"I would like to meet him", the judge said.
The old archivist looked doubtful.
"That is a difficult proposition, Your Honour!" he remarked. "The old master never leaves his mountain valley and he refuses to see visitors. I would not know that he is still alive were it not that last week I heard that two fuel gatherers had happened to see him working in his garden. He is a very wise and learned man, Your Honour. Some even say that he has discovered the Elixir of Life, and soon will leave this world as an Immortal."
Judge Dee slowly smoothed his long beard.
"I have heard many a story", he said, "about such recluses. Usually they turn out to be nothing but extremely lazy and ignorant men. However, I have seen a specimen of this man's calligraphy, which is absolutely superior. He may be an exception. How is the road out there?"
"Your Honour will have to walk the greater part of the way", the archivist replied. "The mountain path is so steep and narrow that even a small sedan chair could not pass."
As the judge thanked the archivist Chiao Tai came in. He was looking worried.
"I trust that there is nothing wrong in the Chien mansion, Chiao Tai?", asked the judge anxiously.
Chiao Tai sat down and started twirling his short moustache. Then he said:
"It is very hard, Your Honour, to explain how one notices a change in the attitude of a body of soldiers. I suppose that it is mainly intuition. For the last two days I have felt there was something wrong with the men.
I checked with Corporal Ling and found that he too has been worrying. He tells me that some soldiers seem to spend more money than they would be able to account for."
Judge Dee had been listening intently.
"This sounds serious, Chiao Tai!", he said slowly. "Listen to a queer story of Ma Joong!"
Ma Joong once more told what he had heard in the Northern Row.
Chiao Tai shook his head.
"I fear that this means trouble, Your Honour! Our ruse of creating an imaginary regiment inspecting the border works two ways. On the one hand it enabled us to oust Chien Mow and subdue his men. On the other it may have convinced barbarian tribes planning to raid the city that they have to act now or never, before a garrison arrives."
Judge Dee tugged at his whiskers.
"A barbarian attack on his town would be the last straw!", he exclaimed angrily. "As if we had not enough difficulties on our hands already! I suspect that that mysterious trouble-maker who directed Chien Mow is at the back of this! How many men do you think we can trust?"
Chiao Tai looked thoughtful. After a while he said:
"I would not count on more than fifty in all, Your Honour!"
All were silent.
Suddenly Judge Dee crashed his fist on the desk.
"It yet may not be too late!", he exclaimed. "That remark of yours about a ruse working two ways, Chiao Tai, has given me an idea.
Ma Joong, we must immediately apprehend that Uigur ruffian you were to meet last night. Can you arrest that man without attracting the attention of the people out there?"
Ma Joong looked pleased. He put his large hands on his knees and said with a smile:
"Broad daylight is not the most suitable time for such an undertaking, Your Honour, but of course it can be done!"
"Go there immediately with Chiao Tai!", the judge ordered. "But remember that this is to be a secret arrest. If you find that you cannot apprehend him without someone knowing it, you must leave him alone and come back here!"
Ma Joong nodded. He rose and beckoned Chiao Tai to follow him.
They went to the quarters of the guards and sat down in a corner. There they held a whispered consultation. Then Ma Joong left the tribunal alone.
He walked round the tribunal compound and sauntered along the main street leading to the north city gate. He stood about for a moment in front of a small eating house. Then he entered.
Ma Joong had been there once before. The manager greeted him by his name.
"I want my luncheon in a small room upstairs!", Ma Joong announced and climbed the stairs.
On the second floor he found an empty corner room. When he had ordered his luncheon, the door opened and Chiao Tai came in. He had entered the restaurant by the backdoor.
Ma Joong hurriedly took off his upper gown and his cap. While Chiao Tai wrapped these up in a bundle Ma Joong ruffled his hair and bound a dirty rag round his head. He tucked the slips of his undergarment in his girdle and rolled up his sleeves. With a hasty farewell he left the room.
Tiptoeing down the stairs he went into the kitchen.
"Have you not a spare oil cake lying about, you fat bastard?", he barked at the cook who was sweating over the kitchen fire.
The cook looked up. When he saw that uncouth ruffian he hastily gave him a flour cake that had stuck to the pan.
Ma Joong muttered something, grabbed the cake and left the kitchen by the backdoor.
Upstairs Chiao Tai had started on his luncheon. Seeing the familiar brown robe and the pointed black cap of the tribunal the waiter who served him did not realize that this was not the same man who had entered the restaurant.
Chiao Tai planned to leave when the manager would be busy.
In the meantime Ma Joong had strolled to the market near the Drum Tower.
He loitered for a while among the stalls of the street venders, then walked over to the tower.
The dark area under the stone arches that formed the base of the Drum Tower was deserted. On rainy days itinerant merchants often used the sheltered space under the arches for displaying their wares but now they preferred the bright sunlight outside.
Ma Joong looked over his shoulder. When he saw that no one paid any attention to him he quickly stepped inside. He climbed the narrow stairway that led to the second floor.
This was a kind of loft with large windows on all four sides. In hot weather people sometimes came up there to catch the breeze but now there was no one about. The step ladder to the third floor was barred by a wooden gate. There was no lock on it. It was closed by an iron bolt with a strip bearing the large red seal of the tribunal pasted over it.
Ma Joong calmly broke the seal and wrenched the gate open. Then he climbed up to the third floor.
The huge round drum stood on a platform in the middle of the wooden floor. It was covered with a thick layer of dust that had blown in through the open arches. The drum is sounded only in times of emergency to warn the population. Evidently it had not been used for many years.
Ma Joong nodded. He quickly went down again. He looked round the corner of one of the arches. When he saw that no one observed him he slipped out and made for the Northern Row.
In broad daylight the quarter looked even more miserable than at night. There was no one about. Apparently the inmates were sleeping off the night before.
Ma Joong wandered about for a while but he failed to locate the house he had visited.
He pushed open a door at random. A slovenly clad girl was lying on a wooden couch.
Ma Joong gave the couch a kick. The girl slowly scrambled up. She gave Ma Joong a sullen look and started to scratch her head.
Ma Joong said gruffly:
"Orolakchee!"
Suddenly the girl became active. She jumped from the couch and disappeared through the screen at the back. She emerged again dragging along a dirty small boy. Pointing to Ma Joong she rapidly talked to the urchin. Then she said something to Ma Joong. He nodded eagerly although he had not understood a word.
The urchin beckoned to Ma Joong. He rushed out into the street, Ma Joong following on his heels.