The Willow Pattern

X

Judge Dee stood at the parapet of the central arch of the Halfmoon Bridge. Resting his elbows on the rough stone surface, he surveyed the dark water of the canal below, lit only by the four large signal lanterns of oil-paper suspended under the arch. Tao Gan, who was standing by his side, slowly wound and unwound the three long hairs that grew from his cheek round his forefinger. They were waiting. The judge had ordered two of the soldiers who had carried their sedan chair to roll Yee's corpse in a reed mat and take it to the Municipal Tribunal for a thorough examination by the coroner. The two other soldiers had been sent away to get another sedan chair, to take the judge and his lieutenant back to the palace.

'What a difference!' Judge Dee spoke up. 'In normal times this bridge is the hub of city traffic, bristling with activity till far into the night. The parapets are lined with hawkers' stalls with their garish lights, a dense crowd tramps up and down the bridge, and all kinds of large and small vessels, gaily decorated with coloured lampions, pass under­neath. Now everything is dead and deserted. And do you notice the dank smell? The water in the canal is practically stagnant. Look at those pieces of driftwood, see how slowly they move along!’

'There must be swarms of mosquitoes down there,' Tao Gan remarked. 'Even up here you can hear them buzz. If——'

The judge raised his hand.

'Hush! Is there trouble downtown?'

What had seemed to be the buzzing of mosquitoes was now growing into an indistinct roar. A red glow rose above the houses in the distance.

'The Granary is in that direction,' Tao Gan said worriedly. 'The mob must be attacking it.'

They listened for a long while, in a tense silence. The roar seemed to be dying out, then grew in volume again. Suddenly there was the piercing blast of military trumpets, preternaturally loud over the hushed city.

'Our guardsmen have arrived!’ Judge Dee said, relieved. The red glow grew, flames shot up. 'I hope they'll be able to quell the riot without bloodshed,' he muttered. He looked up and down the bridge, but there wasn't a soul in sight. The windows of Hoo's villa remained dark, and nothing stirred in the smaller houses that lined the bank upstream from the bridge. The citizens of the capital, ordinarily so keenly interested in anything unusual happening in the street, had learned to mind strictly their own business, these last three harrowing weeks. The red glow grew faint, and the distant roar died out. All was silent again. A heavy, brooding silence, Judge Dee thought. If the people began to attack the granaries ...

'The presence of a third man on the scene of the murder certainly complicates matters,' Tao Gan said.

'A third man? Oh yes, the fellow who swam across, you mean.' The judge concentrated his thoughts on the murder, glad of the diversion. 'Well, the swimming bit was easy, of course. But to climb one of those pillars and get onto the ledge of the balcony, that asks for strong muscles. He must have been an acquaintance of Yee, otherwise Yee would have raised an alarm upon seeing a dripping wet man step­ping through the window. Did Yee send the woman and her companion away when the third man arrived? Or was he perhaps an ally of the pair? And against whom did Yee want to defend himself with the flower vase? If we assume that——'

The judge broke off. Creasing his bushy eyebrows, he stared fixedly at the dark villa. 'A famous hunter, Cassia said... . Could it be possible?'

'Could what be possible, sir?' Tao Gan asked eagerly.

'Well,' Judge Dee began slowly, 'it just occurred to me that perhaps Yee did not grab the flower vase in order to defend himself. The maid described him as a vicious, mean person. What if he broke the vase deliberately, and in order to draw attention to the Willow Pattern? And thus leave a clue pointing to his friend Hoo, in the villa over there that so closely resembles that pattern?'

Tao Gan pensively tugged at his short goatee.

'It doesn't seem impossible,' he agreed. 'On the other hand, I know from my study of the files that the maid spoke the truth when she said that the "old people" form a closely-knit small community, and that none of its members would dream of raising his hand against Yee, their traditional leader. Yet, if Hoo had a very strong motive ...'

The judge remained silent. He was slowly stroking his sidewhiskers, his eyes on the dark villa. At last he said:

'Since we are here, Tao Gan, we'd better go over there and pay Mr Hoo a surprise visit. I admit that the clue of the Willow Pattern is a very tenuous one. But Hoo will be able to tell us more about Yee at least, so that we can check Cassia's stories. Come along.'

They walked down the bridge. After having followed the main thoroughfare for a short distance, they saw among the tall trees on their right a rustic bamboo gate. The wooden board suspended above it was inscribed with two elegant characters reading 'Willow Abode'. A winding pathway took them to the villa's gatehouse. The door, lacquered red, was decorated with a pattern of willow leaves in gold.

Tao Gan knocked hard with his bony knuckles. He waited, and when no sound came from inside, he picked up a stone and let it rattle on the wood.

'We are in for a long wait, sir,' he said gloomily. 'We'll have to rouse the doorman from his sleep.'

