Mr. Tomasz, who sometimes introduced himself as Tomasz the Vagabond, was called by his friends Mr. Samochodzik. He owed his nickname to an unusual vehicle inherited from his uncle-inventor. This car, although ugly, "a cross between a canoe and a wheelbarrow", as the malicious people called it, had incredible capabilities: with a Ferrari 410 engine, it could run at a speed of 28..ddd