The scene before me was impossible to forget.
The unexpected appearance of the ruined ship, the story of the patriotic vessel that Captain Nemo had first described in his cold, emotionless voice, and the deep hatred hidden in the final words he spoke—all of it left a powerful impression on my mind.
The name of the ship, the Avenger, carried a meaning that I could not ignore.
I kept my eyes fixed on Captain Nemo.
He stood there with one hand stretched toward the sea, staring at the magnificent wreck with burning eyes.
Perhaps I would never discover who he truly was.
Perhaps I would never know where he came from or where he was going.
But at that moment, I saw the real man behind the scientist.
It was not simple hatred of mankind that had driven Captain Nemo and his companions to hide inside the Nautilus.
No.
It was a hatred far deeper—a hatred that was either terrible or noble, and one that time could never erase.
Was he still seeking revenge?
I would soon discover the answer.
The Nautilus slowly began to rise toward the surface.
The shape of the Avenger gradually faded from my sight.
Soon, the gentle movement of the vessel told me that we had reached the open sea.
Then suddenly, a deep booming sound came from a distance.
I looked at Captain Nemo.
He did not move.
“Captain?” I called.
He gave no reply.
I left him and climbed onto the platform.
Conseil and Ned Land were already there.
“Where did that sound come from?” I asked.
“It was a cannon shot,” Ned replied.
I looked toward the ship I had noticed earlier.
It was moving closer to the Nautilus, and thick smoke poured from its funnels as it increased speed.
It was now only about six miles away.
“What kind of ship is it, Ned?”
“Judging from its sails and the height of its lower masts,” said the Canadian, “I would say it is a warship.”
“May it reach us,” he added bitterly.
“And if necessary, may it sink this cursed Nautilus.”
“My friend Ned,” Conseil said calmly, “what damage can it really do to the Nautilus?”
“Can it attack us beneath the waves?”
“Can its cannons reach us at the bottom of the ocean?”
“Ned,” I asked, “can you tell what country it belongs to?”
The Canadian narrowed his eyes.
He lowered his eyelids and stared intensely at the approaching vessel.
“No, sir,” he answered.
“I cannot identify its nation because it is not showing any flag.”
“But I can say with certainty that it is a warship.”
“A long pennant is flying from its mainmast.”
For fifteen minutes, we watched the ship rushing toward us.
Yet I could not believe that it could see the Nautilus from such a distance.
Even less could I believe that it understood what kind of strange machine was floating before it.
Soon Ned informed me of more details.
“It is a large armored ship,” he said.
“A double-decked ram.”
“Two huge funnels are releasing thick black smoke.”
“Its sails are tightly furled against the yards.”
“It carries no flag at the stern.”
“The distance prevents us from seeing the colors of its pennant.”
“But it is coming quickly.”
“If Captain Nemo allows it to approach, perhaps we have a chance to escape.”
“Sir,” Ned said quietly, “if that ship comes within one mile of us, I will jump into the sea.”
“I suggest you do the same.”
I did not answer him.
I continued watching the approaching ship.
Whether it was English, French, American, or Russian, it did not matter.
If we could reach it, it would certainly rescue us.
Then suddenly, white smoke burst from the front of the warship.
A few seconds later, something heavy struck the sea near the stern of the Nautilus.
Water exploded upward.
Immediately afterward, a powerful explosion reached my ears.
“They are firing at us!” I shouted.
“Exactly,” Ned replied.
“They have recognized the unicorn.”
“They know the Nautilus is the creature they have been hunting.”
“But surely they can see there are people inside!” I said.
“Perhaps that is exactly why they are firing,” Ned answered.
His words shocked me.
Suddenly, everything became clear.
They must have finally understood the truth behind the mysterious sea monster.
When Ned Land had thrown his harpoon at the supposed narwhal during the voyage of the Abraham Lincoln, Commander Farragut must have realized that the creature was not an animal at all.
It was a submarine.
A machine far more dangerous than any legendary sea monster.
Yes.
That must have been the truth.
The nations of the world were no longer searching for some imaginary creature.
They were hunting a man.
A man who had dedicated his life to revenge.
A terrible thought entered my mind.
If Captain Nemo truly used the Nautilus to carry out his vengeance, then many mysteries suddenly had an answer.
Had he not attacked a vessel on the night we were trapped in that prison beneath the Indian Ocean?
