"Charlie Chan - 7405 - The Temple Of The Golden Horde" - читать интересную книгу автора (Chan Charlie)

Chan said, "Wouldn't? You think she has hidden knowledge?"
"Could be she's involved in something up in San Francisco she thinks might have gotten Benny killed, but doesn't want us to know about it. How well do you know her, Inspector?"
"I only met her the first time today," Chan admitted, and he had to think about the men he'd seen tailing Betty Chan and, later, himself - if they were the same group of men. "The night of Benny Chan's accident, were strangers perhaps seen or reported in the area?"
"None that I heard about," Forbes said. "Of course, a lot of this area is pretty isolated, especially along the coast. I can dig into it deeper if you think it important."
"It could be," Chan said. "I don't wish to interfere, but I hope to put the mind of his sister to rest. I'd also like to view the body, if possible, and examine the effects of Benny Chan."
"Anything you want, Inspector. If we missed something, we sure want to know about it. But, honestly, I don't see much doubt about the accident."
"I'm sure you are correct," Chan said quietly. "But his unhappy sister will pace the cage of uncertainty until all avenues of doubt are closed. The shadow of doubt must be raised from her young life."
"Come on then," Forbes said. "Benny's down in the Coroner's morgue at the sub-station. I'll drive you."
The Sheriff's Sub-Station was off the main street of Half Moon Bay. The morgue was in the basement. A white-coated attendant pulled out one of the six drawers, and Chan looked down at the body of Benny Chan.
"In the water three days, the Coroner says," Lieutenant Forbes said. "Death was definitely by drowning, alive when he went into the water. From where we found the body, we're pretty sure he entered the sea somewhere near The Temple. The currents are just right for where we found him. No other marks on the body except the usual battering of the rocks. He was fully dressed, nothing seemed to be missing from his pockets."
Chan examined the body briefly, stared for a moment at the water swollen face that seemed to have a small smile on it. A boyish face, as if the face belonged to a child not a full-grown man. The detective turned to the pitiful collection of personal effects. They had been in the water, the wallet had partially disintegrated, but nothing seemed gone. There were even a few dollars untouched, and Benny Chan's identity card; some keys, loose change, and a moth-eaten rabbit's foot.
Chan's eyes surveyed them.
"Even the sister admits that's about all Benny ever carried," Lieutenant Forbes said, "and the people at The Temple know of nothing valuable Benny could have had."
Chan read the Coroner's report death by drowning, water in the lungs, abrasions and contusions from contact with the sea rocks and sand after death. He went once more to study the body, bending to examine the cuts and bruises.
"I see there are bruises on the back of his neck," Chan said slowly. "Also on his arms above the elbows and wrists. Difficult places for rocks to bruise, and not accompanied by cuts or abrasions."
"Floating debris, maybe," Forbes said. "Logs, wood."
"Perhaps, but the bruises on each arm and wrist are in the exact same places, almost exact size, and deep, as if pressure was exerted." Chan continued to stare down at the small bruises on the dead man's arms and wrists. "As if he was held by the arms and neck, by more than one man. Head held under water until he drowned."
"Without any evidence, that's a pretty wild guess, Mr. Chan," Forbes said. "When a man's been in the sea three days, it's a thousand-to-one the bruises come from the bottom. Besides, it isn't easy to drown a man, not when he's conscious. He'd have struggled like all hell, and there'd be more marks."
"Unless he was paralyzed by fear," Chan said softly. "You are sure nothing was stolen from Benny Chan?"
"We're sure," Forbes said. "Seen enough, Inspector?"
"For now," Chan said.
They went up and out to Forbes's car, and drove back to the Highway Patrol barrack. As they entered Forbes's private office, a man jumped up from where he had been sitting.
"My scroll, Lieutenant, where is it?" His voice was soft but agitated. "Where is The Scroll of Batu Khan!"


