Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

by Deb Mercier

  The fight continues for well over an hour, until the monsters finally disappear beneath the murky waves.

  Captain Nemo staggers to the railing and gazes out upon the sea that has swallowed his crewman. Tears stream down his face.

  10. The Gulf Stream

  Captain Nemo shuts himself away in his room. You don’t see him for many days. He must be devastated at the loss—the second crewman gone since you have been aboard the Nautilus. You sense his sadness by the course of the submarine. It floats about like driftwood, moving completely at random.

  Finally, the vessel resumes a northward course. Yet you still sense an aimless feeling aboard the submarine. Maybe you can use this to your advantage; maybe escape is more possible now that Captain Nemo is so distracted. The shores along the submarine’s path might offer an easy escape. Steam ships run from New York to the Gulf of Mexico. You could hope to get picked up.

  However, you are still more than thirty miles off the coast, and you think a storm is brewing. It would be difficult to sail a small boat to shore in rough seas.

  You knock on Ned’s door, hoping to talk to him about future plans of escape.

  “Come in,” says Ned.

  He paces his small room as you tell him about the weather conditions.

  “This journey must come to an end,” says Ned. “It looks like Nemo is leaving land behind again and going north. I’ll tell you this. I had enough at the South Pole, and I will not follow him to the North Pole.”

  You spread your hands. “So what do we do, Ned? An escape isn’t practical right now.”

  Ned levels you with a stare. “You must speak to the captain,” he says. “You said nothing when we were in your European waters. Speak now that we are in mine. Ask if we might finally be freed. Before long the Nautilus will sail by Nova Scotia, near my native town in Quebec. I will not stay here!”

  You know that Ned has reached the end of his patience. And you’re homesick as well. You’ve been on board for seven months with no news from land. But Captain Nemo is not a man to be crossed. Could freedom really be as simple as asking him for it? Or will doing so give away your plans of escape? What will you choose to do?

  Ask the captain to leave.

  Wait for a chance to escape.

  “I won’t do it,” you say. “Asking him to set us free is a mistake. If he refuses, he’ll watch us like a hawk. Then we’ll never be able to sneak away.”

  Ned’s lips set in a grim line. “I see.”

  ***

  Over the next few days, Ned hardly speaks to you. Then, one morning, you wake to find a note on your bedside table.

  Dear Mr. Arronax and Conseil,

  If my escaping causes you any harm, I do apologize. But after you refused to speak with the captain, I began to have my doubts about your desire to leave. I hope you can forgive me. I will send word to your families if I can.

  Yours,

  Ned Land

  Ned is gone, along with the small boat.

  ***

  After Ned’s escape, Captain Nemo becomes even more distant, as if he doesn’t trust you. You feel nervous when he is near, and he is angered by your presence.

  It doesn’t surprise you when one night he orders you and Conseil 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 companion left, I have worried that news of the Nautilus has reached the world. I can’t risk that you and Conseil would escape too.”

  “Please,” you say. “We’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 then you watch the Nautilus disappear beneath the ocean

  You struggle for hours, for days even. But eventually your strength fades. Saltwater fills your mouth as the ocean waves toss you about. Soon, the cold, dark water swallows you, and you disappear forever.

  Try again.

  You know that if you don’t do something, Ned will try to escape on his own. So you hurry to the captain’s room. Taking a deep breath, you knock on his door. He does not answer, so you swing the door open.

  The captain is bent over his worktable. He whirls around and frowns at you. “What do you want?”

  “Sir, I have to speak to you about something that cannot be delayed.”

  “And what is that?” asks the captain. “Have you discovered something that has escaped my notice?”

  Before you can speak, the captain shows you an open journal on his table. “Here, Mr. Arronax, is a manuscript written in several languages. It contains all of my studies of the sea. The manuscript, signed with my name, will be shut in a floating case. The last survivor on board the Nautilus will throw this case into the sea. It will go wherever the waves take it.”

  You shift uneasily. “I’m glad you’re willing to share your story. But isn’t your method a bit unreliable? Couldn’t you or one of your crew—”

  “Never!”

  You forge ahead. “My companions and I are ready to keep your manuscript safe. If you will set us free—”

  “Free?” thunders Captain Nemo. He slaps his hands on the table.

  You back up. “I came to ask you for our freedom. For seven months, we have been on board. I need to ask if it is your intention to keep us here always.”

  “The answer hasn’t changed, Mr. Arronax. Whoever enters the Nautilus must never leave.”

  “So we are slaves, then.”

  “I don’t care what you call it.”

  You decide to try a different approach. “This is not a subject either of us wants to visit. But this matter does not just concern me. Studying, to me, is a relief. It is my passion. Like you, I hope that someday future generations may benefit from my work. But it is different for Ned Land. Have you never thought that the love of freedom and hatred of slavery will give rise to plots of revenge? That the Canadian could try—”

  “Whatever Ned Land tries, it doesn’t matter. I didn’t ask for him to come on board. I have nothing more to say to you. You will not speak of this to me again.”