He had hardly finished speaking when the door swung open. A squat man with extraordinarily broad shoulders and long, ape-like arms looked them up and down suspiciously. His greying head was covered by a skullcap. As he raised the candle, the wide sleeve of his houserobe fell back, reveal­ing a hairy, muscular forearm.

'Were you expecting visitors, Mr Hoo?' Judge Dee asked blandly.

The squat man let the light of the candle fall on his face.

'Who the devil are you?' he asked in a deep, rumbling voice.

'I am Dee, the Chief Justice.'

'Holy Heaven! Thousand excuses, my lord! Ought to have recognized you, of course. Saw you only once, how­ever, in full dress, mind you. And from a distance. How——'

'I was just taking a stroll, with my secretary, Mr Tao. Could we have a cup of tea?'

'Certainly, my lord! A great honour, sir! Excuse my dress, but I am all alone in the house, you see. Had to send the servants to the mountains. Infernal nuisance. Kept only an old couple, but they left this afternoon for their son's burial. Promised to be back tonight. But not a sign of them!'

Judge Dee found it difficult to decide whether Hoo's blustering was his natural manner or caused by nervousness. It was a pity he had never met him before. Or had he? The face seemed familiar, somehow or other.

Talking busily about his household problems Hoo had led them across a neglected inner garden planted with a pro­fusion of wild flowers. Now he made them enter a sparsely furnished reception room, lit by one small oil lamp. The air was close and musty. Hoo made for the table in the rear, but Judge Dee said quickly:

'Couldn't we go upstairs, to a room from where I can keep an eye on the bridge? I told my chairbearers to come and fetch me there.'

'Of course! Come up to my study. I was having a nap up there, as a matter of fact. Tea-basket is there too. And a nice balcony.' Taking them up a steep wooden staircase, he added over his shoulder: 'Was awakened by the blast of trumpets. From the direction of the Granary, I'd say. That's the kind of place the rabble makes for, in a time like this. No serious trouble, I hope?'

'Since everything has become quiet again,' the judge replied, 'I suppose it's all right.'

After Hoo had ushered his visitors into a small, square room, he hurriedly pushed open paper-covered sliding doors revealing the narrow balcony the judge had noticed already from the portico of the Yee mansion opposite. Hoo lit with his candle two large, old-fashioned brass candelabra on the wall table, and bade his guests take the two armchairs by the rustic bamboo table in the centre of the room. He poured tea, then sat down on a camp-stool, his back to the sliding doors.

Sipping his tea, Judge Dee reflected that the room, scantily furnished as it was had a rather pleasant, much lived-in atmosphere. The broad couch against the side wall was covered with animal skins, and the large wardrobe of ebony dulled by age was a valuable antique. On the back wall hung a good scroll painting, representing an ancient warrior in full battle dress, riding a beautifully caparisoned horse. The picture was flanked by long-bows, quivers, spears and leather harnesses, suspended on iron hooks in the plaster wall.

Hoo had followed Judge Dee's gaze.

'Yes, hunting is my one and only hobby,' he said. 'My great-grandfather used this villa as a hunting lodge, you know. At that time this crowded city quarter was a fine stretch of wooded country.'

'He was a great warrior, I heard,' the judge said.

A pleased grin lit up Hoo's broad face.

'That he was, my lord! Splendid horseman, and a good general. He and the greatgrandfathers of Yee and old Mei kept the peace in these parts, in the midst of a free-for-all among the barons and the feudal warlords. Yes, the times have changed, by Heaven! Yee owned the land, my great­grandfather controlled the army, and old Mei had the ready cash. When General Li — excuse me, the August Founder of the Present Dynasty, I should say, of course — when he had reunified the empire, the three old men held council. Histori­cal meeting, my lord, all written up in our family annals. My great-grandfather told them: "Let's call it a day, and cut our losses. Yee applies for a governorship in a distant pro­vince, I enlist with my men in the new Imperial army, and Mei sits back and collects his rents." Wise old bird, my ancestor was! But the old Marquis Yee, the stubborn bastard, he wouldn't listen, you see. "Better just lie low for a bit," he said. "Maybe we'll yet get a chance to come back." Fat chance they had! This place was made into the imperial capital, soon it was flooded by thousands of people from outside, court personnel, officials big and small, military, constabulary and what not, and now you have to look damned hard to find uptown a man who even knows the name of Yee!’

He sadly shook his large head.

'What about your own family?' the judge asked.

'We? Oh well, we sold out our land, bit by bit. Now I have only this villa left, and mortgaged to the hilt! But it'll last my time. I have neither chick nor child, and I manage all right. Do a bit of hunting up country, and I drop in on old Yee over there for a drink and a chat. Yee lost all his land, of course, but he is still a rich man. Gay dog, Yee is! Likes to have a couple of nice wenches around and I don't mind that a bit.'

