Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space
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CHAPTER XIX. GALLIA'S GOVERNOR GENERAL
The Spaniards who had arrived on board the _Hansa_ consisted of nine menand a lad of twelve years of age, named Pablo. They all received CaptainServadac, whom Ben Zoof introduced as the governor general, with duerespect, and returned quickly to their separate tasks. The captain andhis friends, followed at some distance by the eager Jew, soon left theglade and directed their steps towards the coast where the _Hansa_ wasmoored.
As they went they discussed their situation. As far as they hadascertained, except Gourbi Island, the sole surviving fragments of theOld World were four small islands: the bit of Gibraltar occupied by theEnglishmen; Ceuta, which had just been left by the Spaniards; Madalena,where they had picked up the little Italian girl; and the site ofthe tomb of Saint Louis on the coast of Tunis. Around these there wasstretched out the full extent of the Gallian Sea, which apparentlycomprised about one-half of the Mediterranean, the whole beingencompassed by a barrier like a framework of precipitous cliffs, of anorigin and a substance alike unknown.
Of all these spots only two were known to be inhabited: Gibraltar, wherethe thirteen Englishmen were amply provisioned for some years to come,and their own Gourbi Island. Here there was a population of twenty-two,who would all have to subsist upon the natural products of the soil.It was indeed not to be forgotten that, perchance, upon some remote andundiscovered isle there might be the solitary writer of the mysteriouspapers which they had found, and if so, that would raise the census oftheir new asteroid to an aggregate of thirty-six.
Even upon the supposition that at some future date the whole populationshould be compelled to unite and find a residence upon Gourbi Island,there did not appear any reason to question but that eight hundredacres of rich soil, under good management, would yield them all an amplesustenance. The only critical matter was how long the cold season wouldlast; every hope depended upon the land again becoming productive; atpresent, it seemed impossible to determine, even if Gallia's orbitwere really elliptic, when she would reach her aphelion, and it wasconsequently necessary that the Gallians for the time being shouldreckon on nothing beyond their actual and present resources.
These resources were, first, the provisions of the _Dobryna_, consistingof preserved meat, sugar, wine, brandy, and other stores sufficient forabout two months; secondly, the valuable cargo of the _Hansa_, which,sooner or later, the owner, whether he would or not, must be compelledto surrender for the common benefit; and lastly, the produce of theisland, animal and vegetable, which with proper economy might be made tolast for a considerable period.
In the course of the conversation, Count Timascheff took an opportunityof saying that, as Captain Servadac had already been presented to theSpaniards as governor of the island, he thought it advisable that heshould really assume that position.
"Every body of men," he observed, "must have a head, and you, as aFrenchman, should, I think, take the command of this fragment of aFrench colony. My men, I can answer for it, are quite prepared torecognize you as their superior officer."
"Most unhesitatingly," replied Servadac, "I accept the post with all itsresponsibilities. We understand each other so well that I feel sure weshall try and work together for the common good; and even if it be ourfate never again to behold our fellow creatures, I have no misgivingsbut that we shall be able to cope with whatever difficulties may bebefore us."
As he spoke, he held out his hand. The count took it, at the same timemaking a slight bow. It was the first time since their meeting that thetwo men had shaken hands; on the other hand, not a single word abouttheir former rivalry had ever escaped their lips; perhaps that was allforgotten now.
The silence of a few moments was broken by Servadac saying, "Do you notthink we ought to explain our situation to the Spaniards?"
"No, no, your Excellency," burst in Ben Zoof, emphatically; "the fellowsare chicken-hearted enough already; only tell them what has happened,and in sheer despondency they will not do another stroke of work."
"Besides," said Lieutenant Procope, who took very much the same viewas the orderly, "they are so miserably ignorant they would be sure tomisunderstand you."
"Understand or misunderstand," replied Servadac, "I do not think itmatters. They would not care. They are all fatalists. Only give thema guitar and their castanets, and they will soon forget all care andanxiety. For my own part, I must adhere to my belief that it willbe advisable to tell them everything. Have you any opinion to offer,count?"
