the district, and a man of noble character.
When the roll call was finished, the judge announced that Hoong Liang was appointed sergeant of the tribunal and that he would control all routine affairs of the chancery. Ma Joong and Chiao Tai would supervise the constables and the guards and be responsible for the discipline, and for the guardhouse and the jail.
Back in his private office judge Dee told Ma Joong and Chiao Tai to inspect the guardhouse and the jail. 'Then,' he added, 'you must put the constables and the guards through a drill; that'll give you an opportunity for getting acquainted with them and to see what they are worth. Thereafter you'll go out into the town, and get an impression of things in this city. I wish I could go with you, but I'll have to devote the whole evening to getting myself orientated with regard to the magistrate's murder. Come back and report to me later in the night.'
The two stalwarts left, and Tang came in followed by a clerk carrying two candlesticks. Judge Dee told Tang to sit down on the stool in front of his desk, next to Sergeant Hoong. The clerk placed the candles on the desk and noiselessly went out.
'Just now,' the judge said to Tang, 'I noticed that the chief clerk, listed on the roll as Fan Choong, was not there. Is he ill?' Tang clapped his hand to his forehead. He stammered, 'I had meant to speak about that, your honor. I am really greatly worried about Fan. On the first of this month he left for Pien-foo, the prefectural capital, on his yearly holiday. He was due back here yesterday morning. When he didn't appear, I sent a constable to the small farm Fan has west of the city. His tenant farmer there said Fan and his servant had arrived there yesterday, and left at noon. It's most annoying. Fan is an excellent man, a capable officer, always very punctual. I can't understand what has happened to him, he-'
'Perhaps he was devoured by a tiger,' Judge Dee interrupted impatiently.
'No, your honor!' Tang cried out. 'No, not that!' His face had suddenly turned ashen; the light of the candles shone in his wide, startled eyes.
'Don't be so nervous, man!' the judge said, irritated. 'I quite understand that you are upset about the murder of your former chief, but that happened two weeks ago. What are you afraid of now?'
Tang wiped the sweat from his brow.
'I beg your honor's pardon,' he muttered. 'Last week a farmer was found in the woods, with torn throat and badly mauled. There must be a man-eater about. I am not sleeping well of late, your honor. I offer my humble excuses and-'
'Well,' Judge Dee said, 'my two assistants are experienced hunters; one of these days I'll send them out to kill that tiger. Get me a cup of hot tea, and let's get down to business.'
When Tang had poured out a cup for the judge, he eagerly took a few sips, then settled back in his armchair.
'I want to hear from you exactly,' he said, 'how the murder was discovered.'
Plucking at his beard, Tang began diffidently.
'Your honor's predecessor was a gentleman of considerable charm and culture. Perhaps a bit easygoing at times and impatient about details, but very precise in all things that really mattered, very precise indeed. He was about fifty years old, and he had a long and varied experience. An able magistrate, your honor.'
'Did he,' Judge Dee asked, 'have any enemies here?'
'Not one, your honor!' Tang exclaimed. 'He was a shrewd and just judge, well liked by the people. I may say, your honor, that he was popular in this district, very popular indeed.'
As the judge nodded he went on.
'Two weeks ago, when the time of the morning session was approaching, his house steward came to see me in the chancery and reported that his master had not slept in his bedroom, and that the door of his library was locked on the inside. I knew that he often read and wrote in his library till deep in the night, and I presumed that he had fallen asleep over his books. So I knocked on the door insistently. When there came no sound from within, I feared that he might have had a stroke. I called the headman and had the door broken open.'
Tang swallowed; his mouth twitched. After a while he went on. 'Magistrate Wang was lying on the floor in front of the tea stove, his unseeing eyes staring up at the ceiling. A teacup was lying on the mats near his outstretched right hand. I felt his body; it was stiff and cold. I immediately summoned our coroner, he stated that the magistrate must have died about midnight. He took a sample of the tea left in the teapot and-'
'Where stood that teapot?' Judge Dee interrupted.
'On the cupboard in the left corner, your honor,' Tang replied, 'next to the copper tea stove for boiling the water. The teapot was nearly full. Dr. Shen fed the sample to a dog, and it died at once. He heated the tea, and by the smell identified the poison. He could not test the water in the pan on the tea stove, because it had boiled dry.'
'Who used to bring the tea water?' the judge asked.
'The magistrate himself,' Tang answered promptly. As the judge lifted his eyebrows he explained quickly, 'He was an enthusiastic devotee of the tea cult, your honor, and most particular about all its details. He always insisted on fetching the water himself from the well in his garden, and he also boiled it himself on the tea stove in his library. His teapot, cups and caddy are all valuable antiques. He kept them locked away in the cupboard under the tea stove. On my instructions the coroner also made experiments with the tea leaves found in the caddy, but those proved to be quite harmless.'
'What measures did you take thereafter?' Judge Dee asked.
'I at once sent a special messenger to the prefect in Pien-foo, and I had the body placed in a temporary coffin, put up in the hall of the magistrate's private residence. Then I sealed the library. On the third day his excellency the court investigator arrived from the capital. He ordered the commander of the fort to place six secret agents of the military police at his disposal, and instituted a thorough investigation. He interrogated all the servants and he-'
'I know,' Judge Dee said impatiently. 'I read his report. It was clearly established that no one could have tampered with the tea, and that no one entered the library after the magistrate had retired there. When did the investigator leave exactly?'
'On the morning of the fourth day,' Tang replied slowly, 'the investigator summoned me and ordered me to have the coffin removed to the White Cloud Temple outside the east gate, pending the decision of the deceased's brother as to the final burying place. Then he sent the agents back to the fort, told me that he was taking all the magistrate's private papers along with him and departed.' Tang looked uncomfortable. Glancing anxiously at the judge, he added, 'I presume that he explained to your honor the reason for his sudden departure?'
'He said,' Judge Dee improvised quickly, 'that the investigation had reached a stage where it could profitably be continued by the new magistrate.'
Tang seemed relieved. He asked, 'I trust his excellency is in good health?'
'He has already departed for the south, on a new assignment,' the judge replied. Rising, he continued. 'I'll now go and have a look at the library. While I am gone you'll discuss with Sergeant Hoong what matters must be dealt with during the session tomorrow morning.'
The judge took up one of the candlesticks and left. The door of the magistrate's residence, located on the other side of a small garden behind the reception hall, was standing ajar. The rain had stopped, but a mist was hanging among the trees and over the cleverly arranged flower beds. Judge Dee pushed the door open and entered the deserted house.
He knew from the floor plan attached to the reports that the library was located at the end of the main corridor, which he found without difficulty, Walking through it he noticed two side passages, but in the limited light circle of his candle he could not see where they led to. Suddenly he halted in his steps. The light of the candle fell on a thin man who had just come out of the passage directly ahead, nearly colliding with him.
