The Emperor's Pearl
- Автор: ван Гулик Роберт Ханс
- Серия: Judge Dee #9
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Другие детективы
Электронная книга - «The Emperor's Pearl». Краткое содержание книги:
In The Emperor’s Pearl, the judge discovers that these two deaths are connected by an ancient tragedy involving a near-legendary treasure stolen from the Imperial Harem one hundred years earlier. The terrifying figure of the White Lady, a river goddess enshrined on a bloodstained altar, looms in the background of the investigation. Clues are few and elusive, but under the expert hand of Robert van Gulik, this mythic jigsaw puzzle assembles itself into a taut mystery.
“If you have not yet discovered Judge Dee and his faithful Sgt. Hoong, I envy you that initial pleasure which comes from the discovery of a great detective story. For the magistrate of Poo-yang belongs in that select group of fictional detectives headed by the renowned Sherlock Holmes.”—Robert Kirsch, Los AngelesTimes
“The title of this book and the book itself have much in common. Each is a jewel, a rare and precious find.”—AtlantaTimes
'Resume your seats please, gentlemen! Glad to see you are doing well, doctor. You should be careful though, don't move about too much!' He took his seat at the tea-table, and continued: 'I am so sorry to have kept you waiting, but you know how it is, in the tribunal . . .' Cutting short the polite murmurs of Mr Kou, he told him: 'My assistant shall help your steward with the tea, Mr Kou. It's a bit hot here, I must say, but you were right in keeping the windows shuttered. We'll have a real tempest before long, I dare say. But, taking all in all, we shouldn't complain about the climate here, you know. When I think of the severe winters up north . . .'
There was a further exchange of polite remarks while the steward and Hoong served tea. The judge took a sip and said with a broad smile:
'This tea is truly excellent, Mr Kou! As one would expect in the house of a man of such elegant taste!'
Seeing Judge Dee's high good humour the others had visibly brightened up. Dr Pien wiped the moisture from his forehead and asked:
'Is there any news about the rascal who assaulted me, Your Honour?'
'Not yet, Dr Pien, but my men are at it. Don't worry, we'll get the scoundrel!'
'I deeply regret to cause this extra trouble,' the doctor said contritely. 'Your Honour must be very busy just now, with that astounding mur —' He broke off in the middle of the word, cast a quick glance at Kou, and corrected himself: '— with other, graver matters.'
'Yes, I am being kept very busy indeed. And that brings me to the purpose of the present conference. I have requested you to come here, gentlemen, because I am in need of your advice.' Turning to Kou, he went on: 'I trust that you'll forgive me for choosing your residence, during these sad days of mourning. But since you are so directly concerned in the awful tragedy, I hope that you will . . .' He did not finish his sentence. As Kou gravely inclined his head, the judge went on: 'You can tell your steward to leave, Mr Kou. I see that refreshments are standing ready on the side-table. My assistant will attend upon us.'
Judge Dee waited till the steward had left. Then he leaned forward in his chair and resumed:
'I have always taken the view that a magistrate should share his problems with the notables of his district, so as to be able to profit by their knowledge and experience, and to solicit their advice.' He bestowed a smile upon Kwang and added: 'It's true that you are not a resident, Mr Kwang, but since you visit our district so frequently, I took the liberty of including you too.' Ignoring Dr Pien's astonished look, he continued: 'I don't mind telling you frankly, gentlemen, that I am badly needing your advice now. Four murders have been committed in our city, and I am completely in the dark as to the identity of the person who is responsible for these foul crimes. A detailed investigation is indicated. The purpose of this conference is to draw up together the lines along which my inquiries might be most profitably conducted. I expect that it will take many days before we can hope for results, but that does not matter. Slow but sure, eh, as the saying goes.'
Kwang raised his thin eyebrows.
'Does that mean, sir,' he asked, 'that I shall have to stay here in Poo-yang all that time?'
