CH 2: Painting of Genesis

It was around 10 pm in the night when the man arrived at the doorsteps of this large mansion and delivered the package. The mansion was around 400 km from the nearest city. Aloof from any residential area and with no proper routes connecting it from the city it befitted the definition of a haunted castle. The only passage to the house was a small mud road that used to be hidden underneath the arctic ice all the time.

Must be something very important thought the steward. It had been around 3 months since he had seen anyone come to the mansion. The winter was at its peak and no one would come through the mud road during winters. But it was Adrian who delivered it.

Adrian was the connection of the castle to the outside world. He used to bring stocks of fish and grain to be kept in the castle for the winters and he was the only one who was well accustomed to the route to castle.

Here's the coffee you ordered sir!! said the steward. It was late in the night but professor was not ready to go to sleep yet. He seemed to be very engrossed with the stuff that had come in the package. It had been three days since he last had some meaningful sleep. Steward was not bothered by this at all. He had been with him since his birth and as the case with his father was well acquainted with the fact that they did not care about sleep very much and thats why his father had departed at the young age of 45.

A billionaire recluse from Magadan, Russia Victor Simorskev lived his life through the cold artic winters. The region was almost inhabitable and he liked it that way. An epistemologist, he had to live his life in exile. His uncharacteristic research work had prompted lots of controversies which led him to take refuge at this place. Only thing that prompted the government no to take any action against him was because of his money. Everyone suspected that he was smuggling gold from the Kolyma river because no one knew for sure as to how he had managed to get so much of money. Every suspicion that arose in this regard would come to an end without any proof. But the money was often used to fund research projects happening within the government so finally everyone gave up on these charges and professor was left alone.

Perfect! said the professor. You are saying something to me asked the steward. Oh no! Please keep the coffee on the table and three sugar cubes and with the creamer. Last time you had put only two replied professor. Although professor had not seen him make the coffee, he loved his coffee so much that he knew the exact taste of it. Steward remembered how last time he had put only two because he had forgotten to get the new pack of sugar cubes.

You must have sleep said the steward as much concerned about his own. Yes Jeeves but I have some work to do. You go and get some rest I wont bother you with anything. No not until 6:00 am laughed the professor. My pleasure Sir said Jeeves and closed the door.

Professor had sip of coffee and started to look at things spread in his table. It consisted of an archaic manuscript, a wood work depicting lotus and a painting.

Two days later a new man came to the mansion once again led by Adrian. Steward was happy to see a new face but his instincts told him that another controversy was going to come pretty soon because no one would come to this place at winters unless professor had found something really big . He used to keep his distance from all these. Such things occurred quite often to bother him.

This time it was different. Professor allowed the man into his research room this told the steward that he man not any government agent. Normally government agent had the permission only till the hall.

Ah the "Painting of Genesis" exclaimed the man as soon as he entered the room.