The Thai Amulet Read Online Free PDF

wife’s son—I haven’t met him—and a younger brother named Dusit, and a little sister, who is a bit of a brat, called Prapapan. Her nickname is Fatty, if you can believe it. I have no idea why. She’s actually rather tiny.”
    “What do they call you? Miss Jennifer?”
    “Yes,” she said. “It’s just as well. They’d have trouble with Miss Luczka. It comes out sort of Roocha.”
    “I love this room, this suite, I should say,” I said, walking over to a carved chest. “I think this is quite old, and rather fine. It’s a manuscript cabinet, did you know that? It’s used to store religious manuscripts, or would have been at one time. The gold and black lacquer is wonderful. Probably mid- to late eighteenth century.”
    “I’d like to talk to you about this,” she said. “Not tonight. I know you’re tired. But this place is all rather overwhelming.”
    “And look at these gold boxes. Gold nielloware. Did you know these were once made exclusively for royalty?”
    “If you think this floor is something,” Jennifer said. “Wait until you see where they hang out. I swear they own half of Bangkok. I exaggerate, of course, but only slightly.”
    “And those doors when we came in. Did you see the carving? Exquisite! I think they’re temple doors, real ones, I mean, off a real temple.”
    “I had no idea Chat came from this kind of home. He has a nice enough apartment off campus, and yes, he drives a BMW, but this is way beyond well off, you know. I find it all a bit much.”
    “Do you know what this is?” I said, picking up a small bowl on the desk. “It’s called Bencharong, which means ”five colors“ in Sanskrit. This kind of ceramic was made in China for Thai—at the time it would have been Siamese—royalty. It’s lovely, isn’t it?”
    “I feel as if they’re sizing me up all the time, and I’m sure I don’t measure up. I don’t think he wanted his family to meet me, but they insisted.”
    “Look at these lamps. The bases represent deities. They’re called kinaree. See, they’re half human, half bird. What did you say?” I said, pausing for a moment in my catalogue of the treasures.
    “I don’t know,” she said.
    “Yes, you do: something about not measuring up. Of course you do,” I said. “They may have lots of money, but they’re lucky their son likes someone like you. So there!”
    “I guess,” she said. “Now you better get some sleep. It’s almost midnight. We’ll
get
all caught up tomorrow. Shall we have breakfast together?”
    “Yes,” I said. “Please wake me when you want to eat. We have a little project while we’re here, by the way.”
    “I love a project,” she said. “What is it?”
    “We have to find an antique dealer by the name of William Beauchamp,” I said.
    “That shouldn’t be too hard,” she said. “Where’s his store? I’m sure Chat will know where it is.”
    “I know where the store is,” I said. “At least I have an address. But he hasn’t been seen in months. I’ll tell you all about it in the morning.”
    “I like it!” she said. “A little detective work, just like Dad. I can’t tomorrow, though. Khun Wongvipa wants me to go somewhere with her. I figured you’d need the day off, given how long it takes to
get
here. Sleep well.”
    I had a shower and gratefully crawled into the big bed. I was asleep almost instantly and awoke some time later, I’m not sure when, to the sound of footsteps padding down the hallway. I was reasonably sure they went into Jennifer’s room, and I was almost certain it was Chat. I wondered what her father would think if he heard about that. And then I wondered where Will Beauchamp was.
    I was in Bangkok early thanks to a combination of a twelve-hour time change that got me up at the crack of dawn and a car and driver who dropped me off at the Sky-train and promised to pick me up again at five.
    I love Bangkok. Sometimes it’s hard to explain why, even to myself. The traffic is horrendous, the