brain. He has been consulting doctors for years but no medicine was of any avail. When he flew in a rage he would often collapse like this and remain unconscious for several hours. The doctors said that the only means to cure him was to open his skull and let out the poisonous air inside. But no doctor in Lan-fang possessed that particular skill.'
Liu Wan-fang was led away. Four constables carried the limp form of Chien Mow back to the jail.
'Let the warden report to me as soon as this man recovers!', Judge Dee ordered the headman.
The judge reflected that this collapse of Chien Mow was extremely unfortunate. It was of urgent importance to learn from Chien the identity of his mysterious visitor. Every hour delay gave that shadowy figure in the background a better chance to make good his escape. The judge regretted deeply that he had failed to question Chien directly after his arrest. But who could have foreseen that he had this unknown accomplice?
With a sigh Judge Dee straightened himself in his chair. He hit his gavel on the bench. In a clear voice he spoke:
'During eight years the criminal Chien Mow has been usurping the privilege of our Imperial Government. From now on law and order are re-established in Lan-fang. The good will be protected, the wicked relentlessly persecuted and punished according to the laws of the land.
The criminal Chien Mow has been guilty of sedition and shall receive his just punishment. In addition to the crime of sedition he has committed a number of other criminal acts. Everyone who has a complaint against Chien Mow shall file this with the tribunal. Every case shall be investigated and compensation given wherever possible. It is my duty to warn you that the settling of all those cases will take time. You can rest assured, however, that in due time your wrongs will be righted and justice done.'
The crowd of spectators burst out in loud cheers. It took the constables some time before order was restored in the court hall.
In a corner three Buddhist monks had not taken part in the general excitement. They stood huddled together in a whispered consultation.
Now they pressed forward through the crowd, shouting at the top of their voices that they were suffering under a terrible wrong.
As they approached the dais Judge Dee noticed that none of the three looked very prepossessing. They had coarse, sensuous faces and shifty eyes.
When they were kneeling in front of the dais Judge Dee ordered:
'Let the eldest of you state his name and his complaint!'
'Your Honour', the monk in the middle spoke, 'this ignorant monk is called Pillar of the Doctrine. I live with my two colleagues here in a small temple in the southern quarter of this town. We pass our days in devout prayer and self-examination.
Our poor temple has but one valuable possession, to wit a golden statue of our Gracious Lady Kwan Yin, Amen! Two months ago that villain Chien Mow came to our temple and took the holy statue away. In the Nether World he will be boiled in oil for this awful sacrilege. In the mean time, however, we humbly pray Your Honour to have the holy treasure returned to us or, should that scoundrel have had it melted, to grant us compensation in gold or silver!'
Having thus spoken the monk knocked his head three times on the floor.
Judge Dee slowly caressed his side whiskers. After a while he asked in a conversational tone:
'Since this statue is the only treasure your temple possesses, I suppose that you looked after it with due care and devotion?'
THREE MONKS REPORT A THEFT TO THE TRIBUNAL
'Indeed, Your Honour', the monk answered hurriedly s 'every morning I personally dusted it with a silk whisk, reciting prayers all the while!'
'I trust', the judge continued, 'that your two colleagues were equally diligent in serving the goddess?'
'This insignificant person', the monk on right said, 'has for several years every morning and night burned incense in front of our Gracious Lady, and reverently contemplated her merciful features, Amen!'
'This ignorant monk', the third added, 'every day spent enraptured hours in front of our Gracious Lady,
Amen!' Judge Dee nodded with a satisfied smile. Turning to the
senior scribe he said curtly:
'Give each of the complainants a piece of charcoal and a sheet of white paper!'
As these implements were handed to the astonished monks the judge ordered:
'You there on left walk to the left side of the dais. The monk on right goes to stand on right. You, Pillar of the Doctrine, turn round and face the audience!' The monks shuffled to the positions indicated. Then Judge Dee said peremptorily: 'Kneel and draw me a sketch of that golden statue!' A murmur rose from the crowd. 'Silence!' shouted the constables.
The three monks were quite some time over their work. From time to time they scratched their bald heads. They perspired freely.
At last Judge Dee ordered Headman Fang: 'Show me those sketches!'
When the judge had seen the three sheets he pushed them disdainfully over the edge of the bench.
As they fluttered to the floor everyone could see that they were completely different. One showed the goddess with four arms and three faces, the second with eight arms, and the third was an attempt to depict her in the familiar two-armed form with a small child by her side. Judge Dee called out in a thunderous voice:
'These scoundrels filed a false accusation! Give them twenty blows with the bamboo!'
The constables threw the three monks with their faces on the floor. They turned up their robes and pulled down their loincloths. The bamboo sticks swished through the air.
The monks screamed and cursed as the bamboo tore their flesh. But the constables did not release them until they had had the full number of strokes.
They could not walk. A few helpful spectators dragged them away.
The judge announced:
'Before these crooked monks came forward I was just going to issue a warning that no one should try to gain illegal profit by filing trumped-up claims against Chien Mow. Let the fate of these three monks be a warning example!
I wish to add that since this morning this district is no longer under martial law.'
Having thus spoken Judge Dee turned to Sergeant Hoong and whispered something. The sergeant hurriedly left the hall.
As he came back he shook his head.
'Order the warden of the jail', the judge said in a low voice, 'to call me immediately Chien Mow regains consciousness, even if it should be in the middle of the night!'
Then Judge Dee lifted his gavel. He was about to close the session when he noticed a commotion at the entrance of the court hall.
A young man was making frantic efforts to push through the packed crowd.
The judge ordered two constables to lead the newcomer before him.
As he sank panting to his knees before the dais, Judge Dee recognized Candidate Ding, the young man with whom he had drunk tea two days before.
'Your Honour!', Candidate Ding cried out, 'that fiend Woo has foully murdered my old father!'
Eighth Chapter
Judge Dee leaned back in his chair.
