The cook at the Calcutta Lodge produced an excellent chicken curry. He also served fish, which was equally tasty, but Lalmohan Babu did not touch it. ‘After having seen Machchli Baba this evening,’ he informed us, ‘I couldn’t eat fish, ever again.’ ‘Why?’ Feluda laughed, ‘would that make you feel you were chewing the Baba’s flesh? Do you suppose Machchli Baba himself abstains from consuming what you are proposing to give up?’ ‘Doesn’t he?’ ‘Well, you have heard he spends most of his time in water. So what could he possibly live on except fish? Certain species of fish eat other fish, didn’t you know?’ Lalmohan Babu did not say anything. I felt quite sure he’d go back to being his fish-eating self from the next day. After an eventful day, I was looking forward to a good night’s sleep. But that was not to be. Our roommate, Jeevan Babu (short and fat and with a beard, just as Feluda had predicted), turned out to be a champion snorer. I spent most of the night tossing and turning in my bed, wondering why, just this once, Feluda could not have been proved wrong. The next morning, as we were coming out of the hotel after breakfast, we met Niranjan Babu. Feluda exchanged pleasantries before asking, ‘Do you happen to know where Maganlal Meghraj lives?’ ‘Meghraj? As far as I know, he has two houses, both in the heart of Banaras. One of them is not far from the Vishwanath temple. Anyone will show you the way.’ Niranjan Babu told us one more thing. Machchli Baba was going to be in Banaras for another six days. Feluda’s famous lopsided smile peeped out at this, but he said nothing. We arrived at the Ghoshal residence on the dot of eight. Trilochan opened the gate for us with a bright smile and a smart salute. He must be about seventy, I thought; but he certainly did not look it. His back was ramrod straight, and the size of his moustache most impressive. Vikas Babu came out to greet us. ‘I saw you arrive,’ he said. He had probably just finished shaving, for there was a little soap stuck under his right ear. ‘Would you like to come in? Old Mr Ghoshal is waiting for you. You wanted to see him in particular, didn’t you?’ ‘Yes, but before we do that, do you mind telling me a few things?’ ‘No, not at all.’ Feluda asked a few rapid questions and noted the answers in his notebook. The following points emerged: 1. Maganlal came to meet Mr Ghoshal at his house on the 10th of October.

2. Mr Ghoshal took his wife and child to see Machchli Baba on the 15th, at 7.30 p.m. He returned a little more than an hour later. The figure of Ganesh was stolen during that time. 3. In the house between 7.30 and 8.30 p.m. were Umanath Ghoshal’s father, Ambika Ghoshal, Vikas Sinha, Trilochan, two bearers, a maid, a cook, a mali and the two artists. Assuming that no one came in from outside, it had to be one of these people who had taken the Ganesh out of the chest in Ambika Ghoshal’s room. Feluda put his notebook away and said, ‘You must forgive me for this, but I cannot possibly leave anyone out, not even you.’ ‘Yes, I understand that. I’ve already had to face the police. I suppose you want to know what I was doing in the house during that time?’ ‘Yes, but there’s something else I’d like to ask first.’ ‘All right. But let’s go to my room.’ We went into the house. A staircase went up from the front hall. Vikas Babu’s room was on the left on the ground floor. ‘You must have known about the Ganesh,’ Feluda remarked, taking a chair. ‘Yes, of course. I’ve known about it for ages.’ ‘Were you at home when Maganlal came to visit Umanath Babu?’ ‘Yes. In fact, I received Maganlal and took him to the living room. Then I got one of the bearers to go upstairs and inform Mr Ghoshal.’ ‘And then?’ ‘Then I returned to my room.’ ‘Did you know the two had an argument?’ ‘No. You cannot hear from my room anything that’s said in the living room. Besides, I was playing the radio.’ ‘Were you in your room the evening the Ganesh got stolen?’ ‘Yes, for most of the time. When Mr Ghoshal left with his wife and Ruku, I walked with them up to the gate. From there I went to look at Shashi Babu and his son working in the veranda. Shashi Babu appeared a little unwell. So I came back to my room to fetch some medicine for him.’ ‘Homoeopathic medicine? I can see a couple of books on homoeopathy on that shelf.’ ‘Yes, you’re right. I gave him a dose of Pulsetilla 30.’ ‘And then did you return to your room?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘What did you do?’ ‘I listened to the radio. The Lucknow station was playing records of Begum Akhtar.’ ‘How much time do you think you spent listening to the radio?’ ‘Well, the radio had been left on for some time. I was reading a magazine—the Illustrated Weekly —and was listening to the music at the same time.’ ‘Did you stay in your room until Mr Ghoshal returned?’ ‘Yes. You see, a few members of the Bengali Club were supposed to be calling to invite Mr Ghoshal to their play, Kabuliwala. I was waiting for them.’ ‘Did they come?’

‘Yes, but much later; well after 9 p.m.’ Feluda pointed at the staircase. ‘Can you remember seeing anyone going up or coming down those stairs?’ ‘No. But there is another staircase at the back of the house. If anyone came in or went out using this other staircase, I could not have seen them.’ ‘Thank you,’ said Feluda and rose. Vikas Sinha then took us to meet Ambika Ghoshal. We found him sitting by the window