by Deb Mercier
In fact, they never return.
True to the captain’s predictions, the high tide (brought on by the moon’s pull) frees the Nautilus.
You ask the captain to wait for your companions, but he ignores you. Too much time has passed. He doesn’t expect them to return.
You sail away from the Strait of Torres as the one remaining prisoner aboard the Nautilus. You try filling your time with research and writing in your journal. But days seem empty without your trusted companion, Conseil. You even miss Ned and his harsh comments about the captain.
Captain Nemo becomes more distant, as if he doesn’t trust you. You feel nervous whenever he nears, and he’s angered by your mere presence.
It doesn’t surprise you when, one night, he orders you brought to the deck. The harsh sea air hits your face with a sharp and salty tang.
“I should never have taken you aboard my ship,” Captain Nemo says. “Since your companions have left, I’ve worried that news of the Nautilus has reached the world. I cannot risk that you’d escape also.”
“Please,” you say. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
The captain stares at you. His face is unreadable. He gives an order. You feel strong hands push you from behind. You tumble helplessly into the dark and waiting waves, and the Nautilus disappears beneath the ocean.
You struggle for hours, for days. But eventually your strength fades. Saltwater fills your mouth as the ocean tosses you about. All too soon, the cold, dark water swallows you, and you disappear forever.
Try again.
You think for a moment, and then you nod. “Okay, I’ll do it.” You see the others smile as you leave them to find Captain Nemo.
Surprisingly, when you ask him, he agrees right away to let you take the boat to the island.
Armed with guns and hatchets, you, Ned, and Conseil row to the Island of Gilboa. When the boat pulls up on the sand, your feet finally touch real land for the first time in many long months.
You secure the boat and enter a forest of tall trees. Ned spies coconuts, and the three of you feast on them. You warn Ned and Conseil that there may be cannibals on this island, but they take it as a joke.
“I like you very much, Conseil,” says Ned, “but not enough to eat you.”
“Like I trust you,” Conseil laughs. He then turns to you. “We’d better find some game to satisfy Ned the cannibal, or one of these days you’ll find only pieces of your assistant to assist you.”
Ned is still intent on having real meat and sets an exhausting pace. You and Conseil struggle to keep up. The three of you cross a large prairie and arrive at the edge of a little wooded area. Conseil despairs that you have only seen birds. Ned remains cheerful, replying that birds can be eaten too. You spend half your ammunition firing at parrots and birds of paradise with no luck. Finally, Conseil brings down a couple of pigeons.
As you approach the base of the island’s central mountains, Ned decides you should turn back toward the sea and continue hunting in the forest. Before long, he brings down a wild hog. He and Conseil soon add half a dozen rabbits to the day’s take.
“Just think,” gloats Ned, “we’ll be dining on real meat today!”
You trek back through the forest until you reach the shore again. There, the three of you eat a feast fit for a king: roasted pork, breadfruit, mangoes, pineapples, and coconut milk.
When full and pleasantly tired, you stretch out and stare into the flames of the crackling fire—another joy you haven’t experienced in months.
Conseil, still eating, breaks the silence. “Suppose we don’t return to the Nautilus tonight?” he asks.
Ned says, “Suppose we never return?”
Just then, a twig snaps. You turn in alarm. First one, then another, and yet another strange-looking man steps into the clearing. In total, there are about twenty of them. They are armed with bows and slings.
“Savages,” cries Ned.
You can’t tell if the natives are friendly. If they are not, you and your companions had better run to your boat. You might be able to make it safely back to the Nautilus. But if they are friendly, they could help you escape Captain Nemo. Is this your chance for freedom? Or are your lives in danger? You must decide. What will you choose to do?
Make friends with the natives.
Run to the boat.
“We should run for it,” whispers Ned.
You shake your head, as if to say, “No.” Then you raise your hand in friendship and step slowly toward the lead native.
“I mean you no harm,” you say softly. “Friend.”
Ned and Conseil follow your lead.
As one, the natives step back. You think it’s in fear at first, but then you see the danger. The natives are crouched low, ready to spring. Several have their bows drawn, sunlight glinting off stone arrowheads.
“Stay back,” you tell Ned and Conseil. “Let me approach them alone.” You take another slow step forward. “We offer you food,” you say, and you point to the remaining provisions.
One of the natives starts to shout. You cannot understand what he’s saying, but he seems angry. You think he’s mad about the food.
You take another step forward, and you hear a twang! An arrow sprouts from your chest. You collapse to your knees. As you fall forward, your world goes black.
Try again.
“To the boat!” you shout.
You run, and the natives quickly follow. More of them pour out of the forest. Stones and arrows fall thick around you. But you, Ned, and Conseil make it safely to the boat.
In an instant, you’re rowing as hard as you can out to sea. Howling savages plunge into the water after you, but you’re soon out of their reach.
Back on board the Nautilus, you race to the drawing room. Captain Nemo sits at the piano. He’s consumed by the haunting melody that he’s playing. You touch him lightly on the shoulder. He stops and turns around.
