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By Root 484 0

British-run and the native areas, there are over two thousand three hundred castes, sects, and creeds, each with its own distinctive customs and religious injunctions. This isn't a country, it's a universe in its own right,'

He grinned.

'I've always thought of India as a microcosm,' he said.

'Of what?'

'If I ever find out, I'll be a wiser man than I am now.'

I grimaced.

'Yes, very deep,' said a voice behind me. I looked up to find Holmes and Watson standing over me.

'Please,' the Doctor waved to two free seats, 'join us.'

I bought the drinks. The Doctor's careful with his money. Well, to be fair, I remember a time in a bar on Barrabas Gamma when I shamed him into paying for his round. He rummaged around in his pockets, cursing all the time, and threw a handful of change onto the counter.

Unfortunately it was Cimliss money, and most of it jumped off and ran into the shadows before we could recapture it. I hear they were still finding loose change reproducing in dark corners for weeks.

Where was I? Oh yes, Holmes and Watson. They sat down, and we drank for a few minutes, swapping pleasantries. Eventually Holmes turned to me.

'As you probably know,' he said, 'we have pursued a certain gentleman here from Tilbury.'

'Baron Maupertuis,' I prompted.

'Indeed: He cast a sour glance at me. I decided to interrupt him as much as possible.

'You are aware of the circumstances?' he continued.

'The Library, the thefts, the aliens, blah, blab, blah . .'

He controlled himself with some difficulty.

'Has Baron Maupertuis passed through Bombay, to your knowledge?'

I took a small notebook out of my pocket and began to read from it.

'I was proceeding in an easterly direction along Rivett-Karnac Road when -

'

'Benny...' the Doctor murmured. Holmes's snort punctuated the Doctor's warning.

'Oh very well: I put the notebook away. 'Volume five of the Doctor's telegraph message told me that the guy with the title was on board the SS

Soudan, which docked two days ago. I had the Baron paged, and spotted him when he disembarked. He was accompanied by a great hulking deaf mute named Surd. They headed here, which is one of the reasons why I did too. They stayed for one night, ate nothing and met nobody. They rose early the next morning, took a rickshaw to the station and bought tickets for Calcutta. They caught the next train out of Bombay. That's all I know.'

'An admirable summary,' Holmes said, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. 'Calcutta is not their destination, of course.'

'Why not?' Watson asked.

'It is a coastal city at the other end of the line from Bombay. Had Baron Maupertuis wished to travel to Calcutta, he could have travelled there directly by ship, a quicker and more comfortable journey. No, the tickets are a blind. I have no doubt that they caught the train -' he glanced sharply over at me, and I nodded. ' - but I would suggest that they disembarked somewhere along the line.'

I handed him a list of stations.

'Difficult to tell from this what their destination might have been,' he continued. 'The train passes through the major British provinces on both sides of the continent, and also the belt of native states in between. What about luggage?'

'Two trunks. Heavy by the looks of them. Surd carried them as though they were nothing.'

'Contents?'

'I . . . I don't know.'

Holmes half-opened his eyes and gazed at me.

'All right,' I admitted, 'nothing but clothing and medical supplies. I sneaked a look.'

He frowned.

'No books?'

'No books.'

'No maps?'

'No maps.'

'No weapons?'

'No weapons.'

'Hmmm.'

Watson and the Doctor exchanged puzzled glances.

'I would have expected more equipment for a planned invasion,' Holmes explained. 'Their lack does not rule out our theory, of course - the material may have been sent on ahead - but evidence would have been reassuring.'

'What about the twenty large boxes addressed to the stationmaster at Jabalhabad that were loaded in the guard's van?'

I was the focus of all eyes.