The Battle

The Nautilus was quiet again. The only sound we could hear was the ship’s engine. Captain Nemo stayed in his library. I didn’t see him for several days. The same thing happened after the death of one of his men. I thought there was something more to this. Maybe Captain Nemo thought that soon all his men would die, and the Nautilus and his secret would be lost.

Ned Land could not wait any longer.

«I want you to talk to the Captain, Professor. Ask him if we can leave.»

«Now is not the time, Ned.»

«It is. If you don’t speak to him, I’m going to do it myself.»

«Alright, Ned, I’ll do it.»

«When?»

«Soon.»

«No, Professor, now!»

I had no choice. Ned Land lost his temper, and I thought Captain Nemo might listen to me and let us go.

I found the Captain in his library. He stood and looked at a picture of a young woman with two small children. He didn’t hear me go in. He looked very sad. Who was this woman? Was it his wife? My leg hit a table and Captain Nemo turned around.

«I’m sorry, Captain. I came to speak to you.»

«Not now, Professor.»

«I’m afraid it’s important.»

«What is it?»

«It’s about our freedom. The men and I need to know what you plan to do with us.»

«I already told you.»

«Captain, you can’t expect us to stay on this ship for ever!»

«Professor, you found me. I did not find you. No one who enters the Nautilus ever leaves. There is nothing else to say.»

Suddenly I heard a voice shaking in that strange language. The voice came from another room. It was one of the Captain’s men. The Captain became very angry. «Professor, I want you to go to your room.»

I left the Captain, but I didn’t return to my room. I went upstairs to the platform. There I found Ned and Conseil. «Sir, it’s a ship.»

There was a ship travelling very fast towards us.

«Hey! We’re over here!»

Ned Land tried to call the ship over. The ship answered with cannonball.

«They’re firing at us!»

«Hey! Over here! Don’t shoot!»

Suddenly, Ned Land saw Captain Nemo.

«I want all three of you to go to your rooms, now!» The ship came closer. Captain Nemo’s men got ready to fight it.

«This is my real enemy. They killed my friends and family. Now it’s my turn to kill them.»

Captain Nemo put a black flag on the Nautilus with a yellow «N» in the centre of it. We all went down, inside the ship, I watched the fight from the glass window in the museum. The Nautilus shook from the explosions of the cannonballs in the water, but it went forward, ready to attack the enemy ship.

The Nautilus made a hole in the bottom of the enemy ship with its sharp nose. I saw the men on the other ship fall into the water. There was a loud explosion and then, silence.