“Professor,” he says. “Have you had a good hunt?”
“Yes, Captain, but unfortunately we’ve led a group of savages close to your vessel.”
“So you are surprised at finding savages in a strange land? Are they worse than any other humans?”
“But Captain,” you say.
“How many are there?” demands Captain Nemo.
“A hundred at least.”
The captain turns back to his piano. “Mr. Arronax, even when all the natives of this island are gathered, the Nautilus will have nothing to fear from their attacks.” He begins to play again. He seems to forget you’re there.
You climb back to the platform. Night has fallen, and you see fires dotting the shoreline. You try to share the captain’s confidence that there is no threat.
***
Early the next morning, you’re back out on the platform. You see five or six hundred natives gathered. Some of them have climbed the coral to get close to the submarine. They are almost within bowshot.
The natives are getting close to the Nautilus. You wonder why Captain Nemo doesn’t see the danger. Your instincts tell you he’s wrong. Is he too confident? Does he not understand what he’s up against? If so, your only hope is to take matters into your own hands and defend the submarine. Or should you trust that he knows what he’s doing? What will you choose to do?
Ignore the natives.
Defend the ship.
The guns you used to hunt with yesterday are still in the boat. You go and get Ned and Conseil from their room, and then you arm yourselves.
Once back on the platform, you see that the natives have approached even closer.
“Are you sure about this?” Conseil asks.
“If Captain Nemo won’t defend this ship, we will,” you reply.
Ned agrees, and you take the first shot. The native nearest the Nautilus cri
es out as he falls into the water. Another native collapses after Ned fires. Then another and another.
Before long, the natives retreat to their canoes and flee. You celebrate your victory with your friends, but your joy is short lived. As you turn to go back inside, you see Captain Nemo with several armed crewmembers. His face is grim.
“I told you we were not in danger,” he snaps. “You have taken innocent lives. Let’s see how you do without the aid of guns against these men you call savages.”
You are quickly disarmed and just as quickly tossed overboard. You have no choice but to swim for the island, or you will surely drown. You, Conseil, and Ned paddle toward land, praying that the natives won’t see you.
You are not so lucky. Canoes dart from the shore. The natives circle you, their eyes filled with anger and hate. Several raise their spears. You had once sailed the ocean trying to harpoon a Giant Narwhal. Now it is you being harpooned.
Try again.
You decide to trust Captain Nemo; you do nothing. Soon the natives return to shore. But you see that even more of them have assembled there.
Keeping an eye on them, you and Conseil search the waters near the submarine for interesting samples. Conseil finds a colorful shell to admire, but it suddenly bursts apart in his hand. You look around and realize that the Nautilus is now surrounded by a dozen canoes. Arrows ping off the sides of the submarine. You and Conseil scramble back inside. Conseil goes to find Ned, and you head for the captain’s room.
“I know I’m disturbing you, but the natives are surrounding us in canoes,” you say. “In a few minutes, we will be attacked by hundreds of them.”
The captain frowns. “So we’ll close the hatches.” With the push of a button, he orders the ship’s crew to close the hatches.
“But tomorrow we will have to open the hatches to renew our air,” you remind him. “If the savages are on the platform when we do, nothing will prevent them from boarding this vessel.”
“Let them come,” says Captain Nemo. “My visit to the island should not cost the life of a single one of them.” The captain changes the subject. “Tomorrow, at twenty minutes to three in the afternoon, the Nautilus will be free to leave the Strait of Torres.”
That night you toss and turn as you listen to the natives swarm and stamp on the platform.
***
The next afternoon you feel small vibrations run through the submarine. You hear the Nautilus grate against the coral reef as it rocks with the rising tide. The captain informs you he’s ordered the hatches opened.
“What about the savages?” you ask.
“What about them?” replies the captain.
“Won’t they come inside the Nautilus?” you ask.
The captain shrugs. “How?”
“By climbing into the hatches you’ve ordered opened,” you protest.
“Mr. Arronax, they will not enter the Nautilus. Come and you will see.”
You meet Ned and Conseil at the bottom of the central staircase. Together, you watch as several crewmen open the hatches to the platform. Cries of rage come from above, and twenty angry faces appear. But the first native who places his hands on the stair rail seems struck by an invisible force. He flees. Ten of his companions meet the same fate.
Unable to restrain himself from a fight, Ned Land rushes to the staircase. The moment he grabs the rail, he’s thrown back. “It’s as if I was struck by a thunderbolt!” he screams.
Now you understand. The rail on the ladder isn’t really a rail. It’s an electric cable, which can deliver a powerful shock.
Shortly afterward, the Nautilus floats free of the reef. You sail from the dangerous Strait of Torres and leave the natives behind.
***
Days, weeks, and months pass. Being on board the Nautilus begins to feel normal, while your life back on land is a distant memory.
You wake one morning in January and look at the barometer in the drawing room. It’s been falling for days. You think a storm is on the way.
