Chapter 38Lake LucerneAbsolute disaster! Recent successes had suddenly been
reversed. Schendler’s Texan client had decided to purchase some early
samples of Islamic art, instead of waiting for the artefacts. Not only that
but the sale of a number of pieces of Mayan artwork and relics, originating
from a site in Guatemala and destined for a ring of Japanese buyers, had
been waylaid en route. To cap it all, he had just learned from his agent in
Britain that a shipment of six ancient Indian religious statues had been
seized by UK Customs.
Lawrence had told him, in an irritating monotone, that
the crate had been detained on suspicion that it contained smuggled
antiquities. Once confirmed that the statues came from the Bihar region of
India, and dated between the 7th and 11th centuri
