It was difficult to respond to such talk. I knew it was only custom and that she adored her son and thought him perfect. For all the custom in the world I wouldn’t pretend for a moment that my Jason was wretched and stupid.
So I merely nodded.
I followed her into a small room paneled like those lower rooms in The House of a Thousand Lanterns. She turned to smile over her shoulder and led the way to the panel. I was not altogether surprised when she touched a spring and the panel slid back.
“You look?” she said.
I was in a cupboard not unlike that in which I had found the costume. But leading from this were steps. She stepped daintily into the cupboard and started to descend the steps. Lottie and I followed.
We were in a room from which hung lighted lanterns. There must have been some fifteen of them. They threw shadows on the walls and showed us a narrow opening through which came the gleam of more lanterns.
Chan Cho Lan nodded to Lottie who went towards the opening.
“Chan Cho Lan wish me take you to Jason,” said Lottie.
“You know this place then, Lottie?” I asked.
She nodded. “Chan Cho Lan show me.”
I followed her as she led the way.
We walked some distance.
“What is Jason doing down here?” I demanded.
“He come to play with Chin-ky.”
I looked around. There was no sign of Chan Cho Lan.
We were in a passage with a wall on either side. It was cold and the light from the lanterns was dim.
“Where are we going?” I said. “Jason is not down here surely?”
“Chan Cho Lan say is.”
“Where are we?”
“We nearly under The House of a Thousand Lanterns.”
“The lanterns are here, Lottie. This is where the rest of the thousand are.”
She nodded. “Come,” she said.
We had come to a door. There was a grille in this door. Lottie opened it and we went inside. Numerous lanterns were lighted. It was like a temple. And there I saw the statue and I guessed at once that it was the great Kuan Yin. Her kindly eyes were studying me; she was of jade and gold and rose quartz. A glittering beautiful figure.
“It’s the Kuan Yin,” I said.
And before the goddess was a tomb—of marble and gold on the top of which was a marble recumbent figure.
I thought to myself: This is the secret of The House of a Thousand Lanterns. I looked up at the ornate ceiling on which were depicted the delights of the Paradise of Fō. There were seven trees on which jewels hung, seven bridges of pearl and figures in white robes.
Then I said: “But where is Jason?”
“Over there,” said Lottie.
I could see nothing but a long box on trestles.
“Lottie,” I said sharply, “tell me what this means.”
“Over there,” she said.
I went in the direction she indicated.
There was no sign of Jason.
I turned to Lottie. She was no longer there. The door had shut and I was alone.
“Where are you, Lottie?” I said. My voice sounded hollow.
Panic surged up in me. The kindly goddess seemed to look pityingly and I knew that this was what the house had been warning me of.
I went to the door through which we had come. There was no door handle. I pushed the door with all my might.
It did not respond.
I was shut in this strange place.
I knew then that I had been lured here. That Lottie had lured me here. Why? I asked myself.
“Let me out,” I called. “Lottie, where are you?”
There was no answer.
I turned and looked in panic about the place. A temple indeed—I noticed the beautiful mosaic floor; the tiled walls; it was a worthy setting for the tomb of a loved one, and presiding over it all was the goddess of tenderness, the goddess who never turned a deaf ear on cries of distress.
For what purpose had I been lured here?
I went to the tomb. There were Chinese characters on it in gold. I could not decipher all of them except that I recognized the word “love.”
Then suddenly I knew that I was being watched. I turned round. There was a shadow across the grille.
Chan Cho Lan was there; her face looked infinitely evil.
“You have not found son?” she said.
“He is not here.” My own fears were forgotten in those that I felt for Jason.
“You do not look,” she said. “Is here.”
“Oh God,” I cried. “Tell me where?”
“You search and will find.”
“Jason!” I cried shrilly: “Jason!”
My voice echoed in this chamber of death but there was no answer.
A terrible dread had come to me. I had seen the box on trestles and I had thought it was a coffin. I could not bear the thought. It was not possible.
I went to the box. I think I knew the utmost misery then for lying in the padded box, his face as white as the silk which lined it, looking so unlike himself in life was my son Jason.
I don’t know whether I cried out. I felt as if the world had collapsed about me. I could not imagine a greater calamity. I stood swaying looking down at the well-loved face.
Jason, my baby… my son… dead.
But why this senseless torture, this misery? What did it mean? “Jason,” I sobbed. “Jason speak to me…”
I bent over him. I touched his face. It was warm. “Jason!” I cried. “My dear child.”
Then I put my lips to his and joy of joys I could see the pulse in his temple. He was not dead then.
A voice said to me: “He not dead. I do not kill. My religion does not let me.”
I ran to the grille. “Chan Cho Lan,” I said, “tell me what this means. What have you done to my son?”
“He will wake up. In an hour he will wake.”
“You have brought him to this state…”
“Had to be. He very lively. Must get him here for when you come.”
“What do you want of me?”
“I want you dead… and your son dead, so that what is right may be done.”
“Listen, Chan Cho Lan, I want to get away from here. I will give you anything I have if you will let me get out of here with my son.”
“Cannot… too late.”
“What do you mean? Explain to me. I beg of you, Chan Cho Lan, tell me what you want.”
“You see altar behind statue of goddess. On it is two phials. You drink contents of one and son drinks other. You die.”
“So you want me to kill myself and my son?”
“It is best. You must die.”
“And what benefit will that bring you?”
“It will restore face to my ancestors. My grandfather great mandarin. Doctor save his life and he give him house, but first he builds beneath it tomb to beloved wife and gives her the great goddess to watch over her. He live in my house and visit tomb of beloved wife often. But you try to find secret and all foreign devils do. One day they might find. House should belong to rightful owner.”
“So you want the house. Why did you not explain this?”
“Chin-ky will have house. When you dead and boy dead, House will be Adam’s. Chin-ky Adam’s son so it is right he have it. Chin-ky marry Chinese woman and they live in House of Thousand Lanterns and ancestors will rest in peace.”
“Adam! I don’t believe it.”
“No. You believe he Joliffe son. Adam very clever. He hide much.”
“The house will not be Adam’s,” I said. “If I die it will be Joliffe’s.”
“Not true. Sylvester make will. Adam know.”
“It was changed. I changed it. Adam will not inherit it.”
“Not?” she said, for the moment taken aback.
“My husband will have what was mine,” I went on quickly.
She lifted her eyebrows. “If there is more to be done it shall be done,” she said.