Agatha Christie – Death On The Nile

Poirot looked interested.

Race said:

“There’s no need to be mysterious to you. We’ve had a good deal of trouble out hereone way and another. It isn’t the people who ostensibly lead the rioters that we’re after. It’s the men who very cleverly put the match to the gunpowder.

There were three of them. One’s dead. One’s in prison. I want the third man–a man with five or six cold-blooded murders to his credit. He’s one of the cleverest paid agitators that ever existed …. He’s on this boat. I know that from a passage in a letter that passed through our hands. Decoded it said: ‘X will be on the Karnak trip Feb. 7th-13th …. ‘ It didn’t say under what name X would be passing.” “Have you any description of him?”

“No. American, Irish and French descent. Bit of a mongrel. That doesn’t help us much. Have you got any ideas?”

“An idea–it is all very well,” said Poirot meditatively.

Such was the understanding betwen them that Race pressed him no further.

He knew that Hercule Poirot did not ever speak unless he were sure.

Poirot rubbed his nose and said unhappily:

“There passes itself something on this boat that causes me much inquietude.” Race looked at him inquiringly.

“Figure to yourself,” said Poirot, “a person A who has grievously wronged a person B. The person B desires the revenge. The person B makes the threats.”

“A and B being both on this boat?”

Poirot nodded.

“Precisely.”

“And B, I gather, being a woman?”

“Exactly.”

Race lit a cigarette.

“I shouldn’t worry. People who go about talking of what they are going to do don’t usually do it.”

“And particularly is that the case with lesfemmes, you would say! Yes, that is true.’

But he still did not look happy.

“Anything else?” asked Race.

“Yes, there is something. Yesterday the person A had a very near escape from death. The kind of death that might very conveniently be called an accident.” “Engineered by B?’

“No, that is just the point. B could have had nothing to do with it.”

“Then it was an accident.”

“I suppose so–but I do not like such accidents.” “You’re quite sure B could have had no hand in it?” “Absolutely.’

“Oh well, coincidences do happen. Who is A, by the way? A particularly disagreeable person?”

“On the contrary. A is a charming, rich and beautiful young lady.’

Race grinned.

“Sounds quite like a novelette.”

“Peut-tre. But I tell you, I am not happy, my friend. If I am right, and after all I am constantly in the habit of being right–”

Race smiled into his moustache at this typical utterance.

“–then there is matter for grave inquietude. And now, tou come to add yet another complication. You tell me that there is a man on the Karnak who kills.” “He doesn’t usually kill charming young ladies.

Poirot shook his head in a dissatisfied manner.

“I am afraid, my friend,” he said. “I am afraid …. To-day, I advised this lady, Mrs. Doyle, to go with her husband to Khartoum, not to return on this boat.

But they would not agree. I pray to Heaven that we may arrive at Shellal without catastrophe.”

“Aren’t you taking rather a gloomy view?”

Poirot shook his head.

“I am afraid,” he said simply. “Yes I, Hercule Poirot, am afraid …. ”

CHAPTER 11

Cornelia Robson stood inside the temple of Abu Simbel. It was the evening of the following day–a hot still evening. The Karnak was anchored once more at Abu Simbel to permit a second visit to be made to the temple this time by artificial light. The difference this made was considerable and Cornelia commented wonderingly on the fact to Mr. Ferguson who was standing by her side.

“Why, you see it ever so much better now!” she exclaimed. “All those enemies having their heads cut off by the king–they just stand right out. That’s a cute kind of castle there that I never noticed before. I wish Dr. Bessner was here, he’d tell me what it was.”

“How you can stand that old fool beats me,” said Ferguson gloomily.

“Why, he’s just one of the kindest men I’ve ever met!” “Pompous old bore.”