The Return of Vaman - A Scientific Novel Read Online Free Page B

was worse than death.
    “What about his house?” I asked, hoping that there might be something there.
    “A typical bachelor’s mess,” commented the non-descript man. “We searched his flat with a fine-toothcomb. There is nothing there. Indeed we called you here to ask whether you could throw any light on the matter.”
    “Sorry, I can’t help you there. I am afraid Ajit, though a good friend of mine, never considered me educated enough to share his scientific confidences.”
    As I drove home, I wondered whether truth would have been more convincing than lie. I decided in the negative. After all, my unscientific description would have sounded too fantastic to be credible.
    Even today I find it fantastic but not incredible! For, you see, I have a concrete proof lying in my museum. It is the rare idol of Ganesha .

Part II
The Novel: The Return of Vaman (1986)

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015
Jayant V. Narlikar The Return of Vaman - A Scientific Novel Science and Fiction 10.1007/978-3-319-16429-8_2

    The Container
    Jayant V. Narlikar 1   
    (1)
    Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, India
     
     
    Jayant V. Narlikar
    Email: [email protected]

    1 The Transfer
    ‘The seat belt sign has been switched off … but it is advisable to keep the seat belts fastened during flight …’
    The announcement was hardly over before the passenger in seat 59A sprang up and rushed to the front of the plane. The stewardess was startled by this burst of activity … but soon ceased worrying. The passenger entered the toilet.
    ‘Took him for a highjacker, did you, Sheela?’ smiled Jamshed twirling a moustache that would have done justice to Air India’s Maharajah.
    ‘Well, one never can tell these days, can one?’ observed Sheela pointing to 60A. ‘Look over there. That one is up to no good.’
    Without turning his head Jamshed managed to look.
    ‘You are nervous these days, Sheela. Won’t be surprised if you start doubting our captain’s intentions next! … 60A has had one too many, that’s all.’
    60A was a burly European. When all the announcements were over he too rose and made his way to the toilet. Unbuttoned shirt and denims … his hefty, masculine body seemed to burst out of his clothes. But at that moment all of it was shaking and tottering.
    By now Emperor Vikramaditya was well set on its flight path at 30,000 feet. That the flight was steady could be seen from the unruffled levels of drink in the glasses resting on the passengers’ tables. But 60A was nevertheless finding his progress towards the toilet difficult.
    He finally reached his destination and began struggling with the door handle. Jamshed tapped him gently.
    ‘Sir, this toilet is occupied. There are more toilets on the lower deck in case you wish …’
    ‘ Danke! Nein! … Thank you … Will wait here.’
    Looking down at the narrow, winding staircase to the lower deck, Jamshed could appreciate 60A’s point of view. He was on the point of offering his stewards’s seat to the passenger when the toilet door opened. 59A emerged and, casting a look of disapproval at 60A, made his way back to the seat. 60A rushed in.
    ‘Come, time to serve the snacks’, Jamshed activated Sheela.
    When 60A came out, both Jamshed and Sheela were preoccupied with arranging trays for Executive Class passengers: they did not notice the bulging pockets of the emerging passenger. And, of course, thanks to the fuss created by 60A, they had failed to notice another detail. The brown travel pouch that 59A had taken into the toilet was no longer with him when he came out.
    The London-bound jumbo reached Delhi on time. The passenger who had boarded the plane at Bombay and occupied 59A deplaned, but by now the occupant of 60A was snoring in contented fashion. He knew that many a collector would happily part with a fortune to acquire that brown travel pouch now resting safe in his briefcase.
    2 The Find
    The sudden and unexpected