Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne

Part 2 · Chapter 23Conclusion

So, that’s how the underwater trip ended. What happened that night - how the boat got out of the swirling mess of the maelstrom - how Ned Land, Conseil, and I even made it out of the gulf, I honestly cann't say.

But when I woke up, I was lying in a fisherman’s shack on the Lofoden Isles. My two friends, totally fine, were right there, holding my hands. We hugged each other like crazy.

Right then, we weren’t thinking about going back to France. Getting messages between northern Norway and the south isn't easy. So, I had to wait for the steamboat that runs once a month from Cape North.

And, thanks to the really kind people who took us in, I’m going over these adventures one last time. I didn't leave anything out, and I definitely didn’t exaggerate anything. It’s a true story of this insane trip into a world that humans can’t normally reach, but that progress will someday open up.

Will anyone believe me? I don’t know. And honestly, it doesn’t really matter. What I’m saying is, I have the right to talk about these seas, under which, in less than ten months, I crossed twenty thousand miles on that submarine tour of the world, which showed me so many amazing things.

But what happened to the Nautilus? Did it survive the crushing force of the maelstrom? Is Captain Nemo still alive? And is he still out there, seeking revenge under the ocean? Or did he stop after the last disaster?

Will the waves ever carry this manuscript, with the story of his life, to him? Will I ever learn his name? Will the missing ship tell us what country Captain Nemo is from?

I hope so. And I also hope his powerful vessel conquered the sea at its most terrifying spot, and that the Nautilus is still going strong, when so many other ships have vanished! If that’s true - if Captain Nemo still lives in the ocean, his chosen home - may his anger calm down!

May seeing all those wonders forever put an end to his desire for revenge! May the judge disappear, and the philosopher continue peacefully exploring the sea! His destiny might be strange, but it's also incredible. Didn't I understand that myself? Didn't I live ten months of this unbelievable life?

And to the question that Ecclesiastes asked three thousand years ago, "What is far off and exceeding deep, who can find it out?" only two people alive now have the right to answer - CAPTAIN NEMO AND ME.

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Chapters

  1. Part 1. Chapter 1. A Shifting ReefA Shifting Reef
  2. Part 1. Chapter 2. Pro and ConPro and Con
  3. Part 1. Chapter 3. I Form My ResolutionI Form My Resolution
  4. Part 1. Chapter 4. Ned LandNed Land
  5. Part 1. Chapter 5. At a VentureAt a Venture
  6. Part 1. Chapter 6. At Full SteamAt Full Steam
  7. Part 1. Chapter 7. An Unknown Species of WhaleAn Unknown Species of Whale
  8. Part 1. Chapter 8. Mobilis in MobiliMobilis in Mobili
  9. Part 1. Chapter 9. Ned Land’s TempersNed Land’s Tempers
  10. Part 1. Chapter 10. The Man of the SeasThe Man of the Seas
  11. Part 1. Chapter 11. All by ElectricityAll by Electricity
  12. Part 1. Chapter 12. Some FiguresSome Figures
  13. Part 1. Chapter 13. The Black RiverThe Black River
  14. Part 1. Chapter 14. A Note of InvitationA Note of Invitation
  15. Part 1. Chapter 15. A Walk on the Bottom of the SeaA Walk on the Bottom of the Sea
  16. Part 1. Chapter 16. A Submarine ForestA Submarine Forest
  17. Part 1. Chapter 17. Four Thousand Leagues Under the PacificFour Thousand Leagues Under the Pacific
  18. Part 1. Chapter 18. VanikoroVanikoro
  19. Part 1. Chapter 19. Torres StraitsTorres Straits
  20. Part 1. Chapter 20. A Few Days on LandA Few Days on Land
  21. Part 1. Chapter 21. Captain Nemo’s ThunderboltCaptain Nemo’s Thunderbolt
  22. Part 1. Chapter 22. “ægri Somnia”“ægri Somnia”
  23. Part 1. Chapter 23. The Coral KingdomThe Coral Kingdom
  24. Part 2. Chapter 1. The Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean
  25. Part 2. Chapter 2. A Novel Proposal of Captain Nemo’sA Novel Proposal of Captain Nemo’s
  26. Part 2. Chapter 3. A Pearl of Ten MillionsA Pearl of Ten Millions
  27. Part 2. Chapter 4. The Red SeaThe Red Sea
  28. Part 2. Chapter 5. The Arabian TunnelThe Arabian Tunnel
  29. Part 2. Chapter 6. The Grecian ArchipelagoThe Grecian Archipelago
  30. Part 2. Chapter 7. The Mediterranean in Forty‐eight HoursThe Mediterranean in Forty‐eight Hours
  31. Part 2. Chapter 8. Vigo BayVigo Bay
  32. Part 2. Chapter 9. A Vanished ContinentA Vanished Continent
  33. Part 2. Chapter 10. The Submarine Coal‐minesThe Submarine Coal‐mines
  34. Part 2. Chapter 11. The Sargasso SeaThe Sargasso Sea
  35. Part 2. Chapter 12. Cachalots and WhalesCachalots and Whales
  36. Part 2. Chapter 13. The IcebergThe Iceberg
  37. Part 2. Chapter 14. The South PoleThe South Pole
  38. Part 2. Chapter 15. Accident or Incident?Accident or Incident?
  39. Part 2. Chapter 16. Want of AirWant of Air
  40. Part 2. Chapter 17. From Cape Horn to the AmazonFrom Cape Horn to the Amazon
  41. Part 2. Chapter 18. The PoulpsThe Poulps
  42. Part 2. Chapter 19. The Gulf StreamThe Gulf Stream
  43. Part 2. Chapter 20. From Latitude 47° 24′ to Longitude 17° 28′From Latitude 47° 24′ to Longitude 17° 28′
  44. Part 2. Chapter 21. A HecatombA Hecatomb
  45. Part 2. Chapter 22. The Last Words of Captain NemoThe Last Words of Captain Nemo
  46. Part 2. Chapter 23. ConclusionConclusion

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