flourishing cities destroyed. Of course, he was powerless to prevent a national disaster; the society would have ramifications all over the Empire and Han-yuan was but one of their many centers. But Han-yuan was close to the capital, and every important point that could be denied to the rebels was an asset for the Imperial Army. But he hadn't even warned the government of what was going on in Han-yuan. He had failed, failed when faced with the most important task of his entire career! He covered his face with his hands in utter despair.
But soon he mastered himself. Perhaps there was still time. The fighting in Liu-chiang was probably a first attempt of the rebels, to gauge the reaction of the Imperial forces. Through the excellent work of Ma Joong and Chiao Tai, the reinforcements for the rebels in Liu-chiang had not arrived. It would take a day or two until the conspirators would have organized another probing attack elsewhere. The local commander in Liu-chiang would inform the higher authorities, and they would institute an investigation. But all that would take too much time! It was the duty of him, the magistrate of Han-yuan, to warn the government that the uprising in Liu-chiang was much more than a local affair, that it was part of a larger campaign, a nationwide conspiracy organized by the revived White Lotus. He had to prove that to the authorities, prove it that very night, and backed with irrefutable evidence. But he didn't have that evidence!
Liu Fei-po had disappeared, but Han Yung-han was still available. He would arrest Han now, and question him under torture. There was insufficient evidence for such an extreme measure, but in this case the security of the State was at stake. And the chess problem pointed straight at Han. Doubtless his ancestor, Hermit Han, had in the olden days made some important discovery, found some ingenious device, and hidden its key in the chess problem-a discovery that was now being utilized by the Hermit's depraved descendant for his own nefarious scheme. But what could that discovery have been? Besides being a philosopher and chess expert, Hermit Han had also been a good architect; the Buddhist Chapel had been built under his personal supervision. He had also been extraordinarily clever with his hands: he had engraved the inscription of the jade plaque in the altar with his own hands.
Suddenly the judge sat up straight in his chair. He gripped the edge of the table tightly with both hands. Closing his eyes, he visualized the conversation in the Buddhist Chapel, in the deep of night. He called up before his mind's eye that beautiful girl as she stood there opposite him, pointing at the inscription on the altar with her slender hand. The inscription occupied a perfect square, that he remembered clearly. And Willow Down had said that every word had been engraved on a separate piece of jade. The inscription was therefore a square, divided into smaller squares. And the other relic of the old Hermit, the chess problem, consisted also of a square divided into squares…
He pulled out a drawer. Throwing the papers inside carelessly on the floor, he searched with feverish haste for the traced copy of the inscription that Willow Down had given to him.
He found it rolled up in the back of the drawer. He quickly unrolled it on his desk and placed a paperweight on either end. Then he took the printed sheet with the chess problem and laid it next to the text. He carefully compared the two.
The Buddhist text consisted of exactly sixty-four words, arranged in eight columns of eight words each. It was indeed a perfect square. Judge Dee knitted his bushy eyebrows. The chess problem also was a square, but here the surface was divided into eighteen columns of eighteen squares each. And even if the similarity in design had a special meaning, what could be the connection between a Buddhist text and a chess problem?
The judge forced himself to think calmly. The text was taken verbatim from a famous old Buddhist book. It could hardly be used for concealing a hidden meaning without substantial alterations in the wording. Therefore the clue to die relation of the two, if any, was evidently contained in the chess problem.
He slowly tugged at his whiskers. It had been established without doubt that the chess problem was in reality no problem at all. Chiao Tai had observed that the white and black men seemed to be distributed over the board at random; especially, black's position didn't make any sense at all. Judge Dee's eyes narrowed. What if the clue were contained in the black position, the white men being added afterward, merely as camouflage?
He quickly counted the points occupied by the black men. They were spread over an area eight by eight square. The sixty-four words of the Buddhist text were arranged in exactly the same way!
The judge grabbed his writing brush. Consulting the chess problem, he drew circles round seventeen words in the Buddhist text, occurring on the places indicated by the black men. He heaved a deep sigh. The seventeen words read together made a sentence that could have but one meaning. The riddle was solved!
He threw the brush down and wiped the perspiration from his forehead. Now he knew where the headquarters of the White Lotus sect were located.
He rose and walked briskly to the door. His four assistants were standing huddled together in a corner of the corridor outside, unhappily discussing in whispers the possible causes for Judge Dee's despair. He motioned them to come inside.
When they entered his office they immediately saw that the crisis had been tided over. Judge Dee was standing very straight in front of the desk, his arms folded in his wide sleeves. Fixing them with burning eyes, he spoke.
'Tonight I shall clear up the case of the strangled courtesan. I have now finally understood her last message!'
Eighteenth Chapter
Gathering his four assistants round him, Judge Dee unfolded his plan in a hurried whisper. 'Be very careful!' he concluded. 'There's treason here in this tribunal; the walls have ears!'
When Ma Joong and Chiao Tai had rushed outside, the judge said to Sergeant Hoong:
'Go to the guardhouse, Hoong, and keep an eye on the guards and constables there. As soon as you see that one of them is approached by someone from outside, you have both of them arrested at once!'
Then the judge left his office, and ascended together with Tao Gan the staircase to the second floor of the tribunal. They went out on the marble terrace.
Judge Dee anxiously looked up at the sky. There was a brilliant moon and the air was hot and still. He held up his hand. There was not the slightest breeze. With a sigh of relief he sat down near the balustrade.
Resting his chin in his cupped hands, the judge looked out over the dark city. It was past the first night watch; people were putting out the lights. Tao Gan remained standing behind Judge Dee's chair. Fingering the long hairs that sprouted from his cheek, he stared into the distance.
They remained there in silence for a long time. From the street below came the sound of a clapper. The night watch was making his rounds.
Judge Dee rose abruptly.
'It's getting late!' he remarked.
'It's not an easy job, Your Honor!' Tao Gan said reassuringly.
'It may take more time than we thought!'
Suddenly the judge clutched Tao Gan's sleeve.
'Look!' he exclaimed. 'It's starting!'
In eastern direction a column of gray smoke was rising above the rooftops. A thin flame shot up.
'Come along!' Judge Dee called out. He ran down the stairs.
As they arrived in the courtyard below the large gong at the gate of the tribunal raised its bronze voice. Two stalwart guards were beating it with heavy wooden clubs. The fire had been spotted.
Constables and guards came running out of their quarters fastening the straps of their helmets.
'All of you go to the fire!' Judge Dee commanded. 'Two guards stay behind here at the gate!'
Then he ran out into the street, followed by Tao Gan.
They found the large gate of the Han mansion wide open. The last servants came running out carrying their belongings in hastily made bundles. The flames were licking at the roof of the storeroom at the back of the house. A crowd of citizens had assembled in the street outside. Under the direction of the warden of that quarter they
