CHAPTER 2
Morning came, a majestic explosion of colors of red, blues and golds. Mina met Skinner - and his clothes - on the way to her breakfast.
"G'day, Mina," Skinner yawned. She raised a brow. As they entered the dining room, they saw Tom ready to pig out, staring as a serving man set delicious platters on the table. "Stop drooling, Tom. You'll sink the ship if you keep on like that."
"I can't help it." Tom threw back. "It looks so damn...tasty."
Skinner rolled his eyes, even though they couldn't see through the black prince-nez glasses. Jekyll came in with Nemo, and Tom waved. Jekyll smiled back.
"Shall we eat?" Nemo asked, looking at his guests.
"Oh yeah," Tom whispered to himself as he took a seat between the vampire and invisible man. As the League members ate and caught up, Mina noticed that Jekyll wasn't touching anything. She said as much.
"Oh," Jekyll smiled. "Marie fed me like a pig before I left."
"Marie?" Tom asked through a mouth full of scone, his voice muffled. "Who's Marie?"
"My wife," Jekyll beamed. Skinner dropped his fork. It clattered on the marble tabletop.
"Sorry. Gloves are wet," he mumbled, picking it back up, giving the first excuse he could think of. Mina smiled, ignoring his faux pas.
"Congratulations!" she was sincerely happy for the fellow man of science. It was good that he had found love. "How long?"
"Two years," Jekyll said proudly.
"Wow," Tom swallowed his scone. "That's great. Any kids yet?" No one asked if she knew about his alter ego. If she did, then she was the most understanding woman on earth. If she didn't, then she was living in blissful ignorance.
"Alas, no, but we're trying for one."
Skinner nodded and stuffed his mouth with a piece of buttered toast, not trusting himself to say anything.
A few hours later, their meeting ended in the stateroom. Apparently, some madman was running around, planning to blow up the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Olso, Norway. If that happened, then there would be a world war, seeing that the winners, whoever they were, held the scale of peace in many countries in their hands.
"So, we're supposed to stop this guy before Olso goes boom?" Skinner asked, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Yes," Nemo nodded. He had explained, with the help of Tom, that the American Secret Service had gotten wind of the plot and had sent Tom to gather the League to stop it. "We have three days."
"Same time limit as last time," Jekyll observed. "Well, at least we are working with something familiar."
"Indeed," Mina looked at him. "I assume we leave dock soon?"
"Half hour," Nemo supplied. "Once the solar panels charge, we leave."
At a thin slot at the side of the room, a piece of paper began to print. Nemo went over and ripped it out as soon as it finished.
"It seems that we will be leaving now," he told them. The panels had finished charging. He went out the door, then to the bridge.
The great Nautilus rose out of the sea, a few hours away from the coasts of Norway. On the deck, the hatch opened and Skinner stepped out into the bright sunlight, followed by Tom, who carried his Winchester over his shoulder.
"Nice," Skinner commented, looking out onto the water. "Water looks the same, though."
"Whaddaya think it would be?" Tom asked. "Purple?"
Skinner grinned. "Wouldn't mind if it were, really. Be a refreshing change."
"You are a weird man, Skinner. A very weird man."
"A man gets no respect, here," Skinner's grin widened.
"Indeed." Tom turned and saw Jekyll coming up behind them, coming to stand next to Skinner. "Although that depends on your definition of 'weird'."
"True," Skinner said. "Tom, you deal with an invisible man and a - no offense, Jekyll - beast. Isn't that weird enough for you?"
"Well, I say. You've out-talked me, Skinner."
"I'd better. Been working on it for three years, Tom."
The three men leaned against the rail, watching the water stream psat them, leaving a white foam in their wake.
"You know, after this," Tom said quietly, "I want to go visit Kenya. See Allen again."
"Tell him about this adventure," Jekyll added. "He would've loved it."
"Yeah," Tom said.
"But he isn't here for all the fun," Skinner looked out at the ocean. "M, that bastard, killed him. Killed a good man."
"You're a liar, Skinner," Tom looked at his friend, in white face cream. "You're really a softie at heart."
"Didn't deny it after the first hundred or so times," Skinner gave a small smile. Allen had said the same thing, three years ago.
"Yes, but he was more than a man," Jekyll said. The other two men looked at him. Jekyll smiled at them; he knew they thought he was talking about Hyde. "Allen Quatermain was a friend."
