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III . Detective Fix On Wednesday , the ninth of October , a small , thin man with sharp eyes was walking up and down on the quay at Suez , in Egypt . His name was Fix , and he was one of the police detectives from London . He was looking for the bank thief . That morning he was waiting for a big steamer , the Mongolia , which was travelling to Bombay . He was holding a description of the thief in his hand . At eleven o’clock the Mongolia arrived , and many passengers came off the ship . One of them , a Frenchman with a round face , came up to Fix . He was holding a passport . “ Excuse me , sir , ” he said politely . “ Can you show me the way to the British consul ? My master needs a stamp in his passport . ” Fix read the passport , and his hand began to shake . Its owner looked exactly like the thief ! “ This isn’t your passport , ” he said . “ Your master must go to the consul himself . ” “ Then I’ll bring him , ” said Passepartout , and he went back to the ship . Fix hurried to the consul’s office . “ I think the thief is on the Mongolia , ” he told the consul . “ His servant was just here . ” The consul smiled . “ If he is a thief , he will not come here . Thieves don’t like to leave their names behind them . ” But a few minutes later , Mr Fogg came into the office with his servant . He showed his passport , and the consul stamped it . Mr Fogg thanked him , bowed and left . “ He looks like an honest man , ” said the consul . “ Clever thieves always look honest , ” said Fix . “ I have no warrant yet , so I cannot arrest him . But I will not lose him . ” Mr Fogg went back to his cabin on the ship . He took out his notebook and wrote the date and the time in it . “ Arrived at Suez , Wednesday , 9 October , ” he wrote . “ Six and a half days . On time . ” Fix found Passepartout on the quay and began to talk to him . “ You left London very quickly , didn’t you ? ” said Fix . “ Oh , very quickly ! ” answered Passepartout . “ My master came home one evening , and ten minutes later we were on the train . We are going round the world in eighty days . It’s for a bet , he says . But between you and me , I don’t believe it . There must be some other reason . ” “ Is your master rich ? ” “ Very rich ! He carries a bag full of new banknotes , and he spends money like water . ” Fix listened carefully . Every answer made him more sure . “ By the way , ” said Fix , “ your watch is wrong . Here in Egypt it’s two hours later than in London . You must change it . ” “ Change my watch ? Never ! ” cried Passepartout . “ It was my great - grandfather’s watch . It doesn’t lose five minutes in a year . The sun is wrong , not my watch . ” As soon as Passepartout returned to the ship , Fix hurried to the telegraph office . He sent a message to the police in London and asked them to send a warrant to Bombay . Then he bought a ticket and went on board the Mongolia too .
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