The Avatari Read Online Free PDF

table. Then they both got up and left.
    The two men walked down the street and came to the Cam, where they were greeted by a horde of undergrads offering a punt ride. Ashton smilingly waved away a pretty girl in jeans with a pronounced American accent before entering the bank and asking for Solomon Avery, the man whose name had been mentioned in the letter. They were ushered into a cabin with ‘Senior Manager’ marked on the door. A florid, silver-haired man got up from behind his desk and offered them comfortable leather-backed chairs. Introductions followed.
    ‘Good morning, Mr Avery. I’m Henry Ashton and this is my associate, Durga Bahadur.’
    The banker narrowed his eyes for an instant, trying to place the men. Then, almost immediately, he beamed in recognition. ‘Yes, of course, Sir Ashton!’ he said. ‘Indeed, what a pleasure! I’m sorry, my secretary is new to the job and didn’t quite catch your name when you were ushered in.’
    Ashton found Avery’s effusiveness puzzling. This was, after all, his first visit to the bank.
    ‘That’s all right,’ he said. ‘I, ah, was told to meet you.’
    ‘Yes, indeed, sir. Actually, it’s really a formality. Your associate, what was his name again?’ The banker tapped his temple with a finger, trying to jog his memory. ‘Ah, Mr Than. Yes, Mr Than had given all your details, along with the introductory letters from our Hong Kong branch, but we still need you to fill out some forms and will require, as the Americans call it, a mugshot, before we can authorize you to operate your joint account.’
    Henry Ashton looked at him and nodded slowly. ‘Yes, of course.’
    The banker paused and coughed delicately. ‘Sir, I must trouble you for some form of identification.’
    Ashton responded by taking out his driving licence and putting it on the table.
    Avery looked at it and rang a buzzer. When his secretary came in, he asked her to bring the relevant forms.
    ‘When can I operate this joint account?’ Ashton asked, keeping his voice even.
    ‘Oh, immediately. Just as soon as we get this formality behind us,’ the banker said smiling. ‘They keep talking about the paperless office of the future, but I don’t see it happening any time soon!’ He let out a guffaw that he obviously reserved for just such occasions.
    Ashton accepted the forms from the secretary and took out his pen. Without looking up from the papers, he asked, ‘And what amount did you say Mr Than put into the account?’
    The banker didn’t seem taken aback by the question. ‘Well, it was a money transfer from Hong Kong,’ he replied easily. ‘Converting the sum from the dollar rate for that day, it amounted to about £200,000. I remember it well, because as you can understand, we normally don’t get such large accounts here, sir.’ Clearing his throat, Avery asked, ‘So are you setting up business here, Sir Henry?’
    ‘Yes, indeed,’ Ashton replied, nodding at him.
    ‘You won’t regret it,’ the banker said with visible enthusiasm. ‘This place is really looking up.’

CHAPTER 3
    Cadbury, England
    A UGUST 1986
    Emerging from the railway station, Ashton and Duggy were back in their familiar pastoral milieu, enjoying the remains of a glorious summer day. Even at that hour, there was a mellow golden-butter glow to the green fields that edged the small gravel car park outside the station.
    ‘What was it you said about – what’s its name – mentioned in the letter?’ Ashton asked Duggy as they got into the car, narrowing his eyes in concentration as he tried to recollect the name. ‘The Burqan Qaldun, was it?’
    ‘I said I did not know anything about this Burqan Qaldun,’ Duggy answered with patient deliberation, ‘but I did say I knew something about a gter ma , a hidden treasure.’
    He was engrossed in the process of systematically checking the rear-view mirror, fastening his seat belt, turning on the ignition and releasing the handbrake. Duggy was fastidious about the