The Treasure of the Ten Avatars

The Treasure of the Ten Avatars is a 1996 Uncle Scrooge comic story by Don Rosa.
==Plot==
Scrooge McDuck has bought land in India's Punjab region, and arrives on the scene together with Donald and his nephews to inspect what he has bought. The only parcel not included with his purchase is the small, poverty-stricken village region of Ollieynstan. Scrooge meets with the local maharaja to seek his help in enlisting workers, but the maharaja openly admits to being thoroughly corrupt and blatantly declines to help: as long as his people remain poor, unsuspecting foreign nations will continue to funnel millions of dollars in relief aid to his village, which the maharaja diverts to support his lavish lifestyle.
Left on their own, the Ducks begin their quest, when they accidentally discover a stone pillar, dating back to 326 BC, and tells the tale of Alexander the Great's attempt to conquer the Punjab. However, the conquest failed, with Alexander's men fleeing India in utter terror. The tale also tells that Alexander was seeking Shambala, an ancient Indian city containing untold riches. When Scrooge hears of this, he sets out to find the city for himself. The maharaja overhears this and follows the Ducks in secret.
The Ducks eventually find Shambala in ruins, but the city is still booby-trapped with mortal dangers. Near the main temple they find some sort of control panel with ten buttons, each featuring a different Hindu Avatar. The boys stay at the control panel while Scrooge and Donald venture deeper, maintaining radio contact with the boys.
All sorts of Indiana Jones-like trap situations occur when Scrooge and Donald progress on their way, with the boys saving them every time by telling them what to do and pressing the right button at the right time. Scrooge and Donald eventually find the treasure, but it is protected with one last booby-trap. The boys are about to clear this trap too, but the maharaja has caught up with them, and prevents the boys from pushing the button, and the treasure is flushed into the river. The maharaja pushes another button, which sets off Shambala's self-destruct mechanism. The Ducks and the maharaja flee the city post haste.
Arriving back in the maharaja's village, the Ducks find that the river has brought the treasure all the way to there, and the people have taken the treasure and become rich beyond their wildest dreams. They abandon the village, leaving the maharaja alone and without any further pretext from collecting foreign aid. Scrooge tells the departing villagers there is still work for them on his land, and they are happy to discuss this in the future.
As the Ducks depart, Scrooge reminds the now-despondent maharaja that he may not have recovered any of the treasure, but he still has an unlimited resource of one other legacy from his ancestors: the number zero.
==Trivia==
*The name of the fictional village, Ollieynstan, is a reference to Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel, the comedy duo most commonly called Laurel & Hardy.
==External links==
* The Treasure of the Ten Avatars at the INDUCKS
Category:Uncle Scrooge comic stories
Category:Comic stories