Chapter 3, Sinking But Saved The fall I took was so hard that I can't really remember what happened.
At first, I sank into the water about 20 feet.
I'm a good swimmer, so this didn't scare me.
I came right back up to the top.
But as I looked around in the darkness, I saw a black object disappearing in the east.
Its lights were slowly fading.
It was the ship.
I was lost.
Help!
Help!
I shouted, swimming toward the Abraham Lincoln.
My clothes stuck to me and stopped me from moving around.
I was sinking.
I was choking.
Help!
Help!
This was my last cry.
My mouth filled with water.
I struggled to stay above the water.
Suddenly, my clothes were grabbed by a strong hand and I felt myself pulled to the surface.
Then I very clearly heard these words whispered in my ear.
Master, if you would lean on my shoulder, you would swim much easier.
I grabbed Conseil's arm.
Is that you?
I asked, unsure of where I was.
It is, answered Conseil, and I am waiting for your orders.
I guess we both fell into the sea.
No, replied Conseil, but since you are my master, I followed you in.
It was hard for me to believe that he had actually jumped in after me, but he was a true friend.
"'And the ship?'
I asked him.
"'The ship?' replied Conceal.
"'I don't think that you should count on her for help.
As I jumped into the water, I heard the men at the wheel say that the screw and the rudder were broken'.
"'Broken?'
Yes, broken by the monster's teeth.
It is the only damage done to the Abraham Lincoln.
But she is gone now.
We cannot get her attention.
Then we are lost, I said to myself.
Perhaps, said Gonsel, but we still have several hours.
We can do a lot in that amount of time.
Gonseil's worry-free attitude gave me a little hope, but the heaviness of my clothes around me made me think I could not get very far.
"'Would you like me to cut them?'
Gonseil asked.
With my permission, he used a knife to cut my clothing from top to bottom.
As I began to swim, they slipped off me easily.'
I did the same for him, and we continued to swim next to each other.
But our situation was still terrible.
Perhaps no one had noticed we were missing.
We still felt that our best hope was to continue swimming toward the ship.
It was now the middle of the night.
Perhaps by daylight we would be close enough for them to see us.
The tiredness seemed to hit me all at once.
I could swim no more.
We saw the ship.
It was still about five miles away.
We cried into the air, even though we would never be heard.
We listened.
It may have only been a whistle in my ear, but it seemed to me a cry answered mine.
Did you hear?
I murmured.
Yes!
Yes!
Gonsel gave one more frantic call.
This time there was no mistake.
A human voice answered ours.
Was it a voice of another person left in the middle of the ocean?
Was a boat from the ship trying to find us in the darkness?
Konseil cried out one last time.
Then he fell back into the water, exhausted.
What did you see?
I saw, he said, saving his breath.
What had he seen?
The monster?
But what about the voice?
I had hardly heard it.
My strength was gone.
My fingers were stiff.
My mouth relaxed and opened, letting the salt water in.
The coldness took over my body.
I raised my head for the last time and then I sank.
A hard object hit me at just that moment.
I clung to it and felt as if I was being pulled up.
I felt myself at the top of the water.
It was then that I fainted.
The quick rubbing by Conceal brought me back around.
I half opened my eyes.
Conceal, I murmured, what do you need?
Just then, the light of the moon sank down into the horizon.
In the glow of light, I saw a face that was not Conceal's.
I knew this face right away.
Ned, I cried, were you thrown into the sea by the rocking of the ship?
Yes, Professor, but I was lucky.
I found an island.
An island, I said.
Well, I guess I should say I got my footing on the gigantic narwhal.
What do you mean?
I asked, very confused.
I did harpoon the beast, but the weapon did not even pierce the skin.
In fact, the harpoon bent.
Why, Ned, why?
I asked.
Because, Professor, the beast is made out of sheet iron.
Ned's words put so many thoughts in my brain.
I climbed to the top of the object and kicked it.
The body was hard, not like the outside of most water animals.
But could it be a reptile like a turtle or an alligator?
No, this was a man-made object.
It was smooth and made of steel.
It was clear that we were lying on the back of some sort of boat.
The boat looked like a huge steel fish.
Just then, a bubbling began at the back of the strange object.
It began to move.
We had only enough time to grab hold of the upper part, which stuck about seven feet out of the water.
As long as it keeps going straight, we will be fine, Ned said.
But if it decides to dive, we are finished.
The night was long, but daylight finally came.
The fog from the morning soon left.
I could actually begin to see the deck and railing of the machine.
Ned kicked the steel we were standing on.
"'Open up, monster!' he said.
It took me only a minute to figure out my friend wanted to be let inside.
The boat we were on was slowly sinking.
Luckily for us, the sinking stopped.
Suddenly, a noise like the banging of metal came from inside the boat.
One metal square was moved and a man appeared.
He let out an odd cry and disappeared.
Some minutes later, eight strong men appeared.
They waved us down inside the machine.
We followed, not knowing what to expect.
