. "Those ruffians, about one hundred in all, spend their time drinking and gambling. Chien recruited them from the scum of the city and picked up quite a number of deserters from the regular army. Chien's mansion, by the way, looks like a fortress. It stands near the western city gate. The high outer wall has iron spikes all along its top and the main entrance is guarded day and night by four men who are armed to the teeth."

Judge Dee remained silent for some time, slowly caressing his side whiskers. Then he asked:

"Now what did you learn about Yoo Kee?"

"Yoo Kee", Tao Gan replied, "lives near the Watergate. He seems to be a man of retiring habits who lives very quietly. But people tell many stories about his father, the late Governor Yoo Shou-chien. He was an eccentric old man who spent most of his time on his large country estate at the foot of the mountain slope, outside the eastern city gate. That country mansion is an old, dark house surrounded by a dense forest. People say that it was built more than two centuries ago. At the back the governor constructed a maze that covers nearly one acre. The path is bordered by thick undergrowth and large boulders which form an impenetrable wall. They say that this maze abounds in poisonous reptiles; others aver that the Governor laid many a weird man-trap along the path. Anyway this maze is so perfect that no one except the old Governor himself has ever ventured to enter it. He, however, used to go there nearly every day and stayed inside for hours on end."

Judge Dee had followed Tao Gan's words with great interest.

"What a curious tale!", he exclaimed. "Does Yoo Kee often visit that country mansion?"

Tao Gan shook his head.

"No", he replied, "Yoo Kee left there as soon as the old Governor had been buried. He has never gone back there since. The mansion is empty but for an aged gate keeper and his wife. People say that the place is haunted and that the ghost of the old Governor walks about there at night. All give the estate a wide berth, even in broad daylight.

The Governor's town mansion was located just inside the eastern city gate. But Yoo Kee sold it soon after his father's death and bought his present house, right at the other end of the city. It stands on an empty plot of ground in the southwest corner, near the river. I had no time to go there myself, but people say that it is quite an imposing mansion, surrounded by a high wall."

Judge Dee rose and started pacing the floor.

After a while he said impatiently:

"The overthrow of Chien Mow resolves itself into a purely military problem and I for one find but small interest in such problems. They resemble too much a game of chess, the opponent and all his resources are known right from the beginning, there are no unknown factors. I am greatly intrigued, on the other hand, by two most interesting problems, namely the ambiguous last will of old Governor Yoo, and the murder of General Ding that is announced in advance. I would like to concentrate on these two matters which I find of absorbing interest. Instead I must first dispose of this miserable local tyrant! What an annoying situation!"

The judge tugged angrily at his beard. Then he rose and said:

"Well, I suppose that it can't be helped. I shall now have my noon meal. Thereafter I shall open the first session of this tribunal."

Judge Dee left his office. His four lieutenants walked over to the empty guard house, where the steward of the judge had prepared a simple meal for them.

As they were entering Chiao Tai gave a sign to Ma Joong. The two remained standing together for a moment in the corridor outside.

Chiao Tai whispered to Ma Joong:

"I fear that His Excellency underrates the problem we are up against. You and I have military experience, we know that we have not got a chance. Chien Mow has one hundred well-trained men, the only fighters we have are, except for our judge himself, just you and me. The nearest military post is three days on horseback from here. Should not we warn our judge not to act too rashly?"

Ma Joong twisted his short moustache.

"Our judge", he replied in a low voice, "has all the data we have. I take it that he has evolved a scheme to deal with the situation."

"The most clever scheme", Chiao Tai observed, "is of no avail against such superior strength. It does not matter for us, but what about our judge's wives and his children? Chien will have no mercy on them. I think it is our duty to propose to the judge that we first pretend to submit to Chien and thereafter work out some plan for attacking him. We could have a regiment of our army here in two weeks."

Ma Joong shook his head.

"Unbidden advice is never welcome", he said. "Let us wait awhile and see what happens. I for one know of no better death than to fall in a really good fight."

"All right", Chiao Tai said, "if it comes to an open conflict I shall take care of at least four of those ruffians. Let us now join the others. Don't say a word about this, it is no use alarming the sergeant and Tao Gan."

Ma Joong nodded.

They entered the guard house and fell to their meal with gusto.

When they had eaten their rice Tao Gan wiped his chin and said:

"I have served more than six years under our judge and I thought I had come to understand him fairly well. But now it baffles me how he can be so preoccupied with an old lawsuit and a murder that will probably never take place, at a time when we are confronted with so difficult and urgent a problem as the overthrow of Chien Mow. You, Sergeant, have known His Excellency all your life. What do you say?"

Sergeant Hoong was busy swallowing the last of his soup, lifting his moustache with his left hand. He quietly put the bowl down. Then he said with a smile:

"In all these years I have learned but one thing about understanding our judge. That is, to give up trying to!"

All laughed. They rose and went back to the judge's private office.

As Sergeant Hoong was assisting Judge Dee in changing into his ceremonial robes he said curtly:

"Since I lack all the court personnel, today the four of you must take their places."

So speaking Judge Dee pulled aside the screen that separated his office from the court hall, and ascended the dais.

When he was seated behind the bench the judge ordered Sergeant Hoong and Tao Gan to stand by his side and act as scribes, taking notes of the proceedings. Ma Joong and Chiao Tai were to stand below, in front of the dais, as constables.

As he took up his position Ma Joong shot Chiao Tai a bewildered look. They wondered why the judge insisted on keeping up the semblance of a real session of the tribunal. Looking at the empty court hall Chiao Tai thought to himself that it rather reminded him of a theatrical performance.

