Necklace and Calabash

With a desperate effort Judge Dee steadied himself. A second look showed that the slim wrist was encircled by a white jade bracelet, carved in the shape of a curving dragon. It flashed through his mind that this was not a water-gate, but the arched window of a dungeon. In front of the heavy iron grating was a three-foot-wide ledge, made of grey flagstones an inch above the water. As he swung himself onto it and squatted down, he heard a suppressed cry from the pitch dark inside, and the white hand disappeared.

'It's me, Doctor Liang, madam.'

Now two thin hands clutched the lowest bar. Below them he vaguely saw the white oval of a face. Apparently the barred win­dow was close to the ceiling of the dungeon, and the floor deep down.

'How ... why did you come here?' the Lady Hydrangea asked in a weak, faltering voice.

'I wanted to see the Princess. For I need more information in order to acquit myself of the task she assigned to me. How did you get into this awful dungeon?'

'Terrible things have happened, Dee. I have had no food or drink since last night. Get me some water, please!’

The judge unwound the black sash from his head, folded it and scooped it full of water. Handing the dripping, improvised bag through the grating, he warned, 'Dip your face into it but don't take more than a few mouthfuls,' After a while she resumed:

'I am in fact suffering from a mild form of asthma. When you had left, therefore, I thought I might as well take the medicine you had prescribed. But a court lady secretly mixed a vile drug with it. Soon after I had taken it, my head began to swim and I fell onto the floor, violent convulsions shaking my limbs. The Princess, greatly alarmed, at once called the palace doctors who pronounced me mortally ill. Then I fainted. When I came to, I was lying on the damp floor in a corner of this dungeon. No one has come to see me.' She paused, then resumed in a tired voice:

'I know exactly what they'll do. In the morning they'll come, when I am dying from hunger and thirst. Then they'll give me poisoned food and drink, take my body to the Princess and say that the doctors did what they could but that I died in their hands. The Imperial escort is scheduled to arrive here at noon, to take the Princess to the capital. Thus there won't be any time for a thorough inquiry into my death. Could I have another drink?' She passed the wet cloth through the grating.

'Who are these depraved plotters?' he asked, giving her the water. 'That is one of the questions I meant to ask the Princess.'

'It's better that you don't see her, Dee. For in her present state of mind she'll certainly distrust you, assume that you pur­posely prescribed the wrong medicine. Who are our enemies, you ask? How can the Princesss or I know? Scores of persons are around us every day from morning till night. Every one of them punctiliously polite, eager to please, smiling. Who knows who is a paid spy, or who is conniving at some hideous intrigue? I can only say that since they have now dared to lay their foul hands on me, the closest friend of Her Highness, I think that the Chief Eunuch and the Superintendent, the two highest officials, must at least know something of what is going on. But who knows how things are being misrepresented to them? Who knows how many persons have been bribed to tell the most awful lies, how many loyal servants have been thrown into the dungeons on cleverly trumped-up charges? There is but one person in this palace who is absolutely inviolable, Dee. And that is the Third Princess.'

Judge Dee nodded.

'Both the Chief Eunuch and the Superintendent were markedly hostile when I came to the palace to see you, madam. And the latter is making determined efforts to have me arrested. Who told the Princess that I had arrived in Rivertown and what alias I had adopted?'

'Master Gourd did. Five years ago, before the Water Palace was given to the Princess as a summer residence, the master came regularly to the Imperial Palace, His Majesty having charged him with teaching philosophy to the Crown Prince. The Third Princess often attended the lectures, and she conceived a great admiration for the master. After Master Gourd had retired from the world and settled down here in Rivertown, the Princess often summoned him, for she took delight in talking with him and trusted him completely. Since Master Gourd is so popular in the Imperial Palace, and in view of his advanced age, the Chief Eunuch didn't dare to object. The master must have understood that the Princess is in difficulties, for yesterday he shot a tipless arrow onto the balcony of her boudoir, at the east corner. He is an amazing archer, you know.'

'I met him,' the judge said. 'He is a very good man with a sword too.'

'Of course. He used to instruct the young princes in swords­manship, for despite his crippled legs he is a marvellous fencer. He would sit on a stool, a sword in each hand, and three experienced swordsmen couldn't even come near him! Well, he attached a letter to the arrow, informing the Princess of your arrival and your alias, and also where you were staying. He advised her to contact you. The Princess called me at once, and said she wanted to charge you with recovering her necklace. Then I sent my daughter to fetch you, for besides her there's no one I can trust.'