Captain Nemo_ The Fantastic History of a Dark Genius - Kevin J Anderson [164]
“The Crimean War was terrible, but I suspect no worse than any others. I watched pirates slaughter Captain Grant on the Coralie. I saw slavers in Africa killing innocent women and children. In the Crimea, I was with the Light Brigade when they made their foolish charge on Balaclava. And then I spent time in a hospital, surrounded by all the pain and suffering caused by foolish orders and petty squabbles between officers.”
Nemo’s face darkened, and he looked down at the table. Several beautiful shells were strewn about, specimens taken during his underwater explorations. Verne glanced away from the porthole, noting the tremble in his friend’s voice.
“And then the things Caliph Robur did to some of my men.” He drew a deep breath. “It never ceases to amaze me how human beings enjoy inflicting violence upon their own species.”
As he drank more tea, Nemo’s voice took on a firm resolve. “Here on the Nautilus, we are isolated from the political turmoils of the world. We can be safe. My crew is devoted to me -- they are at home on this vessel, more so than in any place in Europe.”
He scowled. “Their countries sent these men to fight in the Crimea. They saw and did things their families could never accept. Due to bureaucratic error, every one of them was declared dead when Caliph Robur captured them. These men endured fear, and threats, and long imprisonment. They started new lives with new families in Turkey -- only to learn that Robur intended to execute us all when we’d done what he wanted.” Nemo’s fists clenched and unclenched. “And now we have escaped, and found peace here . . . until such time as we return to Rurapente to retrieve everyone and everything we left behind.”
Verne had lived in Paris during the revolutionary years, had been there for the formation of the Second Republic and then the new Empire. “Peace is a hard thing to come by in this world,” he said. “Even the United States of America is now embroiled in a terrible civil war. I’m glad I’ve managed to remain safely away from it all.”
Disturbed, Nemo changed the subject by inquiring into Verne’s life. He told Nemo about his law certificate and his years at the stock market, but how he had continued to write his plays and poems. With some embarrassment, Verne explained about Five Weeks in a Balloon, for which he admitted borrowing heavily from his friend’s exploits.
“Forgive me, my friend. I believed you were dead, and I saw no harm in it.” Nemo gave him a quixotic smile, and Verne continued in a rush. “The novel has been such a success that my publisher has contracted for three books a year. I am developing a new kind of fiction. Each volume will be a strange and exotic adventure based on technology and the best advances in geographical exploration. We are calling the series ‘Les Voyages Extraordinaire.’”
“I should like to read this Five Weeks in a Balloon.” Nemo looked at his friend with some amusement. “Not bad for a man who has never set foot outside of France -- in fact, never traveled farther than from Nantes to Paris.” He chuckled. “Until now.”
Verne huffed. “I did take a journey to England and Scotland two years ago. An entire week on a boat. And I’ve been to Amiens, too -- several times. I think I may even like to live there someday.” At the time, those trips had seemed breathtaking and exotic, but now they seemed . . . embarrassingly inadequate.
Nemo raised his eyebrows and said nothing for a moment, though his smile spoke volumes. “Perhaps I can give you ideas and background for more stories, Jules. I’ve done quite a lot in the past few years.”
#
For the next several days, as the Nautilus cruised the Atlantic, Nemo talked to his friend about being held captive by Caliph Robur. He described the debacle of the gigantic Moon cannon and how it had tumbled into the deep sea. Then he explained how he and his men had designed and built the sub-marine boat, which Verne could now see with his own eyes.
Standing