'Quite. It seems that the Mei family was the only one of the three that succeeded in conserving its former assets.'

'The Meis were always damned clever at making money,' Hoo said bitterly. 'Sucked up to the new officials, became pally with the big merchants from the south. That's the way to become a millionaire. Which doesn't prevent you from falling down the stairs and breaking your neck, apparently!’

'Mr Mei's death was a great loss,' Judge Dee said dryly. 'You mentioned Yee's parties just now. Do you happen to know the young dancer he is having up there regularly these days?'

Hoo's face fell.

'Porphyry you mean, eh? So the news has got about already. Yes, I saw the wench there, once or twice. Fine dancer. Sings well, too.'

He did not seem inclined to pursue the subject farther, this time. The judge asked:

'Which brothel does she belong to?'

'Trust Yee to keep that secret, the sly scoundrel! Never let me talk to her or to her tout alone.'

'You mean the tall bully who always accompanies her?'

'Tall bully, you said? Hardly ever gave the chap a second look, but I wouldn't call him that. Elderly fellow, a bit high-shouldered. Damned good drummer, though.'

Judge Dee emptied his cup.

'There was some commotion over there in the Yee man­sion tonight,' he said casually. 'Did you notice anything? From the balcony here you have a good view of Yee's gallery.'

Hoo shook his head.

'I was asleep on that couch. When those blasted trumpets woke me up everything was pitch dark over there.'

'The dancer Porphyry was with Yee. There was an accident.'

His host sat up. Laying his large hands on his knees, he asked: 'An accident? What kind of accident?’

'Yee was killed.'

Hoo half rose from his seat.

'Yee dead!’ he shouted. As the judge nodded, he sat down again. 'Dead, by Heaven!’ he muttered. Suddenly he cast Judge Dee a sharp look and asked tensely: 'Did he lose an eye?'

The judge raised his eyebrows. He considered the question for a moment, then he replied quietly:

'Yes, you might say Yee did. It was his left eye.'

'Holy Heaven!’ Hoo's face had turned pale under the tan, his big frame sagged. 'Holy Heaven!' he repeated. Noticing that the judge and Tao Gan were staring at him, he managed a smile and said: 'Shouldn't mind that silly jingle, of course. My head is still on my shoulders!’ He passed his hand over his face, which was moist with sweat.

Judge Dee studied him for a brief while, pensively stroking his beard. Hoo had become a changed man.

'There often is more in those street songs than meets the eye, Mr Hoo. Have you any idea who could have wanted to murder Yee?'

'Murder Yee?' Hoo repeated mechanically. 'Well, he did a bit of money-lending, you know. Could become very nasty when the fellows didn't pay up in time. And if you press a man too hard ...' He shrugged his shoulders.

The judge was struck by the fact that Hoo was not talka­tive any more. He put his hand in his sleeve and brought out the ear-pendant. Showing it to Hoo, he asked: 'Do you recognize this bauble?'

'Of course. Porphyry wore those. Because of her name, I suppose.' He scratched his beard and added: 'Wouldn't be astonished if the wench had something to do with it. Sweet innocent young thing, she seemed, and still a virgin, they said. An apprentice-courtesan, she called herself. Apprentice, my foot! She hadn't anything to learn any more, not she! Those airs of childlike innocence! The core was rotten, I tell you!’ He rubbed his face again, he was sweating pro­fusely. 'Little sweet thing didn't mind dancing stark naked in the gallery! And while doing her niftiest tricks, she'd give me that peculiar look, as if she did it only for me. Made eyes at me all the time, behind Yee's back. And her tout managed to slip me a message from her once, saying that Yee was threatening her, and couldn't I do something about it? Well, I'd certainly have gone a long way to keep her out of that devil's clutches, lewd slut as she was!'

He shrugged and resumed: 'Well, since Yee is dead and gone, and since the line died out with him, there's no harm in telling you, I suppose. Yee's main hobby was maltreating women, sir. It ran in the family. The things his grandfather, the old marquis did, wouldn't make a pretty story. But the times have changed, so Yee had to be careful. Got his way with the sluts from downtown, and mostly from among the "old people". But Porphyry, she was quite different, she had class. Wouldn't he have loved to get her! By Heaven, you should've seen Yee drool when she was dancing, see that mean look in his eyes! But she kept him at a proper dis­tance, the clever little bitch!'

'Did Yee know that you were charmed by the dancer too?' 'Charmed, you say? Funny you hit on just the right word. I am no hand at explaining things, you know, but let's put it this way: every time I saw the wench, she drove me crazy. But when she wasn't there, I'd hardly think of her at all. Believe it or not, but that was the way it was. Did Yee know? He damn well did!' Hoo turned round and pointed at the dark Yee mansion across the water. 'He had thought up a new trick of late, the devil. After this part of the town had become deserted at night. The mean bastard would not warn me when she was coming, but roll up those bamboo curtains, light a lot of candles in the gallery, and make her do her dances in the portico to be sure that I would see it, from the balcony here! By Heaven, he was a mean devil!'