Judge Dee hit his gavel on the bench. He said solemnly:

"I, the magistrate, open the first session of this tribunal. Chiao Tai, bring the prisoners before me!"'

Soon Chiao Tai came back leading the six robbers and the girl; he had shackled them together on a long chain.

As they approached the dais the prisoners looked amazed at the judge sitting in full ceremonial dress behind the shabby bench in the deserted court hall.

With an impassive face Judge Dee ordered Tao Gan to note down the full name and former profession of each of the prisoners.

Then Judge Dee spoke:

"You men have committed the crime of assault with murderous intent on the public road. The law prescribes for you death by decapitation, confiscation of all your property, and your heads exposed for three days, nailed to the city gate, as a warning to others.

However, in view of the fact that none of your victims was killed and none suffered grievous bodily harm, and because of the special reasons that drove you to this desperate deed, I, the magistrate, decide that in this particular case mercy shall prevail over justice. I shall let you go free on one condition.

This condition is that all of you shall serve for an indefinite time as constables of this tribunal under Fang as your headman, binding yourselves loyally to serve the state and the people until I shall release you."

The prisoners looked dumbfounded.

"Your Honour", Fang spoke up, "these persons are profoundly grateful for the leniency shown to us. Yet this only means that our death sentence is deferred for a few-days. Your Honour does not yet know Chien Mow's vindictive spirit, and…"

The judge hit his gavel on the table. He called out in a thunderous voice:

"Look up at your magistrate! Observe carefully these insignia of the power that has been vested in me. Know that on this very day, this very hour all over the Empire thousands of men wearing these same insignia are dispensing justice in the name of the state and the people. Since time immemorial they stand as a symbol of the social order decided upon in the wise counsels of your ancestors, and perpetuated by the mandate of Heaven and the free will of the uncounted millions of our black-haired people.

Have you not seen sometimes people trying to plant a stick in a gushing mountain stream? It will stand for a moment or so, then it is carried away by the mighty stream that flows on for ever. Thus occasionally wicked or ignorant men will rise and endeavour to disrupt the sacred pattern of our society. Is it not crystal clear that such attempts can never end in anything but miserable failure?

Let us never lose faith in these tokens, lest we lose faith in ourselves.

Stand up, and be freed of your chains!"

The prisoners had not followed all the implications of Judge Dee's words. But they were deeply impressed by his utter sincerity and carried away by his supreme confidence. Judge Dee's lieutenants, however, had fully understood and they knew that his words had been meant as much for them as for the prisoners. Ma Joong and Chiao Tai bent their heads and hurriedly loosened the chains.

Judge Dee then addressed the robbers:

"Afterwards each of you will report to Tao Gan and Sergeant Hoong what wrongs he suffered at the hands of Chien Mow. In due time each single case shall be heard in this tribunal. At present, however, there are more pressing affairs. The six of you will go immediately to the main courtyard and clean the weapons and the old uniforms of the constables. My two lieutenants Ma Joong and Chiao Tai shall instruct you in military drill. Fang's daughter shall report to my house steward for work as a maid in my mansion.

The first session of the tribunal is closed!"

The judge rose and returned to his private office.

He changed into a comfortable informal robe. Just as he was going to sort out some more documents, Headman Fang came in. After he had bowed he said respectfully:

"Your Honour, beyond the valley where the attack took place there live more than thirty other men in an improvised camp. They had to flee the city because of Chien Mow's iniquities. I know them all. Five or six are scoundrels, the rest are honest people whom I'll answer for. It occurred to me that one of these days I might go out there and enlist the best of them for service in the tribunal."

"An excellent idea!", the judge exclaimed. "You will take a horse and go there at once. Select those men you deem suitable. Let them come back to the city at dusk, in groups of two or three and by different routes!"

Headman Fang hurriedly took his leave.

Late that afternoon the main courtyard of the tribunal resembled a military encampment.

Ten men wearing the black lacquered helmets and the leather jackets with red sash that are the regular uniform of constables, were engaged in a drill led by Headman Fang. Ten others clad in light mail coats and decked with shining helmets were practising pike fencing under the supervision of Ma Joong. Chiao Tai was instructing ten more in the secrets of sword fighting.

The gate of the tribunal was closed. Sergeant Hoong and Tao Gan stood on guard.

Later on that night, Judge Dee ordered all the men to assemble in the court hall.

By the light of a single candle the judge issued his instructions. When he had finished he cautioned them all to guard complete silence for a while. Then he snuffed out the candle.

Tao Gan left the court hall. He closed the door carefully behind him and walked through the dark corridors, lighting his way with a small paper lantern.

He went to the jail and unlocked the warden's cell.

Tao Gan loosened the chain with which the warden had been attached to a ring in the wall. He said in a surly voice:

"The judge has decided to dismiss you from his service because of gross negligence. You failed to take proper care of the seals of the tribunal that were entrusted to you. In the coming days our judge shall recruit new personnel of the tribunal, and the first criminal to be kneeling in chains before his dais will be that self-styled tyrant Chien Mow!"

The warden only scowled.

Tao Gan led him through the dark, empty corridors and across the deserted main courtyard. They passed the empty quarters of the guards. Everything was dark and silent.

Tao Gan opened the gate. He gave the warden a push.

"Get out!", he growled. "Never show your ugly face here again!"

The warden looked contemptuously at Tao Gan. He said with a sneer:

"I shall be back sooner than you think, you dogshead!"

Then he disappeared into the dark street.