8. "Mobilis in mobile"

So brutally executed the abduction had taken place with the speed of lightning, without
give us time or my colleagues or me to be able to make any comments. I do not know what
they might feel to be introduced in this floating prison, but I
He toured the skin an icy chill. Who We should have-the? Without
Pirates doubt a new species exploiting the sea-ban your way.
Nothing close hatch closed enveloped me deep darkness. My eyes, still
full of light outside, they could not distinguish anything. I felt the touch of my feet
barefoot steps with an iron ladder. Ned Land and Conseil, vigorously
trapped, I followed. At the foot of the stairs a door opened closed
imme-diately after us with a crash.
We were alone. Where? He could not speak, or barely imagine. Everything was dark. It was
so complete the I-curidad that after a few minutes, my eyes had failed to perceive or
one of those minimal and clarities indetermi-nothings left most nights leak
cerra-das.
Furious at such proceeding, Ned Land gave vent to their indignation.
'Of thousand devils! ? He exclaimed ?. Here is a people who could give lessons
Caledonian hospitality. Not lack more than being cannibals, not me
surprised they were. But I declare that will not let me eat without protest.
? Tranqudícese, friend Ned, calm down? He said placidly Conseil ?. It is not sulfure before
time. We are still on the grill.
 ? In parrdla, no? He replied the Canadian, but in the oven, that's for sure. This is
quite black. Lucky-mind, I keep my knife and I see enough to
serve him. The first of these bandits who put a hand on me ...
? Do you get irritated, Ned? I said ?, and not compromise us by useless violence. Who
You know if we will listen-do! Rather try to find out where we are.
I walked five steps groped and stumbled upon an iron wall, made with plates
bolted. As I turned, I collided with a wooden table, near which there was a
few sidewalks. The floor of that cell was lining-do with a thick mat
Hemp dimming the rui-do steps. The bare walls offered no clues
doors or windows. Conseil, which had turned in the opposite direction-sen, joined me and
We returned to the center of the cabin, which must have been about twenty feet long and ten
wide. As for its height, Ned Land could not measure despite his height.
It had been almost half an hour without any modification of the situation when
our eyes passed sudden-mind in the most extreme darkness to light more violent.
Our dungeon suddenly brightened, that is, it is not in a lle-luminous matter
so alive that I could not resist her light soon. In its whiteness and intensity
I recognized that produced electric lighting around a magnificent submarine boat
phenomenon of phosphorescence. I reopened the eyes that had inadvertently closed the yvi
a light emanated agent, enca-Jado tarnished globe on the roof of the cabin.
? Finally see! ? Exclaimed Ned Land, who, knife in hand, showed an attitude
defensive.
Yes? I said, risking an antithesis ?, but the situa-tion is no less dark.
? Be patient, sir? Impassible Conseil said.
The sudden illumination of the cabin allowed me to examine the smallest details. No
more furniture table and five stools. The invisible door must be
hermetically sea-cally closed. We did not reach a sound. Everything seemed dead in the
inside the boat. He is moved, remained on the surface or were submerged in the
DEPTH-didades the ocean? He could not know.
But the cabin lighting must have a reason, and it made me hope not
soon to manifest the crewmen. When you forget the captives not
his cell lights.
I was right. Suddenly a noise was heard locks, the door opened and two
men.
One was short and Vigo-ous muscles, broad shoulders and
robust built, with a thick head with black hair and abundant; had a
bushy mustache and a lively and penetrating look, and his whole person showed that stamp
Southern vivacity that ca-ized in France Provencal. Diderot intended, with
reason, human gestures are metaphorical, and the man certainly was the
live demonstration of this assertion. Seeing it was suspected that in his usual language must
lavishing the prosopopeyas, metonymy and hipálages, but could never prove it,
he always used to me a singular language, absolutely incomprehensible.
The other unknown deserves a more detailed description-da. A disciple of Gratiolet or
Engel could have read in his face like an open book. I recognized without
va-oscillation his dominant qualities: confidence my-mo, manifested in the noble
Lift your head on the arc formed by the line of his shoulders and look
Safety cold black eyes emitting-na lle; Serenity-ness, as her pale skin
He denounced the peace of his blood; energy, demonstrated by the rapid contraction
his brow muscles, and finally, the value, ca-BIA deduct from their powerful
breathing as a vital sign of expansion. I should add that it was a man
Orgu-lloso, your firm and calm gaze seemed to reflect a rise in
thoughts, and all this set of features and expressive homogeneity of its
cor-rary gestures and facial fit diagnose, according to the observation of physiognomy,
an undeniable frankness.