"My own opinion, captain, coincides entirely with yours. I have followedthe plan of explaining all I could to my men on board the _Dobryna_, andno inconvenience has arisen."
"Well, then, so let it be," said the captain; adding, "It is not likelythat these Spaniards are so ignorant as not to have noticed the changein the length of the days; neither can they be unaware of the physicalchanges that have transpired. They shall certainly be told that we arebeing carried away into unknown regions of space, and that this islandis nearly all that remains of the Old World."
"Ha! ha!" laughed Ben Zoof, aloud; "it will be fine sport to watch theold Jew's face, when he is made to comprehend that he is flying awaymillions and millions of leagues from all his debtors."
Isaac Hakkabut was about fifty yards behind, and was consequently unableto overhear the conversation. He went shambling along, half whimperingand not unfrequently invoking the God of Israel; but every now and thena cunning light gleamed from his eyes, and his lips became compressedwith a grim significance.
None of the recent phenomena had escaped his notice, and more than oncehe had attempted to entice Ben Zoof into conversation upon the subject;but the orderly made no secret of his antipathy to him, and generallyreplied to his advances either by satire or by banter. He told him thathe had everything to gain under the new system of nights and days, for,instead of living the Jew's ordinary life of a century, he wouldreach to the age of two centuries; and he congratulated him upon thecircumstance of things having become so light, because it would preventhim feeling the burden of his years. At another time he would declarethat, to an old usurer like him, it could not matter in the least whathad become of the moon, as he could not possibly have advanced anymoney upon her. And when Isaac, undaunted by his jeers, persevered inbesetting him with questions, he tried to silence him by saying, "Onlywait till the governor general comes; he is a shrewd fellow, and willtell you all about it."
"But will he protect my property?" poor Isaac would ask tremulously.
"To be sure he will! He would confiscate it all rather than that youshould be robbed of it."
With this Job's comfort the Jew had been obliged to content himself asbest he could, and to await the promised arrival of the governor.
When Servadac and his companions reached the shore, they found that the_Hansa_ had anchored in an exposed bay, protected but barely by a fewprojecting rocks, and in such a position that a gale rising from thewest would inevitably drive her on to the land, where she must be dashedin pieces. It would be the height of folly to leave her in her presentmoorings; without loss of time she must be brought round to the mouth ofthe Shelif, in immediate proximity to the Russian yacht.
The consciousness that his tartan was the subject of discussion madethe Jew give way to such vehement ejaculations of anxiety, that Servadacturned round and peremptorily ordered him to desist from his clamor.Leaving the old man under the surveillance of the count and Ben Zoof,the captain and the lieutenant stepped into a small boat and were soonalongside the floating emporium.
A very short inspection sufficed to make them aware that both the tartanand her cargo were in a perfect state of preservation. In the hold weresugar-loaves by hundreds, chests of tea, bags of coffee, hogsheads oftobacco, pipes of wine, casks of brandy, barrels of dried herrings,bales of cotton, clothing of every kind, shoes of all sizes, caps ofvarious shape, tools, household utensils, china and earthenware, reamsof paper, bottles of ink, boxes of lucifer matches, blocks of salt, bagsof pepper and spices, a stock of huge Dutch chees
es, and a collection ofalmanacs and miscellaneous literature. At a rough guess the value couldnot be much under pounds 5,000 sterling. A new cargo had been taken inonly a few days before the catastrophe, and it had been Isaac Hakkabut'sintention to cruise from Ceuta to Tripoli, calling wherever he hadreason to believe there was likely to be a market for any of hiscommodities.
"A fine haul, lieutenant," said the captain.
"Yes, indeed," said the lieutenant; "but what if the owner refuses topart with it?"
"No fear; no fear," replied the captain. "As soon as ever the old rascalfinds that there are no more Arabs or Algerians for him to fleece, hewill be ready enough to transact a little business with us. We will payhim by bills of acceptance on some of his old friends in the Old World."
