Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
1. An Important Passenger on the Taurus Express
“YouhavesavedthehonouroftheFrenchArmy—youhaveavertedmuchbloodshed!HowcanIthankyouforaccedingtomyrequest?Tohavecomesofar—”
Towhichthestranger(bynameM.HerculePoirot)hadmadeafittingreplyincludingthephrase,“ButindeeddoInotrememberthatonceyousavedmylife?”AndthentheGeneralhadmadeanotherfittingreplytothatdisclaiminganymeritforthatpastservice,andwithmorementionofFrance,ofBelgium,ofglory,ofhonourandofsuchkindredthingstheyhadembracedeachotherheartilyandtheconversationhadended.
Astowhatithadallbeenabout,LieutenantDuboscwasstillinthedark,buttohimhadbeendelegatedthedutyofseeingoffM.PoirotbytheTaurusExpress,andhewascarryingitoutwithallthezealandardourbefittingayoungofficerwithapromisingcareeraheadofhim.
“TodayisSunday,”saidLieutenantDubosc.“Tomorrow,Mondayevening,youwillbeinStamboul.”
Itwasnotthefirsttimehehadmadethisobservation.Conversationsontheplatform,beforethedepartureofatrain,areapttobesomewhatrepetitiveincharacter.
“Thatisso,”agreedM.Poirot.
“Andyouintendtoremainthereafewdays,Ithink?”
“Maisoui.Stamboul,itisacityIhavenevervisited.Itwouldbeapitytopassthrough—commeça.”Hesnappedhisfingersdescriptively.“Nothingpresses—Ishallremainthereasatouristforafewdays.”
“LaSainteSophie,itisveryfine,”saidLieutenantDubosc,whohadneverseenit.
Acoldwindcamewhistlingdowntheplatform.Bothmenshivered.