IV

HE WAS A TALL, bone-thin, Chinese man with an aged, dignified face trimmed by a long white mustache that drooped to his chin in ancient Chinese fashion. In his mid-sixties, he wore a spartan black robe of pure silk, simple sandals, and had the erect dignity of a simple Oriental monk.
Before Lieutenant Forbes could answer, Chan stepped forward, spoke quietly and with a small bow:
"Unexpected honor for traveler in distant place to greet scholar and famed benefactor from home," the detective said in Mandarin.
The dignified old man seemed to see Chan for the first time. His thin face broke into a smile. "Why, Inspector Chan! I am the one who is honored. Humble dilettante of ancient culture must bow to greater fame of Charlie Chan." His dark eyes seemed to sparkle. "You have, then, located priceless scroll?"
Forbes said, "You two know each other?"
"Mr. C.V. Soong," Chan introduced the aristocratic old man to Forbes. "Great historian of Chinese, scholar, benefactor and philanthropist."
"Value of wealth only measured by deeds for those in need," C.V. Soong said. "To be buried in riches is a crime. Money taken from world by industrious father must be returned to world.".
"Not all men of wealth share that view," Chan said dryly. "But what is the nature of the Scroll of Batu Khan that causes a scholar such as you such painful agitation? It has great value, perhaps?"
"Indeed it does!" C.V. Soong cried. "As you know, Mr. Chan, I have long been a scholar and collector of Oriental history. I have had in my possession for many years six priceless scrolls of Batu Khan and the Golden Horde. They are unique, irreplaceable, international treasures. The only authentic records of The Khanate of The Golden Horde!"
"I see," Chan said. "Great treasures, but who -?"
Lt. Forbes said, "I guess I'm ignorant, but what is The Golden Horde, and who was Batu Khan?"
"Who was -?" C.V. Soong slowly shook his head. "My apologies, Lieutenant, I forget that the young of America have so little interest in history or the Orient."
The older man paused, sighed, "I'm sure you know that in the early 16th Century, the great Ghengis Khan led his Mongol horsemen out of the wastelands north of China to conquer most of the world of Asia, the Middle East, and eastern Europe. His method was not to use one army, but many armies under strong generals all at the same time, so that in the end his armies before and after his death became led by his sons and grandsons, and became dominant in different areas."
"One grandson, the great Kublai Khan, became emperor of China, founder of the Yuan dynasty," Chan explained.
"The oldest grandson was Batu, and he led the invasions of Europe," C.V. Soong went on. "He conquered almost all of European Russia between 1235 and 1240, and probably could have taken all of Europe - he reached the Adriatic Sea and central Germany, defeated the Hungarians. But in 1241 Ghengis's successor as great Khan, Batu's uncle Ogadai, died, and Batu withdrew to Russia to be nearer the Mongol capital at Karakorum."
Chan said, "There is no doubt that European history was changed by Batu's withdrawal in 1241, as Russian history was made by his settling with his armies in Russia."
"He founded the Khanate of Kipchak, better known by its Russian name of The Golden Horde," C.V. Soong said. "The Khanate Of The Golden Horde ruled most of Russia for two hundred years until broken up by Tamerlane, and even then the Crimean Khanate went on to almost 1800! A power that changed the world left as a record only six scrolls from its early days - three from Batu's own time, and three from his successor Berke Khan's time."
"And you own all six scrolls?" Forbes said.
Soong nodded, "Think of it - the only records of events that changed the destiny of Asia and Europe! I have written a book on them, lent them to museums, and had scholars from both Russia and China come to study them. Recently, I agreed to give them on a year's loan to The Temple Of The Golden Horde here."
"What is this Temple Of The Golden Horde?" Chan asked.
"The only temple in America of a small cult that has existed since Batu Khan's day, believers in Mongol Shamanism," Soong said. "They have copies of the scrolls, of course, but a few months ago they asked me to lend them the originals for a year of study, and I agreed. Great documents should be used, not kept in some vault. Because I had been working with them, and to lessen the danger of loss or damage, I sent them one at a time over a period of a few months. All arrived safely, until now."
"Benny Chan was carrying a scroll when he died?" Chan said.
"And The Temple doesn't have it! The fifth scroll," Soong said. "I want -"