Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Arronax is terrified. He is carried down a ladder along with Ned and Conseil. Fuming, Ned exclaims that the men who took them down there are barbaric. The prison cell into which the men are placed is brightly lit with the same “phosphorescence” as they saw when they first encountered the monster. The door opens, and two men enter. One is short and muscular, while the other is tall, the “finest specimen” of man Arronax has ever seemed. His eyes are wide-set, which makes his gaze far wider and deeper than that of the average person. The men speak to each other in a language Arronax doesn’t recognize.

Arronax introduces himself, Conseil, and Ned in French. When the two strangers don’t react, Arronax asks Ned to explain their story in English, but the men do not seem to understand this, either. Conseil then tries in German, but this is also a failure. After Arronax tries Latin, the men leave. Ned is furious, but Arronax urges him to remain calm. A servant of some kind enters and gives the men clothes made of mysterious fabric and serving them a meal. Each utensil is engraved with the phrase Mobilis in Mobili followed by the letter “N.” Arronax believes that N is the initial of the mysterious boat’s captain. The three men eat with enthusiasm, then immediately feel exhausted. Arronax’s anxieties about their situation subside into peaceful sleep.