Farther down in the mountains on the southern border of Han-yuan, that thunderclap made Judge Dee lift his head in the pouring rain and anxiously inspect the dark, wind-swept sky. He pressed himself close to the side of the high tiltcart, drawn up under the cliff that overhung the mountain road. Wiping the rain from his eyes he said to the two coachmen who stood before him huddled in their straw rain cloaks: "Since we can't go on to Han-yuan this evening, we'd better pass the night right here in our cart. You could fetch some rice for our evening meal from a farm in the neighbourhood, I suppose..."
The elder coachman pulled the piece of oil-cloth closer to his head, the ends were flapping in the strong wind. He said: "It isn't safe to stay here, sir! I know these autumn storms in the mountains; it's only just beginning! Soon there'll be a real gale. It might blow our cart over into the ravine on the other side of the road."
"We are high up in the mountains," the other coachman added. "There is not a hut or farm for miles around; there's only the old monastery up there. But of course you wouldn't like to..."
A flash of lightning lit up the wild mountain scene. For one brief moment Judge Dee saw the high, scraggy mountains that loomed on all sides, and the red mass of the old monastery, towering on the slope above them, on the other side of the ravine. There was a deafening clap of thunder, and all was dark again.
The judge hesitated. He pushed his long black beard further into the fold of his drenched travelling cloak. Then he made a decision.
"You two run up to the monastery," he said curtly "and tell them that the magistrate of this district is here and wants to stay overnight. Let them send down a dozen lay brothers with closed litters, to carry my womenfolk and luggage up there." The elder coachman wanted to say something, but Judge Dee barked: "Get going!" The man shrugged his shoulders resignedly. They set off at a trot; their storm lanterns of oiled paper were two dancing spots of light in the dark.
Judge Dee felt his way along the tilt cart till he found the step ladder. He climbed inside and quickly closed the canvas flap behind him. His three wives were sitting on the bed rolls, their padded travelling cloaks drawn close to their bodies. In the back of the cart the maids cowered among the bags and boxes. Their faces white with fear, they pressed close to each other at each peal of thunder. It was dry inside, but the cold wind blew right through the thick canvas of the hood.
As the judge sat down on a clothes box, his First Lady said: "You shouldn't have gone outside! You are wet through and through!"
"I tried to help Tao Gan and the coachmen to fix that broken axle," he said with a wan smile "but it's no use; it'll have to be replaced. Anyway, the horses are tired and the storm is only beginning. We'll stay the night in the Morning Cloud Monastery. That's the only inhabited place in this neighbourhood."
"Do you mean that huge red building with the green-tiled roofs we saw high up on the mountain slope, when we passed here two weeks ago?" his second wife asked.
The judge nodded. "You won't be too uncomfortable there," he said. "It's the largest Taoist monastery in the entire province, and many people visit it during the religious feasts. I am sure they'll have good guest quarters."
He took the towel his third wife gave him and tried to rub his beard and whiskers dry.
"We'll manage all right!" his First Lady resumed. "During our holiday in the capital we were so spoilt in your uncle's mansion that a little hardship won't matter! And it'll be interesting to see what that old monastery looks like inside!"
"Perhaps there are spooks!" his Third Lady said with a smile. She moved her shapely shoulders in an exaggerated shudder. Judge Dee knitted his thick eyebrows.
"There isn't much to see," he said slowly. "It's just an old monastery. We'll have the evening meal in our room and go to bed early. If we leave tomorrow morning at dawn, as soon as the grooms of the monastery have replaced the axle, we'll be back in Han-yuan before the noon rice."
"I wonder how the children have been getting along!" his second wife said in a worried voice.
"Old Hoong and the steward will have looked after them," the judge said reassuringly. They talked about household matters till loud shouts outside announced the arrival of the men from the monastery. Tao Gan, one of Judge Dee's lieutenants, poked his long, gloomy face inside and reported that four litters were standing ready for the ladies.
While Judge Dee's three wives and their maids got into the litters, the judge and Tao Gan supervised the lay brothers as they rolled large boulders up against the wheels of the cart. The coachmen unharnessed the horses, and the cortege moved along the winding road, the rain clattering on the canvas roofs of the litters. Judge Dee and Tao Gan trudged along behind them-they were drenched to the skin anyway! In this strong wind it was no use trying to unfold their oil-paper umbrellas.
As they were crossing the natural bridge over the ravine, Tao Gan asked: "Isn't that the monastery which Your Honour planned to visit some time ago, in order to make inquiries about those three young women, called Liu, Huang and Gao, who died there last year?"
"It is," the judge replied soberly. "It's not the kind of place I would choose to stay overnight together with my womenfolk. But it can't be helped."