JUDGE DEE HAS TEA IN THE WILLOW ABODE

He angrily hit his fist on his knee. After a while Judge Dee asked:

'Were other guests present at those parties in the gallery?'

'Only Doctor Lew. Always thought doctors didn't go in for those pastimes! But Yee never invited him when Por­phyry came. That pleasure he wanted to share only with me, his best friend! For Heaven's sake!’ He shifted on his camp-stool, evidently he expected his visitors to leave. But Judge Dee took his folding fan from his sleeve, sat back in his chair, and said, slowly fanning himself:

'I noticed that the architect who built this villa took the well-known porcelain design of the Willow Pattern as model.'

Hoo sat up.

'The Willow Pattern, eh?' he asked slowly. Then, with a determined effort regaining some of his former bluff manner, he said boisterously: 'The other way round, sir; the other way round! It was this villa here that served the pottery chaps as a model.'

Judge Dee exchanged a quick look with Tao Gan.

'I never knew that,' he told his host. 'I heard all kinds of stories about the origin of the pattern. About an old man­darin with a young daughter who ...'

Hoo cut him short with an impatient gesture.

'All stuff and nonsense, my lord! An old man with a young daughter, forsooth! No, the true story is different. Quite different. But our family never spoke up. The truth does not do much credit to us, you see. Have another cup of tea, my lord!'

While Hoo was refilling their cups, the judge thoughtfully observed him. Hoo's mood had changed again. There had come an inward look into his large eyes, and when he spoke up his voice was quite steady.

'The story goes back to my great-grandfather. To his later years, when the dynasty had been founded, and when he had lost his power. He was still a very wealthy man, though. Lived in grand style, in the family mansion, in the old city. Well, he fell madly in love with a beautiful young wench, in one of the city's brothels. Sapphire, her name was. Love at first sight, that crazy passion of an old man, you know. Bought her for six gold bars; damned expensive, but she was a virgin, you see. He built this villa for her. Since she had that slender waist that our poetry chaps call willow waist, he planted willow trees along the bank, and called the place Willow Abode. You may have noticed the inscription on the gate. That is in his own handwriting.

'Surrounded her with luxury, the old man did. But woman takes a lot of knowing! A young fellow of the Mei clan saw her; they fell in love, and decided to elope together. At that time there was a water pavilion in the moat here — the canal, you call it nowadays — connected with our garden by a narrow wooden bridge. My father had the pavilion pulled down, the pillars were rotting away. Well, on the appointed night, that fellow Mei had moored a fast junk under the pavilion, with a crew of good rowers. He thought the old man was tied up in the city, that day.

'Just when he was helping Sapphire pack her things, up in her room, at the other end of this floor, the old general walked in. He was over sixty then, but still as strong as an ox, and young Mei fled, with the wench on his heels. They ran down into the garden, my enraged ancestor behind them, waving his knobstick. When they were crossing the bridge, the old man gained on them, and he would have killed them both then and there. But the excitement had been too much for him and he suddenly collapsed, unconscious. The couple didn't give the old man a second look. They jumped into the boat, and off they went. Took refuge in the domain of the Marquis of Yeh, our old enemy. Young Mei became his financial adviser, I believe. Damned good money-grubber he was, just like all those Meis.'

Hoo pushed an unruly grey lock away from his sweating brow. He was looking at the darkness outside, with lowering, brooding eyes.

'The old man lived on for six more years, completely paralysed. Had to be fed with a spoon, like a small child. Sat every day in his armchair on the balcony here, moving only his eyes. They had a strange look, they said, nobody ever knew whether it was love or hate. Whether he wanted to sit there to gloat over the scene where he nearly succeeded in killing her, or because he was still hoping he would see her come back, some day.'

There was a long silence, broken only by Hoo's heavy breathing. He was still staring outside, his hands clenched, deep wrinkles in his broad, low forehead. Now he wiped his face with his sleeve, darted an uneasy look at his two guests from his bloodshot eyes, and said with a sickly grin:

'Please excuse my rambling on, my lord! All this will hardly interest you. Old story, all about people who are dead and gone!'

His voice had become hoarse, and he swallowed hard.

'You never married, Mr Hoo?' the judge asked.

'No sir, I didn't. Families like mine don't belong to this modern world, sir. We have had our day, so why carp? Mei is dead, Yee is dead, and I'll join them in due course.'

Tao Gan gave the judge a sign. He had seen a sedan chair halting on the bridge.

Judge Dee rose. Straightening his robe he said:

'I am glad I know now the real story of the Willow Pattern, Mr. Hoo. And many thanks for the tea!'

Their host silently led them downstairs.