Victoria Holt: The House of a Thousand Lanterns

My voice echoed in this chamber of death but there was no answer.

A terrible dread had come to me. I had seen the box on trestles and I had thought it was a coffin. I could not bear the thought. It was not possible.

I went to the box. I think I knew the utmost misery then for lying in the padded box, his face as white as the silk which lined it, looking so unlike himself in life was my son Jason.

I don’t know whether I cried out. I felt as if the world had collapsed about me. I could not imagine a greater calamity. I stood swaying looking down at the well-loved face.

Jason, my baby… my son… dead.

But why this senseless torture, this misery? What did it mean? “Jason,” I sobbed. “Jason speak to me…”

I bent over him. I touched his face. It was warm. “Jason!” I cried. “My dear child.”

Then I put my lips to his and joy of joys I could see the pulse in his temple. He was not dead then.

A voice said to me: “He not dead. I do not kill. My religion does not let me.”

I ran to the grille. “Chan Cho Lan,” I said, “tell me what this means. What have you done to my son?”

“He will wake up. In an hour he will wake.”

“You have brought him to this state…”

“Had to be. He very lively. Must get him here for when you come.”

“What do you want of me?”

“I want you dead… and your son dead, so that what is right may be done.”

“Listen, Chan Cho Lan, I want to get away from here. I will give you anything I have if you will let me get out of here with my son.”

“Cannot… too late.”

“What do you mean? Explain to me. I beg of you, Chan Cho Lan, tell me what you want.”

“You see altar behind statue of goddess. On it is two phials. You drink contents of one and son drinks other. You die.”

“So you want me to kill myself and my son?”

“It is best. You must die.”

“And what benefit will that bring you?”

“It will restore face to my ancestors. My grandfather great mandarin. Doctor save his life and he give him house, but first he builds beneath it tomb to beloved wife and gives her the great goddess to watch over her. He live in my house and visit tomb of beloved wife often. But you try to find secret and all foreign devils do. One day they might find. House should belong to rightful owner.”

“So you want the house. Why did you not explain this?”

“Chin-ky will have house. When you dead and boy dead, House will be Adam’s. Chin-ky Adam’s son so it is right he have it. Chin-ky marry Chinese woman and they live in House of Thousand Lanterns and ancestors will rest in peace.”

“Adam! I don’t believe it.”

“No. You believe he Joliffe son. Adam very clever. He hide much.”

“The house will not be Adam’s,” I said. “If I die it will be Joliffe’s.”

“Not true. Sylvester make will. Adam know.”

“It was changed. I changed it. Adam will not inherit it.”

“Not?” she said, for the moment taken aback.

“My husband will have what was mine,” I went on quickly.

She lifted her eyebrows. “If there is more to be done it shall be done,” she said.

So she would murder Joliffe too!

“And Lottie,” I said, “what part has she played in this?”

“Lottie my daughter. Adam father is her father.”

“You deceived my husband. You told him that his father was Lottie’s.”

“To bring him here. Yes. I want you to know he come here. Best I think. For future.”

“And you ordered Lottie to kill my first husband.”

“I do not talk with you but to tell you that you must kill yourself and your son.”

“Do you imagine no one will look for us?”

“They will find. In sea. You will be taken there and in time they find you…”

“You’re diabolical.”

“Not understand. Take draught. No pain. It will be over quick.”

She had gone and I was left there in that chamber.

I went to the coffin and lifted Jason out.

I carried him in my arms and sat down on the marble steps of the tomb.

Silence, and Jason and I in the light of the lanterns—four hundred in this chapel and the labyrinth which led to it—waiting for the miracle that would save us.

A certain relief had flooded over me because Joliffe was not involved.

And I thought. What will he do when he finds me gone?

I looked up. Over my head was The House of a Thousand Lanterns. I was immediately under it. Somewhere above me Joliffe might be. He might be asking: “Where is the mistress? Where is Jason?”

Oh Joliffe, I thought, forgive me for my doubts and, oh God, let me get out of here.

I laid Jason gently on the floor. He had been heavily drugged and I was glad in a way that he was not aware of what was happening.

I went to the altar; there stood the two deadly phials. So she had ordered Lottie to murder Sylvester that her own hands might not be stained; and I was to kill myself and my son that she might be guiltless of murder. When she learned that the will had been changed and that it was Joliffe who would inherit she saw this as yet another obstacle which fate had put in her way to test her and she would set about eliminating him.

The goddess’ eyes looked straight into mine. Kuan Yin who was supposed to listen to pleas for help. Never would she have heard any more urgent than mine.

I would not die. I would find some way out. But how? I had to save not only Jason and myself but Joliffe. I went to the door and pushed it with all my might. That was foolish. I could achieve nothing by that.

Oh Lottie, I thought desperately, how could you have been such a traitor? She it was who had tried to frighten me in the Mask of Death, Lottie the daughter of Redmond—not Magnus as Joliffe believed. Lottie was Adam’s half sister who had been saved from the terrors of the streets by her father. I saw now that Lottie had hoped I would marry Adam and then I suppose Chan Cho Lan believed that Adam would have had control over The House of a Thousand Lanterns. How strange that Adam should be so involved—Adam, the taciturn man who was father of Chin-ky. And how deeply was he concerned?

Poor Lottie, she would believe that she owed an eternal debt to her ancestors.

Would it really be that in twenty years’ time little Chin-ky would be installed with his wife in The House of a Thousand Lanterns as both Lottie and Chan Cho Lan believed the gods wished it to be?

I will give up the house, I promised the goddess. I will never ask for anything else but my life with my husband and child… if only I can get out of here.

I prayed: “Please, God, help me. And Kuan Yin, who is said to hear the pleas of the helpless, listen to me now.”

Jason stirred. The effects of the drug were passing. I was relieved and yet frightened. I did not want him to wake up in this place.

I called out: “Joliffe.”

My voice echoed about the tomb. They would never hear it overhead.

I thought of the ceremonies that would have gone on in the place right beneath us. The ceremony of the dead. I thought of the mandarin who had loved his wife and buried her here that he might visit her grave and mourn in secret.

I can’t die here, I thought. There is so much I have to live for. I must see Joliffe again. I must tell him of my hideous suspicions and ask him to forgive me. I will tell him that I love him… as he is. Whatever he has done in the past, whatever he does in the future, nothing can alter that. I would love him forever.

And what am I doing talking of loving forever with death staring me in the face.

It was difficult to assess the passing of time. Jason stirred and muttered something.

I bent over him. “It’s all right, Jason. I’m here. Your father will soon be with us.”