Captain Nemo_ The Fantastic History of a Dark Genius - Kevin J Anderson [186]
Nemo thought about the man’s situation, but did not accept or condemn Fogg’s actions. “We all have our secrets, Monsieur. And since I trust you to keep mine, the Nautilus will bring you to London on time.”
iv
Late at night, in the dark of a new moon, the Nautilus churned the murky waters of the Thames and delivered Phileas Fogg to a deserted wharf in London. The fastidious man packed a few meager possessions and his logbook, then prepared to disembark. The emotionless man didn’t look at all triumphant, but accepted his arrival as a matter of course.
After climbing out of the hatch, Fogg stood beside the captain of the Nautilus. He glanced at his pocketwatch, released a contented sigh. “After you depart, Captain Nemo, have a care to avoid the French coast. I doubt you would wish to become involved in that terrible war and its repercussions.”
Nemo studied the tall Englishman. “What do you mean, Monsieur?” He felt uneasy, even a bit ill. “What war?”
Fogg returned the glance, surprised. He raised his eyebrows and sniffed. “Why, France is at war with Prussia, of course. Didn’t I mention it? A dreadful, bloody conflict -- and France is losing badly. A terrible situation, I do believe even the trains are no longer running on time.
“Your Napoleon III was captured at Sedan and capitulated to von Bismarck . . . but Paris itself refused to surrender. Some months ago Prussian troops laid siege to the city. The situation is dire, sir. Some of the trapped Parisians have sent out letters by hot-air balloon or carrier pigeon. Rather ingenious, eh? It seems one of your Ministers of State even escaped the city by balloon.” Fogg smoothed down his dapper mustache. “By all accounts, though, the people are starving. They’ve even resorted to eating animals from the Paris Zoo, just for the meat. Parts of the city have been burnt.”
The Englishman stepped onto the vacant dock. To the curious press on the following day, Fogg would have miraculously appeared out of nowhere. “A terrible situation, simply terrible. I hear there are also Prussian warships patrolling the Atlantic coast of France.” Then he raised his eyebrows. “Ah, if I might inquire? Should your Nautilus be sunk, might I then be allowed to revise my log to include passage aboard your vessel? It seems only proper --”
In shock, Nemo thought immediately of Caroline, knowing she would have been trapped in Paris. He imagined her starving to death, unable to get out of the city. . . . “Mr. Harding, prepare to depart,” he called down to the control bridge. With a brisk farewell wave to Phileas Fogg, he descended the ladder and slammed the metal hatch over his head.
Nemo knew exactly what he must do. He directed his men to turn the sub-marine vessel about. They headed back toward the English Channel.
He would return to Paris and save Caroline.
v
Cruising along the coast of Brittany, the Nautilus found the mouth of the Seine, then traveled at top speed against the river current. Taking the helm again, Nemo guided the sub-marine boat through the maritime channel. All commerce to the interior of France had stopped due to the devastating Franco-Prussian War, and the Nautilus proceeded unhindered.
With winter setting in, the fields had already been harvested, the grasses and trees turned brown in anticipation of snow. At times, shallow water and sandbars forced the vessel to surface. Nemo’s urgency allowed him no time for caution. Peasants who picked through crop stubble on the fertile bluffs looked down to see a scaled monster pass by. Nemo was oblivious to their superstitions; he thought only of reaching Caroline.
By this time, he had learned enough about the Franco-Prussian conflict to know that it was as foolish a set of circumstances and as poor an excuse for bloodshed as any other