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This episode is brought to you by Neptune's old shepherds. Tonight, we'll read the next part to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. In the last episode, Professor Aaron X is devoted servant, Conce, and the Harpooner Nedland are cast of report and lost at sea after their confrontation with the giant mechanical Narwhal. They find themselves on a floating metal island that turns out to be the beast they imagined

they were hunting. Eventually, the vessel begins to sink, and just in the nick of time, the men are snatched and dragged into the belly of the craft by masked men. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now, take a few deep breaths. After a mobiles in mobileai. This forcible abduction so roughly carried out was accomplished with the rapidity of lightning. I shivered all over whom had we to deal with. No doubt some new sort of pirates who explored the sea in their own way. Hardly had the narrow panel closed upon me when I was encircled in darkness. My eyes dazzled with the outer light, could distinguish nothing. I felt my naked feet clinked the rungs of an iron ladder.

Nedland, and Konsei, firmly seized, followed me. At the bottom of the ladder, a door opened, and shut after us immediately with a bang, we were alone. Where? I could not say.

Hardly imagine.

All was black, and such a dense black that after some minutes my eyes had not been able to discern even the faintest glimmer. Meanwhile, Medland, Fiori, aset these proceedings, gave free vent to his indignation. Confound it, cried he, here are people who come up to the scotch for hospitality. They only just miss being cannibals. I should not be surprised at it, but I declare that they shall not eat me without my protesting. Calm yourself, friend, net. Calm yourself." Reply'd, con say, quietly. Do not cry out before you are hurt. We're not quite done for yet. Not quite. Sharply replied the Canadian, but pretty near at all events. Things look black.

Happily, my bowie knife I have still, and I can always see well enough to use it. The first of these pirates who lays a hand on me, do not excite yourself, Ned. I said to the harpooner, and do not compromise us by useless violence. Who knows that they will not listen to us? Let us rather try to find out where we are. I groped about, in five steps I came to an iron wall, made of plates bolted together. Then turning back I struck against a wooden table near which were ranged several stools. the other. Then turning back, I struck against a wooden table, near which were arranged

several stools. The bohards of this prison were concealed under a thick mat, which didn't the noise of the feet. The bare walls revealed no trace of window or door. Konsei, going round the reverse way, met me, and we went back to the middle of the cabin, which measured about twenty feet by ten. As to its height, that land, in spite of its own great height, could not measure it. Half an hour had already passed without our situation being bettered, when the dense darkness suddenly gave way to extreme light. Our prison was suddenly lighted, but as to say it became filled with luminous matter, so strong that I could not bear it at first. In its whiteness and intensity, I recognized that electric light, which played round the submarine boat, like a magnificent phenomena of phosphorescence. After shutting my eyes involuntarily, I opened them and saw that this luminous agent came from a half-globe, unpolished, placed in the roof of the cabin. At least one can see, cried Nedland, who, knife-in-hand, stood on the defensive, yes, said I, but we are still in the dark about ourselves. Let Master have patience," said Kahnze.

