Captain Nemo told the story of the old ship. He was very emotional at the end. He looked at the wreck of the Avenger for a long time. I realized he felt a deep hatred for someone. This hatred was very strong and old.
The Nautilus (the submarine) began to go up to the surface. I heard a loud noise from far away. It was a deep boom. I looked at Captain Nemo, but he did not move. He did not answer me when I spoke.
I went to the platform. Ned Land and Conseil were already there. They told me they heard a gunshot. I saw a ship six miles away. It was moving toward us.
Ned Land said it was a warship (a ship used for fighting in a war). He hoped the ship would attack us. He wanted to leave the submarine. Conseil asked if a ship could hit us under the water.
The ship did not show a flag. Ned Land could not see its country. But it was a large ship with many guns. It moved very fast. Black smoke came out of its chimneys.
Ned Land said he would jump into the sea if the ship came close. He wanted me to join him. I did not say yes or no. I just watched the ship. I hoped the sailors would save us.
Suddenly, we saw white smoke. Then we heard a loud explosion. A heavy object hit the water near the Nautilus (the submarine). They were firing at us! They thought we were a monster.
I realized the truth. People on land now knew about the submarine. They knew it was a dangerous machine. Maybe Captain Nemo attacked other ships before. Maybe the man in the coral cemetery died in an attack.
The world was now hunting Captain Nemo. We were not with friends. We were with enemies. More shots hit the water around us. The ship was now three miles away.
Ned Land wanted to send a signal. He wanted to show we were good people. He took his handkerchief to wave it. But Captain Nemo was suddenly there. He was very angry.
Captain Nemo hit Ned Land and pushed him down. He called Ned Land a fool. Captain Nemo’s face was very white. His eyes were small and scary. He was not just angry; he was full of hate.
Captain Nemo yelled at the warship. He said he knew who they were. He did not need to see their flag. He went to the front of the platform. He showed a black flag.
A shot hit the side of the submarine but did not break it. Captain Nemo did not care. He told us to go down inside the ship. I asked him if he was going to attack. He said he was going to sink the ship.
I told him he must not do that. Captain Nemo was cold and hard. He told me not to judge him. He said we saw things we should not see. He told us to go down again.
We had to obey him. The sailors on the ship also looked very angry. They all wanted revenge (hurting someone because they hurt you first). I went to my room.
The Nautilus (the submarine) moved very fast. Soon, we were away from the guns. But the warship followed us. Captain Nemo stayed on the platform. He watched the ship all afternoon.
Captain Nemo was like a wild animal. He moved around the ship. He waited for the right moment. I tried to speak to him again. He told me to be quiet.
Captain Nemo said he was the judge. He said the people on that ship were bad. Because of them, he lost everything. He lost his country, his wife, and his children. He lost his father and his mother.
I told Ned Land and Conseil that we must run away. Ned Land agreed. He said it was better to die than to help Captain Nemo. We decided to wait for the night.
Night came, and it was very quiet. The moon was very bright. We planned to jump into the sea when the ship was close. We hoped the sailors would see us in the water.
At three o’clock in the morning, I went to the platform. Captain Nemo was still there. He did not look away from the warship. The sea and the sky were very calm. It was a beautiful night, but I was very afraid.
The warship was two miles away. I saw its red and green lights. The ship was moving as fast as possible. I stayed there until six o’clock. Then the firing started again.
The sailors prepared the Nautilus (the submarine) for a fight. They lowered the rails. They moved the lanterns inside the ship. Now the submarine was smooth and ready to hit the other ship.
The sun rose on June 2nd. The Nautilus (the submarine) slowed down. It let the warship come closer. I heard the shots hitting the water. I told my friends it was time to go.
We were very nervous. We went to the stairs, but the door closed. The submarine began to sink. Captain Nemo did not want to hit the top of the ship. He wanted to hit the ship under the water.
We were prisoners again. We could only watch the terrible event. I went to my room and waited. I heard the engines move faster. The whole ship started to shake.
Then I felt a shock. It was not very loud. The spur (the sharp steel point at the front of the ship) went into the other ship. It was like a needle going through cloth. We went straight through the ship.
I ran to the saloon. Captain Nemo was looking through the window. He was very quiet. I saw a dark shadow in the water. The warship was sinking into the deep ocean.
Water was rushing into the broken ship. I saw the guns and the sailors. The poor men were climbing up the masts. They were trying to stay above the water.
Then there was a loud explosion. The air inside the ship blew up the decks. The ship sank very fast. I saw the last of the masts disappear. All the sailors were gone.
I looked at Captain Nemo. He was still watching. When it was finished, he went to his room. I followed him. On his wall, I saw a picture of a young woman and two children.
Captain Nemo looked at the picture. He reached out his arms to them. Then he knelt down and started to cry. He was very, very sad.