It took me half an hour to get ready. Feluda had already gone down. I found him waiting for me by the reception, pacing anxiously. ‘Dr Divakar hasn’t returned to his house,’ he told me. ‘I rang him again. His family doesn’t know where he’s gone.’ ‘And Batra?’ ‘I couldn’t get through. I’ll try once more, then I’ll go over to his office. We need a car, anyway.’ Lalmohan Babu came down in less than five minutes, looking absolutely normal. But a few things he said implied the effects of LSD hadn’t quite worn off. There was a large Nepali mask hanging on the wall near the reception. He stroked it gently and asked, ‘What is the name of the palace in England?’ ‘Buckingham Palace?’ ‘Yes, bat it’s nothing compared to this.’ ‘Compared to what?’ ‘This hotel. Hotel Lumumba.’ ‘Lumbini.’ ‘All right. Lumbini. He was born here, wasn’t he?’ ‘Who?’ ‘Gautam Buddha.’ ‘Not in this hotel!’ ‘Why, you mean to say they didn’t have hotels before Christ?’ Luckily, this weird conversation could not continue for long, for Feluda turned up soon after and said we had to finish our breakfast quickly and go to Sun Travels, for he still couldn’t get them on the phone. We decided to just have a cup of coffee for breakfast. Something told me today was going to be another eventful day. It took us only five minutes to walk down to Sun Travels. Their office was obviously new, and very smartly furnished. Mr Pradhan, Batra’s secretary, ushered us into Batra’s room; and then dropped a bombshell. ‘Mr Batra has gone out, I’m afraid,’ he said. ‘A very important person rang him this morning, you see. He wanted to see our new bungalow in the Rapti valley. So Mr Batra had to go with him. But he did tell me you might need a car. I can arrange one quite easily.’ ‘Thank you. But could you please tell us who this important person was?’ ‘Certainly. It was Mr Meghraj. He’s staying at the Oberoi. A very important art dealer.’ Lalmohan Babu clutched my hand. The very mention of Meghraj’s name had brought him to his senses. But Mr Batra? Who could have known he would fall into Maganlal’s trap so soon?

‘How long does it take to get to your bungalow?’ Feluda asked. ‘You will need to go via Hetaora— that’s 150 km. You might wish to stop for lunch in Hetaora. Our bungalow is new, you see, so the kitchen isn’t ready yet. Turn right as you come out of Hetaora and go along the river for three kilometres. You’ll find our bungalow there, in the middle of the jungle. It’s a beautiful spot.’ ‘I see. Could you have a car pick us up from the hotel in half an hour?’ ‘Very well, sir. No problem!’ ‘You two go back to the hotel and wait for me. I have to go to Darbar Square. I won’t be long,’ Feluda said as we came out