Part 32 (1/2)

Part X

AROUND THE WORLD.

i

Nautilus, 1870 1870.

For two years, Captain Nemo's armored sub-marine boat was the nightmare of the seas.

While standing like a grim statue at the helm of his Nautilus Nautilus, he wrecked dozens of heavily armed war vessels, and the navies of the world sent out hunting craft in search of the ”sea monster.” Though a few of these s.h.i.+ps blundered across Nemo's path and opened fire with their cannons, the Nautilus Nautilus never faced any real danger. never faced any real danger.

He continued without remorse and without any sign of stopping -- but after two years Nemo began to question whether his crusade was of any use. His anger had become a habit, his revenge a routine -- and he felt that his heart and soul had died. Even Auda and young Jules became mere haunted shadows in his past. He was afraid to think of Caroline, how he could return to her at any moment and ask for her forgiveness and her love. He dared not.

To the dedicated crew, this had never been a game, but a deadly statement that the political leaders of the world must hear. Sending that message had become their job, repeated often. With the blood of countless hundreds on his hands, with the tortured screams of drowning seamen unheard in the depths of the oceans, Nemo's shoulders grew heavy. His conscience trembled on the brink of despair. What had it all been for?

He convinced himself that the victims he'd killed had all been willing partic.i.p.ants in war, and thus guilty. But . . . had he he not himself been a soldier in the Crimea? In fact, every crewman aboard the not himself been a soldier in the Crimea? In fact, every crewman aboard the Nautilus Nautilus had been recruited from that terrible war. And had had been recruited from that terrible war. And had he he not charged into battle because of confused orders or misguided loyalties, like some of these men? not charged into battle because of confused orders or misguided loyalties, like some of these men?

Did Nemo have the right to mete out his personal justice on such people as he and his men had also been? Had he become just as bad as the butchers of Rurapente, preying upon innocents who knew no better?

What would Caroline say about what he'd done? And hadn't he and Caroline been pa.s.sengers aboard a British navy s.h.i.+p to and from their African balloon journey?

He took his vessel through the calm waters of the Red Sea to the southern end of the Suez Isthmus where the great ca.n.a.l had at long last been finished. Though well behind schedule, the French engineer de Lesseps had accomplished his tremendous feat. The narrow thread of land that separated the Mediterranean from the Indian subcontinent had been severed. Sailing vessels no longer needed to make the long trek around the bottom of Africa's Cape of Good Hope and back up again.

At the mouth of the ca.n.a.l, the Nautilus Nautilus lurked underwater. The crew watched the first triumphant French s.h.i.+ps cruise through the waterway, firing celebratory cannons and waving colorful banners. lurked underwater. The crew watched the first triumphant French s.h.i.+ps cruise through the waterway, firing celebratory cannons and waving colorful banners.

In his dream to become master of the world, Caliph Robur had intended to use the Nautilus Nautilus to sink those s.h.i.+ps, to trap them in the bottleneck of the Suez Ca.n.a.l. Now Nemo simply watched the procession from inside his technological dream. . . . to sink those s.h.i.+ps, to trap them in the bottleneck of the Suez Ca.n.a.l. Now Nemo simply watched the procession from inside his technological dream. . . .

That night, Nemo took his sub-marine boat northward through the shallow channel out of the Red Sea, reentered the Mediterranean, then headed west toward the Straits of Gibraltar.

In the following weeks, Cyrus Harding took over the less pleasant ch.o.r.es whenever they encountered prospective victims, vulnerable wars.h.i.+ps. Nemo found himself spending more and more time in the great salon, admiring the wonders of the oceans, the cradle of life on Earth.

He rested, reading his treasured books, even some of Jules Verne's amusing ”Extraordinary Voyages,” obtained through secretive forays into dockside cities where they could purchase newspapers and learn what was going on in the world.

He had read Five Weeks in a Balloon Five Weeks in a Balloon, and though the adventure was certainly entertaining, Jules Verne's inexperience had shown, depicting many of the African people in a distorted and highly unflattering manner, painting sinister pictures of Arabs and calling them all slavers, though Nemo had found many groups and tribes engaging in the heinous practice. It was a matter of evil men, not a matter of their race. But Verne's civilized readers knew no better, and accepted the broad-strokes account as well-researched fact.

Nemo felt empty and dejected, aimless and lost, but could not articulate exactly why. How much would have been different if he'd just stayed with Caroline, so long ago? Or if he'd gone back to her, like a sensible man?

He was 42 years old now and had seen many things and many places in his life. For amus.e.m.e.nt, he'd even taken the Nautilus Nautilus up to the coast of Norway and seen the fabled maelstrom from Verne's story, in which the fictional up to the coast of Norway and seen the fabled maelstrom from Verne's story, in which the fictional Nautilus Nautilus had sunk. The real sub-marine vessel swam through the whirlpool with ease, though, looking down on a graveyard of less-fortunate s.h.i.+ps. . . . had sunk. The real sub-marine vessel swam through the whirlpool with ease, though, looking down on a graveyard of less-fortunate s.h.i.+ps. . . .

As Nemo relaxed in the salon, looking into the depths of the Atlantic, Cyrus Harding came to him. ”Captain, sir, we've encountered another wars.h.i.+p. A vessel from the United States. She carries forty cannon and rides low in the water. Full of armaments, I believe.”

Searching for the pa.s.sion that had driven him to such a crusade in the first place, Nemo left his books and his moment of peace, and walked to the porthole, yet said nothing. Harding, a man of calm demeanor and intent, waited for his captain's response. ”Should we attack, Captain? She fits the criteria we've established.”