  You back out of Captain Nemo’s room and rush to tell Ned and Conseil what has happened. You now believe your situation is critical.

  Sitting on his bed, Ned listens to you recount your conversation. When you finish, he says, “We know now that we can’t expect anything from Nemo.”

  Conseil agrees.

  Ned consults the maps strewn across his table. “The Nautilus is nearing Long Island,” he says. “We will escape tonight, whatever the weather may be.”

  ***

  Over the course of the day, the sky becomes more and more threatening. The atmosphere grows white and misty. The swollen sea rises in huge billows. The birds disappear.

  That night, you sneak quietly from your room. You feel the weight of your journal, wrapped in a watertight covering, resting securely inside your jacket.

  Ned and Conseil are already up on the platform. You stumble into the fierce wind. You grab the rail to steady yourself. Driving rain stings your face.

  Conseil raises the question. “Should we keep to the plan with this storm?”

  It seems like every time you try to escape, something gets in the way. You worry that if you don’t go ahead with your plan, you will never get another opportunity. But your decision also affects the lives of Ned and Conseil. Should you risk it, or should you wait? What will you choose to do?

  Escape tonight.

  Wait.

  You know what you want to do. It’s time to leave, no matter the weather. Shouting over the wind, Ned says that he trusts your judgment. He gives a final twist of the wrench. The little boat launches from the protection of
the Nautilus and into the ocean.

  You know instantly that something is wrong. A giant wave rushes toward your small craft. You cry out as the boat is lifted up. Your stomach drops as the wave dashes the small boat down, right against the metallic side of the Nautilus. The small boat bursts into pieces. You, Ned, and Conseil tumble helplessly into the violent waves of the ocean.

  The three of you watch as the Nautilus sails on without you. You struggle against the ocean waves, but the sea is too rough.

  Your strength quickly fades. Saltwater fills your mouth as you are tossed about. Soon, the cold, dark water swallows you, and you disappear forever.

  Try again.

  You turn toward your companions. Your expression says it all. Conseil shakes his head. Ned merely looks down at his feet. Difficult as it is, the three of you agree to wait out the storm.

  ***

  Over the next couple of days, the Nautilus begins to run a series of circles in the water. It seems to be searching for a place but having trouble finding it.

  You are flipping through your journal when Captain Nemo enters the drawing room. The lights go out, and the window panels slide open. Through the glass, you see the quiet waters lit up by the submarine’s lights.

  Something on the starboard side catches your attention. At first, you think it is a hill buried under a coating of white shells. Looking closer, you recognize it as a sunken ship.

  “The Avenger,” says the captain. His face is stony as he stares at the wreck.

  Perhaps you will never know who this man is or where he came from, but by now you understand one thing. It is a deep hatred that has shut Captain Nemo and his companions away in the Nautilus.

  The Nautilus rises slowly toward the surface, leaving the shipwreck below. A slight rolling tells you when the Nautilus reaches open air. At that moment you hear a dull boom! You look at the captain. He does not move.

  “Captain?” you ask.

  He does not answer.

  You leave him and climb to the platform. Conseil and Ned are already there.

  “Where did that sound come from?” you ask.

  “It was a gunshot,” replies Ned.

  You look in the direction Ned points and see a ship in the distance. It is nearing the Nautilus, and you can see it is putting on steam. It looks to be within six miles.

  “What is that ship, Ned?” you ask.

  Ned shades his eyes and squints at it. “By its rigging and the height of its lower masts, I bet she’s a warship. May it sink this cursed Nautilus!”

  “What harm can that ship do to the Nautilus, Ned?” asks Conseil. “Can it attack beneath the waves?”

  “Can either of you see what country she belongs to?” you ask.

  As the ship draws closer, you can see more details.

  “She’s an armored, two-decker ram,” says Ned.

  Thick, black smoke pours from two enormous funnels. The distance still prevents you from seeing the colors on the pennant, which flows from the main mast like a long, thin ribbon.

  An idea forms. “If Captain Nemo allows the ship to come close enough, there may be chance of escape,” you say to Ned and Conseil.

  “It’s close enough now,” growls Ned. “Let’s be done with this infernal prison.” He grins and shows you the wrench hidden inside his jacket. “I say it’s time.”

  You watch the ship for a moment more. Will she take in a smaller boat in distress? Will she recognize you as prisoners trying to escape? Or will she consider you the enemy and shoot you down? This may be your last chance at escape. What will you choose to do?

  Escape now.

  Wait to escape.

  “You’re right, Ned,” you say.

  The three of you sneak quietly onto the small boat. As Ned works at the bolts with his wrench, you and Conseil search for a white cloth. Conseil hands you his clean handkerchief. With a final twist of the wrench, Ned sets the small boat free.