Morning came, a majestic explosion of colors of red, blues and golds. Mina met Skinner - and his clothes - on the way to her breakfast.
"G'day, Mina," Skinner yawned. She raised a brow. As they entered the dining room, they saw Tom ready to pig out, staring as a serving man set delicious platters on the table. "Stop drooling, Tom. You'll sink the ship if you keep on like that."
"I can't help it." Tom threw back. "It looks so damn...tasty."
Skinner rolled his eyes, even though they couldn't see through the black prince-nez glasses. Jekyll came in with Nemo, and Tom waved. Jekyll smiled back.
"Shall we eat?" Nemo asked, looking at his guests.
"Oh yeah," Tom whispered to himself as he took a seat between the vampire and invisible man. As the League members ate and caught up, Mina noticed that Jekyll wasn't touching anything. She said as much.
"Oh," Jekyll smiled. "Marie fed me like a pig before I left."
"Marie?" Tom asked through a mouth full of scone, his voice muffled. "Who's Marie?"
"My wife," Jekyll beamed. Skinner dropped his fork. It clattered on the marble tabletop.
"Sorry. Gloves are wet," he mumbled, picking it back up, giving the first excuse he could think of. Mina smiled, ignoring his faux pas.
"Congratulations!" she was sincerely happy for the fellow man of science. It was good that he had found love. "How long?"
"Two years," Jekyll said proudly.
"Wow," Tom swallowed his scone. "That's great. Any kids yet?" No one asked if she knew about his alter ego. If she did, then she was the most understanding woman on earth. If she didn't, then she was living in blissful ignorance.
"Alas, no, but we're trying for one."
Skinner nodded and stuffed his mouth with a piece of buttered toast, not trusting himself to say anything.
A few hours later, their meeting ended in the stateroom. Apparently, some madman was running around, planning to blow up the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Olso, Norway. If that happened, then there would be a world war, seeing that the winners, whoever they were, held the scale of peace in many countries in their hands.
"So, we're supposed to stop this guy before Olso goes boom?" Skinner asked, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Yes," Nemo nodded. He had explained, with the help of Tom, that the American Secret Service had gotten wind of the plot and had sent Tom to gather the League to stop it. "We have three days."
"Same time limit as last time," Jekyll observed. "Well, at least we are working with something familiar."
"Indeed," Mina looked at him. "I assume we leave dock soon?"
"Half hour," Nemo supplied. "Once the solar panels charge, we leave."
At a thin slot at the side of the room, a piece of paper began to print. Nemo went over and ripped it out as soon as it finished.
"It seems that we will be leaving now," he told them. The panels had finished charging. He went out the door, then to the bridge.
The great Nautilus rose out of the sea, a few hours away from the coasts of Norway. On the deck, the hatch opened and Skinner stepped out into the bright sunlight, followed by Tom, who carried his Winchester over his shoulder.
"Nice," Skinner commented, looking out onto the water. "Water looks the same, though."
"Whaddaya think it would be?" Tom asked. "Purple?"
Skinner grinned. "Wouldn't mind if it were, really. Be a refreshing change."
"You are a weird man, Skinner. A very weird man."
"A man gets no respect, here," Skinner's grin widened.
"Indeed." Tom turned and saw Jekyll coming up behind them, coming to stand next to Skinner. "Although that depends on your definition of 'weird'."
"True," Skinner said. "Tom, you deal with an invisible man and a - no offense, Jekyll - beast. Isn't that weird enough for you?"
"Well, I say. You've out-talked me, Skinner."
"I'd better. Been working on it for three years, Tom."
The three men leaned against the rail, watching the water stream psat them, leaving a white foam in their wake.
"You know, after this," Tom said quietly, "I want to go visit Kenya. See Allen again."
"Tell him about this adventure," Jekyll added. "He would've loved it."
"Yeah," Tom said.
"But he isn't here for all the fun," Skinner looked out at the ocean. "M, that bastard, killed him. Killed a good man."
"You're a liar, Skinner," Tom looked at his friend, in white face cream. "You're really a softie at heart."
"Didn't deny it after the first hundred or so times," Skinner gave a small smile. Allen had said the same thing, three years ago.
"Yes, but he was more than a man," Jekyll said. The other two men looked at him. Jekyll smiled at them; he knew they thought he was talking about Hyde. "Allen Quatermain was a friend."