Setting in Surat

In the Indian town of Surat, there is a coffee-house where many travellers and foreigners from all parts of the world meet and converse.

The Persian Theologian

One day a learned Persian theologian visits this coffee-house. He is a man who has spent his life studying the nature of the Deity, and reading and writing books upon the subject.

The Theologian's Journey

He has thought, read, and written so much about God, that he eventually lost his wits, became quite confused, and ceased even to believe in the existence of a God. The Shah, hearing of this, has banished him from Persia.