The Silver Buddha

In the thirteenth instalment of the serial, Dr. Petrie, a scholarly explorer with a penchant for antiquities, finds himself ensnared by the nefarious mastermind Fu‑Manchu. The villain, intent on leveraging the mystic artefact known as the Silver Buddha to consolidate his clandestine empire, imprisons the doctor in a dank, vaulted cell beneath the shadow of the British Museum. As night drapes over London, the clatter of hansom cabs and the distant toll of Big Ben echo above the subterranean lair. Petrie, ever resourceful, discovers a hidden conduit—a rusted ventilation shaft that leads to the museum’s lofty roof. With the aid of a loyal assistant, Joan Clarkson, who infiltrates the museum’s staff under a false identity, he fashions a makeshift rope from silk curtains and a broken chandelier chain. The escape unfolds atop the museum’s dome, where the wind whistles through the stone arches, and the city’s gaslights flicker like fireflies. A perilous chase ensues across the rooftops, culminating in a daring plunge onto a waiting carriage. Fu‑Manchu, thwarted but unrepentant, vows retribution, setting the stage for the next episode. The narrative weaves high‑octane suspense with a dash of exotic mysticism, all underscored by the period’s fascination with Orientalist villains and the allure of hidden treasures.