Tintin Forums

How on earth did Tintin hear what Ramon and the other guy were talking about when the window was closed? (you know in the part where he's eavesdropping outside their house)

I mean even if they were talking loudly, it still doesnt explain how he heard what the lady says when they call her up on the telephone!!

Any explanations anyone?

Just one of those things that Hergé did. I don't think he would thought it would be analyized.

I always thought Herge paid great attention to detail though, it seemed quite an error to make especially for him. Great book though nonetheless.

I don't think it's necessarily an error.

Firstly, the window glass could easily be thin enough for Tintin to hear through - this book was drawn before the era of double glazing!

Secondly, it's clear from the lady's end of the phone converstation, that Ramon is talking back to her - speaking lines that we, the readers, don't get to see, but which Tintin obviously hears. As well as asking the lady questions, Ramon could easily be repeating back the information she gives him, to make sure he's got it all correctly. And maybe Ramon then puts down the phone and tells his colleague everything he's learnt. I think Hergé assumed that we'd be able to discern this, and therefore didn't bother slowing down the action with another panel actually showing Ramon doing any of this this. The next panel we see, of Tintin walking away from the house, should therefore maybe be seen as a cut to half a minute later. It's made clear from what Tintin's saying that, one way or another, he's heard enough.

So not an error, in my opinion - just tight editing and pacing.

That sounds about right. I did wonder about whether Ramon would have repeated what she said as people do in films/TV so the viewer can understand.

It bothered me as well, but I realized that another explanation is that I think Tintin would have conducted his own investigations *after* he found out the vital information that Tortilla was the man involved... he could have easily obtained the same information as Alonzo Perez and Ramon did on the telephone. The main part was that he knew the killer was Tortilla. After that it would be no big deal to find out that he was sailing to South America the same way they did...

(another tiny correction re: Balthazar's post: it's Alonzo Perez on the telephone line, not Ramon)

So it is. Thanks for the correction, harishankar. I can never remember which of those two is which!

^me neither, i couldnt even remember the name Alonzo, just Ramon. I was tempted to refer to Alonzo as the shorter one

I can understand your mixing the two up. But I always remember Ramon as the knife thrower, because

1. Ramon Zarate is the other name of Alcazar (as a more successful knife thrower on stage!!) in the "Seven Crystal Balls" so it's easy to relate.

2. I read the album just recently :-p