Chapter 14:
I did not see Captain Nemo that day nor the next and I did not seek to meet with him. I remained quite down. I had made a decision and intended to stick to it, but I was not sure of the strength of my spirit.
In the morning and evening I went to the saloon and looked at the location of the Nautilus which had been neatly marked on the map by the First Mate. The submarine inevitably approached the Comoros. Most of the time, we traveled at a depth of fifty meters, only rising to the surface once a day in order to renew our air supply. I had the feeling that the captain was trying to rid himself of us quickly.
On April the 21st, after lunch, I went to the library to look for information about the island of Mayotte. As it turned out, this relatively large mountainous island was located approximately midway between the northern coast of Madagascar and the eastern coast of Africa. I learned that Mayotte is located in the eastern part of the Comorian Ridge in the north of the Mozambique Channel, and the name of the island was derived from the name of the Arab sultanate that previously existed on Comoros – Maore. Since 1843, the island was a protectorate of France.
Judging by the map, Mayotte was surrounded by a massive coral reef, which was only passable in three narrow places. I was just looking at the outlines of the northern gap, through which, most likely the Nautilus will approach the island when Captain Nemo entered the library.
I thought I was making all the right decisions, but one look at the captain made my heart rise in my throat. I focused on my "expressive face" and made sure it only showed attention and scientific interest. I re-read the paragraph devoted to the topography of the island twice, but frankly speaking, I had a hard time reading the text.
At first it seemed to me that Nemo deliberately did not notice my presence, but he placed some books on the shelves and came up to me:
"Professor Aronnax, we will approach the island of Mayotte tomorrow at dawn. Be ready to get up at five in the morning."
"Okay, captain."
Nemo looked at the map on the table and pointed to the east coast of the island.
"The colonial administration is located here in the town of Mamuzu. But we will approach the island from the north, most likely here or here."
"As you wish."
Perhaps the tone of my words was not neutral enough, because Nemo straightened and looked at me carefully.
Anger at myself and annoyance at my own weakness helped me to regain my composure.
"Captain, it doesn't matter where you drop us off, we will easily reach the French administration with the help of the locals. But there are more important issues that need to be addressed."
"For example?"
"Conseil and I will inevitably be questioned. What can we say and what cannot be told under any circumstances?"
"After Mr. Land's revelations, there is little you can add, Monsieur Aronnax."
"But still?"
Turning away, he walked around the room, then answered seriously:
"Do not report on the composition of the electric batteries. Do not mention the number of crew and any names of crew members that you have become familiar with. Don't tell even approximately the coordinates of the island where the Nautilus docks. The rest is at your discretion."
I nodded.
"I will be silent on these matters."
Then I took a piece of paper, dipped a pen in the inkwell and began to write quickly.
"I'll leave you the postal address of my Paris apartment and my address at the Museum of Natural History. At both addresses, correspondence reaches me quickly, but it can be intercepted by either the people of Spencer or their French colleagues. And here is the address of my friend Francois d'Orbigny. Letters sent to him will reach me late, but they will not be intercepted."
Nemo's lips curled in an ironic smile, and I added dryly to keep him from making a snide comment:
"This is in case Ishwari needs a doctor."
I was afraid that the captain would flatly refuse my offer, but he looked at me carefully and to my surprise took the piece of paper. He skimmed it with his eyes and gently laid it on the table, and then, with a slow caressing motion, he ran his fingertips over the paper. I gritted my teeth and turned my back.
"Okay," said the captain. "If Ishwari needs a doctor, I will call you."
"I will have to lie a lot to protect myself and Conseil," I added, hesitating. "Don't be surprised by any ridiculous things that appear in the papers. And…I apologize in advance if anything I say seems to you…unfair and hurtful."
"Professor, haven't I released you from any obligation to me?" Nemo said coldly. "You can say whatever you want. I don't care what the papers write about me."
I leaned forward and carefully folded the map. I felt my patience was wearing thin – and I did not wish to say something I regret. Fortunately, the captain did not bother me anymore with his presence, and taking another book off the shelf, he left the library.
That evening I went to bed as usual, but I could not fall asleep. Closing my eyes, I listened for a long time to the low hum of the Nautilus's engine, tirelessly cutting though the cutting through sea water and bringing us closer to Mayotte island each passing second. The submarine seemed alive to me, determined, and as unrelenting as its captain. Yet its electrical power had its charm – as with the cold beauty of the icebergs off that coast of Antarctica. I felt like I loved the submarine as I loved Ishwari, as I loved everything that had to do with Captain Nemo.
Conseil was breathing steadily and deeply in the other bed – he was not concerned with metaphysical questions. Silence resounded as the seconds and minutes ticked by, with drowsy visions and fleeting images, the night went on and on. It was so long and yet so short.
A crew member knocked on our cabin at five in the morning, but I had been up long before. I woke up Conseil and leaving him to wash and dress, I went to the deck of the Nautilus.
Before the submarine, a mountainous island of clearly volcanic origin rose in the gray, pre-dawn sky. Its slopes were completely covered in forest. The sea looked calm, but ahead I could see a foamy strip of breakers which marked the location of the coral reefs.
The Nautilus slowed and turned slightly to the west, looking for a passage between the reefs.
A few minutes later Conseil came up to the deck and stood beside me, taking obvious pleasure in breathing the fresh sea air.
"This is good," he mumbled.
The sky was lightening before my eyes, and a scarlet strip of light broke out in the east. Mayotte's dark forests were gradually coloured in green tones.
We weren't alone on the deck for long. Soon Captain Nemo and the First Mate along with six crew members climbed up the stairs. Having exchanged a few words in their own language, the crew began to take the small boat from its housing.
I went over to them.
"Captain, please."
Nemo turned to me. It seemed to me that he looked tired – as if he had not slept last night either.
"Yes, Monsieur Aronnax?"
"Please don't risk the boat and your people. It's already light, and the island is densely populated, you may be noticed. The French government will be as happy to take hostages from the Nautilus as the British government. The island is not more than a mile away, the sea is calm, we can easily swim."
I turned to my servant.
"What do you say, Conseil?"
"Of course, we will," he said confidently.
Nemo gave me a long searching look, and then said a few more words – and the crew, exchanging glances at each other, began to put the boat back. I noticed that one of them – a gray-eyed blonde of Slavic appearance – threw me a clearly approving glace and a little wink.
My time on the Nautilus was up. It was time to leave.
Stepping out of my shoes and taking off my coat, I bundled my shoes in my coat and twisted it into a kind of backpack and tied the sleeves around my neck. How many times did Conseil and I forge across rivers with such makeshift bags, raising our guns over our heads! Conseil did the same with his shoes. The crew of the Nautilus silently watched our preparations.
When I finished, I turned to the captain to say goodbye – and suddenly found him very close, literally a step away from me. For a moment I had no words.
"Well, goodbye, Professor Aronnax," he said, holding out his hand to me, for the first time in our acquaintance.
His palm was dry and hot.
"Goodbye, Mr Dakkar," I replied.
And then I turned around and jumped into the water.