Nishad, a boy of sever (also called Seven because his name means the severth note on the musical scale) and his ten-year-old sister Maya are verų curious about one Mr Nath. Then one day the children's marble rolls into Mr Nath's room, and Nishad gets a chance to see him. Is he a crook on the run? Why is his face badly scarred? Why has he no friends? Nishad's mother, a doctor, knows Mr Nath as a patient, who is very polite. Expert Detectives s we walked back towards the clinic ASeven said, "He doesn't look anything like a monster, Maya. But did you see how thin he is? Maybe he's very poor and can't afford to eat." "He can't be poor if he's a crook on the run," I told him. "He's probably got millions of rupees stashed away somewhere in that room." "Do you really think he's a criminal, Maya? He doesn't look like one." Nishad looked doubtful. "Of course he's one, Seven," I said, "and he certainly isn't ştarving. Mr Mehta told us that Ramesh brings his meals up from the restaurant downstairs.