Had the man buried in the coral cemetery not died because of the Nautilus?
Yes.
It had to be true.
A part of Captain Nemo’s mysterious life had finally been revealed.
Although nobody knew his true identity, the world no longer chased a fantasy.
They were pursuing a real enemy.
And now, instead of finding rescuers aboard this approaching ship, we might only find merciless enemies.
The cannon fire continued.
Some shells struck the water and bounced away into the distance.
Fortunately, none hit the Nautilus.
The warship was now less than three miles away.
Even under such heavy attack, Captain Nemo still did not appear on the platform.
But if even one shell had pierced the Nautilus, the result would have been fatal.
Then Ned said:
“Sir, we must do something.”
“Let us signal them.”
“They may understand that we are innocent people.”
The Canadian pulled out his handkerchief and prepared to wave it.
But before he could raise it fully, a powerful hand grabbed him.
Despite his great strength, Ned was thrown down onto the deck.
“Fool!” Captain Nemo shouted.
“Do you want to be killed by the Nautilus’s own weapon before it even strikes that ship?”
Captain Nemo was terrifying.
His face had become completely pale.
His body shook with emotion.
His eyes were narrowed with fierce anger.
He did not speak.
He roared.
Grabbing Ned’s shoulders, he shook him violently.
Then he released him and turned toward the approaching warship.
“Ah!” he cried.
“You belong to that cursed nation!”
“You know who I am!”
“I do not need your flag to recognize you!”
“Look carefully!”
“I will show you my flag!”
Captain Nemo raised a black flag on the front of the platform.
It was the same flag he had displayed at the South Pole.
At that moment, another shell struck the Nautilus.
It hit the steel surface at an angle and bounced away into the sea.
Captain Nemo only shrugged.
Then he looked at me.
“Go below,” he ordered.
“You and your companions.”
“Captain,” I cried, “are you going to attack that ship?”
“I am going to sink it.”
“You cannot mean that!”
“I will do it,” he replied coldly.
“And I advise you not to judge me.”
“Fate has shown you something you were never meant to see.”
“The battle has already begun.”
“Go below.”
“What ship is it?” I asked.
“You do not know?”
“Good.”
“Then let its identity remain a secret from you.”
“Go down.”
We had no choice but to obey.
About fifteen sailors surrounded Captain Nemo.
Every one of them looked toward the enemy ship with the same cold hatred.
It was clear that revenge burned inside every heart.
As I descended, another shell struck the Nautilus.
I heard Captain Nemo shout:
“Fire all you want, foolish ship!”
“Throw your useless shells!”
“You will not escape the strike of the Nautilus!”
“But you will not die here!”
“I will not allow your wreckage to mix with the remains of the Avenger!”
I returned to my room.
Captain Nemo and his second remained on the platform.
The propeller began turning.
The Nautilus accelerated and soon moved beyond the range of the warship’s cannons.
But the enemy continued chasing us.
Captain Nemo simply maintained the distance between the two ships.
At four in the afternoon, unable to control my impatience, I went toward the central staircase.
The hatch was open.
I climbed onto the platform.
Captain Nemo was still walking back and forth.
His steps were restless.
The enemy ship was now five or six miles away.
He moved around it like a wild animal.
He allowed it to follow him eastward.
But he still did not attack.
Perhaps he was hesitating.
I wanted to speak to him again.
But before I could say much, he stopped me.
“I am the law,” he said.
“I am the judge.”
“I am the victim.”
“And there is the one who caused my suffering.”
“Because of that ship, I lost everything I loved.”
“My country.”
“My wife.”
“My children.”
“My father.”
“My mother.”
“I watched them all disappear.”
“Everything I hate is there.”
“Say nothing more.”
I gave one last look at the warship.
Then I returned to Ned and Conseil.
“We must escape,” I said.
“Good,” Ned replied.
“What ship is it?”
“I do not know.”
“But whatever it is, it will be destroyed before nightfall.”
“In any case, it is better to die with it than to become part of a revenge whose justice we cannot judge.”
“I agree,” said Ned calmly.
“Let us wait until night.”
Night arrived.
A deep silence covered the Nautilus.
The compass showed that we had not changed direction.
The submarine remained on the surface, gently rolling with the waves.
My companions and I decided that we would escape when the enemy ship came close enough for us to be heard or seen.
The moon was almost full and shone brightly.
If we reached the warship, we might not be able to stop the coming disaster.
