On February 12, the Nautilus came to the surface at sunrise. Professor Aronnax went to the platform. He saw the coast of Egypt in the distance. They had traveled from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea very quickly.
Ned Land and Conseil joined Professor Aronnax. Ned Land was happy to be in Europe. He spoke to Professor Aronnax in a quiet voice. He wanted to talk about a secret plan.
"We are in Europe now," Ned Land said. "I want to leave the Nautilus."
Professor Aronnax did not want to leave. He liked the Nautilus. He was learning many things about the ocean. He wanted to finish his book. But Professor Aronnax did not want to stop Ned Land and Conseil.
"Are you unhappy here, Ned Land?" Professor Aronnax asked.
"I am glad I saw the ocean," Ned Land replied. "But now the journey is finished for me. I want to be free."
Ned Land had a plan. He wanted to use the pinnace (a small boat kept on top of the ship). He wanted to wait for a dark night. If the Nautilus was near the coast, they could take the pinnace and row to land.
Professor Aronnax agreed to the plan. He told Ned Land to watch for an opportunity. But Professor Aronnax was worried. He knew Captain Nemo was a very careful man. Captain Nemo did not want them to escape.
For two days, the Nautilus traveled near the Greek islands. It stayed deep under the water. On February 14, Professor Aronnax was in the large room with Captain Nemo. The windows were open.
Suddenly, Professor Aronnax saw a man in the water. He was a diver (a person who swims deep under the water). The man had a leather bag. Professor Aronnax was surprised. He thought the man was in danger.
"A man!" Professor Aronnax cried. "We must save him!"
Captain Nemo did not move. He looked at the man. The man looked at the window and waved his hand. Captain Nemo waved back. The man swam to the surface and disappeared.
"Do not worry," Captain Nemo said. "That is Nicholas. He is a famous diver. He lives in the water more than on land. He is a brave man."
Then Captain Nemo went to a large cabinet. He opened it. Professor Aronnax saw many ingots (heavy bricks made of solid gold). The gold was worth a lot of money.
Captain Nemo put the gold into a large chest. He wrote an address on the chest in Greek. Four men from the crew carried the chest away. That night, Professor Aronnax heard the pinnace leave the ship. He knew Captain Nemo was sending the gold to someone on land.
The next day, the boat became very hot. Professor Aronnax took off his coat. He was sweating. He looked at the thermometer. It was forty-two degrees. He thought there was a fire on the boat.
Captain Nemo entered the room. He told Professor Aronnax not to be afraid. The heat was not coming from the boat. It was coming from the sea.
"We are near the island of Santorin," Captain Nemo said. "There is an underwater eruption (when hot rocks and gas come out of the earth) here."
Professor Aronnax looked through the window. The water was boiling. It was white and then it turned red. There was a strong smell of sulphur (a chemical that smells like bad eggs). It was a sea of fire.
The Nautilus moved away from the hot water. It moved at a great speed. Soon, the air became cool again. On February 16, the Nautilus left the Greek islands and moved into the deep ocean.