Fix ran directly to the consul’s office.
"I am convinced that our bank robber is on that ship," Fix told the consul quickly. He explained what had just happened with the servant.
"Well, Mr. Fix," the consul replied, "I would love to see the criminal's face. But a smart thief would not come here. He does not even need to show his passport anymore."
"If he is smart, he will come," Fix argued. "Passports are great for helping criminals look innocent. You must help me. You must refuse to sign his document! That way, I can keep him here until I get an arrest warrant from London."
"If his passport is genuine, I have no right to reject it," the consul said.
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Passepartout walked in, followed by his master. Mr. Fogg handed his passport to the consul and asked for an official stamp. Fix hid in the corner of the room, staring at the tall gentleman.
"You are Mr. Phileas Fogg?" the consul asked.
"I am."
"And you are traveling to Bombay?"
"Yes."
"Sir, you know that this stamp is completely useless? Passports are no longer legally required for this journey."
"I know," Fogg replied calmly. "But I need it as proof that I passed through Suez."
The consul signed the document and added his official seal. Fogg paid the fee, bowed slightly, and left the room with his servant.
"Well?" asked the detective.
"He looks and acts like a perfectly honest man," the consul said.
"Maybe," Fix replied. "But his face is exactly like the description of the robber. The master is too quiet, but the servant is a Frenchman. He will not be able to stop talking. I am going to find out more." Fix hurried out of the office to find Passepartout.
Meanwhile, Mr. Fogg went straight back to his cabin on the ship. He opened a small notebook. It contained a strict record of his entire journey. He wrote down his arrival times for Paris, Turin, Brindisi, and Suez. He calculated the hours and saw that he was exactly on schedule. He had neither gained nor lost a single minute.
Satisfied, Fogg sat down to eat his breakfast. He did not even look out the window at the town. He was traveling around the world, but he had no interest in actually seeing it.