‘We won’t look at your passport,’ said Ralph. ‘You’re an Englishman.’
At 8.40, Phileas Fogg and Passepartout took their places in the train, and at 8.45 the train started.
Some days later, the police at Scotland Yard had a letter from their detective, Detective Fix.
Suez, 9th October
To Scotland Yard, London
I am following the bank thief, Phileas Fogg. Send a warrant to Bombay now.
Fix (detective)
bet – пари
thief – вор
railway – железная дорога
journey – путешествие
happen – случаться
try – пытаться
way – путь
warrant – ордер
card table – карточный стол
usually – обычно
catch – ловить, поймать
another – еще один
Chapter 3
Detective Fix
On Wednesday, 9th October a small thin man waited for a ship at Suez, Egypt. The ship, a fast ship, was the Mongolia. The man was Detective Fix. He was at the port because he wanted to find the Bank of England thief.
Fix looked at everybody. He wanted a tall man in expensive clothes. When the Mongolia arrived at the port, Phileas Fogg left the ship. He had to get a stamp in his passport. He went back to the ship. Fix watched him.
Then the detective found Passepartout out in the town. ‘Can I help you?’ asked Fix.
‘You are very kind,’ said Passepartout.’ This is Suez?’ ‘Yes,’ said Fix.’ Suez, in Egypt, in Africa.’ Passepartout looked at Fix with wide eyes.
‘Africa!’ he said.’ This morning I saw Paris again, from 7.20 to 8.15 in the morning, through the windows of a train, between two railway stations. And now I am here in Africa.’
‘You haven’t got much time, then?’ asked the detective.
‘ No, Mr. Fogg hasn’t got much time. Oh, and I have to buy some clothes. We came away with only one small bag for the journey.’
‘I’ll show you the way to the shops.’
‘Thank you,’ said Passepartout. And the two men walked through Suez. ‘ I have to be careful about the time. The ship leaves again in a short time.’
‘You’ve got time for shopping,’ Fix answered. ‘And you’ve got time for lunch.’
Passepartout took his big watch.
‘Lunch?’ he said.’ It’s 9.52 in the morning!’
‘No, it’s 11.52,’ said Fix. ‘You’ve got London time on your watch. That’s two hours behind Suez time. When you go round the world, time changes. On your journey you’ll have to change the time on your watch for each new country.’
‘What! Change the time on my watch? Never!’ said Passepartout.
Fix smiled. Five minutes later he said,’ Here are the shops. You can buy everything here. I think you left London quickly.’
‘Oh yes! Last Wednesday, Mr. Fogg came back from his club at 7.50 in the evening. He usually comes back at midnight. And then we started our journey.’
Fix thought about that. Then he asked, ‘But where is Mr. Fogg going?’
‘Round the world.’ ‘Round the world?’ ‘Yes, in eighty days. He says it is for a bet.’ ‘ Is he rich?’ Fix asked.
‘I think he is,’ said Passepartout. The Frenchman was always ready to talk. ‘He has a lot of new banknotes with him, and he buys things all the time. He gave the captain of the Mongolia a lot of money because he wanted to get to Bombay early.’
So the detective wrote to London and asked for a warrant in Bombay. Phileas Fogg was tall and wore expensive clothes. He left London quickly. He had a lot of money in new banknotes. Phileas Fogg was, Fix thought, the Bank of England thief.
Ten minutes before the Mongolia left Suez, Fix was on the ship with a light bag and some money. He was on his way to Bombay.
through – через
careful – осторожный, внимательный
thin – худой
expensive – дорогой
wide – широкий
between – между
in a short time – скоро
change – меняться
quickly – быстро
midnight – полночь
light – легкий
Chapter 4
India
Phileas Fogg looked at the timetable. ‘The Mongolia will arrive in Bombay on 22nd October’ he wrote in his little black book.
But she arrived two days early because there was a north-west wind behind her. He wrote ‘two days early’ in the little black book, but he did not smile.
At 4.30 in the afternoon of 20th October, everybody left the ship and went into Bombay.
‘The train from Bombay to Calcutta leaves at 8 o’clock,’ Phileas Fogg told Passepartout.’ Be at the railway station before then. Then he went to the passport office and had dinner at the railway station.
Fix went to the police in Bombay and asked about the warrant. He could not take Phileas Fogg back to England without a warrant. But the warrant was not there. It was in the post from England, so Fix could do nothing.
Passepartout looked at Bombay. Everything was interesting to the young man. He stood outside the fine temple at Malabar. He liked it, so he went inside.
But Passepartout didn’t know that you can’t go into a temple in India in your shoes.
‘This temple is really lovely,’ thought Passepartout. He looked at the beautiful things in there. Suddenly three men in orange clothes started to hit him. Then they threw him to the floor and took his shoes. They were very angry. They shouted something, but Passepartout didn’t understand the language. But the Frenchman was young and strong. He pushed the men away and ran out of the temple into the street.
At 7.55, five minutes before the train left, Passepartout arrived at the station without his shoes, without a hat, and without the bag of new clothes. He found Phileas Fogg at the dinner table.
Fix was at the station restaurant too. He sat behind Phileas Fogg and watched him. He listened to Passepartout and Phileas Fogg. Passepartout moved his arms up and down when he told Phileas Fogg about the temple.
The detective smiled.’ So the servant did something wrong in this country,’ he thought.’ I can use that. The thief will have to stay in India. And I can wait for the warrant from England.’
Phileas Fogg and Passepartout sat on the train through the night, the next day and the next night. Everything was different outside from one minute to the next minute. Passepartout watched the many changes through the window. They were very interesting to him. Phileas Fogg was not interested.
At 8 o’clock in the morning, on 22nd October, the train stopped near the station at Rothal. A man from the railway came to the train window.
‘Everybody,