Premise: They were even planning what might best be done to chastise him when he discovered in some manner a book of elementary conjuration and did then devise some strange new formula from the elements with which magic he disappeared."  It was nice to know that Einstein had given up on the problem, Dave thought bitterly.

Hypothesis: The wanted to chastise him, but soon he found a strange way to disappear and no one has seen him since.
Relation: neutral