'Not necessarily, Mr Kwang. Sometimes a most baffling case is solved unexpectedly by a lucky chance, you know! Let's have some of those cold fruits, Sergeant! And no talk about business while we are eating, gentlemen, please!'
While they were tasting the delicious slices of iced fruit served by Sergeant Hoong in bowls of antique coloured porcelain, Mr Kou thawed somewhat. When he had emptied his bowl, he related an interesting story about a faked painting. Then Judge Dee told of an amusing case he had dealt with on a former post. He told the story well, and all laughed heartily. Despite the oppressive heat there was a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere now. When the sergeant was about to refill the teacups, Judge Dee suddenly rose and said briskly:
'Now we had better get down to business, gentlemen!'
He walked over to the table in the centre of the library. He sat down in the armchair at the end where he had the windows on his left and the door on his right. He motioned the others to take the three chairs that Sergeant Hoong was placing along the opposite side of the table. Dr Pien took the one in the middle, straight across from the judge. Mr Kwang sat down on the doctor's right hand, Mr Kou on his left.
Judge Dee pushed the large silver candelabra aside so that it stood to the left of him. He said testily:
'Heavens, it's really hot! Put those candles along the wall there out, Hoong! They only make the heat worse! And their light bothers me. I am having trouble with my eyes nowadays, gentlemen. The glare of the sun, I suppose. Let me see whether I have brought my eyeshade along.' He felt in his sleeve and took out an envelope. 'Good gracious!' he exclaimed, 'I haven't even opened this letter! It was delivered to the tribunal just when I was leaving. Marked "personal and urgent", eh? Will you excuse me a moment?'
CORRIDOR
He tore the flap open and extracted a folded sheet of paper. It was a long letter in a very small, crabbed handwriting. Glancing through the beginning, the judge muttered: 'Fellow says that a niece of his, serving as maid somewhere, was abducted and came back sorely maltreated. Well, well, the poor girl must have fallen into the hands of a maniac.'
He read on silently for a while.
'The man says,' he resumed, 'that she got a glimpse of her tormentor. Quite a well-known person here, it seems. Therefore, he says, he hesitated long before reporting to me, postponed it time after time. Since he feels, however, that such things shouldn't be allowed to happen in a well-administered city, he asks for an immediate investigation, suitable measures to prevent . . . yes, yes, we know all that. He should have reported at once, of course. Where does he mention the offender's name now?' He brought the letter closer to his eyes, then shook his head and said: 'Can't find it, never saw such bad handwriting!' Looking up, he added: 'Here, you had better read the rest aloud for me, Mr Kou!'
He made to hand the letter to Kou, then suddenly checked himself. He said with an apologetic smile:
'No, I shouldn't show official letters to outsiders, I suppose ! I shall study it afterwards.'
He folded the document up and put it back in his sleeve.
'People should think twice before making such preposterous accustations!' Mr Kwang said, annoyed.
'I wouldn't say off-hand it's preposterous,' Judge Dee remarked, suddenly grave. 'As a matter of fact I have grounds for suspecting that the criminal we are looking for is the same type of maniac as this letter refers to.'
Leaning back in his chair, Judge Dee watched the three men across the table. Their faces, just within the cone of light thrown by the candle, had become tight. The agreeably relaxed mood had dropped away from them.
The judge quietly surveyed the room. Sergeant Hoong had retreated to the round table in the comer. He sat there, staring at the small candle on the tea-tray. The rest of the room was a mass of black shadows. The smell of the snuffed-out wall candles hung heavily in the close air.
Judge Dee let the uncomfortable silence drag on for a while. Casually turning his head, he looked at the door. It was very dark there, he could only distinguish the thin ray of light that came through the slit between door and threshold, from the lamp in the corridor. If someone had been standing outside to listen, he would have set the door ajar; the judge had given him plenty of time. The judge thought that his intuition must have been wrong, after all. That meant that he could now concentrate on the three men in front of him.