The elder man heaved a resigned sigh.

"As soon as these young officials get appointed outside the capital," he remarked dryly, "they at once start to take things easy. Lack of control by their immediate superiors, I suppose. Remind me that we summon the Prefect of this region; I'll have to speak to him about this disgraceful affair."

There was a pause. Judge Dee remained silent. One spoke to this exalted person only when asked to. And it was his duty to blame and criticize. For the elder man, although officially ranking as an Imperial Censor, was in reality the Grand Inquisitor, the formidable Chief of the Imperial Secret Service. He was called Meng Kee, a name that made the highest metropolitan officials shiver in their gold-embroidered robes. Fiercely loyal, completely incorruptible, of inhuman, detached cruelty, this man was invested with practically unlimited authority. He represented in his person the final check, the ultimate control on the colossal apparatus of the Imperial civil and military service.

"Fortunately, you were, as always, diligent, sir!" the bearded man said. "When ten days ago our agents reported rumors about the White Lotus being revived in the provinces, the Generalissimo was informed and immediately took all necessary measures. And when this Magistrate Dee at last woke up from his comfortable slumber and reported that the headquarters were located here in Han-yuan, the Imperial Guards took up positions in the mountains and around the lake. They never yet have caught you napping, sir!"

"We do the little we can!" the Censor said. "It's the local officials that are the weakest link in our administration. The rebellion will be crushed, but with considerable bloodshed. If this man Dee had been more diligent about his duties, we could have immediately arrested the leaders, and crushed the insurrection in the bud." Suddenly his voice rang out with a metallic ring as he directly addressed the judge: "You made at least four inexcusable mistakes, Dee! First, you let Liu Fei-po escape, although you yourself state that you suspected him. Second, you allow one of the rebel agents to be murdered in your own jail, before you extract information from him. Third, you kill Wang when you should have captured him alive so as to question him. And fourth, you send an incomplete report to the capital, with the key missing. Speak up, Dee, where is that key document?"

"This person confesses his guilt!" Judge Dee said. "He doesn't have the document, but he assumes that-"

"Spare me your theories, Dee!" the Censor cut him short. "I repeat, where is that document?"

"In the house of Councilor Liang, Excellency!" Judge Dee answered.

The Censor jumped up.

"Have you taken leave of your senses, Dee?" he asked angrily. "You shall not cast doubt on Councilor Liang's integrity!"

"This person confesses his guilt!" the judge repeated, giving the formula required by etiquette. "The Councilor was unaware of what went on in his house."

"He tries to gain time, sir!" the bearded man said disgustedly. "Let's arrest him and throw him in his own jail!"

The Grand Inquisitor made no response. He started walking up and down, angrily swinging his long sleeves. Then he halted in front of the kneeling judge. He asked curtly:

"How did that document come to be in the Councilor's house?"

"It was removed to there by the leader of the White Lotus, Excellency, for greater safety," Judge Dee replied. "This person proposes respectfully that Your Excellency's men occupy the Councilor's mansion and arrest everybody they find there, without the Councilor himself or anyone outside knowing it. Then I wanted to send a messenger to Han Yung-han and Kang Choong, pretending to come from the Councilor, and informing them that the Councilor wishes to see them immediately on an urgent matter. I propose that then Your Excellency proceed there too, allowing me to act as Your Honor's attendant."

"Why all the tomfoolery, Dee?" the Censor asked. "The town is in the hands of my men; I shall have Han Yung-han and Kang Choong arrested at once. Then we shall go all together to the Councilor's house. I shall explain to the Councilor, and you shall show us where the document is!"

"This person wanted to make certain," Judge Dee said, "that the leader of the White Lotus didn't escape. I suspect Han Yung-han, Liu Fei-po and Kang Choong, but I don't know what role they play in the conspiracy. Perhaps the leader is quite a different person, so far unknown to us. The arrest of the others might warn him, and he might flee."

The Censor thought for a while, slowly pulling at the thin fringe round his chin. Then he said to the other:

"Let our men bring Han and Kang to the Councilor's house. See to it that it's done in complete secrecy!"

The bearded man frowned; he didn't seem to agree. But as the Censor made an impatient gesture, he quickly got up and left the room without a word.

"You may rise, Dee!" the Censor said. He resumed his seat, pulled a roll of documents from his sleeve and started to read.

Judge Dee made a gesture toward the tea table. He said diffidently:

"May this person have the honor of offering Your Excellency a cup of tea?"

The Censor looked up from his papers with an annoyed air. He said haughtily:

"You may not. I eat and drink only what has been prepared by my own men."

He resumed his reading. The judge remained standing, his arms straight at his sides, as prescribed by Court rules. He never knew how long he stood there. His initial feeling of relief when he knew that the Imperial Government had taken instant and adequate measures against the rebellion now made place for an increasing anxiety about the correctness of his theories. With feverish haste he

A DANGEROUS CRIMINAL IS ARRESTED

tried again to survey all possibilities, searching for a clue that he might have overlooked, for a conclusion that was not completely justified.

A dry cough roused him from his thoughts. The Censor put the documents back in his sleeve, stood up and said:

"It's time, Dee. How far is the Liang mansion from here?"

"Only a short walk, Your Excellency."

"Then we shall go there on foot so as not to attract attention," the Censor decided.

Outside in the corridor Ma Joong and Chiao Tai gave the judge an unhappy look. The judge smiled at them reassuringly and said quickly:

"I am going out. You two will guard the front gate, and Hoong and Tao Gan shall keep an eye on the back door. Don't let anybody go in or out until I am back."

In the street there was the usual bustle of the crowd going about its business. Judge Dee was not astonished. He knew the terrible efficiency of the secret service; no one would have noticed that the town was in their hands. He strode along quickly, the Censor close behind him. No one paid any attention to these two men in their plain blue robes.

The door of the Liang mansion was opened by a thin man with an impassive face. The judge had not seen him before; evidently the Inquisitor's men had taken over the house. The man said respectfully to the Censor:

"The members of this household have been arrested. The two guests have arrived; they are with the Councilor in his library."

Then he led them silently through the semiobscure corridors.

When Judge Dee entered the dim library he saw the old Councilor sitting in the armchair behind the red-lacquered desk in front of the window. In the armchairs against the wall opposite he saw Han Yung-han and Kang Choong, sitting very straight.

The old Councilor lifted his heavy head. Pushing his eyeshade up a little, he looked in the direction of the door.

"More visitors!" he mumbled.