The Red Pavilion

'Just a vague kind of feeling that I was being watched.'

She pulled the robe closer to her lithe body, naked under the transparent gauze.

'That's odd. I had the same feeling when I was about to come up here.' She paused, then took hold of herself and spoke in a bantering voice: 'I don't mind, I am accustomed to being followed about!'

She laughed, a clear, tinkling sound. Then she stopped abruptly, her face pale. The judge quickly turned his head. He also had heard the eery chuckle that had mixed with her laughter. It seemed to have come from the barred window of the bedroom. She swallowed and asked tensely:

'Who is that in the Red Room? '

'No one is there.'

She quickly darted her eyes from left to right, then turned round and gazed at the two-storied building in the park. The music had ceased, now the sound of applause came over from there, followed by peals of laughter. To break the awkward pause, Judge Dee said casually:

'The people over there seem to be having a good time.'

JUDGE DEE MEETS THE QUEEN FLOWER

'That's the park restaurant. Downstairs they serve excellent food, upstairs is reserved for . . . more intimate pleasures.'

'Quite. Well, I am delighted that a lucky chance afforded me the opportunity of meeting the most beautiful woman of Paradise Island. Now I regret all the more that, since I am engaged tonight, and have to continue my journey early tomorrow morning, I shan't be able to see more of you.'

She made no move to leave. She put the toilet box down on the floor, then folded her hands behind her head and leaned backwards, exposing her firm breasts with the taut nipples, her slender waist and rounded thighs. He couldn't avoid noticing that her entire body had been carefully depilated, as is the custom among courtesans. As he quickly looked away, she said calmly:

'You could hardly see more of me than you did just now, could you? ' She enjoyed for a moment his embarrassed silence, then let her hands drop and continued complacently: 'I am in no particular hurry just now. Tonight's dinner is in my honour, and a devoted lover is coming to fetch me. He can wait. Tell me something about yourself. You have a rather solemn air, with that long beard. I take it that you are a metropolitan official or something of the sort? '

'Oh no, just a local officer. In no way worthy of being counted among your distinguished admirers!' Rising, he added: 'I must prepare to go out now. I don't dare to detain you any longer, and you are doubtless eager to go home and make your toilet'

Her full red lips curved in a scornful smile.

'Don't try acting the part of the prudish gentleman! I saw your look just now, it's no use pretending that you don't desire to possess what you saw!'

'On the part of an insignificant person like me,' the judge remarked stiffly, 'such a desire would be sheer presumption.'

She frowned. He now noticed the cruel lines about her mouth.

'It would be presumptuous indeed!' she said sharply. 'At first I thought I liked that casual air of yours, but now I know better. You don't interest me, after all.'

'You distress me.'

An angry flush reddened her cheeks. She got away from the balustrade, picked up her toilet box and snapped:

'You, a petty officer, dare to scorn me! Let me tell you that three days ago a famous young scholar from the capital killed himself here because of me!'

'You don't seem to grieve for him!'

'If I were to mourn for all the fools who get themselves into trouble because of me,' she said venomously, 'I would be in mourning for the rest of my life!'

'You'd better not talk idly about death and mourning,' Judge Dee warned her. 'The Festival of the Dead is not yet over. The Gates of the Other World are still open, and the souls of the departed are among us.'

There was a lull in the music from the house in the park. Suddenly they heard again that chuckle, very soft now. It seemed to come from the shrubbery below the veranda. The Queen Flower's face twitched, she burst out:

'I am sick and tired of this dismal place ! Thank Heaven I'll be leaving here soon, for ever. An important official, a wealthy poet, is going to redeem me. Then I'll be a magistrate's wife. What do you have to say to that?'

'Only that I congratulate you. And him too.'

She made a slight bow, apparently somewhat mollified. As she turned to go, she said:

'The fellow is lucky indeed! But I wouldn't say the same for his wives. I'll have them chased from the house in no time! I am not accustomed to sharing a man's affections!'

She went to the other end of the veranda, swinging her shapely hips. She parted the wistaria clusters and disappeared; apparently there was another flight of steps there, leading down. She left behind her a waft of expensive perfume.

Suddenly the scent was drowned in a nauseating odour of decay. It came from the shrubbery down in front of the veranda. The judge looked over the balustrade, then stepped back in startled surprise.

Among the shrubs stood the horrible figure of a leprous beggar, his emaciated body covered by soiled rags. The left half of his swollen face was a mass of running sores, the eye had disappeared. The other eye glared at the judge with a malevolent stare. A deformed hand came out from under the rags. Of the fingers only a few stumps were left.

Judge Dee hastily felt in his sleeve for a handful of coppers. Those unfortunates had to eke out their wretched existence by begging. But just then the leper's blue lips contorted in a repulsive grin. He muttered something, turned round and disappeared among the trees.

II

Shivering involuntarily, Judge Dee put the coppers back in his sleeve. The change from the courtesan's perfect beauty to the sickening sight of that poor human wreck had been all too sudden.

'I have good news, sir!' a hearty voice spoke up behind him.

As the judge turned round with a pleased smile, Ma Joong went on excitedly:

'Magistrate Lo is here on the island ! In the third street from here I saw a troop of constables lined up by a large, official-looking palankeen. I asked them to what exalted personage it belonged, and they replied it was the magistrate's ! He has been staying here for a few days, tonight he is returning to the city. I rushed back to inform Your Honour.'

'Excellent! I'll greet him here and thus save myself the trip to Chin-hwa city. We'll be back home one day earlier, Ma Joong! Let's hurry and catch him before he leaves!'

The two men quickly left the Red Pavilion and went to the hostel's front gate.

The crowded street was lined on both sides by garishly lighted restaurants and gambling halls. As they walked along Ma Joong eagerly scanned the balconies. Here and there a few richly dressed young women stood at the balustrades, chatting or leisurely fanning themselves with coloured silk fans. It was hot, a humid, stifling heat.

The next street was less noisy, soon there were only dark houses, each having but one lampion over its gate. These were discreetly inscribed with small characters, reading: 'Fields of Happiness', 'Abode of Fragrant Elegance' and other names indicating houses of assignation.

Judge Dee hurriedly rounded the corner. In front of a magnificent hostel a dozen muscular bearers were hoisting the shafts of a large palankeen onto their shoulders, with a troop of constables standing by. Ma Joong said quickly to their headman:

'This is Magistrate Dee, of Poo-yang. Announce His Excellency to your master!'

The headman ordered the bearers to set the palankeen down again. He pulled the window-curtain aside and whispered something to the occupant.