I felt "involuntarily" reassured his prescence and optimistic about the
outcome of the conversation.
I would have been impossible to say whether the character was thirty-five or fifty years.
He was tall; his forehead was broad; straight nose; mouth, clearly drawn; the
teeth, magnificent, and his hands were thin and elongated, essentially "psychic", by
expression used quirognomonía characterized with decent hands
serve a high and passionate soul. This man certainly was the kind more
admirable that I had found in my life. Minutia: his eyes, somewhat
apart too, if they could cover almost simultaneously-quarter of the
horizon. That facul-tad? I could verify later-was accompanied by a power of
visual superior even to Ned Land. When this stranger fixed his eyes on a
object, the line of his eyebrows furrowed, his baggy eyelids folded cir-cunscribiendo
pupils and, thus narrowing the extent of the visual field, staring. What look yours!
How Aumen-taba sizes diminished by the distance objects! How will
He penetrated one to the soul, as he did with the liquid layers, as blackout
our eyes, and as I read in the depths of the sea!
The two strangers, touched with fur berets nu-tria marine and booted from
sealskin, they wore a costume of a particular body tissue that left a large
freedom of movement.
The taller of the two? Evidently the chief on board? We examined with extreme
attention, without saying pa-till. Then he turned to his partner and spoke to him in a
language I did not recognize. It was a sonorous, harmonious, supple language, whose vocal
They appeared under a very varied accentuation.
The other replied with a nod and said two or three words absolutely
Non-SOther incomprehensible. Again boss' eyes fell on me and his look-da
It seemed questioning directly.
I replied in good French, I did not understand their language, but he seemed not to understand me
turn and the situa-tion soon became quite embarrassing.
? Tell Mr. our history, anyway? Conseil told me ?. It is likely to
these gentlemen can com-ignite some words.
I began the story of our adventures, taking care of ar-ticular clearly syllables without
omitting a single detail. De-cline our names and professions, making them a
pre-presentation in order of Professor Aronnax, his domestic Conseil and Ned Land, the
harpoon.
Man of eye candy and serene quiet-mind listened politely even with
considerable attention. But nothing in his face indicated that she understood my story.
When I finished, he did not utter a word.
Recourse was to speak English. Maybe we could make ourselves understood in that
language which is almost uni-versal. I knew her as well as the German language,
su-cient way to read without difficulty, but not to speak it cor-rectly. And what
mattered was that they understood us.
? Come on, Mr. Land! ? I told the harpooner ?, kick it the best you have spoken English
never an Anglo-Saxon, to see if it's luckier than me.
Ned did not pray and restarted my story, I could understand almost completely. was the
same story in fon-do, but different in form. Canadian, born of his character,
He gave a great animation. He complained bitterly of having been imprisoned in contempt of
international law, asked to be told under what law he is retained so the in-VOCO
habeas corpus, threatened to sue those who had kidnapped him
unduly, stirred, gesticu-Lo, screamed, and finally hinted expressive
gestures that were starving.
Which it was perfectly true, but we'd almost forgotten.
With great admiration for its part, the harpooner could tell he had not been more
I intelligible. Our visitors remained totally impassive. It was evident that
They did not understand neither the language of Arago or Faraday.
After exhausting in vain fdológicos our resources, I was very disturbed without
knowing what to do, when Conseil said:
Can I tell in German, if the Lord permits.
? What! You speak German?
? As a Flemish, under protest to the Lord.
? On the contrary, I like that. Go ahead, boy.
And Conseil, in his slow voice, was the third time the various vicissitudes of our
history. But, despite the twists and ele-gant good narrator prosody, language
ale-mana knew no more successful than the previous ones.
Exasperated and, finally decided to gather the remains of my first studies and narrate
our adventures in Latin. Cice-Ron would have covered the ears and I have sent to the
co-ce, but in fits and starts I followed my purpose. With the same negative result.
Definitely aborted this last attempt, the two strangers exchanged each other
a few words in their incomprehensible len-gua and withdrew without even Glad we
directed one of those reassuring gestures that are cur-so in all countries
world. The door closed behind them.
