The Chinese Nail Murders by Gulik Robert van

Author:Gulik, Robert van [Gulik, Robert van]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, General
ISBN: 9780060751395
Google: Y7tNtrdD7pkC
Amazon: 0060751398
Publisher: Harpercollins
Published: 2005-02-15T05:00:00+00:00

The poem was not very well known, she probably had seen only the last two lines quoted somewhere. Or was she familiar with the entire poem, and had referred to it intentionally? With an angry frown the judge jumped up. He had always been interested only in didactic poetry, love songs he considered a waste of time. Yet he found now a depth of feeling in this particular poem that he had never noticed before.

Annoyed with himself he went to the tea stove and wiped his face with a hot towel. Then he sat down at his desk and started to read the official correspondence that the senior scribe had brought in. When the headman came he found the judge absorbed in this work.

Seeing the headman’s unhappy look, Judge Dee asked:

“What is wrong, headman?”

The headman nervously fingered his mustache.

“To tell Your Honor the truth,” he replied, “Mrs. Loo refused to come with me.”

“What is that?” the judge asked, astonished. “Who does the woman think she is?”

“She said,” the headman went on ruefully, “that since I had no warrant, she refused to come.” As the judge was about to make an angry remark, he hastily continued: “She reviled me and made so much noise that a crowd gathered around us. She shouted there were still laws in the Empire, and that the tribunal had no right to summon a decent woman without a proper reason. I tried to drag her along, but she fought back and the crowd took her side. So I thought I had better come back here to ask Your Honor’s instructions.”

“If she wants a warrant, she’ll get one!” Judge Dee said angrily. He took up his writing brush and quickly filled in an official form. He gave it to the headman, saying: “Go there with four constables and bring the woman here!”

The headman quickly took his leave.

Judge Dee started pacing the floor. What a harridan that Mrs. Loo was! He reflected that he really had been lucky with his own wives. His First Lady was a very cultured woman, the eldest daughter of his father’s best friend. The fond understanding between them had always been a great comfort to him in times of stress, and their two sons were a constant source of joy. His second wife was not so well educated, but she was good-looking, had sound common sense and directed his large household most efficiently. The daughter she had given him had the same steady character. His third wife he had taken when he was serving in Peng-lai, his first post. After some fearful experience her family had abandoned her, and the judge had taken her into his house as chambermaid of his First Lady. The latter had grown very fond of her, and soon insisted that the judge take her as a wife. At first the judge had objected, he thought it would be taking advantage of her gratitude. But when she had intimated that she was really fond of him, he had given in, and never regretted it.

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