Which proves once again that passports serve no useful purpose in police matters

The inspector went back down to the quayside and headed off quickly towards the British consulate. As soon as he got there, and at his insistence, he was ushered in to see the consul in person.

‘Sir,’ he said, getting straight to the point, ‘I have good reason to believe that our man is a passenger on board the Mongolia.’

Fix then recounted what had taken place between the servant and himself concerning the passport.

‘Well, Mr Fix,’ replied the consul, ‘I’d quite like to see what this crook looks like. But perhaps he won’t come to my office if he really is your man. A thief never likes to leave any trace of where he’s been, and in any case it’s no longer compulsory to show your passport.’

‘Sir,’ replied the detective, ‘if he’s as clever as I think, he will come.’

‘To have his passport stamped?’

‘Yes. All that passports do is inconvenience law-abiding citizens and enable crooks to get away. You can be sure that his will be in order, but I really do hope that you won’t stamp it.’

‘Why on earth not? If this passport is in order,’ replied the consul, ‘I’m not in a position to refuse a visa.’

‘But, sir, it’s essential for me to keep him here until I receive the arrest warrant from London.’

‘Well, Mr Fix,’ replied the consul, ‘that’s your business. It’s not up to me to –’

The consul was unable to finish his sentence. At that moment there was a knock on his door and the office boy showed in two strangers, one of whom was none other than the servant who had spoken to the detective earlier.

This time it was the master and his servant. The master showed his passport and asked the consul in the fewest possible words to be so kind as to stamp it.

The latter took the passport and read it carefully, while Fix, standing in a corner of the room, looked or rather stared hard at the stranger.

When the consul had finished reading it, he asked, ‘Are you Mr Phileas Fogg?’

‘Yes, sir,’ replied the gentleman.

‘And is this man your servant?’

‘Yes. A Frenchman called Passepartout.’

‘Have you come from London?’

‘Yes.’

‘And where are you going?’

‘Bombay.’

‘Good, sir. Are you aware that visa formalities are unnecessary and that it’s no longer compulsory to show your passport?’

‘I am aware, sir,’ replied Phileas Fogg, ‘but I want a visa to prove that I’ve been through Suez.’

‘Very well, sir.’

And so the consul signed and dated the passport and then stamped it. Mr Fogg paid the cost of the visa and, after politely saying goodbye, went out, followed by his servant.

‘Well, then?’ asked the inspector.

‘Well,’ replied the consul, ‘he seems a perfectly law-abiding citizen.’

‘That’s as may be, but it’s not the point,’ replied Fix. ‘Don’t you think that this phlegmatic gentleman looks exactly like the thief I’ve received the description of?’

‘I agree, but as you know all descriptions –’

‘I want to get to the bottom of this,’ replied Fix. ‘I think the servant will be easier to fathom out than his master. What’s more he’s French, which means he won’t be able to hold his tongue. I’ll see you again soon, sir.’

With this the detective went out and began to search for Passepartout.

Meanwhile, Mr Fogg, after leaving the consulate, had headed towards the quayside. There he gave his servant some orders, then got into a small boat that took him to the Mongolia and went back down into his cabin. There he took out his notebook, which contained the following entries:

Left London, Wednesday 2 October, 8.45 p.m.

Arrived Paris, Thursday 3 October, 7.20 a.m.

Left Paris, Thursday, 8.40 a.m.

Arrived Turin via Mont Cenis, Friday 4 October, 6.35 a.m.

Left Turin, Friday, 7.20 a.m.

Arrived Brindisi, Saturday 5 October, 4 p.m.

Boarded the Mongolia, Saturday, 5 p.m.

Arrived Suez, Wednesday 9 October, 11 a.m.

Total time in hours: 158 ½, making 6 ½ days.

Mr Fogg had written down these dates on a travel plan laid out in columns, showing from 2 October to 21 December the month, the day in the month, the day of the week, the estimated time of arrival and the actual time of arrival for each main staging point, Paris, Brindisi, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York, Liverpool and London. This enabled him to work out the time gained or lost at each point of his journey.

The carefully calculated travel plan thus took account of everything, and Mr Fogg always knew whether he was ahead or behind schedule.

So he wrote in for that day, Wednesday 9 October, his arrival in Suez, which as it coincided with the scheduled time of arrival was neither a loss nor a gain.

Then he had lunch brought to him in his cabin. As for looking around the town, he never even gave it a moment’s thought, as he was the sort of Englishman who gets his servant to do the sights for him.