The man who had spoken was the commander of the mysterious vessel.
As soon as he said these words, Ned Land jumped to his feet.
The steward, who had almost been strangled by the Canadian, staggered out of the room when his master gave him a signal.
Yet Captain Nemo’s authority over the ship was so absolute that the steward did not dare show the anger he must have felt toward Ned.
Conseil, despite himself, was deeply interested in the scene.
I was completely stunned.
We both waited silently to see what would happen next.
Captain Nemo leaned against the corner of a table with his arms crossed.
He looked at us carefully, studying us with intense attention.
Was he hesitating?
Did he regret speaking to us in French?
His silence almost made it seem so.
After several moments, when none of us dared break the quiet, he finally spoke.
“Gentlemen,” he said in a calm but powerful voice, “I speak French, English, German, and Latin equally well.”
“I could have answered you during our first meeting, but I wanted to know who you were first. I wanted time to think.”
“The stories each of you told were different, but their important details matched perfectly. They convinced me of your identities.”
“I now know that fate has brought before me Monsieur Pierre Aronnax, Professor of Natural History at the Museum of Paris, who was sent abroad on a scientific mission; Conseil, his servant; and Ned Land, a Canadian-born harpooner from the United States Navy frigate Abraham Lincoln.”
I nodded.
He had not asked me a question, so there was no answer I needed to give.
This man spoke with complete confidence.
He had no accent at all.
His sentences were elegant, his words precise, and his speech remarkably fluent.
Yet, strangely, I could not recognize him as belonging to any nation I knew.
He continued.
“You must have wondered, Monsieur Aronnax, why I waited so long before visiting you again.”
“The reason is simple. After discovering your identities, I needed time to decide what I should do with you.”
“I thought about it carefully.”
“You have been brought here by a most unfortunate accident, into the presence of a man who has cut himself off from all human society.”
“You have come to disturb my existence.”
“Unintentionally,” I replied.
“Unintentionally?” he repeated, raising his voice slightly.
“Was it unintentional that the Abraham Lincoln chased me across every ocean?”
“Was it unintentional that you chose to travel aboard that frigate?”
“Was it unintentional that your cannon fire struck my vessel?”
“Was it unintentional that Monsieur Ned Land attacked me with his harpoon?”
I noticed a hidden anger beneath his words.
But I had a reasonable explanation, and I gave it.
“Captain,” I said, “you probably do not know what has happened in America and Europe.”
“You do not know how many discussions have taken place about you.”
“You do not know that several ships have suffered accidents because of collisions with your underwater vessel, and that these events have caused great public concern on two continents.”
“I will not even mention all the countless theories people created to explain this mysterious phenomenon, the secret of which only you understand.”
“But you must realize that when the Abraham Lincoln followed you through the Pacific Ocean, it believed it was hunting a powerful sea creature.”
“A creature that had to be destroyed at any cost.”
A faint smile appeared on Captain Nemo’s lips.
Then he answered calmly.
“Monsieur Aronnax, do you truly believe your frigate would not have attacked and fired upon a submarine vessel if it had known what I was?”
His question left me speechless.
Because honestly, Captain Farragut might not have hesitated.
He might have believed it was his duty to destroy such a machine, just as he would destroy a gigantic narwhal.
“You understand, then,” Captain Nemo continued, “that I have the right to consider you my enemies?”
I said nothing.
There was no point arguing.
A stronger force could destroy the best arguments.
“I thought for a long time before deciding what to do,” he continued.
“Nothing forced me to show you kindness.”
“If I wanted, I could simply put you back on the deck of the vessel that saved your lives.”
“Then I could dive beneath the waves and forget you ever existed.”
“Would that not be my right?”
“That might be the right of a savage,” I replied, “but not the right of a civilized man.”
“Professor,” he answered quickly, “I am not what you call a civilized man.”
“I have completely separated myself from human society, for reasons that only I have the right to judge.”
“Therefore, I do not obey its laws.”
“And I ask you never to mention them to me again.”
His words were firm and absolute.
A flash of anger and contempt appeared in the eyes of this mysterious man.
For a moment, I caught a glimpse of a terrible history hidden behind his calm expression.
He had not merely rejected human laws.
He had placed himself completely beyond their reach.
He had made himself independent from the entire world.
Who could chase him beneath the sea when he could resist all attacks on the surface?
What ship could survive a collision with his submarine?
What armor, no matter how strong, could withstand the force of his steel ram?
No one could demand an explanation from him.
Only God, if he believed in God, or his own conscience, if he still possessed one, could judge his actions.