? This is an outrage! ? Exclaimed Ned Land, bursting with indignation for the twentieth time ?.
What? It speaks to these bandits in French, English, German and Latin, and not
tie-nen the courtesy to respond!
? Calm down, Ned? Told the harpooner ?, fiery anger leads nowhere.
? But do you realize, Professor? Nues-tro replied ?, that irascible companion
We can starve in this iron cage?
? Bah! With a little philosophy, we can stand still long enough? Conseil said.
? My friends? I said, do not despair. We have found in worse situations.
Do me a favor and wait to form an opinion about the commander and
Aircrew-tion of this vessel.
? My opinion is already made? He replied Ned Land ?. They are bandits.
? Well, but ... what country?
? The country of bandits.
? My dear Ned, that country is not indicated on the map-mundi. I confess that
nationality of these two UNKNOWN-acids is difficult to identify. Neither English nor French,
or ale-guys, that's all we can say. However, I would say the commander and
his second they born at low latitudes. There is something in them southern. But they are
Eng-les, Turks, Arabs or Hindus? That's something their physical types do not allow me
decide. As for their tongue, it is absolutely incomprehensible-mind.
? This is the disadvantage of not knowing all languages, or the disadvantage that does not exist
one said Conseil.
What I do not do any replied Ned Land ?. Do not you see that these people have a
language for them, a lion-guage invented to despair to good people asking for
eat? Open your mouth, moving the jaw, teeth and lips is not something
It comprising in all countries of the world? Does that not mean much in Quebec
and Pomotous, both in Paris and in the antipodes, I am hungry, give me
eat?
? Oh !, you know, there are so unintelligent natures.
Conseil not saying this was over, when the door opened and in came a steward. Us
brought clothes, jackets and pants made from a fabric whose nature I could not
recognize. I hurried to get those clothes and my com-companions imitated me.
Meanwhile, the? Dumb, perhaps deaf steward? was dis-position table, on which
He had placed three covered.
? Go! This seems serious and well advertised? Conseil said.
? Bah! ? Replied the rancorous harpooner ?, What the devil do you eat it here?
Turtle liver, fidete shark or dogfish meat ...
? We will see Conseil said.
Plates, covered by a silver lid had been placed symmetrically on
tablecloth. We sat at the table. Decidedly, we are dealing with people
civilized, and not for the electricity that filled us, you could believe in
Adelhi dining room in Liverpool, or the Grand Hotel in Paris. However, I must
de-cir completely missing the bread and wine. The water was cool and limpid, but it was
water, which was not like Ned Land. Among the dishes we were served I recognized
diver-sos delicately cooked fish, but there were other so-ber that I could
pronunciarme, although they were excellent, so much of it would have been unable to
say whether its contents belonged to the plant or animal kingdom. As for the service
table was elegant and perfect taste. Each utensil, spoon, fork, knife and plate,
He is wearing a tra le surrounded by a currency, whose exact facsimile helo here:

MOBILIS N IN MOBILE

Mobile in the mobile element! This currency is accurately applied to this device
submarine, provided by the preposition in translation in and not above. The letter N was
certainly the first letter of the enigmatic character to-do man submarine.
Ned and Conseil did not make many reflections, ate, and I soon imitate. It was already
nues-tra reassured about luck, and it seemed obvious that our guests not
They wanted to let us starve.
Everything has a purpose in this underworld, to the hunger of those who have remained
eat for fifteen hours. Satisfied our appetite was felt urgently the
need for sleep. Very natural reaction after intermit-nable night we had
I spent fighting death.
? I think I could use a nap? Conseil said.
? I'm already asleep? Ned replied.
My companions lay on the ground and soon fell into a deep sleep.
For my part, I gave with me-us easily to the urgent need for sleep. TOO-dos
thoughts crowded my brain, beset by many insoluble matters,
and a crowd of image-nes kept my eyelids parted. Where were we? What
strange power ruled us? Felt, or rather thought she felt, the device sank in
the most pro-covers the sea, and I layers assaulted violent nightmares. Entre-saw in those
mysterious asylums a world of animals UNKNOWN-acids, of which the boat
submarine was a congé-nere, as they live, moving and formidable ... My brain was
calming, my imagination melted into a vague drowsiness, and soon fell into a sad
dream.