They came to Baghdad - Agatha Christie [31]
Victoria wrenched her thoughts away from these interesting speculations and returned to hard facts. She must find Edward immediately and Edward must find her a job. Also immediately.
She did not know Edward’s last name, but he had come to Baghdad as the secretary of a Dr Rathbone and presumably Dr Rathbone was a man of importance.
Victoria powdered her nose and patted her hair and started down the stairs in search of information.
The beaming Marcus, passing through the hall of his establishment, hailed her with delight.
‘Ah, it is Miss Jones, you will come with me and have a drink, will you not, my dear? I like very much English ladies. All the English ladies in Baghdad, they are my friends. Every one is very happy in my hotel. Come, we will go into the bar.’
Victoria, not at all averse to free hospitality, consented gladly.
III
Sitting on a stool and drinking gin, she began her search for information.
‘Do you know a Dr Rathbone who has just come to Baghdad?’ she asked.
‘I know everyone in Baghdad,’ said Marcus Tio joyfully. ‘And everybody knows Marcus. That is true, what I am telling you. Oh! I have many many friends.’
‘I’m sure you have,’ said Victoria. ‘Do you know Dr Rathbone?’
‘Last week I have the Air Marshal commanding all Middle East passing through. He says to me, “Marcus, you villain, I haven’t seen you since ’46. You haven’t grown any thinner.” Oh he is very nice man. I like him very much.’
‘What about Dr Rathbone? Is he a nice man?’
‘I like, you know, people who can enjoy themselves. I do not like sour faces. I like people to be gay and young and charming – like you. He says to me, that Air Marshal, “Marcus, you like too much the women.” But I say to him: “No, my trouble is I like too much Marcus…”’ Marcus roared with laughter, breaking off to call out, ‘Jesus – Jesus!’
Victoria looked startled, but it appeared that Jesus was the barman’s Christian name. Victoria felt again that the East was an odd place.
‘Another gin and orange, and whisky,’ Marcus commanded.
‘I don’t think I –’
‘Yes, yes, you will – they are very very weak.’
‘About Dr Rathbone,’ persisted Victoria.
‘That Mrs Hamilton Clipp – what an odd name – with whom you arrive, she is American – is she not? I like also American people but I like English best. American peoples, they look always very worried. But sometimes, yes, they are good sports. Mr Summers – you know him? – he drink so much when he come to Baghdad, he go to sleep for three days and not wake up. It is too much that. It is not nice.’
‘Please, do help me,’ said Victoria.
Marcus looked surprised.
‘But of course I help you. I always help my friends. You tell me what you want – and at once it shall be done. Special steak – or turkey cooked very nice with rice and raisins and herbs – or little baby chickens.’
‘I don’t want baby chickens,’ said Victoria. ‘At least not now,’ she added prudently. ‘I want to find this Dr Rathbone. Dr Rathbone. He’s just arrived in Baghdad. With a – with a – secretary.’
‘I do not know,’ said Marcus. ‘He does not stay at the Tio.’
The implication was clearly that any one who did not stay at the Tio did not exist for Marcus.
‘But there are other hotels,’ persisted Victoria, ‘or perhaps he has a house?’
‘Oh yes, there are other hotels. Babylonian Palace, Sennacherib, Zobeide Hotel. They are good hotels, yes, but they are not like the Tio.’
‘I’m sure they’re not,’ Victoria assured him. ‘But you don’t know if Dr Rathbone is staying at one of them? There is some kind of society he runs – something to do with culture – and books.’
Marcus became quite serious at the mention of culture.
‘It is what we need,’ he said. ‘There must be much