Prophecies of a False God

Chapter Nine

Phileas and Rebecca Fogg, as well as Passepartout, while the group's leader continued carrying Jules firmly within his arms, made their way back through the tunnel as quickly as possible to avoid being killed as the cavern and tunnel were collapsing behind them. As soon as they arrived back into the small prison, they made a last mad dash outside of the structure when the destruction finally ended, dust and debris pouring out of whatever was left of it.

When it settled, the three friends turned to look at the destruction behind them and then turned back as they finally heard the sounds of people screaming and crying out in fear for their lives, which they deduced was from the earth shaking. No doubt all of Catania believed that the volcano was going to erupt thanks to the count and his false prophet.

"We will need to ensure the people that they have nothing to fear and will no longer have to live their lives serving their god, but first, we must bring Verne to the physician's home so that Tom Nelson can help him," Phileas said despondently, then readjusted the precious load in his arms, and began to walk stiffly through the streets, through the city's citizens as they scrambled around like chickens, toward the doctor's home.

"I agree, but Phileas, what if the man still isn't home?" Rebecca asked fearfully. "Jules is terribly ill, much worse than what he appeared to be the last time the count had done this to him."

Passepartout, who was still carrying the count's head, though hidden underneath his coat to avoid it being seen by the public, quickly answered, "I will help him. I know little of medicine and if doctor cannot help Master Jules… I no let him die."

Phileas stopped and nodded as they finally stepped into the street outside of the physician's home, then responded, "I know you won't, Passepartout."

"Monsieur Fogg, Miss. Fogg, what are you… you found him?" the doctor spoke as he came rushing out of his home and noticed the ill young man in Phileas' arms. "Please, bring him inside."

"We came by earlier in hope of your assistance, but you weren't home at the time," Rebecca replied as for some unknown reason she felt uneasy by the man.

As he lead Phileas' toward the table where he apparently treated all of his patients, he answered, "Yes, I guessed as much when I noticed the body lying on my table after I arrived back home. What happened to him?"

Phileas responded, "It doesn't matter what happened to him. We're here so that you can help our friend."

"Your friend is who I meant, Monsieur," Tom replied as Passepartout quickly pulled the dead body off the table to make room for his master to lay Jules down after dropping Count Gregory's head on the floor, not realizing that he had.

"He was tormented by some kind of mind torture machine," Rebecca suspiciously answered as she noticed that Doctor Nelson saw the head fall to the floor and couldn't help but stare at it. "We don't know any more than that, I'm afraid."

Tom snapped out of his stare and then turned back to begin looking over Jules. Phileas, Rebecca, and their valet remained silent as he worked, not wanting to distract him from doing whatever it was he could do for their friend, who was still unconscious and whose body they could now see was beginning to burn up with fever they no doubt believed would only become worse.

No longer being able to handle just standing around doing nothing, Phileas finally grabbed a hold of Passepartout's coat and pulled him away from the others in order to talk to him in private as he asked quietly, "I need you to stay here and watch over Jules for us while Rebecca and I go out for a bit, do you understand?"

The Frenchman nodded as he responded, "Of course, I do this, Master. Is everything, okay?"

"No, Passepartout," their leader replied sadly. "Everything is not okay, but we must go to help calm the people out there and help them to see the truth about Count Gregory and Jacques. It is what Verne asked of us. We owe it to him to do so, but I do not want him here alone in case he should wake."

"I watch over him, Master," Passepartout answered firmly as Phileas walked back over to the table and bent down as he picked up the count's head in disgust, then placed it inside a bag he saw lying on one of the doctor's shelves to keep it hidden until it was needed. "Be careful. They no like us right now."

Rebecca leaned down over Jules and gently kissed his forehead in compassion, then moved to stand beside he cousin and responded, "Do not worry about us, Passepartout. We will be just fine. The head of the League of Darkness is finally dead. Once we know Jules will be all right, everything will be right again."

Their valet replied, "You is correct, Miss. Rebecca. Master Jules is in good hands."

"I do not trust that man, Phileas," Rebecca spoke up as soon as they both left the physician's home. "I cannot put my finger on why I feel so, but I suspect that he is not the same man we believed him to be when we met earlier."

"Why do you think, dear cousin, that I left Passepartout behind to stay with Verne?" Phileas asked in his usual smug manner. "I came to the same conclusion, but did so the moment we stepped through his door tonight. He is hiding something, as he seemed fearfully surprised to see us again, especially after finding the body, but we do not have time to figure out what right now. Passepartout will protect our friend should anything happen and soon we will be back to look after him ourselves."

Rebecca nodded and then asked, "Surely you saw the images Jules thought about up on that screen tonight?"

Phileas' face became grim as he asked himself, "You mean the ones of his ideas for the future, or the ones of our adventure in…"

"You know the one I mean, Phileas," she interrupted with disdain. "I mean the one he saw of himself being locked away inside a madhouse."

"Yes, I saw it," the Englishman answered sadly. "Deep down, a part of him fearfully believes he is going crazy. It's rubbish for sure, but he's been having nightmares and seeing things he knows are not there. It is all a part of his vision and because of us dragging him along with us on our adventures."

Rebecca responded, "You know that there's nothing we can say or do that will get him to stop joining us, Phileas."

Fogg replied, "Yes, I do know. That is what I am afraid of."