These thoughts passed rapidly through my mind while Captain Nemo remained silent, lost in deep reflection.
I looked at him with a strange mixture of fear and curiosity.
I felt as if I were watching Oedipus facing the mysterious Sphinx.
After a long silence, Captain Nemo spoke again.
“I hesitated,” he said.
“But I finally decided that my own interests could exist together with the compassion every human being deserves.”
“You will remain aboard my vessel because fate has brought you here.”
“You will be free.”
“In exchange for this freedom, I ask only one thing.”
“Your word of honor that you will obey this condition.”
“Speak, Captain,” I answered.
“I assume the condition is something an honorable man can accept.”
“Yes.”
“It is possible that certain unexpected events may force me to confine you to your cabins for several hours or even several days.”
“I do not wish to use violence.”
“Therefore, I expect you, especially you, Professor, to obey quietly when that happens.”
“I accept full responsibility.”
“I will keep you from seeing things that you should not see.”
“Do you agree?”
Events would soon occur aboard the Nautilus that were extremely strange and that ordinary people living under human laws should never witness.
Among all the surprises waiting for me, this would not be the least.
“We accept,” I said.
“But I ask permission to ask you one question.”
“Only one.”
“Go ahead.”
“You said we would be free aboard this ship.”
“Completely free.”
“Then what exactly do you mean by freedom?”
“The freedom to walk around, to come and go, to see and observe everything that happens here, except during rare occasions.”
“In short, the same freedom that my companions and I enjoy.”
It was obvious that we understood freedom differently.
“Forgive me, Captain,” I said, “but this sounds only like the freedom a prisoner has to walk around inside his prison.”
“That cannot satisfy us.”
“It must satisfy you.”
“What?” Ned Land shouted.
“You expect us to give up forever the chance of seeing our homeland, our friends, and our families again?”
“Yes.”
“But giving up that unbearable burden which men mistakenly call freedom may not be as painful as you imagine.”
“Then I will never promise not to escape,” Ned Land said angrily.
“I did not ask for your promise, Monsieur Land,” Captain Nemo replied coldly.
“Captain,” I said, beginning to lose my patience, “you are taking advantage of your power over us.”
“This is cruelty.”
“No,” he answered.
“It is mercy.”
“You are my prisoners of war.”
“I keep you alive when, with a single command, I could send you into the depths of the ocean.”
“You attacked me.”
“You tried to discover a secret that no person in the world should ever know.”
“The secret of my entire existence.”
“And you expect me to return you to a world that must never know about me?”
“Never.”
“By keeping you here, I am not protecting you.”
“I am protecting myself.”
His decision was final.
No argument could change it.
“So, Captain,” I said, “you give us only a choice between life and death?”
“Exactly.”
“My friends,” I said, “there is nothing more to discuss.”
“But no word of honor binds us to the master of this vessel.”
“None,” Captain Nemo replied.
Then his voice softened.
“Now allow me to finish what I wanted to tell you.”
“I know you, Monsieur Aronnax.”
“You and your companions may not regret the strange fate that has brought you here.”
“You will find among my favorite books the work you wrote about the depths of the sea.”
“I have read it many times.”
“You have pushed human knowledge as far as science on land allows.”
“But you still do not know everything.”
“You have not seen everything.”
“Let me tell you, Professor, that you will not regret the time spent aboard my vessel.”
“You are about to enter a world of wonders.”
These words affected me deeply.
I cannot deny it.
He had touched my greatest weakness: my love of science.
For a moment, I forgot that even the greatest discoveries were not worth losing one’s freedom.
Still, I decided to let the future answer that question.
I only asked:
“What name should I use when addressing you?”
“Sir,” he replied, “you may call me Captain Nemo.”
“You and your companions are nothing more to me than passengers aboard the Nautilus.”
Captain Nemo called for someone.
A steward appeared.
The captain gave him orders in a strange language I did not understand.
Then he turned toward Ned Land and Conseil.
“A meal is waiting for you in your cabin,” he said.
“Please follow this man.”
“Now, Monsieur Aronnax, breakfast is ready.”
“Allow me to lead the way.”
“I am at your service, Captain.”
I followed him.
When I passed through the door, I entered a narrow passage illuminated by electric lights, much like the corridor of a modern ship.
After walking about thirty feet, another door opened.
I stepped into a dining room decorated with simple but elegant taste.
Tall oak cabinets, decorated with ebony designs, stood at both ends of the room.
Inside them were displayed beautiful china, porcelain, and glassware of extraordinary value.
The silverware on the table shone beneath the soft light from the glowing ceiling.
The lighting was gentle and perfectly balanced by beautiful paintings on the walls.