The sure-footed litter-bearers went quickly up a steep flight of slippery steps, zig-zagging up through high trees. Judge Dee followed close behind them, but he found it difficult to keep up with their pace. He was glad when above him he heard a gate open on creaking hinges. They entered a large, walled-in front courtyard. The bearers carried the litters up a second flight of steps at the back of the court, and put them down under a high archway of blackened bricks. A group of monks in saffron-coloured robes stood waiting for them there, carrying lampions and smoking torches.
Judge Dee heard the main gate through which they had entered close with a resounding thud. He suddenly shivered. He thought he must have caught a bad cold in the rain. A short, corpulent monk stepped forward and bowed deeply in front of him. He said in a brisk voice:
"Welcome to the Morning Cloud Monastery, Your Honour! I am the prior here, at Your Honour's service!"
"I hope our sudden visit doesn't inconvenience you," Judge Dee said politely.
"It's a signal honour, sir!" the prior exclaimed, blinking his slightly protruding eyes. "It adds splendour to this auspicious day! We are celebrating the foundation of our monastery, as we do every year on this day. This is the two hundred and third time, Your Honour!"
"I didn't know that," the judge said. "May your monastery prosper for ever and ever!" A gust of cold wind blew through the archway. He cast an anxious eye at his ladies who were stepping down from the litters, assisted by the maids, and resumed: "Please lead us to our quarters. We all need to change our clothes."
"Of course, of course!" the small prior exclaimed. "Follow me please!" As he led them into a narrow, dark passage, he continued: "I hope you won't mind the steps. I'll take you to the east wing by a roundabout way. There are many sets of steps, but it'll at least save you from going outside again and getting wetter!"
He went ahead, holding a paper lantern close to the floor so that Judge Dee and Tao Gan could see the steps. A novice followed, carrying a lampion on a long stick, and Judge Dee's wives brought up the rear together with six lay brothers who carried their travelling bags and boxes, suspended on bamboo poles over their shoulders. When they had gone up the first flight of stairs and turned a corner, it had grown very still; nothing was heard any more of the storm outside.
"The walls must be very thick!" Judge Dee remarked to Tao Gan.
"They knew how to build in those days! And they didn't grudge expense!" As they began another steep ascent, Tao Gan added: "But they made far too many stairs!"
After they had climbed two more flights of stairs, the prior pushed a heavy door open. They entered a long, cold corridor lighted by a few lanterns hanging from the thick, age-blackened rafters overhead. On their right was a blind plaster wall; on the left was a row of narrow, high windows. Here they again heard the gale blowing outside.
"We are now on the third floor of the east wing," the prior explained. "The steps on the left there lead down to the hall on the ground floor. If Your Honour listens, you can hear faintly the music of the mystery play they are performing there now!"
The judge halted and listened politely. He could vaguely hear the beat of drums coming from far below. It was soon drowned by the rattle of the rain against the shutters. The wind was gaining in force. He was glad they were inside.
"Round the corner ahead there," the prior went on in his quick, clipped voice "are Your Honour's quarters. I trust you won't find them too uncomfortable. Presently I'll take Your Honour's assistant down to his room on the floor below, where we have a few other guests staying." He motioned the novice with the lampion to precede them, and they went on.
Judge Dee looked round. His wives and the maids were just emerging at the head of the stairs at the end of the corridor. He followed the prior.
Suddenly a particularly violent rush of wind blew open the shutters of the window on his left, and a gust of cold rain came inside. With an annoyed exclamation Judge Dee leaned outside and grabbed the swinging shutters to pull them shut. But then he stood stock-still.
The window in the wall of the building opposite stood open, and across the dividing space of six feet or so he looked into a dimly lit room He saw the broad back of a man wearing a close-fitting iron helmet, trying to embrace a naked woman. Her face was covered by her right arm; where the left should have been there was only a ragged stump. The man let go of her and she stumbled back against the wall. Then the wind tore the hooks of the shutters from Judge Dee's hands, and they slammed shut in his face. With an oath he pushed them open again, but now he saw nothing but a dark curtain of rain.
By the time he had the shutters fastened, Tao Gan and the prior had stepped up to him and helped him to secure the rusty bolts.
"You should have let me do that, Your Honour!" the prior said contritely.
The judge remained silent. He waited till the women and the bearers had passed by them, then asked: "What is that building over on the other side there?"
"Only the store-room, Your Honour," the prior replied. "We had better?"
"Just now I saw one of the windows there standing open," Judge Dee interrupted him curtly. "But someone closed it very quickly."
"Window?" the prior asked astonished. "Your Honour must be mistaken! There are no windows on this side of the store-room. There's only a blind wall. This way please!"
)
