Haller grunted. “I should have thought that a Turk who had travelled a lot would have been to Athens.”
“He sells tobacco. Greece grows its own tobacco.”
“Yes, of course. I had not thought of that. I am apt to forget that most people who travel do so not to see but to sell. I talked with him for twenty minutes. He has a way of talking without saying anything. His conversation consists of agreements or indisputable statements.”
“I suppose it’s something to do with his being a salesman. ‘The world is my customer and the customer is always right.’ ”
“He interests me. In my opinion he is too simple to be true. The smile is a little too stupid, the conversation a little too evasive. He tells you some things about himself within the first minutes of your meeting him and then tells you no more. That is curious. A man who begins by telling you about himself usually goes on doing so. Besides, who ever heard of a simple Turkish business man? No, he makes me think of a man who has set out to create a definite impression of himself in people’s minds. He is a man who wishes to be underrated.”
“But why? He’s not selling us tobacco.”
“Perhaps, as you suggest, he regards the world as his customer. But you will have an opportunity of probing a little this afternoon.” He smiled. “You see, I assume, quite unwarrantably, that you are interested. I must ask your pardon. I am a bad traveller who has had to do a great deal of travelling. To pass the time I have learned to play a game. I compare my own first impressions of my fellow travellers with what I can find out about them.”
“If you are right you score a point? If you are wrong you lose one?”
“Precisely. Actually I enjoy losing more than winning. It is an old man’s game, you see.”
“And what is your impression of Señor Gallindo?”