13 The Escape

CHAPTER 13 The Escape By the end of February, the Nautilus was Bmoving through the water of the Atlantic Ocean at a smooth pace. We had traveled nearly ten thousand leagues in three and a half months. That distance is greater than the huge circle of the earth! But where were we going now? We had just finished our tour of the Mediterranean. It was an amazing body of water to study. Now we had returned to the surface of the waves, giving

us once again the joy of daily walks on the platform. Ned was upset that we never had the chance to escape from the ship. Freedom was always the first thing on his mind. "I know you are upset, my friend, that you never got to put your plan into action. But to have tried to leave the Nautilus in that heat would have killed us all." Ned did not answer. He had a frown on his face. "Let's wait and see," I said. "Don't give up hope yet. We will be near France and England in the weeks to come. We could easily find help there." Ned stared at me. "We will leave tonight." I gasped at his words. I was not ready for what he said. I tried to answer, but words would not even form in my mouth. "We agreed to wait for the right time," continued Ned, "and the time has come. Tonight

we will be only a few miles from the Spanish coast. It is cloudy. The wind blows freely. You promised me and I am counting on you." I stayed silent, still not knowing what to say. "Tonight, at nine o'clock," he said. "I have already told Conseil. Captain Nemo will be in his room by then. The ship's crew will not be able to see us. Conseil and I will take the main stairs. You should wait in the library for our signal. The boat is ready for us. Everything is set for tonight." "The sea is bad." "That may be," Ned said, "but we must risk that. We want our freedom! Besides, the boat is strong. And a few miles with a fair wind to carry us is no big deal. So, I bid you good-bye until tonight." With these words, the man left me. I sat there, wondering how this could be possible. I could run to Captain Nemo and tell him of the plan. But then I would be changing the future for

my friends. They did so badly want their freedom. I was confused. I could feel the ship sinking under the waves of the Atlantic as I sorted my thoughts. I couldn't decide between getting my freedom and leaving the Nautilus. What awful hours passed! Sometimes I would picture my friends and myself safely landed with our freedom. Other times I would imagine something happening to prevent us from leaving. Rather than feeling disappointment like my friends, I would feel joy. Twice I went to the saloon. I wanted to check the compass. I wanted to see if the Nautilus was heading closer to or moving farther away from the coast. The ship was on course to make Ned's plan work. I didn't really have to prepare to leave. My notes were the only things I owned. I began to think about Captain Nemo. How would he feel about our escape? I had no reason to feel bad for him. After all, he had kept us here against our will. And yet, I wondered if it would

upset him. I hadn't seen the captain for many days. Would I have the chance to see him before we left? I hoped for it and against it at the same time. I waited. It was the longest day I could remember. My patience was running out. My dinner was served in my room as usual. I didn't eat much. I wasn't hungry. I left the table at about seven o'clock. I was one hundred and twenty minutes away from the moment when I would join my friends to leave. My heart beat wildly. I was growing more scared by the minute. I wanted to see the saloon for the last time. I went downstairs to the museum where I had spent so many happy hours. I looked at all its riches, all its treasures. It was hard for a man like me to leave this all behind. In passing through the saloon, I came near the door to the captain's room. To my great surprise, the door was open. I quickly leaned

back. If the captain was in his room, he could see me. But hearing no noise, I went closer. The room was empty. I pushed open the door and took some steps forward. Suddenly the clock struck eight. My eyes fell upon the compass. We were still traveling north. Our speed was normal and we were at a depth of about sixty feet. I returned to my room and dressed warmly. I put on sea boots, an otter skin cap, and a coat lined with sealskin. I was ready and waiting. At a few minutes to nine, I put my ear to the captain's door. I heard no noise. I returned to the saloon, which was empty.