The men took us inside the machine very quickly. It was fast like lightning. I was very afraid. I thought these men were pirates (criminals who rob ships at sea).
A metal door closed above me. Suddenly, everything was black. I could not see my hands. Professor Aronnax, Ned Land, and Conseil were together in the dark.
Ned Land was very angry. He shouted at the walls. He was a brave hunter and he wanted to fight. Conseil told Ned Land to be quiet. Conseil wanted to wait and see what happened next.
I moved around the room in the dark. I touched the walls. They were made of hard iron. I found a wooden table and some stools. The room was small.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared. It was very strong and white. This was the same electric light we saw in the ocean. Now we could see the room clearly.
The door opened and two men entered. One man was short and very strong. The other man was tall. He had a large forehead and calm, dark eyes.
The tall man looked like a leader. He looked at Professor Aronnax, Ned Land, and Conseil for a long time. He did not say anything. He looked very intelligent and serious.
I spoke to the man in French. I told him our names and our story. The man listened, but he did not answer. He did not move his face.
Then Ned Land spoke to the man in English. Ned Land was very loud. The man still did not answer. Then Conseil spoke in German. Finally, I spoke in Latin.
The two strangers did not understand our languages. They talked to each other in a strange language. I did not recognize the words. Then the two men left the room.
Ned Land was furious. He shouted because the men did not answer us. He thought we would die of hunger in the iron room. He was very hungry and tired.
I told Ned Land to stay calm. I did not know where the men were from. They were not French, English, or German. Their language was a mystery.
Soon, the door opened again. A steward (a worker who serves food and helps people on a ship) entered the room. He brought us new clothes.
The clothes were made of a strange, soft material. We put on the new clothes. Then the steward put plates and food on the table. He did not speak to us.
We sat down at the table. The plates and spoons were very expensive and beautiful. The food was delicious. It was all from the sea, but it tasted like meat.
There was no bread and no wine. We drank fresh, cold water. Every plate had a letter "N" on it. Above the letter were the words: Mobilis in Mobili.
This is a Latin phrase. It means "moving in a moving thing." I thought the letter "N" was the name of the captain of the submarine.
We finished our dinner. We were not hungry now, but we were very tired. Ned Land and Conseil laid down on the floor. They fell asleep quickly.
I could not sleep. I had many questions in my head. Where were we? Who were these people? I felt the machine move deep into the water. Finally, I fell into a deep sleep too.