Robert Gulik - The Chinese Maze Murders

"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.