Nemo detected no eagerness in Harding's voice. The British second-in-command was never eager for the kill, but he did know his duty. ”At your discretion, Mr. Harding,” Nemo said, taking the other man aback.

Finally, Harding gave a brief nod. ”She does meet the criteria, Captain. I recommend we engage.”

”Very well.” Nemo ran a hand along his dark, trimmed beard. ”I will meet you on the bridge momentarily.”

He should have returned to Paris, asked Caroline to accept him again, even with the dark blots on his past. At any time he could go back to her, if he could gather the courage. What would he say to her? Why had he taken so long?

The sub-marine boat crested the calm surface while Harding and two crewmen emerged from the hatch. It was late afternoon; the sun would set within an hour. They used spygla.s.ses to a.s.sess the American wars.h.i.+p.

As soon as the armored vessel was visible, the United States s.h.i.+p began blasting with its cannon. Orange tongues of flame shrank in the distance to the size of firecrackers. After several seconds' delay, the booms of gunpowder reached their ears across the still sea. A scattered pattern of cannonb.a.l.l.s splashed in the water. None of the projectiles came close to the Nautilus Nautilus, but Harding and the other crew members went below.

Nemo was standing at the helm controls. ”She's begun firing at us, Captain,” Harding said.

Nemo nodded, waited for them to secure the upper hatch, then gave the order to submerge. ”Mr. Harding, this is your hunt.” He stepped aside to let his second-in-command take the controls, but the captain of the Nautilus Nautilus displayed a greater degree of uncertainty than ever before. He felt no pa.s.sion, only numbness, a blind momentum that led them nowhere. displayed a greater degree of uncertainty than ever before. He felt no pa.s.sion, only numbness, a blind momentum that led them nowhere.

”Power up engines,” Harding called.

The grim men had been through the routine numerous times before and responded with military efficiency. The growl of the electric engines built to a loud roar, and the Nautilus Nautilus leaped forward, cutting a wake across the surface. Its brilliant spotlights shone like the eyes of a dragon in the sea, as foretold in the book of Revelation. leaped forward, cutting a wake across the surface. Its brilliant spotlights shone like the eyes of a dragon in the sea, as foretold in the book of Revelation.

Distant vibrations followed them as the American s.h.i.+p continued its cannonade. The Nautilus Nautilus picked up speed -- a bullet streaking toward its doomed target. picked up speed -- a bullet streaking toward its doomed target.

Nemo gripped the railing, breathing heavily and trying to focus his thoughts. His obsession, his war against War, had given him a purpose during the bleakest time in his life. But the men aboard the naval vessels he destroyed also had wives and families. Perhaps some of those sailors had been conscripted against their wills. By what right did he rob them all of their futures?

He squeezed his eyes shut.

I could have been with Caroline all this time.

The sawblade spine of the Nautilus Nautilus struck the hull of the American battles.h.i.+p. The impact ripped the vessel's keel open, breaching the lower decks. Within moments, the wooden-hulled s.h.i.+p exploded, spewing debris into the unexplored waters of the Atlantic. struck the hull of the American battles.h.i.+p. The impact ripped the vessel's keel open, breaching the lower decks. Within moments, the wooden-hulled s.h.i.+p exploded, spewing debris into the unexplored waters of the Atlantic.

Nemo didn't even know the name of the s.h.i.+p. Nor did he care. . .

Within an hour, the American war vessel had fallen over on its side and began to go down, dragging victims to the bottom. Nemo remembered the wrecked Cynthia Cynthia at the docks in Nantes, his father trapped in a sealed stateroom as the boat sank. He thought of Auda and the boy Jules, trying to flee Rurapente, drowning after their s.h.i.+p was attacked. . . . at the docks in Nantes, his father trapped in a sealed stateroom as the boat sank. He thought of Auda and the boy Jules, trying to flee Rurapente, drowning after their s.h.i.+p was attacked. . . .

But somehow the fury was gone now. He saw only more misery caused by others, caused by him him. He had not helped at all, merely made the situation worse.

After dark, Nemo ordered the Nautilus Nautilus to surface. With engines humming at low speed, the vessel crept toward the floating debris. A few fires glowed in the ocean's night, and he wondered if the sharks would come. He stood in silence outside the hatch, inhaling the tang of smoke, gunpowder . . . and death in the fresh sea air. to surface. With engines humming at low speed, the vessel crept toward the floating debris. A few fires glowed in the ocean's night, and he wondered if the sharks would come. He stood in silence outside the hatch, inhaling the tang of smoke, gunpowder . . . and death in the fresh sea air.

He felt no exhilaration at what he had done, no triumph at striking another blow against the warmongers. Evil men would always find evil things to do, and innocent men would always become cannon fodder. By destroying so many wars.h.i.+ps, he had only added to the number of victims sent to their deaths by incompetent commanders or politicians.

Nemo wondered if he should isolate himself, take the Nautilus Nautilus and go somewhere away from the world. Surely, he deserved a respite from his dark quest by now? What more must he do? and go somewhere away from the world. Surely, he deserved a respite from his dark quest by now? What more must he do?

And then there was Caroline.

As his eyes adjusted to the distant firelight and the pale moon, Nemo saw a lone human figure clinging to the wreckage. The man waved a long, angular arm, trying to draw attention to himself. Nemo froze, considering options before finally calling down to the bridge deck and ordering Cyrus Harding to pick up the castaway.