Captain Nemo_ The Fantastic History of a Dark Genius - Kevin J Anderson [192]
The Nautilus floated like a dragon, water dripping off its hullplates. While waiting for the upper hatch to open, Verne gripped the railing of his yacht, swung himself over, and dropped onto the outer deck of the sub-marine vessel. The veterans gasped, marveling at their captain’s bravery, wondering if he meant to kill the monster.
Verne heard movement below, footsteps on the metal ladder. The hatch opened to reveal an older-looking Nemo, his trim, dark beard etched with a few strands of gray. Nemo raised a hand. “Jules, I was surprised to find you out here. Quite a good thing I chose a course along the coast.”
“I’m certainly glad you did,” Verne answered. “Thank you, André.”
“I cannot stop a war, but I can come to the aid of a friend.” Nemo gestured. “Come aboard the Nautilus, for one last time. We need to say our goodbyes, you and I.”
Without hesitation, Verne climbed down the metal rungs and once again entered the marvelous undersea boat. The old veterans could handle the Saint Michel for a little while; in fact, they would need some time to recover from their astonishment and the unexpected victory over the Prussian warship.
Inside the vessel, Verne stood in a daze. He recognized Cyrus Harding, the British second-in-command, and some of the other crewmen. Embarrassed, he wondered if these people were aware of his novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, in which he had adapted their activities for the sake of his fiction.
His greatest surprise, though, was to see Caroline aboard the sub-marine with Nemo. “Hello, Jules,” she said. “I have missed you.”
He froze, speechless and confused. By her expression, he knew that she had read his face, knew the pain in his heart. Nemo had no doubt rescued her from the siege of Paris, and though he wanted to be thankful that Caroline was safe, Verne could not squelch his own feelings of jealousy.
Even since their younger days on Ile Feydeau, Caroline had always preferred Nemo, had always wanted to be with him. She had waited for him when he was lost. Because of Nemo, she had refused to remarry, even long after Captain Hatteras had vanished at sea. Now, Verne’s two friends were finally together. How could he not be happy for them?
“I’m glad that you are safe, Jules,” Caroline said. “Paris is burning. I was not sure if you had managed to get out before the Prussians came. . . .” She shook her head. “It is a terrible place these days. I have lost everything: the merchant offices, my accounts, my papers.”
“You haven’t lost everything.” Nemo touched her arm and looked toward Verne. “We must bid you farewell, though -- this time we will not come back. Have a glass of wine with us. I’ll tell you what has happened since our last meeting . . . and then we must be on our way. The rest of the world is yours, Jules Verne. I want only my small, private part of it.”
#
In the gathering dark, the Nautilus floated motionless beside the Saint Michel. After an awkward embrace, Nemo, Verne, and Caroline sat in the salon. It was a bittersweet reunion for three friends who had known each other most of their lives.
Nemo explained about the death of his wife and son, about his declared vendetta against ships of war, and even about Phileas Fogg’s quest to travel around the world in eighty days.
“But we have had enough of such experiences with the cruelty of humans,” Nemo said. He offered Verne one of his seaweed cigars. “From this point on, I will not bother with civilization. We will find a quiet place and make our own lives, live by our own rules.” His heavy sigh spoke of a lifetime of struggles. “I tried my best to make the world a better place. But mankind does not wish to change.”
“Is this fair to her, my friend?” Verne kept his eyes fixed on Nemo’s. “Taking Caroline away from --”
“Yes,”