English
Adaylater,weweremanyleaguesfromthecoast.
‘Theroadshereareverybad,MrAronnax,’CaptainNemosaid.‘Butdoyouwanttowalkonthemwithme?’
Roadsunderthesea?Ididn’tunderstand.ButIputonmydivingsuitandwentwiththecaptain.
Nemowalkedquicklyunderwater.Iwantedtostaywithhim,butitwasverydifficult.Myfeetcamedownontheseafloor,buttheseafloormovedwithme.Whatwasundermyfeet?
Foralongtimewedidn’tstopwalking,andthenIhadtheanswertomyquestion.Therewereoldhousesontheseafloor!ButwhyweretherebuildingshereintheAtlantic,underthreehundredmetresofwater?
Theseafloorwentup.CaptainNemostoppedwalkingandstartedtowritewithhishandinthewater:‘ATLANTIS’.
Atlantis!Thereweremanystoriesaboutthisunderwatercountry,butformanypeopletheywereonlystories.Ilookeddown.Therewasabigtownontheseafloor.
Foralongtime,Ididn’tmove.IwasoneofthefirstpeopleinAtlantisforhundredsofyears.Iwantedtorememberit.
AfterourvisittoAtlantis,theNautilusdidn’tstop.Formanyweeks,thesunwasverystrong.Thentheairstartedtogetcoldandtherewasiceinthesea.WewereintheseasoftheAntarctic.
Fourdaysafterthefirstice,theNautilusstopped.Therewasiceinfrontofusandicebehindus.
Wecan’tmove,’NedsaidtoConseilandme.‘Howarewegoingtoescapefromtheice?’
ButCaptainNemocametousandsaid,‘We’regoingtobethefirstpeopleattheSouthPole.Wecangetthereinasubmarine,becausethere’swaterunderthisice.There’sonlyoneproblem:wecan’tcomeupforair.’
TheNautiluswentdownanddown.Atthreehundredmetres,wewereundertheiceandtherewaswaterinfrontofusagain.WestartedtomovequicklytotheSouthPole.Afteraday,wewereunderathousandmetresofice.
Butthemorningafterthat,therewereonlyfiftymetresofice...thentwenty...ten...five...AndthentheNautiluscameupintotheairandtheopensea.WewereattheSouthPole!
Itwasn’tverycold—perhaps3°C.Westayedthereforthreehappydaysandlookedatalotofinterestinganimalsandfish.Thenwewentundertheiceagain.
Thatnight,therewasabignoise.CaptainNemosaid,‘Theicemovedatthewrongtime,andnowwe’vegotaproblem.We’reunderthreehundredmetresofice,butthere’siceunderus,too,andonourleftandright.We’reinatunnel.Butinfrontofusthere’swater,andit’sgoingtotakeusuptotheair.’
TheNautilusmovedquicklyinthetunnel,butthentherewasanoiseagain.Therewasnowiceinfrontofus,too.TheNautilusstartedtogoback.Thesamenoise.Icebehindus.
‘We’realldead!’NedLandsaid.
‘We’vegotairfortwodays,’CaptainNemoanswered.‘Afterthat,whoknows?ButthereareonlytenmetresoficeundertheNautilus-,underthat,there’swateragain.Wecanmakeaholeintheicewithknivesandspears,andtheNautiluscanescapefromthetunnelintoopenwater.’
Wedressedindivingsuitsandstartedtoworkwiththeknivesandspears.Butitwasabigjob-perhapsfourorfivedays’work.Andwedidn’thavefivedays...
Afterthreedays,wewereallillbecausetherewasn’tanynewair.Butwedidn’tstopworking.
CaptainNemoworkedwithus.Thenhesaid,‘Intothesubmarine,allofyou!Thereareonlytwometresoficeunderusnow.TheNautilusisgoingtodoourworkforus.’
TheNautiluswasstrongandheavy.Itwentdownintoourholeagainandagain.Theicestartedtomove,andsuddenlywewereinopenwater.
Buttherewasn’tanyairontheboat,andwewereallveryill.TheNautilusmovedundertheice.Wewaitedandwaited.Iclosedmyeyesandstartedtosleep.OrwasIdead?
Then,suddenly,myeyesopened.Whatwasthatnoise?
‘TheNautilusishittingiceagain,butthisiceisthin,’Conseilsaid.‘Perhapswe’regoingtobeOK.’
TheNautilustriedagainandagain.Firstthereweresmallholesintheice.Then,suddenly,therewasonebighole.TheNautiluswentupintoit.Weweren’tdead!Wehadair!
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