12.20

Chapter 2 (arbitrarily decided by the author)

Holmes schwooped to look at the big, shiny thing. It was ridiculous-looking, like a starfish which had been flattened. Watson trundled about, stirring up more silt. Holmes sighed.

"Watson! Hypothesis: this object was used as a means of moving through the water."

"Sherri! Conclusion: ridiculous. How do you figure?"

"Based on well-known principles, anything large and flat can move a large amount of water. This is both large and flat, and, owing to its rigidity (here Sherlock rapped the surface and the whole object rang dully) it could move water quite well."

"But Sherri, it has flat surfaces all the way around. No mater how you wave it, the other side will just counteract your movement."

"Ah, yes Watson, quite astute. But you see, if the object is twirled around its center, each surface would push on the water in quite a different way than you would expect."

"How might it do that, Sherri?"

"Well, do you remember when we had to chase the octopus for the Case of the Running Octopus?"

"Like it was yesterday."

"Well, yesterday when it was happening, you noted that the octopus took sharp corners by spinning. This is what has given me the idea for this object."

"But it still doesn't make any sense. It looks more like bone than like a flipper."
"It has to make sense, Watson. Eliminate every other possibility (plant, rock, clam) and the only remaining option has to be what it is, no matter how preposterous."