The Monkey and the Tiger

'Thanks to your excellent work this afternoon, we now have at our disposal three well-established facts. First, that a beautiful vagabond girl is connected with the ring. Second, that she has a brother; for no matter what really happened, Leng had no earthly reason to invent a brother. And third, that there is a connection between the girl, her brother and the murdered man. Probably they belonged to the same gang, and if so, it probably was a gang from outside this district; for none of our personnel knew the dead man by sight, and Leng thought the girl was from up-country.

'So now your next step is to locate the girl and her brother. That shouldn't be too difficult, for a vagabond girl of such striking beauty will attract attention. As a rule the women who join those gangs are cheap prostitutes.'

'I could ask the Chief of the Beggars, sir! He is a clever old scoundrel, and fairly co-operative.'

'Yes, that's a good idea. While you are busy in the town, I shall check Leng's story. I shall interrogate that rascally clerk of his, his friend the goldsmith Chu, and his chair-bearers. I shall also order the headman to locate one or more of the young hoodlums who jeered at Leng, and the hawker who saw the old man scramble up. Finally I shall ask Mr Wang whether Leng was really dead drunk when he came home. All these routine jobs would be meat and drink to old Hoong, Ma Joong and Chiao Tai, but since they are away I'll gladly take care of them myself. This work will help to take my mind off that smuggling case that is worrying me considerably. Well, set to work, and success!'

The only occupant of the smelly taproom of the Red Carp was the greybeard who stood behind the high counter. He wore a long, shabby blue gown, and had a greasy black skull cap on his head. His long, wrinkled face was adorned by a ragged moustache and a spiky chinbeard. Staring into the distance he was moodily picking his broken teeth. His busy time would come late in the night, when his beggars gathered there in order to pay him his share of their earnings. The old man looked on silently while Tao Gan poured himself uninvited a cup of wine from the cracked earthenware pot. Then he quickly grabbed the pot, and put it away under the counter.

'You had quite a busy morning, Mr Tao,' he croaked. 'Asking about gang fights, and golden rings.'

Tao Gan nodded. He knew that the greybeard's omnipresent beggars kept him informed about everything that went on downtown. He put his wine-cup down and said cheerfully:

'That's why I got the afternoon off! I was thinking of amusing myself a bit. Not with a professional, mind you. With a free-lance!'

'Very clever!' the greybeard commented sourly. 'So as to turn her in afterwards for practising without a licence. Have your fun gratis, and on top of that a bonus from the tribunal!'

'What do you take me for? I want a free-lance, and from out of town, because I have to think of my reputation.'

'Why should you, Mr Tao?' the Chief of the Beggars asked blandly. 'Your reputation being what it is?'

Tao Gan decided to let the barbed remark pass. He said pensively:

'Something young, and pretty. But cheap, mind you!'

'You'll have to prove that you'll appreciate my advice, Mr Tao!'

The greybeard watched Tao Gan as he laboriously counted out five coppers on the counter, but he made no move to take the money. With a deep sigh Tao Gan added five more. Now the old man scooped them up with his claw-like hand.

'Go to the Inn of the Blue Clouds,' he muttered. 'Two streets down, the fourth house on your left. Ask for Seng Kiu. He's her brother, and he concludes the deals, I am told.' He gave Tao Gan a thoughtful look, then added with a lopsided grin: 'You'll like Seng Kiu, Mr Tao! A straightforward, open-minded man. And very hospitable. Have a good time, Mr Tao. You really deserve it!'

Tao Gan thanked him and went out.

He walked as quickly as the irregular cobblestones of the narrow alley would allow, for he did not put it beyond the greybeard to send one of his beggars ahead to the inn to warn Seng Kiu that a minion of the law was on his way.

The Inn of the Blue Clouds was a miserable small place, wedged in between the shops of a fishmonger and a vegetable dealer. In the dimly lit space at the bottom of the narrow staircase a fat man sat dozing in a bamboo chair. Tao Gan poked him hard in his ribs with his thin, bony forefinger and growled:

'I want Seng Kiu!'

'You may have him and keep him! Upstairs, second door! Ask him when he's going to pay the rent!' When Tao Gan was about to ascend, the man, who had taken in his frail stooping figure, called out: 'Wait! Have a look at my face!'

Tao Gan saw that his left eye was closed, the cheek swollen and discoloured.

'That's Seng Kiu for you!' the man said. 'Mean bastard!'

'How many are they?'

'Three. Besides Seng Kiu and his sister there's his friend Chang. Also a mean bastard. There was a fourth, but he has cleared out.'

Tao Gan nodded. While climbing the stairs he reflected with a wry smile that he now knew the reason for the greybeard's secret amusement. He would get even with that old rascal, some day!

After he had rapped his knuckles vigorously on the door indicated, a raucous voice called out from inside:

'Tomorrow you'll get your money, you son of a dog!'

Tao Gan pushed the door open and walked inside. On either side of the bare, dingy room stood a plank-bed. On the one on the right lay a giant of a man, clad in a patched brown jacket and trousers. He had a broad, bloated face, surrounded by a bristling short beard. His hair was bound up with a dirty rag. On the other bed a long, wiry man lay snoring loudly, his muscular arms folded under his closely-cropped head. In front of the window sat a good-looking young woman mending a jacket. She wore only a pair of wide blue trousers, her shapely torso was bare.

'Maybe I could help with the rent, Seng Kiu,' Tao Gan said. He pointed with his chin at the girl.

The giant scrambled up. He looked Tao Gan up and down with his small bloodshot eyes, scratching his hairy breast. Tao Gan noticed that the tip of his left little finger was missing. His scrutiny completed, the giant asked gruffly: 'How much?'

'Fifty coppers.'

Seng Kiu woke up the other by a kick against his leg that was dangling over the foot of the bed.

'This kind old gentleman,' he informed him, 'wants to lend us fifty coppers, because he likes our faces. The trouble is that I don't like his!'

'Take his money and kick him out!' the girl told her brother. 'No need to beat him up, the scarecrow is ugly enough as it is!'

The giant swung round to her.

'None of your business!' he barked. 'You shut up and stay shut up! You bungled that affair with Uncle Twan, couldn't even get that emerald ring of his! Useless slut!'

She came to her feet with amazing speed and kicked him hard against his shins. He promptly gave her a blow to her stomach. She folded double, gasping for air. But that was only a trick, for when he came for her, she quickly thrust her head into his midriff. As he stepped back, she pulled a long hairpin from her coiffure and asked venomously:

'Want to get that into your gut, dear brother?'

Tao Gan was thinking how he could get these three to the tribunal. Since they probably weren't very familiar with the city yet, he thought he would manage it.

'I'll settle with you later!' Seng Kiu promised his sister. And to his friend: 'Grab the bastard, Chang!'

While Chang was keeping Tao Gan's arms pinned behind his back in an iron grip, Seng Kiu expertly searched him.

'Yes, only fifty coppers!' he said with disgust. 'You hold him while I teach him not to disturb our sleep!'

He took a long bamboo stick from the corner and made to hit Tao Gan on his head. But suddenly he half turned and let the end come down on the behind of his sister, who was bending over her jacket again. She jumped aside with a yell of pain. Her brother bellowed with laughter. But then he had to duck, for she threw the heavy iron scissors at his head.