In the center stood a richly prepared table.
Captain Nemo showed me my seat.
The breakfast consisted entirely of food from the sea.
I did not recognize the nature or preparation of some dishes.
They were delicious, though they had a strange flavor that I quickly became used to.
They seemed rich in phosphorus, and I guessed they came from marine sources.
Captain Nemo watched me.
I asked no questions.
But he understood my thoughts and answered before I could speak.
“Most of these dishes are unfamiliar to you,” he said.
“However, you may eat them without fear.”
“They are healthy and nourishing.”
“For many years I have abandoned food from the land.”
“I have never been healthier.”
“My crew eats the same food.”
“So all these foods come from the ocean?” I asked.
“Yes, Professor.”
“The sea provides everything I need.”
“Sometimes I cast my nets and pull them up filled with food.”
“Sometimes I hunt among the underwater forests, where creatures live in a world humans rarely visit.”
“My herds, like the ancient shepherds of Neptune, move freely across the endless fields of the ocean.”
“I possess a vast underwater kingdom, and I cultivate it myself.”
“It is constantly renewed by the hand of the Creator.”
“I can understand fish from your nets,” I said.
“I can understand hunting animals beneath the sea.”
“But I cannot understand how meat could appear on your table.”
“What you believe to be meat, Professor, is actually turtle flesh.”
“And what you think is pork stew is dolphin liver.”
“My cook is extremely skilled at preparing the products of the ocean.”
“Try these dishes.”
“Here is preserved sea cucumber, a delicacy any Malay would consider among the finest in the world.”
“Here is cream made from the milk of whales and sugar produced from giant seaweed.”
“And finally, I offer you preserved sea anemones, which can rival the finest fruits.”
I tasted everything, more out of curiosity than appreciation.
Captain Nemo continued telling me extraordinary stories about the ocean.
“You love the sea, Captain?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“I love it completely.”
“The sea is everything.”
“It covers seven-tenths of the Earth.”
“Its air is pure and healthy.”
“It is a vast desert where man is never truly alone, because life moves around him everywhere.”
“The sea is the expression of a mysterious and wonderful existence.”
“It is love and emotion itself.”
“It is the Living Infinite.”
“Nature reveals all three of her kingdoms there: mineral, plant, and animal.”
“The sea is the great reservoir of nature.”
“The Earth began with the sea, and who knows whether it will not end with the sea?”
“Here there is perfect peace.”
“The sea does not belong to rulers.”
“On its surface, men may create unjust laws, fight wars, and destroy one another.”
“But thirty feet below the surface, their power ends.”
“Their influence disappears.”
“Ah, Professor, live in the heart of the ocean!”
“Only there is true independence.”
“There I recognize no masters.”
“There I am free!”
Captain Nemo suddenly stopped.
His passion had carried him away.
He walked back and forth for a moment, deeply moved.
Then he recovered his usual cold expression.
“Now, Professor,” he said, “if you wish to see the rest of the Nautilus, I will gladly show you.”
He stood up.
I followed him.
A double door at the back of the dining room opened.
Beyond it was another room of equal size.
It was a library.
Tall shelves made of dark violet ebony and decorated with brass held thousands of carefully bound books.
The shelves followed the shape of the room and ended below with large curved sofas covered in brown leather.
Small movable desks could slide out whenever someone wanted to read comfortably.
In the center stood a huge table covered with papers, magazines, and old newspapers.
Electric lights filled the room.
I stared around in amazement.
I could hardly believe such a place existed inside a submarine.
“Captain Nemo,” I said, “this library would honor even the greatest palaces on land.”
“I cannot believe it can travel with you beneath the ocean.”
“Where could one find greater peace and silence, Professor?” he replied.
“Did your study at the Museum give you such complete quiet?”
“No, Captain.”
“I must admit, compared with this, mine is very poor.”
“You must have six or seven thousand books here.”
“Twelve thousand, Monsieur Aronnax.”
“These are the only connections I still have with the land.”
“But the day my Nautilus first disappeared beneath the waves, I ended my relationship with the world.”
“That day I bought my final books, my final papers, and my final documents.”
“Since then, I have chosen to believe that humanity has stopped thinking and writing.”
“These books are yours to use, Professor.”
“You may read them whenever you wish.”
I thanked him and examined the shelves.
There were books about science, philosophy, morality, and literature in many languages.
But I found not a single book about political economy.
That subject seemed completely forbidden.
Strangely, the books were arranged without order.
Books in different languages were mixed together.
This showed that Captain Nemo read whatever he happened to choose.