The Sun. but we are still in the dark about ourselves. Let Master have patience," said Kansai. The sudden lighting of the cabin enabled me to examine it minutely. It only contained a table and five stools. The invisible door might be hermetically sealed. No noise was heard. All seemed dead in the interior of this boat. Did it move? Did it float on the surface of the ocean? Or did it dive into its depths? I could not guess. A noise of bolts was now heard, the door opened, and two men appeared. One was short, very muscular, broad shouldered, with robust limbs, strong head, and abundance of black hair, thick mustache, a quick penetrating look, and the vivacity which characterized the population of southern France. The second stranger merits a more detailed description. I made out his prevailing qualities directly, self-confidence, because his head was well set on his shoulders, and his black eyes looked around with cold assurance. Comness, for his skin, rather pale, showed his coolness of blood, evinced by the rapid contraction of his lofty brows, and courage, because his deep breathing denoted great power of lungs. Whether this person was thirty-five or fifty years of age I could not say, he was tall, had a large forehead, straight nose, a clearly cut mouth, beautiful teeth, with fine taper hands, indicative of a highly nervous temperament. This man was certainly the most admirable specimen I had ever met. One particular feature was his eyes, rather far from each other, and which could take in nearly a quarter of the horizon at once. This faculty, I verified it later, gave him a range of vision far superior to netlands. When this stranger fixed upon an object, his eyebrows met, his large eyelids closed around so as to contract the range of his vision. And he looked as if he magnified the objects lessened by distance, as if he pierced those sheets of water, so opaque to our eyes. And as if he rent the very depths of the seas. The two strangers, with caps made from the fur of the sea-awder, and shot with sea boots of seals' skin, were dressed in clothes of particular texture, which allowed free movement of the limbs. The taller of the two, evidently the chief on board, examined us with great attention, without saying a word. Then, turning to his companion, talked with him in an unknown tongue. It was sonorous, harmonious, and flexible dialect. The vowel seeming to admit a very varied accentuation. The other replied by a shake of the head, and added two or three perfectly incomprehensible words, then he seemed to question me by a look. I replied in good French that I did not know his language, but he seemed not to understand me, and my situation became more embarrassing. If Master were to tell our story," said Kancei, perhaps these gentlemen may understand some words. I began to tell our adventures, articulating each syllable clearly and without omitting one single detail. I announce our names and a rank, introducing in-person Professor Aeronax, his servant Conce, and Master Nedland, the Harpooner. The man with the soft calm eyes listened to me quietly, even politely, and with extreme attention. But nothing in his countenance indicated that he had understood my story. When I finished, he said not a word. There remained one resource to speak English. Perhaps they would know this almost universal language. I knew it, as well as the German language, well enough to read it fluently, but not to speak it correctly. But anyhow, we must make ourselves understood. Go on in your turn, I said to the Harpooner, speak your best angle of Saxon and try to do better than I. Net did not beg off and recommenced our story. To his great disgust, the Harpooner did not seem to have made himself more intelligible than I had. Our visitors did not stir. They evidently understood neither the language of England nor of France. Very much embarrassed, after having vainly exhausted our speaking resources, I knew not what part to take when Konsei said. If Master will permit me, I will relate it in German. in spite of the elegant terms and good accent of the narrator, the German language had no success. At last, non-plussed, I tried to remember my first lessons and to narrate our adventures in Latin. But with no better success. This last attempt being of no avail, the strangers exchanged some words in their unknown language and retired, the door shut. It is an infamous shame, Cretnette Land, who broke out for the 20th time. We speak to those rogues in French, English, German, and Latin, and not one of them has the politeness to answer. Calm yourself. I said to the impetuous Ned, anger will do no good. But do you see, Professor? Reply'd our companion, that we shall absolutely die of hunger in this iron cage. Ba said Konsei philosophically. We can hold out some time yet. My friends, I said, we must not despair. We have been worse off than this. Do me the favor to wait a little before forming an opinion upon the commander and crew of this boat. My opinion is formed. Replyed in that land. They are rascals. Good, and from what country? From the land of rogues? My brave Ned, that country is not clearly indicated on the map of the world, but I admit that the nationality of the two strangers is hard to determine. Neither English, French, nor German, that is quite certain. However, I am inclined to think that the commander and his companion were born in low latitudes. There is Southern blood in them, but I cannot decide by their appearance whether they are Spaniards, Turks, Arabians, or Indians. As to their language, it is quite incomprehensible to my ears. There is the disadvantage of not knowing all languages," said Kancei, or the disadvantage of not having one universal language. As he set these words, the door opened, a steward entered, he brought his clothes, coats, and trousers.

Made of stuff I did not know. I hastened to dress myself and my companions followed my example. During that time, the steward, dumb, perhaps deaf, had arranged the table and laid three plates. This is something I like.

Set Kansai.

Ba said the angry harpooner. What do you suppose they eat here? Tortoise liver? Faleed shark? Beef steaks from sea dogs. We shall see," said Kansai. The dishes of bell metal were placed on the table and we took our places.

