THE DANCE OF THE CLOUD FAIRY
glued to her every movement; without averting his gaze, he whispered a remark to Guildmaster Wang by his side. Both laughed surreptitiously.
"I don't think those two are talking about dancing!" Han Yung-han remarked dryly. Evidently his intoxication did not mar his powers of observation.
The guildmasters Peng and Soo were looking ecstatically at the dancer. Judge Dee was struck by the curious, tense attitude of Liu Fei-po. He sat perfectly still, his imperious face set, his thin lips compressed under his jet-black mustache. But the judge saw in his burning eyes a strange expression. He thought he could detect a violent hatred in it, but also something of deep despair.
The music grew softer; it changed into a tender, nearly whispering melody. Almond Blossom now walked on tiptoe in a wide circle, whirling round and round all the time so that the long sleeves and the ends of the gauze scarf flew round her. The rhythm accelerated, and quicker she turned round, quicker and quicker till her swift feet did not seem to touch the floor any more; it seemed as if she were floating among the billowing clouds of the green scarf and her fluttering white sleeves.
Suddenly there was a deafening clash of the gong and the music ceased abruptly. The dancer stood still, high on her toes, her arms raised above her head, still as a stone statue. One only saw the heaving of her naked breasts. It was absolutely quiet in the room. Then she lowered her arms, pulled the scarf round her shoulders, and made a bow toward Judge Dee's table. While a thunderous applause burst loose she went quickly to the door and disappeared through the crystal curtain.
"That was indeed a superb performance!" the judge remarked to Han. "That girl could well perform before His Majesty!"
"Exactly what that friend of Liu's said the other day!" Han said. "He was a high official from the capital, and saw her dance at a banquet in the Willow Quarter. He immediately offered her owner to introduce him to the duenna of the Imperial seraglio. But Almond Blossom refuses absolutely to leave Han-yuan, and we of this city are grateful to her for that!"
Judge Dee rose and stood himself in front of his table. Raising his cup, he proposed a toast to the charming courtesans of Han-yuan, which was received with great enthusiasm. Then he went over to Kang Po's table, and began a polite conversation. Han Yung-han had also risen, and had gone to the musicians to compliment their leader.
Old Mr. Kang Po had evidently drunk too much; red spots had appeared on his lean face, and his brow was covered with perspiration. But he managed to give coherent answers to Judge Dee's questions about business conditions in Han-yuan. After a while his younger brother said with a smile:
"Fortunately, my brother has now cheered up a bit! The last days he has been worrying all the time over a perfectly safe business transaction!"
"Safe?" the elder Kang said angrily. "You call a loan to that person Wan I-fan a safe transaction?"
"They say that in order to make good profits you must be prepared to take risks!" Judge Dee said soothingly.
"Wan I-fan is a scoundrel!" Kang Po muttered.
"Only fools believe the gossip of the street!" Kang Choong said sharply.
"I… I refuse to be called names by my own brother!" old Kang Po stuttered furiously.
"Your brother has the duty to tell you the truth!" Kang Choong retorted.
"Ho, ho!" a deep voice spoke up by Judge Dee's side. "Enough of your wrangling! What will His Excellency think of us!"
It was Liu Fei-po. He carried a wine jar in his hand, and quickly filled the cups of the two brothers. They meekly drank a toast to each other. Judge Dee asked Liu Fei-po the last news about the illness of Councilor Liang. "Mr. Han told me," he added, "that you live next door to the Councilor, and that you see him often."
"Not lately," Liu replied. "Half a year ago, yes; then His Excellency would often ask me to join him when he was walking in his garden, as our grounds are connected by a small gate. But he has grown very absentminded; his conversation became more and more confused; often he didn't even seem to recognize me. I haven't seen him for several months now. It's a sad case, Your Honor! The decline of a great mind."
The guildmasters Peng and Wang now joined the group. Han Yung-han brought a wine jar and insisted on pouring out a cup for each of them himself. Judge Dee had a talk with the guild-masters, then returned to his table. Han was sitting there already, making jokes with Anemone. As the judge sat down he asked:
"Where is Almond Blossom?"
"Oh, she'll be here presently!" Han replied indifferently. "Those girls always take an awful time over their powder and rouge!"
Judge Dee quickly surveyed the room. All the guests had resumed their places, and were starting on the intermediary course, a dish of stuffed fish. The four courtesans were pouring out new wine, but Almond Blossom was nowhere to be seen. Judge Dee said curtly to Anemone:
"Go to the dressing room and tell Almond Blossom that we are waiting."
"Ha!" Han exclaimed. "It is a great honor for Han-yuan that the rustic charms of our girls should captivate Your Honor's favor!"
Judge Dee politely joined the general laughter.
Anemone came back and said:
"It's very strange; our mother says that Almond Blossom left the dressing room quite a while ago. I have looked into all the rooms, but I can't find her!"
The judge muttered an excuse to Han, rose and left the room by the door on his right. He walked aft on the starboard side.
In the stern a gay party was in progress. Sergeant Hoong, Ma Joong and Chiao Tai were sitting on a bench against the cabin, each with a wine jug between his knees and a cup in his hand. Half a dozen servants were sitting in a half-circle opposite them, listening intently to Ma Joong. The burly fellow hit his fist on his knee, and concluded: "And just at that moment the bedstead collapsed!"
They burst out in uproarious laughter. Judge Dee tapped Hoong on his shoulder. He looked up, and quickly nudged his two friends. They jumped up and followed the judge to the starboard deck.
There Judge Dee told them that a dancer had disappeared and that he feared she might have met with an accident. "Did any of you see a girl pass?" he asked.
Sergeant Hoong shook his head.
"No, Your Honor," he answered. "The three of us sat facing the stern, in front of the trap door that leads down into the kitchen and the hold. We only saw the waiters coming and going; there was no woman."
Two waiters carrying soup bowls came down the deck on their way to the dining room. They said they hadn't seen the dancer after she had left the room to change. "And we hadn't much chance to either," the elder one added, "for the rule is that we use starboard only. The ladies have their dressing room on the port side, and that's also where the main cabin is. We aren't supposed to go to that side unless we are called."
Judge Dee nodded. He went back aft, followed by his three assistants. The servants were talking with the helmsman; they knew that something was afoot.
The judge crossed the stern to the port side. The door of the main cabin was ajar. He looked inside. Against the side wall stood a broad couch of carved rosewood, covered with a brocade quilt. Against the back wall he saw a high table, with two burning candles, in stands of worked silver. There was an elegant toilet table of rosewood on the left, and two tabourets. But no one was there.
Judge Dee hurriedly went on, and looked through the gauze curtain that covered the window of the adjoining cabin. This evidently was the dressing room of the courtesans. A portly lady clad in black silk was dozing in an armchair and a maidservant was folding up colored robes.