“Captain,” I said, “thank you for allowing me access to this library.”
“It contains treasures of knowledge.”
“I will make good use of it.”
“This room is not only a library,” Nemo replied.
“It is also a smoking room.”
“A smoking room?” I exclaimed.
“Then we may smoke aboard the Nautilus?”
“Certainly.”
“Then I suppose you must maintain communication with Havana.”
“Not at all,” he answered.
“Take this cigar, Monsieur Aronnax.”
“Although it does not come from Havana, I think you will enjoy it.”
I accepted the cigar.
Its shape reminded me of those made in London, but it seemed almost golden.
I lit it from a small brazier and enjoyed the first smoke after two days without tobacco.
“It is excellent,” I said.
“But it is not tobacco.”
“No,” Captain Nemo replied.
“This tobacco comes neither from Havana nor the East.”
“It is a type of sea plant rich in nicotine.”
“The ocean provides it for me, although only in limited quantities.”
At that moment, Captain Nemo opened another door.
I entered a huge drawing room filled with brilliant light.
It was a magnificent hall, about thirty feet long, eighteen feet wide, and fifteen feet high.
A glowing ceiling decorated with delicate patterns spread a soft light over countless treasures.
It was not merely a room.
It was a museum.
A brilliant collection of nature and art had been gathered here with the creative disorder of an artist’s studio.
Paintings covered the walls.
Beautiful sculptures stood on marble and bronze pedestals.
Everything around me revealed wealth, knowledge, and extraordinary taste.
Captain Nemo had predicted that I would be amazed.
He was right.
My amazement had already begun.
“Professor,” he said, “you must forgive the informal way I receive you and the disorder of this room.”
“Captain,” I replied, “without knowing who you are, I can already recognize that you are an artist.”
“An amateur only.”
“Nothing more.”
“Once I loved collecting beautiful works created by human hands.”
“I searched for them everywhere.”
“I worked tirelessly to find them.”
“And I succeeded in gathering objects of great value.”
“These are the last memories I possess of a world that no longer exists for me.”
“In my eyes, even your modern artists are already ancient.”
“They have existed for thousands of years.”
“Great masters have no age.”
“And these musicians?” I asked, pointing toward the works of famous composers placed near a large piano-organ.
“They are my companions from the age of Orpheus,” Captain Nemo answered.
“To the dead, time no longer matters.”
“And I am dead, Professor.”
“As dead as your friends who sleep beneath the earth.”
He became silent.
His thoughts seemed to carry him far away.
I watched him carefully, studying his mysterious expression.
Leaning against a beautiful mosaic table, he no longer seemed aware of my presence.
I did not disturb him.
Instead, I continued examining the treasures of the room.
Inside elegant glass cases were countless precious creations of the sea.
As a naturalist, I was overwhelmed with joy.
There were rare corals, sea stars, sponges, shells, pearls, and countless marine specimens collected from every ocean on Earth.
The collection was beyond anything I had ever seen in any museum.
Captain Nemo had personally gathered many of these treasures.
No European museum possessed anything comparable.
“You are examining my shells, Professor?” he suddenly asked.
“They must be fascinating to a naturalist.”
“But to me, they have an even greater meaning.”
“I collected every one of them myself.”
“There is not a single ocean on Earth that has escaped my exploration.”
“I understand your happiness, Captain,” I replied.
“You are not simply a collector.”
“You created this collection with your own hands.”
“No museum on land can compare with it.”
“But if I spend all my admiration on these treasures, I will have none left for the Nautilus itself.”
“I do not wish to discover your secrets.”
“Yet I must admit that this vessel, its hidden power source, its mechanisms, and its incredible engine fill me with endless curiosity.”
“I see instruments here whose purpose I do not understand.”
“You will find those same instruments in my own room,” Captain Nemo replied.
“I will gladly explain them to you.”
“But first, come and see the room prepared for you.”
“You should know how comfortably you will live aboard the Nautilus.”
I followed Captain Nemo.
Through another door, we returned to the corridor.
He led me toward the front of the vessel.
There I found not a simple cabin, but an elegant private room.
It contained a bed, a dressing table, and several other pieces of furniture.
I could only thank my host.
“Your room is next to mine,” he said.
“My room also opens directly into the drawing room we just left.”
I entered Captain Nemo’s own room.
Unlike the luxurious rooms around it, his cabin was simple and almost monastic.
There was only a small iron bed, a table, and a few necessary personal items.
A small window in the ceiling provided light.
There was no luxury.
Only the strict necessities.
Captain Nemo pointed toward a chair.
“Please sit down,” he said.
I sat.
Then he began to speak.