Undoubtedly we had to do with civilized people and had it not been for the electric light

which flooded us. I could have fancied I was in the dining room of the Adelphi Hotel at Liverpool

or at the Grand Hotel in Paris. I must say, however, that there was neither bread nor wine. The water was fresh and clear, but it was water and did not suit medlands taste. Amongst the dishes which were brought to us, I recognized several fish delicately dressed. But of some, although excellent, I could give no opinion. Neither could I tell to what kingdom they belonged, whether animal or vegetable. As to the dinner service, it was elegant and in perfect taste. Each utensil, spoon, fork, knife, plate, had a letter engraved on it with a motto above it, of which this is an exact facsimile. Mobulus and Mobili, N. The letter N was noted out the initial of the name of the enigma, the person who commanded at the bottom of the seas. Ned and Kansai did not reflect much. They devoured the food, and I did likewise. I was, besides, reassured as to our fate, and it seemed evident that our hosts would not let us die of want.

However, everything has an end. Everything passes away, even the hunger of people who have not eaten

for fifteen hours. Our appetite satisfied, we felt overcome with sleep. Faith, I shall sleep well," said Kansai. Social I replied, netland. My two companions stretched themselves on the cabin carpet, and were soon sound asleep. For my own part, too many thoughts crowded my brain. Too many insoluble questions pressed upon me. Too many fancies kept my eyes half open. Where were we? What strange power carried us on? I felt, or rather fancy I felt, the machine sinking down to the lowest beds of the sea. Dreadful nightmares beset me. I saw in these mysterious asylums a world of unknown animals amongst which this submarine boat seemed to be of the same kind, living, moving, and formidable as they. Then my brain grew calmer, my imagination wandered into vague unconsciousness, and I soon fell into a deep sleep. Chapter 9 Netlands Tempers How long we slept I do not know, but our sleep must have lasted long for it rested us completely

from our fatigues. I woke first. My companions had not moved and were still stretched in their corner.

Hardly roused from my somewhat hard couch. I felt my brain freed, my mind clear. I then began an attentive examination of our cell. Nothing was changed inside. The prison was still a prison. The prisoners, prisoners. However, the steward, during our sleep, had cleared the table. I breathed with difficulty. The heavy air seemed to oppress my lungs. Although the cell was large, we had evidently consumed a great part of the oxygen that had contained. Indeed, each man consumes in one hour the oxygen contained in more than 176 pints of air, and this air charged as then with a nearly equal quantity of carbonic acid becomes unbreatable. It became necessary to renew the atmosphere of our prison and no doubt the whole in the submarine boat. That gave rise to a question in my mind, how would the commander of this floating dwelling place proceed? Would he obtain air by chemical means, in getting by heat the oxygen contained in chlorate of potash, and in absorbing carbonic acid by caustic potash, or a more convenient, economical, and consequently more probable alternative, would he be satisfied to rise and take breath at the surface of the water like a whale, and so renew for 24 hours the atmospheric provision. In fact, I was already obliged to increase my respirations to eke out of this cell the little oxygen it contained. When suddenly I was refreshed by a current of pure air and perfumed with saline emanations. It was an invigorating sea breeze, charged with iodine. I opened my mouth wide, and my lungs saturated themselves with fresh particles. At the same time I felt the boat rolling. The iron-plated monster had evidently just risen to the surface of the ocean to breathe after the fashion of whales. I found out from that the mode of ventilating the boat. When I had inhaled this air freely, I sought the conduit pipe, which conveyed to us the beneficial whiff, and I was not long in finding it. Above

the door was a ventilator, through which volumes of fresh air renewed the impoverished atmosphere of the cell. I was making my observations when Ned and Konsei awoke almost at the same time under the influence of this reviving air. They rubbed their eyes, stretched themselves, and were on their feet in an instant. Did Master sleep well, asked con say with his usual politeness? Very well, And you, Mr. Land?

I'm soundly, Professor, but I don't know if I am right or not. There seems to be a sea breeze. A seaman could not be mistaken, and I told the Canadian all that had passed during his sleep. Good, said he.

That accounts for those roaring we heard.

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