The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu

The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu Summary

The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer is the first novel in the Fu-Manchu series, introducing readers to the nefarious Dr. Fu-Manchu, a criminal mastermind with a vast network and a deep knowledge of exotic poisons and sciences. The story follows Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie as they attempt to thwart Fu-Manchu's sinister plans in London.

eBook download options

Format	Price	Download
azw3	Free
Mobi	Free
Epub	Free
pdf	Free

The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu Excerpt

Short Summary: In this thrilling novel, Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie confront the enigmatic Dr. Fu-Manchu, whose malevolent schemes threaten the very fabric of the British Empire. The duo faces a series of perilous encounters as they strive to unravel and counteract Fu-Manchu's insidious plans.

"A GENTLEMAN to see you, Doctor."

From across the common a clock sounded the half-hour.

"Ten-thirty!" I said. "A late visitor. Show him up, if you please."

I pushed my writing aside and tilted the lamp-shade, as footsteps sounded on the landing. The next moment I had jumped to my feet, for a tall, lean man, with his square-cut, clean-shaven face sun-baked to the hue of coffee, entered and extended both hands, with a cry:

"Good old Petrie! Didn't expect me, I'll swear!"

It was Nayland Smith—whom I had thought to be in Burma!

We shook hands warmly, and I dragged forward an armchair to the hearth, throwing my muffler and a greatcoat upon a lesser chair.

"I have often wondered," he said, "if we should ever meet again."

"I have frequently wondered the same thing," I replied, "but, honestly, I never expected that we should. I have heard of you from time to time, of course, and I have followed your career with interest. You have done some excellent work in Burma, I understand."

"Oh, fairly good," he said, with a laugh. "But I have had enough of it. I am sick of the whole business. I have thrown it up."

"Thrown it up?" I exclaimed. "You don't mean that you have resigned?"

"Yes," he replied, "I have resigned. I am back in England for good."

"But what will you do?"

"I don't know," he answered, lighting a cigarette. "I haven't thought about it yet. I shall probably go in for something or other. I have a few ideas."

He stared into the fire for a while in silence, and I watched him curiously. He had changed little, if at all, since I had last seen him. He was the same lean, bronzed, active man, with the same keen, gray eyes and the same square-cut jaw. He was dressed in tweeds, and looked as if he had just come from a day's shooting.

"You are surprised to see me," he said, suddenly turning to me.

"I am," I admitted. "I had no idea that you were in England."

"I only arrived this morning," he replied. "I came straight to you, because I have something important to tell you."

"Indeed?" I said, with a smile. "What is it?"

He took a deep draw at his cigarette and then threw it into the fire.

"Petrie," he said, leaning forward and looking me straight in the eyes, "I am being followed."

"Followed?" I exclaimed. "By whom?"

"By a Chinaman," he replied.

"A Chinaman?"

"Yes," he said, "a Chinaman. I have seen him three times to-day. He was on the platform at Victoria when I arrived; he was in the Strand when I came out of the Savoy; and he was in Piccadilly when I left my club."

"But what does it mean?" I asked.

"It means," he answered, "that I am in danger."

"Danger!" I exclaimed. "From a Chinaman?"

"Yes," he said, "

"Yes," he said, "from a Chinaman. And not just any Chinaman, Petrie. I am being followed by an agent of Dr. Fu-Manchu."

At the mention of that name, a chill ran down my spine. I had heard of Fu-Manchu—whispers of an enigmatic mastermind whose reach extended far beyond the East, a shadowy figure known only to a few but feared by all who crossed his path.

"Dr. Fu-Manchu?" I repeated. "But I thought he was a myth—an exaggeration of the imagination."

"If only that were true," Smith said grimly. "No, Petrie. Fu-Manchu is very real, and he is more dangerous than you could possibly imagine. He has agents everywhere, working in the dark to achieve his sinister ends. And now, he knows I am here."

A knock at the door interrupted us. We exchanged glances, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife. Smith reached into his coat pocket, his hand steady as steel, and withdrew a revolver. "Whoever it is, Petrie, be cautious."

Thus began our perilous mission against the most diabolical mind of our age—Dr. Fu-Manchu, the man whose very name struck terror into the hearts of those who dared to oppose him."