The Emperor's Pearl by Gulik Robert van

Author:Gulik, Robert van [Gulik, Robert van]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective
ISBN: 9780226848723
Google: w-SnnhMY5FkC
Amazon: 0226848728
Publisher: David & Charles
Published: 1963-03-15T05:00:00+00:00

THE JUDGE HAS TEA IN A CURIO-SHOP

‘Why?’

‘Because,’ Yang replied with a sly smile, ‘Mr Kwang also supplies Dr Pien’s competitors here with drugs. Besides, Mr Kwang asked me to keep his visits to Poo-yang secret because of another reason too. He explained to me that he bought very cheaply a piece of land adjoining the Mandrake Grove some years ago-through the intermediary of Dr Pien. Mr Kwang made Dr Pien believe that he bought it just as an investment. In fact, however, Kwang has been sending his men there to gather the plant, on the edge of the grove. If Dr Pien knew that, he would of course ask Kwang to pay him a commission. As I said before, Mr Kwang is a very shrewd businessman indeed!’

‘Quite,’ Judge Dee said. He reflected that Kwang, without actually telling lies, had yet succeeded in giving him an entirely wrong impression of his activities. And, since that blandly courteous gentleman collected curios for gain, he might well have employed Tong or Sia to locate bargains for him – and for other purposes too, perhaps. He asked: ‘Do you happen to know where Mr Kwang usually stays when he is here in Poo-yang?’

‘If he doesn’t stay on his junk, he rents a room in the Hostel of the Eight Immortals, sir. A very small, cheap inn,’ he added with a deprecating smile.

‘I know the place. Mr Kwang is certainly a parsimonious man!’

‘Money means everything to him, Your Honour. He doesn’t care a fig for antiques, for him it’s just a side-line to make money. Mr Kou Yuan-liang – now there’s a real collector for you! Doesn’t mind what he pays as long as he gets the best! Can afford it too, the lucky fellow!’ He pensively rubbed his chin, then resumed, somewhat diffidently: ‘As to me, I am a mixture of both, more or less. My business is buying and selling, of course, but I fall in love with a piece now and then, and keep it for myself. Wouldn’t part with it at any price. And, as I grow older, this weakness gets worse. Formerly I enjoyed inspecting all those superb things in Mr Kou’s collection, used to go there at least once a week! But the last four five years or so I go there only when Mr Kou invites me, and then I never go farther than his reception room, I refuse to see his collection. Jealousy, pure and simple!’ He shook his head with a wan smile. Suddenly he asked: ‘By the way, sir, have you discovered a clue to the murder of the drummer of Dr Pien’s boat, that fellow Tong Mai?’

‘Not yet. As I told you just now, it’s a baffling case. To return to Mr Kou, I have always heard that he has indeed a choice collection. The man has the eye of the connoisseur. That is proved also by the women he chose for himself. Although his First Lady has been ill for a long time, she still is a very handsome woman—I happened to meet her, last night.

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