The Midnight Visitor

Ausable was different from other secret agents in several ways.

• He had a small room in the musty corridor of a gloomy French hotel on the sixth floor, which was scarcely a romantic setting.
• He was extremely fat and sloppy.
• Though he spoke French and German reasonably well, he had not lost his American accent from Boston.
• Instead of getting messages from dark beauties, he received a mundane telephone call for an appointment.
• He dealt with Max using his wit and a story about a non-existent balcony rather than using weapons or stunts.

Fowler was a young and romantic writer who had come to meet Ausable expecting adventure. His first authentic thrill of the day occurred when he entered Ausable’s room and saw an unknown man (Max) pointing a small automatic pistol towards him and Ausable.

Max had got into Ausable’s room with the help of a passkey or master key.

Ausable lied and said that he thought Max might have got into the room through the balcony. He claimed grimly that it was the second time in a month that somebody had entered his room through that “nuisance of a balcony”.

Secret agents in fiction are usually projected as perfect gentlemen who are tall, dark, and handsome. They typically have:

• Well-built structures and attractive masculine voices.
• Accompanied by beautiful women.
• Use hi-tech gadgets and perform death-defying stunts (like James Bond).

However, there are exceptions like Feluda (by Satyajit Ray), who relied on analytical power and observation skills rather than just physical charm.

Ausable created a comprehensive and convincing story. He explained that his room was part of a larger apartment and the living room connected through the door had a balcony. He further added credibility by mentioning that someone had broken into his office through that same balcony earlier. His quick wit and composure in such a panicky situation made the story completely convincing for Max.

Ausable likely did not have the plan from the very beginning. He improvised and took advantage of events as they happened.

• He made up the story of the balcony to plant a seed of escape in Max’s mind.
• When there was a knock at the door (which was actually the waiter), he lied that it was the police.
• This made Max desperate, and without checking, he jumped out of the window to hide in the “balcony,” falling to his death.

(Sample Answer based on text) This story resembles the play ‘If I Were You’. In that story, a criminal held Gerrard as a hostage. However, Gerrard treated him like a guest and trapped the criminal with confidence. He convinced the criminal to run away from the “police” through an exit door, which was actually a cupboard. The criminal blindly followed instructions and was trapped.

• Small Fire: Use a blanket to smother it. If not electrical, use water. Disconnect electricity immediately.
• Choking: Rub and thump the child’s back slowly until the food is vomited out. Seek medical help if breathing is difficult.
• Electrical Sparks: Immediately disconnect the plug or turn off the main switch. Repair before using again.
• Pedestrian Accident: Give first aid and seek help to rush them to the hospital.
• Continuous Rain: Take precautions against floods and inform authorities if necessary.
• Missing Person: Enquire at the place they visited, contact friends, and inform the police.