Around The World With Willy Fog Description
As he has done every
morning since he moved into Savile Row, Willy Fog awakens
at 8.00am and rings for his manservant, only to remember
that he fired him the previous day for his inability to
follow Fog's precise schedule. He has already arranged an
interview for a replacement - former circus performer Rigodon,
who is even now rushing towards Fog's house to make his
11.00am appointment. Rigodon is accompanied by his old circus
colleague Tico, who hides within his travelling bag, and
prompts him through the interview, which gets off to a bad
start when Rigodon arrives four minutes late. Nonetheless,
Rigodon is hired by Fog as his butler, and soon departs
for the Reform Club.
At the club, the main topic
of conversation is the recent theft of £55,000 from
the back of England until the bank's governor Mr. Sullivan
arrives and requests a change of topic. Sullivan's off-hand
remark that the thief is still in London, however, causes
the eldery Lord Guinness to bring up an article in the Morning
Chronicle, detailing how it is now possible to travel around
the world in eighty days. The article states that one departs
London by train for Dover, where one crosses to Calais,
and on to Paris. From there, it is a train journey to Brindisi,
and the Suez Canal, all within a week. Having rounded the
Arabian peninsula, you arrive in Bombay on day 20 and then
a three day railway journey to Calcutta. Hong Kong is reached
on day 33, Yokohama on day 39, and then a mammoth three
week crossing of the Pacific to arrive in San Francisco
on day 61, a week long train crossing to New York and then
finally a nine day crossing of the Atlantic back to London
making it possible to circumvent the globe in eighty days.
The other members of the club laugh at Lord Guinness's suggestion
that he would take on the challenge if he were younger,
prompting Fog to defend his honor by taking up the task
himself. Sullivan bets Fog £5,000 that it is impossible,
and additional wagers by three other club members increase
this amount to £20,000. He then stuns the club by
announcing that he will leave that very evening and promises
to return to the club by 8.45pm on December 21, 1872.
Rigodon is less than thrilled
to hear the news of their impending trip, having spent his
life travelling with the circus, but dutifully accompanies
his master as they set out, with Tico still in hiding. Little
are they aware, however, that they are pursued by three
individuals determined to halt their progress - Inspector
Dix and Constable Bully of Scotland Yard, who are convinced
that Fog is the thief who robbed the Bank of England, and
the wicked and conniving Transfer, a saboteur hired by Mr.
Sullivan to impede Fog's journey in any way
