You've undertaken this enormous journey and you don't even know why?
—Aouda
The journey hits trouble in the form of an unfinished railway line. A nearby Indian village has a guide who could help, but the journey must wait for the wedding of village chief Aouda's daughter. But the wedding is put on hold with the arrest of the groom for desertion by the British Army.
Passpartout, meanwhile, is struggling with his guilt over taking a life in the face of Fogg's seeming indifference. Unknown to the others, he's been bribed to sabotage the bet by drugging Fogg.
Tropes:
- Armor-Piercing Question: Aouda asks Fogg why he's undertaking his journey but doesn't receive an answer. However, this isn't because he doesn't know the reason, but because he doesn't want to discuss it.
- Broken Pedestal: Abigail is having trouble motivating herself to write after discovering the truth about her father. Fogg's confessions under the influence of Datura and his Rousing Speech in defence of Arjan inspire her to write an article about his true motives in undertaking his journey; lost love.
- The Corruptible: Goaded by what he considers Fogg's cavalier attitude towards other people's troubles, Passpartout accepts a bribe from Kneedling to stop Fogg's journey by drugging him. However, he's horrified when, rather than sending Fogg to sleep, the drug puts him on a Mushroom Samba that almost kills him. Passpartout becomes The Atoner out of guilt, committing to Fogg's journey with zeal.
- Did Not Think This Through: Passpartout drugs Fogg, assuming the drugs Kneedling gave him are exactly what he said they were. Because random people who pay people to drug someone can always be trusted.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: When Passpartout confesses to Aouda that he drugged Fogg and shows her the drug, she asks him how many of the seeds she gave him. He tells her it was three spoonfuls of seeds, trailing off as her expression changes to one of panic.
- Hidden Depths: Under the influence of datura, Fogg reveals some of his past with Estella to Abigail, who realises that his motive for his journey is a broken heart. A guilty Passpartout is skeptical, but after witnessing Fogg's impassioned defence of Arjan, he changes his mind.Abigail: I just can't imagine Fogg being with a woman, can you?
Passpartout: I'll try very hard not to. - Impairment Shot: Seen as Fogg's vision blurs and distorts while talking to Bathurst, as the drug that Passepartout gave him kicks in.
- In Vino Veritas: During his Mushroom Samba, Fogg hallucinates that Abigail is Estella. leading her to realise that Fogg's journey is motivated by lost love, not pride.
- Mushroom Samba: The datura seeds start to affect Fogg as he's trying to persuade Lieutenant Bathurst to go easy on Arjun. Instead, he angers the officer by laughing at a photo of his fiancée. After Bathurst leaves in disgust, Fogg goes on a trip that includes an animated conversation with a cow he insists is a violinist, and assertions that he is Alexander the Great while Passpartout is Genghis Khan. Later, he hallucinates that Abigail is Estella and unknowingly divulges their history to her.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Passpartout regrets drugging Fogg almost immediately.
- He hesitates to do so at first, but is persuaded by Fogg's apparently callous attitude to Arjan's situation. However, as soon as he's drunk the tea Fogg explains that he's not unsympathetic, just unwilling to get involved with strangers' affairs, then tells Passpartout to invite the Army officer over so he can intervene anyway.
- He's clearly freaking out as Fogg's behaviour becomes more outlandish as the datura takes hold, especially when Aouda's reaction makes it clear how serious the situation is.
- He initially dismisses Abigail's assertion that Fogg is motivated by lost love, because Passpartout drugged Fogg on the assumption that his motives were simple pride and now Fogg is potentially dying because of it.
- Once Fogg is recovered, Passpartout becomes deeply invested in Fogg's journey as The Atoner.
- Rousing Speech: Fogg surprises everyone with an impassioned speech defending Arjun's actions in deserting to attend his wedding, telling Lieutenant Bathurst that when he faces real action, it won't be duty that spurs him on, but the thought of seeing his beloved Penelope again. It works, and Bathurst dishonorably discharges Arjun (allowing him to stay with his bride) rather than sending him to the tin mines.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: Bribed by Kneedling, Passpartout adds what he thinks is a sleeping drug to Fogg's tea. In fact, it's datura, an unpleasant and dangerous psychotropic that almost kills him.
- A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: Strongly implied with Passpartout's drugging of Fogg. He's clearly tempted to do so on a previous occasion, but instead he rants at Fogg in French and storms off as if he doesn't trust himself to refrain. Later, Passpartout is making tea as Fogg appears callous to Arjun's plight, and Passpartout gives in to the urge to drug him. Even as Fogg's drinking, Passpartout looks as if he wants to take it back... but too late.
- Unishment: Fogg's defence of an Indian soldier in the army for deserting because he wanted to get married leads to the soldier in question being dishonorably discharged rather than exiled to the tin mines as originally planned.
- What Did I Do Last Night?: Fogg wakes from his near-fatal datura poisoning in surprisingly good form, very little memory of what he did while under the influence and confused why people are so relieved to see him alive.
- What the Romans Have Done for Us: Fogg defends British rule of India to Aouda by pointing out the technological and intellectual advances they brought. She replies that India had universities for 3,000 years before the British arrived. Fogg offers the railway system as an advantage of British occupation, although Aouda points out that he's in her village asking for a guide because the railway is incomplete.
- What You Are in the Dark:
- After the drugging, everyone thinks Fogg is just sick, but Passpartout knows different. He could have kept his mouth shut and pretended to be as confused as everyone else, but instead confesses to Aouda so she can treat Fogg.
- When he comes around, everyone seems to assume Fogg will want to get the hell out of Dodge as soon as possible. Aouda even seems about to offer her guide, no strings attached, after what he's been through. Instead, Fogg simply asks when Arjun's hearing is being held, and demands to be taken there straight away. After all, he's a gentleman and he gave his word.