But we would at least do everything possible.
Several times I thought Captain Nemo was preparing to attack.
But each time, he allowed the enemy to approach.
Then he moved away again.
The night passed slowly.
We waited.
We barely spoke.
Ned wanted to jump into the sea immediately.
But I forced him to wait.
I believed the Nautilus would attack below the enemy’s waterline.
At that moment, escape would become possible.
At three in the morning, filled with anxiety, I climbed back onto the platform.
Captain Nemo had never left.
He stood near his black flag.
The wind gently moved it above his head.
His eyes never left the enemy ship.
His gaze seemed to pull the vessel toward him.
The sea and sky were peaceful.
The stars reflected calmly on the surface of the ocean.
Yet inside the Nautilus was a storm of hatred and revenge.
The contrast filled me with fear.
The warship was now only two miles away.
I could see its green and red lights.
Its white lantern hung from the forward mast.
The engines worked at full power.
Sparks and red ashes flew from the funnels like falling stars.
I remained there until six in the morning.
Captain Nemo did not notice me.
The enemy ship was now only one and a half miles away.
With the first light of dawn, the cannons began firing again.
The moment had come.
Soon Captain Nemo would attack.
Soon we would leave this terrible man forever.
I was about to return below and warn Ned and Conseil when the second officer appeared on the platform with several sailors.
Captain Nemo ignored them.
Then the preparations began.
The iron railing around the platform was lowered.
The lantern and observation equipment were pulled inside.
The smooth steel body of the Nautilus became completely clear.
Nothing remained that could slow its movement.
I returned to the saloon.
The Nautilus was still floating.
The first rays of sunlight entered through the windows.
The terrible day of June 2nd had begun.
At five o’clock, the speed of the Nautilus began decreasing.
I understood.
Captain Nemo was allowing the enemy to approach.
The cannon fire became louder.
The shells moving through the water made strange hissing sounds.
“My friends,” I said.
“The moment has arrived.”
“One final handshake.”
“May God protect us.”
Ned was ready.
Conseil remained calm.
I was so nervous that I could barely control myself.
We entered the library.
But when I opened the door leading to the staircase, I heard the upper hatch close.
Ned rushed forward.
I stopped him.
A familiar sound reached my ears.
Water was entering the tanks.
The Nautilus began sinking.
I understood Captain Nemo’s plan.
It was too late.
He did not intend to strike the enemy’s armored side.
He intended to attack below the waterline, where the armor could not protect it.
We were trapped again.
Unwilling witnesses to a terrible act.
We rushed into my room.
No one spoke.
My mind became numb.
I waited.
I listened.
Every sense disappeared except hearing.
The speed of the Nautilus increased.
The whole vessel trembled.
Then suddenly—
A violent shock.
I felt the impact.
I felt the steel blade pierce through something.
I heard metal breaking and scraping.
But the Nautilus, driven forward by its powerful engine, passed through the enemy ship like a needle through cloth.
I could not endure it anymore.
I rushed into the saloon.
Captain Nemo stood there.
Silent.
Cold.
Unmoving.
He looked through the glass window.
A huge shadow covered the sea.
The Nautilus was descending into the depths together with its victim.
Through the broken side of the enemy ship, water poured in like a waterfall.
I saw the cannons.
The decks.
The ropes.
The sailors.
The ship was dying.
The water rose higher and higher.
Men desperately climbed the masts.
They held onto ropes.
They struggled against the unstoppable ocean.
They were like insects trapped by a rising flood.
I stood frozen.
My hair stood on end.
I could not breathe.
I could not speak.
I could only watch.
Suddenly, a tremendous explosion shook the sea.
The compressed air inside the ship exploded.
The decks were thrown apart.
The vessel sank faster.
The topmast appeared for a moment, covered with desperate men.
Then the remaining masts disappeared beneath the waves.
Finally, the entire dark shape vanished.
The crew was dragged down into the deep ocean by the powerful current.
I turned toward Captain Nemo.
That terrible man, that angel of revenge, was still watching.
When everything was over, he slowly returned to his room.
I followed him with my eyes.
On the wall beneath the portraits of his heroes, I saw another picture.
A young woman.
And two small children.
Captain Nemo stared at them silently.
Then he stretched out his arms toward them.
He fell to his knees.
And the man who had destroyed an entire ship finally broke down.
He cried like a man who had lost everything.