Page no-14
Question 1. How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
Answer:
Ausable stands out from typical secret agents in many ways. He lives in a small, musty room at the top floor of a gloomy French hotel—not the glamorous setting you’d expect. He is notably overweight, speaks French and German with difficulty despite living in Paris for over twenty years, and has a strong American accent. Unlike the usual image of secret agents receiving covert messages from beautiful women, Ausable only gets a routine phone call. He handles Max cleverly by inventing stories that convince Max to act, ultimately tricking him into leaving for good.
Question 2. Who is Fowler and what gives him his first real thrill of the day?
Fowler is a writer who came to meet Ausable. His first real excitement happens when he sees a man in Ausable’s room aiming a pistol at both Ausable and himself.
Page no-15
Question 3. How did Max get into the room?
Max used a passkey or master key to enter the room unnoticed.
Question 4. What explanation does Ausable give for Max’s entry?
Ausable claims Max got in through the balcony, noting it was the second time such an intrusion happened within a month.
Page no-18
Think About It
Question 1. How does Ausable differ from the secret agents you’ve seen in books and movies?
Secret agents in fiction are often portrayed as tall, handsome, well-built men who smoke pipes or cigars and perform daring feats—as with Sherlock Holmes or James Bond—using hi-tech gadgets. Ausable contrasts sharply with this image, being overweight, awkward, and unglamorous. However, like Feluda, a famous Bengali detective, Ausable relies on quick thinking and intelligence rather than looks or gadgets.
Question 2. How does Ausable make Max believe there’s a balcony?
Ausable provides a vivid description, explaining that his office is part of a larger apartment and that the next room has a balcony. He adds that someone else had previously entered through that balcony, making his story believable. His calm, creative thinking in a tense moment strengthens the tale’s credibility.
Question 3. When did Ausable come up with his plan against Max?
He did not plan it all in advance. Instead, he crafted his strategy on the spot, taking advantage of unfolding events like a knock on the door, which he claimed was the police. This made Max panic and jump out the window to escape.
Talk About It
Question 1. Can you share an example of someone’s presence of mind, as shown by Ausable’s quick thinking?
In the play ‘If I Were You’, Gerrard is held hostage by a criminal but treats him kindly and cleverly traps him by convincing him to run through a door that is actually a cupboard, thus saving himself.
Question 2. How would you react in emergencies like a kitchen fire, a choking child, or an accident?
- For a kitchen fire, cover it with a blanket if safe; if electrical, cut electricity first.
- For a choking child, gently tap the back to dislodge the object and seek medical help if needed.
- For electrical sparks, unplug the appliance and arrange repair.
- For an accident involving a pedestrian, provide first aid and seek help or hospital care depending on injury severity.
- In case of floods, safeguard belongings and alert authorities.
- If a family member doesn’t return home on time, contact friends or local police if necessary.
This rewrite keeps the original word count close and presents the questions clearly in bold with a conversational, human tone.