Oct 16, 2015

Extract from Chapter 11 of mystery-comedy novel, 'The Investigations of the Para-Usual':

‘I have come to dwell on many, multifarious things,’ ruminated O’Singh. He took the liberty to guide Dr Pratt over to a sun-dappled bench under a plane tree and invited him to sit down in the way one might before delivering momentous news.

The professor threw himself onto the bench, wedging Dr Pratt into a conspiratorial corner.

‘Think where biologists have discovered new plant and animal species thus far,’ effused O’Singh. ‘Once upon a time it was the discovery of unchartered lands which might throw up such novelties. Think of the Antipodes, of Australia.’

‘Yes. The wallaby. The kangaroo,’ pondered Dr Pratt, releasing one of his hands from nursing his sore neck to hold it out limply in a begging attitude, à la marsupial. ‘The duckbill platypus… What exactly is a platypus, you know, apart from a platypus without a duck’s bill?’

‘We cannot be entirely certain,’ said O’Singh, with certainty. ‘But the duckbill platypus gives us a remarkably good idea. As the name suggests, we are dealing with an animal that is as platypus as you can get, all apart from the bill.’

‘Which is duck-like. I see,’ said Dr Pratt, flapping one of his elbows while delivering a couple of honks to impersonate an avian species.

‘What was that?’ asked O’Singh, arrested by Dr Pratt’s action.

‘A goose.’

‘Oh?’

‘I said “duck-like”. A goose is duck-like,’ explained Dr Pratt. ‘At least they are kind of similar.’