"I shall deem it an honor," Judge Dee said with a bow. "What ceremony will that be?"

"The devout Mr. Koo Meng-pin," the abbot explained, "has asked permission to have a life-size copy made of the sacred statue, to be presented to the White Horse Temple, the central shrine of the Buddhist creed, in our imperial capital. He grudged no expense for having this pious work executed. He employed Master Fang, the best Buddhist sculptor in this province of Shantung, to make drawings of the sacred statue here in our temple, and to take the most careful measurements. Then Master Fang worked for three weeks in Mr. Koo's mansion sculpting the copy in cedarwood on the basis of his notes and sketches. All that time Mr. Koo treated Master Fang as his honored guest, and when the work was completed he gave a splendid feast, where Master Fang occupied the place of honor. This morning Mr. Koo had the cedarwood statue conveyed to this temple, in a beautiful case of rosewood."

The abbot nodded his round head with a satisfied smile; evidently these things meant a great deal to him. Then he resumed. "As soon as a lucky day has been determined for the auspicious event, the copy of the statue will be solemnly consecrated in this temple. The commander of the fort has obtained permission for us that the statue shall be escorted to the capital by a detachment of lance-knights. I shall not fail to inform your excellency in advance as soon as date and hour for the consecration ceremony have been fixed."

"The calculations have just been completed, your holiness," a deep voice spoke up behind the judge. "The time will be tomorrow evening, and the hour the end of the second night watch."

A tall, spare monk stepped forward. The abbot introduced him as Hui-pen, the prior of the temple.

"Wasn't it you who identified the dead monk this morning?" Judge Dee asked.

The prior gravely inclined his head.

"It is a complete mystery to all of us," he said, "for what reason our almoner Tzu-bai visited that distant place at such an unusual hour. The only explanation would seem to be that he had been called by one of the farmers in that neighborhood on an errand of mercy and was waylaid by robbers. But I suppose that your honor has found some clues?"

Slowly tugging at his side whiskers, judge Dee replied, "We think that a third person, as yet unknown, wanted to prevent at all costs the dead woman from being identified. When he happened to see your almoner passing there, he wanted to rob him of his cowl to wrap the woman's body in. You know that when he was found the almoner was clad only in his undergarment. I presume there was a scuffle, and Tzu-hai died from a sudden heart attack."

Hui-pen nodded. Then he asked, "Didn't your honor find his staff near his body?"

Judge Dee thought for a moment.

"No!" he said rather curtly. He had suddenly remembered a curious fact. When Dr. Tsao had surprised him in the mulberry bush, the doctor's hands had been empty. But when the judge overtook him on his way back to the road, he had been carrying a long staff.

"I will avail myself of this opportunity," Hui-pen continued, "to report to your honor that last night three robbers visited this temple. A monk in the gatehouse happened to see them when they climbed over the wall and fled. By the time he had raised the alarm, they had unfortunately already disappeared into the wood."

"I'll have this looked into at once," the judge said. "Could that monk give a description of them?"

"He didn't see much in the darkness," Hui-pen replied, "but he says all three were tall men, and that one had a thin, ragged beard."

"It would have helped," Judge Dee said stiffly, "if that monk had been a more observant fellow. Did they steal anything of value?"

"Being unfamiliar with the outlay of this temple," Hui-pen replied, "they searched only the back hall, and there they found only a few coffins!"

"That is fortunate," the judge remarked. To the abbot he continued, "I shall give myself the honor of presenting myself here tomorrow night at the appointed time."

He rose and took his leave with a bow. Hui-pen and the old monk conducted him and the sergeant to the palanquin.

When they were carried back over the Rainbow Bridge, Judge Dee said to Sergeant Hoong, "I don't think we can expect Ma Joong and Chiao Tai back before nightfall. Let's make a detour along the shipyard and the wharf, outside the north gate."

Hoong gave the order to the bearers, and they were carried north along the city's second shopping street.

Outside the north gate a scene of bustling activity met their eyes. On the shipyard stood a number of hulks, supported by wooden props. Countless workmen, stripped to their loincloths, swarmed over and under the ships, and there was a loud din of shouted orders and hammer blows.

The judge had never been in a shipyard before. Walking with Hoong through the crowd, he watched everything with interest. At the end of the yard a large junk was lying turned on one side. Six workmen were lighting a grass fire under it. Koo Meng-pin and his manager, Kim Sang, were standing nearby talking to the foreman.

When Koo saw the judge and Hoong he hurriedly dismissed the foreman and carne limping toward them. Judge Dee inquired curiously what the workmen were doing.

"This is one of my largest ocean junks," Koo explained. "They have careened it far burning the weeds and barnacles that have collected on its keel, and which impede its speed. Presently they'll scrape it clean, then recaulk it." As the judge stepped nearer to watch them, Koo laid his hand on his arm. "Don't go nearer, your honor!" he warned. "A few years ago a beam burst loose through the heat, and fell on my right leg. The fracture never healed properly, that's why I have to support myself on this stick."

"It's a beautiful piece," the judge said with appreciation, "that speckled bamboo from the south is quite rare."

"Indeed," Koo replied, looking pleased. "It has acquired a good luster. But this kind of bamboo is really too thin for making canes, that's why I had to use two sticks, joined together." Then he went on in an undertone, "I was present at the session. Your honor's revelations have deeply disturbed me. It's terrible what my wife did, a disgrace for me and my^, entire family."

"You shouldn't draw hasty conclusions, Mr. Koo," Judge Dee remarked. "I was careful to stress that the identity of the woman has not yet been established."

"I deeply appreciate your honor's discretion," Koo said hurriedly. He cast a quick glance at Kim Sang and Sergeant Hoong.

"Do you recognize," the judge asked, "this handkerchief?"

Koo gave the embroidered piece of silk which judge Dee took from his sleeve a cursory look.

"Of course," he answered. "That's one of a set I gave my wife as a present. Where did your honor find it?"

"By the roadside, near the deserted temple," Judge Dee said. "I thought-" Suddenly he fell silent. He remembered that he had forgotten to ask the abbot when and why that temple had been vacated. "Did you," he asked Koo, "hear the rumors about that temple? People say that it's haunted. That, of course, is nonsense. But if there are indeed nightly visitors, I must look into that; it is quite possible that impious monks of the White Cloud Temple are engaging in some secret mischief there. That would explain the presence of that monk near Fan's farm, perhaps he was on his way to the temple! Well, I had better go back to the White Cloud Temple and ask the abbot or Hui-pen about it. By the way, the abbot told me about your pious undertaking. The consecration has been set for tomorrow night, I shall gladly attend."

Koo bowed deeply. Then he said, "Your honor can't leave here without partaking at least of a little snack! There is quite a good restaurant at the other end of the wharf, famous for its boiled crabs." To Kim Sang he said, "You can go on, you know what to do."