A member of the film unit, Mr Nitish Som, turned up soon after breakfast the following morning to collect Lalmohan Babu. Feluda and Lalmohan Babu had worked very hard the previous evening to make sure he got his lines right. ‘Mr Ghoshal said he’d like you to wear your own clothes, but we don’t yet know what colour would be suitable. So could you pack everything you’ve got here?’ Mr Som asked. ‘May I go with you?’ I said. Mr Som thought for a minute and replied, ‘Why don’t you come around eleven? We’re not going to start shooting before twelve this afternoon. I am taking Mr Ganguli away only because we need to have enough time to do his make-up. But if you come at eleven, you’ll be able to see our little ceremony to mark the mahurat—you know, the starting of our shooting. After that, if you like you can stay on and have lunch with us.’ Lalmohan Babu left with his suitcase at eight-thirty. Feluda and I went out half an hour later, to walk down Jalapahar Road. ‘It makes no sense to spend the whole morning in the hotel!’ Feluda declared. The morning, as it happened, was as beautiful as the day before. The sun shone brightly, and Kanchenjunga stood out in all its glory. The Mall was quite crowded today. Loads of people had arrived to spend their Puja holidays. We passed the horse-stand, and continued walking. Feluda lit a cigarette. He was trying very hard to give up smoking, but he couldn’t do without one after breakfast. ‘What do you make of it, Topshe?’ he asked, looking at the scenery. ‘The only person who struck me as interesting was Birupaksha Majumdar.’ ‘Yes, but that is only because you have learnt a lot of interesting things about him. A man who doesn’t sleep at night, spends his time collecting pieces of sensational news, tells you there’s a mystery in his life but refuses to divulge the details, and keeps a valuable statue on an open shelf in his bedroom, most certainly cannot be classified as ordinary.’ ‘His son hardly opened his mouth.’ ‘True. In fact, that stuck me as odd. He appeared as though he was afraid to say very much, in case he said something he shouldn’t.’ ‘And Rajat Bose?’ ‘What did you think of him?’ ‘I think his eyesight isn’t very good, but he’s decided not to wear glasses. Didn’t you see him bump against a chair?’ ‘Excellent. Perhaps he does have glasses, but they’re either broken or lost. I think it’s things in the far distance he cannot see. I’m sure his close-range vision is fine, or he couldn’t have brought out those scrapbooks.’ ‘What about the hero from Bombay and the villain?’ ‘You tell me. Let’s see how much you’ve observed.’

‘I noticed something strange yesterday.’ ‘What?’ ‘Mr Majumdar seemed upset—no, not exactly upset—but didn’t he suddenly grow kind of preoccupied when he met Raina and Verma?’ ‘Yes. But his mind