You climb to the platform to find the sea rough and rolling. Strong winds howl around you. A crewman is taking his daily measurements on the platform.
Captain Nemo appears on deck and looks toward the horizon with a telescope. He turns and speaks to the crewman, who looks upset. You can’t understand what they say, but they are arguing.
You look in the same direction Captain Nemo had, but you don’t see anything alarming. The captain gives an order, and the Nautilus increases speed.
No one’s paying any attention to you. All their focus is on the horizon. Curiosity gets the better of you. You descend back to your cabin and grab a telescope of your own. Then you return to the platform. When you raise the telescope to have a look, a strong hand snatches it away. You whirl around, and Captain Nemo stands before you. His face is distorted by rage, and his eyes flash with anger. You shrink back, but then you notice Captain Nemo isn’t even looking at you. He stares at some distant point on the horizon.
With great effort, the captain calms himself and says, “I require you to keep the condition we agreed upon.”
“What?” you ask. “Why?”
“You and your companions must be confined to your cabins.”
Captain Nemo is hiding something from you, and his secrets appear to be dangerous. Your first instinct is to obey him, to stay out of trouble. But in the months you have known him, you have learned that the captain values bravery. If you will ever get him to trust you, you must show him that you are a man of courage. Is that time now? Should you stand up to him? Or are you better off doing what he says without protest? What will you choose to do?
Stand up to the captain.
Follow Captain Nemo’s order.
“What you ask is unfair,” you protest. “It was never a fair agreement. We’ve done nothing to make you mistrust us. Please, let us remain free aboard your ship.”
The captain shakes his head. “I don’t have time to argue,” he says. “If you will not obey me, you are more trouble than you are worth.”
He barks an order. Suddenly you are surrounded by stony-faced crewmen. You are led to the platform. Ned and Conseil emerge on the platform to join you, led by a few more of Nemo’s men.
The captain gives an order, and you feel strong hands push you from behind. You tumble helplessly into the dark and waiting waves, and then you watch as the Nautilus disappears beneath the ocean
You and your companions swim for hours, for days even. But without land in sight, there is no hope. Your limbs grow numb and your strength fades. Saltwater fills your mouth as you struggle against the ocean waves. Soon, the cold, dark water swallows you, and you disappear below the waves forever.
Try again.
You will not risk the captain’s anger, so there’s nothing else you can do. You go down to Ned and Conseil’s cabin and tell them the news. Ned’s temper nearly explodes, but there’s no time for fighting. Four crewmen come to escort the three of you to the cell where you spent your first night on board the Nautilus.
“At least we have breakfast,” grumbles Ned. You see that the table has been filled with the ship’s standard of seafood.
You just finish eating when the cell goes black. You hear Ned, then Conseil, slump to the floor, fast asleep. Your brain struggles to stay alert, but it’s no use. Your eyelids close, and your limbs turn to ice.
The last fuzzy thought you have is one of dread. It isn’t enough that Captain Nemo has confined you to a cell. He has poisoned your food!
***
You wake the next day in your own cabin. You open the door to the hallway. All seems clear. You climb to the platform to find Ned and Conseil waiting for you. They tell you that they woke in their own cabin with no memory of the night before.
The Nautilus floats on the surface, sailing along as if nothing has happene
d.
Later that afternoon, you’re in the drawing room when Captain Nemo appears. He makes no explanation for the previous night. He looks tired and sad.
“Are you a doctor?” he asks. “I know some of your colleagues have studied medicine.”
You’re so surprised by the question that it takes you a moment to answer. “I was a doctor for several years before signing on with the museum.”
“Will you see one of my men?” asks the captain.
“Is he sick?” you ask.
“Yes.”
You follow Captain Nemo, wondering if this “sick” crewman has something to do with yesterday’s events. The captain leads you to a private cabin near the crew quarters. On the bed lies a man. His head is covered in blood-soaked bandages. This man isn’t sick, he’s seriously hurt. He stares at you as you unwind the bandages to take a closer look at the injury.
It’s horrible. The man’s skull has been shattered. Dark red clots of blood ooze from the bruised and broken wound. You feel his pulse. It’s not steady. His limbs are already cold, and you know that death isn’t far.
You gently wrap his head in fresh bandages then turn to Captain Nemo. “What caused this wound?”
The captain asks his own question. “How bad is it?”
“He will be dead in hours,” you say.
The captain draws in a breath. “Can nothing save him?” he asks.
“Nothing,” you reply.
You’re shocked as tears begin to slide down Captain Nemo’s face. “You can go now,” he says.
You leave the dying man’s cabin and return to your own. For the rest of the day, you can’t get the image of the man and his wound out of your mind.
You sleep badly that night, haunted by nightmares. After the events of the last few days, you no longer think of Captain Nemo as a misunderstood genius. You know now that there is a darker side to him. You suspect that the Nautilus is not only a ship of exploration; it is also a weapon.
