Turn 18: Nautilus of the Sea

The Nautilus sails under the sea.

Nemo's pet seal lion, Esmie, comes forwards to him.

Nemo: Esmie. There. There. There. Now, kiss.

The group comes in, dressed in indian uniforms.

Nemo: Now, off you go, Esmie. Come in, gentlemen. Be seated, please.

Suzaku: Thank you.

Nunnally is being pushed to the table in a silver wheelchair.

Nemo: Zero. (To his butler) You may serve them. Your clothes are being dried and will be returned to you shortly. In the meantime, avail yourselves of my humble hospitality.

Ryo: Humble, he calls it. - You do right well for yourself, mate.

Nemo: - You may call me Captain Nemo.

Chiba: I'd like to express our gratitude, Captain. We are grateful to be alive.

Nemo: I want none of your gratitude. You're all on strict probation, and I'd advise you not to attempt escape. You understand your position?

Ayano: I don't know. A prisoner has the right to escape.

Nemo: - That is correct.

Yukiya: - And a guest don't need to. I guess that makes us a little bit of both (Chuckles).

Consider that a fortunate compromise then, Mr. Naruse . I tolerate no guests aboard the Nautilus, and you already know the fate of prisoners.

Rivalz: The food is delicious, isn't it, Mr. Tohdou?

Tohdou: Oh, very good. Never tasted better.

Nemo notices Ryo eating with a knife.

Nemo: There's a fork on your left, Mr Sayama, or aren't you accustomed to utensils?

Ryo: I'm indifferent to 'em.

Suzaku: May I ask how you are able to set such a table as this, Captain?

Nemo: These dishes come entirely from my ocean kitchen. There is nothing here of the earth.

Tohdou: How remarkable. This tastes like veal.

Nemo: The flavour deceives you. That is fillet of sea snake.

Rivalz takes a piece of meat out of his mouth.

Rivalz: I suppose this isn't lamb, then.

Nemo: That is brisket of glow fish with sea squirt dressing basted in barnacles.

Nemo notices Nunnally drinking tea.

Nemo: That tea your drinking dear, is decomtaminated sea fungi.

Nunnally stops drinking it, after what she heard. Then others stop eating.

Suzaku: It's very good. In fact, it's better than lamb.

Nemo: My cook excels in preparing these various products.

He sees Ryo handing the butler his plate.

Nemo: You're not finished, are you?

Ryo: Well, just the main course. (To Rivalz) Pass the cream, mate.

Rivalz passes Ryo the crème. Suzaku eats some strange fruits.

Nemo: The cream is, of course, milk from the giant sperm whale. And those delicious fruits are actually preserves made from sea cucumbers.

Suzaku: Well, I'd never have guessed it. They are excellent.

Nemo: Eat your pudding, Mr Sayama.

Ryo: I ain't sure it's puddin'.

Ryo cautiously samples his "pudding".

Ryo: What is it?

Nemo: It's my own recipe, saut of unborn octopus.

Ryo: (Splutters) Nothing here's fit to eat! Saut of unborn octopus.

Nemo: Since we are nearing the island of Crespo, you'll have an opportunity of selecting your own food.

Ryo: You mean, we're getting off this submarine?

Nemo: For a brief hunting expedition.

Ryo: - Well, that suits me fine.

Rivalz: - Me, too.

Ryo: - When do we start, mate... Captain?

Nemo: - Almost immediately. These two will join the expedition. Prepare them.

Butler: Aye, sir.

Ryo and Rivalz heads off to be prepared.

Nemo hands a casket of cigars to Tohdou.

Nemo: - Accept one of these cigars, Genreal.

Tohdou: - Thank you.

He lights it.

Tohdou: Delightful smoke. Different somehow. Havana?

Nemo: Seaweed.

Chiba: I cannot accuse you of not making us comfortable, Captain. In a way, though, I feel like a condemned woman who has eaten her last dinner, and a very good one, too.

Nemo: Thank you.

Suzaku: I am still curious as to the reason you spared our lives.

Nemo: In your case, I wanted to test your loyalty to your companions. I may have use for such misplaced devotion.

Nunnally: Misplaced?

Nemo: It comforts me to know that your life was not too dear a price to pay for the love of your fellow man.

Ayano: I'm afraid I don't understand.

Nemo: At the moment, I don't intend that you all should. But I may have use for you. Until I make up my mind, you should find ample diversion here. You have literature, art treasures, my collections, and even music, if you so desire. For you women, I have a indian bath prepared for you.

Chiba, Ayano, and Nunnally heads for the bath. They enjoy it.

Ayano: I wonder what does he mean 'he has use for us all?'

The Nautilus sets down on the ocean bottom. Nemo, Suzaku, and Tohdou looks from the grand salon's viewing port.

Nemo: We're almost at the island of Crespo. All this was once an island. Although it is now sunk, it is nonetheless fertile. - We do our hunting and farming here.

Tohdou: - Underwater? The sea supplies all my wants.

In the diving room, Ryo and Rivalz are being put inside diving suits.

