Read Online The Sultan's Tigers by Josh Lacey - Free Book Online

will?” I blurted out.
    â€œI might, yes. I know what I’m doing. I’ve also got a bit of money to spend. Which is why I’d like to buy your father’s letters. He was a good bloke, your dad. I liked him.”
    â€œHow did you meet him?”
    â€œHe got in touch with my boss. Said he had something to sell. We still want to buy it. Are you going to honor the deal we made?”
    â€œI don’t think so,” said Uncle Harvey.
    â€œI’m sorry to hear that, mate. Why not?”
    â€œBecause the tiger is worth at least two million dollars and you offered two thousand euros. That’s a big difference.”
    â€œI offered two thousand for the letters, not the tiger.”
    â€œEven so.”
    â€œYou want more money?” asked Marko.
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œHow much?”
    â€œWhat are you offering?” said my uncle.
    â€œIf you can give me the letters right now, I’ll pay you twenty thousand euros.”
    â€œTwenty thousand?” I knew I should shut up, but I couldn’t help myself. He’d offered me two! Would he have gone up to twenty if I’d asked him?
    He grinned at me. He must have known what I was thinking. And he said, “That’s right. Twenty thousand euros. In cash.”
    My uncle said, “Do you have the money here?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWith you?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œIn your car?”
    â€œYes.”
    Uncle Harvey took a moment to decide. He glanced at Marko’s car as if he was imagining the money inside. Where would it be? In a suitcase? Or an envelope? What does twenty thousand euros actually look like? How much space does it take up? Then he shook his head. “I’m afraid the answer’s no. Twenty thousand is simply not enough.”
    â€œNo problem,” said Marko. “I’ll give you thirty.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œThirty-five. That’s my final offer.”
    â€œYou can have them for a million,” said Uncle Harvey.
    Marko laughed. “Come on, mate! Don’t be ridiculous.”
    â€œThat’s
my
final offer.”
    â€œYou’re making a big mistake.”
    â€œMaybe I am. Maybe I’m not. But it’s my mistake to make, not yours. We’re going to leave now. Please don’t follow us anymore.”
    Marko reached into his jacket. My uncle tensed. So did I. We both thought he was reaching for a gun. But he pulled out his wallet. “Here’s my card. Call me if you change your mind.”
    â€œI will.” Uncle Harvey glanced at the card. “Malinkovic—where’s that from?”
    â€œI’m Australian, but my dad emigrated from Croatia.”
    â€œA wonderful country.”
    â€œI’ve never been.”
    â€œYou should. It’s beautiful.” Uncle Harvey pocketed the card. “Nice to meet you, Marko. Let’s keep in touch.”
    â€œWe’ll do that, mate.”
    We walked back to our car. The gas station attendant was still watching us. I was glad about that. He and his cameras might just have saved our lives. If Marko had produced his knife and swung at us, could we have stopped him?
    We got into the car and drove out of the gas station.
    As we roared up the access road onto the freeway, I turned around and saw the Ford Focus following right behind us.
    I lifted my hand and waved at Marko.
    He didn’t wave back.
    I turned to my uncle.
    â€œJ.J.,” I said.
    â€œI noticed that too.”
    â€œThat’s got to be Jalata Jaragami, doesn’t it?”
    â€œMust be.”
    â€œDo you really think he’s got hundreds of people searching for this tiger?”
    â€œI don’t see why not. If he wants to find it badly enough.”
    â€œSo who’s Marko?”
    â€œWhy don’t you look him up?” He passed me his phone and the card that Marko had given him.
    The card had his full name, Marko Malinkovic, two phone numbers, and a Gmail address, but no