"But why should he want any payment?" inquired the lieutenant. "Underthe circumstances, he must know that you have a right to make arequisition of his goods."
"No, no," quickly rejoined Servadac; "we will not do that. Just becausethe fellow is a German we shall not be justified in treating him inGerman fashion. We will transact our business in a business way. Onlylet him once realize that he is on a new globe, with no prospect ofgetting back to the old one, and he will be ready enough to come toterms with us."
"Perhaps you are right," replied the lieutenant; "I hope you are. Butanyhow, it will not do to leave the tartan here; not only would she bein danger in the event of a storm, but it is very questionable whethershe could resist the pressure of the ice, if the water were to freeze."
"Quite true, Procope; and accordingly I give you the commission to seethat your crew bring her round to the Shelif as soon as may be."
"To-morrow morning it shall be done," answered the lieutenant, promptly.
Upon returning to the shore, it was arranged that the whole of thelittle colony should forthwith assemble at the gourbi. The Spaniardswere summoned and Isaac, although he could only with reluctance take hiswistful gaze from his tartan, obeyed the governor's orders to follow.
An hour later and the entire population of twenty-two had met in thechamber adjoining the gourbi. Young Pablo made his first acquaintancewith little Nina, and the child seemed highly delighted to find acompanion so nearly of her own age. Leaving the children to entertaineach other, Captain Servadac began his address.
Before entering upon further explanation, he said that he counted uponthe cordial co-operation of them all for the common welfare.
Negrete interrupted him by declaring that no promises or pledges couldbe given until he and his countrymen knew how soon they could be sentback to Spain.
"To Spain, do you say?" asked Servadac.
"To Spain!" echoed Isaac Hakkabut, with a hideous yell. "Do they expectto go back to Spain till they have paid their debts? Your Excellency,they owe me twenty reals apiece for their passage here; they owe me twohundred reals. Are they to be allowed...?"
"Silence, Mordecai, you fool!" shouted Ben Zoof, who was accustomedto call the Jew by any Hebrew name that came uppermost to his memory."Silence!"
Servadac was disposed to appease the old man's anxiety by promisingto see that justice was ultimately done; but, in a fever of franticexcitement, he went on to implore that he might have the loan of a fewsailors to carry his ship to Algiers.
"I will pay you honestly; I will pay you _well_," he cried; but hisingrained propensity for making a good bargain prompted him to add,"provided you do not overcharge me."
Ben Zoof was about again to interpose some angry exclamation; butServadac checked him, and continued in Spanish: "Listen to me, myfriends. Something very strange has happened. A most wonderful event hascut us off from Spain, from France, from Italy, from every countryof Europe. In fact, we have left the Old World entirely. Of the wholeearth, nothing remains except this island on which you are now takingrefuge. The old globe is far, far away. Our present abode is but aninsignificant fragment that is left. I dare not tell you that there isany chance of your ever again seeing your country or your homes."
He paused. The Spaniards evidently had no conception of his meaning.
Negrete begged him to tell them all again. He repeated all that he hadsaid, and by introducing some illustrations from familiar things,he succeeded to a certain extent in conveying some faint idea of theconvulsion that had happened. The event was precisely what he hadforetold. The communication was received by all alike with the mostsupreme indifference.
Hakkabut did not say a word. He had listened with manifest attention,his lips twitching now and then as if suppressing a smile. Servadacturned to him, and asked whether he was still disposed to put out to seaand make for Algiers.
The Jew gave a broad grin, which, however, he was careful to concealfrom the Spaniards. "Your Excellency jests," he said in French; andturning to Count Timascheff, he added in Russian: "The governor has madeup a wonderful tale."
The count turned his back in disgust, while the Jew sidled up to littleNina and muttered in Italian. "A lot of lies, pretty one; a lot oflies!"
"Confound the knave!" exclaimed Ben Zoof; "he gabbles every tongue underthe sun!"
"Yes," said Servadac; "but whether he speaks French, Russian, Spanish,German, or Italian, he is neither more nor less than a Jew."