  Conseil and Ned row for all they’re worth, toward the warship, while you wave Conseil’s white handkerchief—a flag of truce.

  You see a sudden burst of white smoke from the front of the ship. Seconds later, a cannonball rips right through the middle of your boat. You don’t even have time to hear the explosion. Along with the boat, you, Ned, and Conseil are claimed by the ocean.

  Try again.

  You discuss your options, and you decide to wait. You feel certain that it is the right decision.

  Suddenly, you see a burst of white smoke from the front part of the approaching ship. Seconds later, the water erupts with a giant splash near the Nautilus. Then the explosion reaches your ears with a loud boom!

  “They’re firing at us!” you exclaim.

  By now, sailors must know that the Nautilus is no monster, but a dangerous submarine. The captain of the Abraham Lincoln saw Ned try to strike it with a harpoon. He heard the metallic clang. News of this sort would definitely travel.

  Your mind flashes back to the night you, Ned, and Conseil were locked in a cell while Captain Nemo attacked a ship. It all becomes clear. The captain is using the Nautilus as a terrible weapon.

  You have no doubt that ships everywhere are looking for the Nautilus. Even if you had taken the boat out to meet that ship, you would have been met as enemies.

  The warship is now only three miles from you. Its shots aren’t hitting the Nautilus yet, but some are splashing awfully close.

  “Maybe we can signal them to stop,” says Ned. He draws a white handkerchief from his pocket to wave in the air. Before he can raise his arm even halfway, Captain Nemo barrels into him from behind, knocking Ned to the deck.

  “Fool!” rages the captain. His face is pale and twisted with fury. He shoves Ned once more, then turns to the warship and roars, “I do not need your colors to know you! Look and I will show you mine!”

  On the front part of the platform, Captain Nemo unfurls a black flag. At that moment, a shot strikes the hull of the Nautilus. It rebounds near the captain and rockets into the sea. He ignores it and with eyes blazing turns to you. “Go down—you and your companions. Go down, now!”

  Your stomach drops. “Are you going to attack this ship?” you ask.

  “I am going to sink it,” the captain replies coldly.

  About fifteen crewmen surround the captain, staring with hatred at the approaching ship. It is three against sixteen. You have no choice but to obey the captain’s harsh orders.

  As you go below you hear the captain cry, “You will never escape the Nautilus!”

  You feel the Nautilus pick up speed. It moves out of reach of the warship’s guns.

  ***

  Time passes, and you cannot contain your nerves anymore. You climb the central staircase and find Captain Nemo still on the platform. He paces, staring at the warship, which is now five or six miles away.

  He hasn’t attacked yet. Maybe you can still reason with him. You’ve hardly opened your mouth to speak when Captain Nemo turns on you with a fierce gaze.

  “I am the law, and I am the judge! Through him,” Nemo points to the warship,” I have lost all that I loved: country, wife, children, father, and mother. I saw them all die! All that I hate is there! Say no more!”

  You take one more look at the warship, which is putting on speed. Then you go below to find Ned and Conseil in their room.

  “We need to leave,” you say. You go on to tell Ned and Conseil about the captain’s madness. You have no doubt now that he plans to sink the approaching ship.

  “Do you know where the ship is from?” asks Ned.

  “No. But wherever it is from, it will be sunk before night’s end. In any case, it would be better to go down with it than to be made accomplices to murder.”

  Ned and Conseil agree with you. You decide to wait for darkness, then make your esc
ape in the boat.

  When night finally arrives, all is silent aboard the Nautilus. The submarine floats on the ocean’s surface, bobbing slightly. You, Ned, and Conseil wait tensely. You’ve agreed to escape when the warship is near enough to hear you or see you. The bright moon is in your favor. So you wait and watch.

  Finally, Ned can take it no more. “We must leave at once,” he whispers. “I can’t wait any longer.”

  What will you choose to do?

  Make Ned wait a little longer.

  Listen to Ned.

  “You’re right, Ned,” you say.

  The three of you sneak quietly onto the small boat. As Ned works at the bolts with his wrench, you and Conseil search for a white cloth. Conseil hands you his clean handkerchief. With a final twist of the wrench, Ned sets the small boat free.

  Conseil and Ned row for all they’re worth, toward the warship, while you wave Conseil’s white handkerchief—a flag of truce.

  You see a sudden burst of white smoke from the front of the ship. Seconds later, a cannonball rips right through the middle of your boat. You don’t even have time to hear the explosion. Along with the boat, you, Ned, and Conseil are claimed by the ocean.

  Try again.

  You calm Ned down and tell him that it makes sense to wait. The Nautilus will attack the ship at her waterline—close by. Then escape will be easy.

  ***

  At three in the morning, you go up to the platform again. Captain Nemo still stands by his flag, staring at the warship. It is within two miles. You can see its white lantern hanging from the large foremast. The captain doesn’t even seem to notice you standing there.