Ryo: Fine way to go huntin'. I knew there'd be a catch to this.

Rivalz: Seems you can't do anything on this boat without getting wet.

Ryo: I feel like I'm keeping a fish out of work. Wait a minute. Where you going with this? What are you gonna do with that?

Their Diving helmet is put on their heads.

One by one, the divers go through a waterhole. Then Ryo and Rivalz go after. Nemo, Suzaku, and Tohdou looks from the grand salon's viewing port.

Nemo: An expedition from the Nautilus. The pair you see trying to keep pace are your companions. It's a new experience for them. They'll learn quickly. - Would you like to join them?

Tohdou: - Indeed, yes! We would like to meet these wonders face to face.

Nemo: Very well. I'll introduce them to you.

Nemo, Suzaku, and Tohdou also go out in diving suits.

Zero's words: A strange twilight world opened up before me and I felt as the first man to set foot on another planet, an intruder in this mystic garden of the deep. Captain Nemo and I were not alone. There were hunters and farmers from the submarine, gathering a harvest at the bottom of the sea. I could only marvel at his ingenuity and envy him his rule over this forgotten reach of nature. He had an abundance of various substances necessary to sustain life. An underwater larder filled to overflowing, and all Captain Nemo for the taking.

The farmer divers gather food from the sea. Meanwhile Ryo and Rivalz wanders off to see a sunken ship. They both go inside to explore and in the cabin, was a chest full of treasure. They went outside with it, only to be attack by a tiger shark. Nemo fires a harpoon at the shark, killing it. He orders his men to seize Ryo and Rivalz. Back at the submarine, they are taking of the suits.

Ryo: I can't believe that! Captain, we left a treasure out there! A chest of gold, silver and diamonds!

Nemo: You were sent to get food, not treasure. You can't eat pieces of eight. I can eat anytime! You place an absurd value on the cheapest of human commodities. Aboard the Nautilus, we use such baubles for ballast.

He opens a door to show a room full of treasure.

Ryo: Ballast? Well, I could sure lighten this ship.

Nemo: The greatest treasures of all, Mr. Sayama , lie in a sound mind and a full belly. Henceforth, when you're sent for food, don't stoop to pick up pennies.

Ryo: You've been picking them up, and picking them up good. Ballast!

Tohdou: - Ryo, you forget yourself.

Nemo: - Don't try my patience. Rather than watch your every move, I know a much easier solution to the problem.

Ryo: Crying waste!

Later, Suzaku and Nunnally are resting in their quarters, while Ryo walks around.

Rivalz: Ryo, Mr. Tohdou wants to see you.

Ryo: Yeah?

Tohdou: Close the door, please.

Ryo closes the door.

Tohdou: Don't think for a minute that was an empty threat he made. You are going to get us all killed if you keep antagonising him. Look at the trouble you got into wandering off that way. - Why did you do it?

Ryo:- Ask the student president. He went with me.

Rivalz: That was scientific interest. I had no idea he was after treasure.

Roy: Oh, no?

He strucks his head.

Roy: You even helped carry the chest out, you liar.

Chiba: We mustn't quarrel among ourselves. We must stay together. - It's our only chance.

Ryo: - Chance? For what? I know what you and Zero want, Tohdou. This crazy iron skillet's turned your head. You both want to play a waiting game, hoping to learn Nemo's secrets.

Tohdou: I believe we owe the world that much, Ryo. - Have you a better plan?

Ryo: - Yeah. I want to get off. Of course I don't mind going with my pockets full.

Chiba: I can't believe you could be so foolish.

Ryo: Why not? He's got a king's ransom aboard here. Don't call it stealing, because that's the way he got it. If we could take this thing over, we'd be rich. I'd have a ship of me own, and you wouldn't have to be starving on a Zero's pay. (Turns to Rivalz) Don't look at me with those soft-boiled eggs. I caught the grin of gold in them when that chest busted.

Tohdou: Ryo, listen to me. I want you to forget this idea. Promise me that you won't start anything on your own.

Ryo: I won't promise that, general.

Tohdou: At least try my way first. I know I can win the captain's confidence, but I need time, and I need you and Zeros help. Can I count on you?

Ryo: All right. Well, I go this far. I won't try any one-man mutiny. Yet.

Chiba: It is the best way, believe me.

Ryo: There's one thing you ought to know, general. Nemo's cracked. I've yet to see the day you can make a deal with a mad dog. So while you're feeding him sugar, I'll be figuring a plan to muzzle him.

Chiba: Fool. He simply cannot grasp the significance of all this. Here we are within reach of the most fabulous discoveries of all time, and he patters of gold, escape. Trivialities. Nonsense.

Rivalz: - That depends on your point of view.

Chiba:- What do you mean by that?

Rivalz: I just think that Ryo values his life above scientific achievement.

Tohdou: His life means nothing. Nor does mine or yours, compared to what's behind all this. We can't have him crossing Nemo.

A/N: Quotes from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954). Next turn, Akito's undercover mission.