Postern of Fate (Tommy and Tuppence Series) - Agatha Christie [55]
‘It seems to me very unlikely. Who killed Mary Jordan? That’s the book we’ll have to write one day, I suppose?’
‘If we ever find out,’ said Tuppence gloomily.
Chapter 4
Possibility of Surgery on Mathilde
‘What are you going to do this afternoon, Tuppence? Go on helping me with these lists of names and dates and things?’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Tuppence. ‘I’ve had all that. It really is most exhausting writing everything down. Every now and then I do get things a bit wrong, don’t I?’
‘Well, I wouldn’t put it past you. You have made a few mistakes.’
‘I wish you weren’t more accurate than I am, Tommy. I find it so annoying sometimes.’
‘What are you going to do instead?’
‘I wouldn’t mind having a good nap. Oh no, I’m not going to actually relax,’ said Tuppence. ‘I think I’m going to disembowel Mathilde.’
‘I beg your pardon, Tuppence.’
‘I said I was going to disembowel Mathilde.’
‘What’s the matter with you? You seem very set on violence.’
‘Mathilde–she’s in KK.’
‘What do you mean, she’s in KK?’
‘Oh, the place where all the dumps are. You know, she’s the rocking-horse, the one that’s got a hole in her stomach.’
‘Oh. And–you’re going to examine her stomach, is that it?’
‘That’s the idea,’ said Tuppence. ‘Would you like to come and help me?’
‘Not really,’ said Tommy.
‘Would you be kind enough to come and help me?’ suggested Tuppence.
‘Put like that,’ said Tommy, with a deep sigh, ‘I will force myself to consent. Anyway, it won’t be as bad as making lists. Is Isaac anywhere about?’
‘No. I think it’s his afternoon off. Anyway, we don’t want Isaac about. I think I’ve got all the information I can out of him.’
‘He knows a good deal,’ said Tommy thoughtfully. ‘I found that out the other day, he was telling me a lot of things about the past. Things he can’t remember himself.’
‘Well, he must be nearly eighty,’ said Tuppence. ‘I’m quite sure of that.’
‘Yes, I know, but things really far back.’
‘People have always heard so many things,’ said Tuppence. ‘You never know if they’re right or not in what they’ve heard. Anyway, let’s go and disembowel Mathilde. I’d better change my clothes first because it’s excessively dusty and cobwebby in KK and we have to burrow right inside her.
‘You might get Isaac, if he’s about, to turn her upside down, then we could get at her stomach more easily.’
‘You really sound as though in your last reincarnation you must have been a surgeon.’
‘Well, I suppose it is a little like that. We are now going to remove foreign matter which might be dangerous to the preservation of Mathilde’s life, such as is left of it. We might have her painted up and Deborah’s twins perhaps would like to ride on her when they next come to stay.’
‘Oh, our grandchildren have so many toys and presents already.’
‘That won’t matter,’ said Tuppence. ‘Children don’t particularly like expensive presents. They’ll play with an old bit of string or a rag doll or something they call a pet bear which is only a bit of a hearthrug just made up into a bundle with a couple of black boot-button eyes put on it. Children have their own ideas about toys.’
‘Well, come on,’ said Tommy. ‘Forward to Mathilde. To the operating theatre.’
The reversal of Mathilde to a position suitable for the necessary operation to take place was not an easy job. Mathilde was a very fair weight. In addition to that, she was very well studded with various nails which would on occasions reverse their position, and which had points sticking out. Tuppence wiped blood from her hand and Tommy swore as he caught his pullover which immediately tore itself in a somewhat disastrous fashion.
‘Blow this damned rocking-horse,’ said Tommy.
‘Ought to have been put on a bonfire years ago,’ said Tuppence.
It was at that moment that the aged Isaac suddenly appeared and joined them.
‘Whatever now!’ he said with some surprise. ‘Whatever be you two doing here now? What do you want with this old bit of horse-flesh here? Can I help you at all? What do you