Latest / Daily Classic Sci Fi Books / 24 - Around The World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Chapter twenty four, during which mister Fogg and party crossed
- 0:04Speaker 1: the Pacific Ocean. What happened when the pilot boat came
- 0:10Speaker 1: in sight of Shanghai will be easily guessed. The signals
- 0:14Speaker 1: made by the tankadere had been seen by the captain
- 0:17Speaker 1: of the Yokohama steamer, who, espying the flag at half mast,
- 0:21Speaker 1: had directed his course towards the little craft. Phileas Fogg,
- 0:26Speaker 1: after paying the stipulated price of his passage to John
- 0:29Speaker 1: Busby and rewarding that worthy with the additional sum of
- 0:33Speaker 1: five hundred and fifty pounds, ascended the steamer with Aouda
- 0:37Speaker 1: and fix, and they started at once for Nagasaki and Yokohama.
- 0:42Speaker 1: They reached their destination on the morning of the fourteenth
- 0:45Speaker 1: of November. Phileas Fogg lost no time in going on
- 0:48Speaker 1: board the Carnatic, where he learned to Owdea's great delight
- 0:53Speaker 1: and perhaps to his own, though he betrayed no emotion
- 0:56Speaker 1: that Passepartout, a Frenchman, had really arrived done her the
- 1:00Speaker 1: day before. The San Francisco steamer was announced to leave
- 1:05Speaker 1: that very evening, and it became necessary to find Passepartout,
- 1:09Speaker 1: if possible without delay, mister Fogg applied in vain to
- 1:13Speaker 1: the French and English consuls, and after wandering through the
- 1:18Speaker 1: streets a long time, began to despair of finding his
- 1:21Speaker 1: missing servant. Chance, or perhaps a kind of presentiment, at
- 1:26Speaker 1: last led him into the honorable mister Battlecr's theater. He
- 1:31Speaker 1: certainly would not have recognized Passepartout in the eccentric Mountebank's costume,
- 1:36Speaker 1: but the latter, lying on his back, perceived his master
- 1:39Speaker 1: in the gallery. He could not help starting, which so
- 1:43Speaker 1: changed the position of his nose as to bring the
- 1:46Speaker 1: pyramid Pellmell upon the stage. All this Passpartout learned from Aouda,
- 1:53Speaker 1: who recounted to him what had taken place on the
- 1:55Speaker 1: voyage from Hong Kong to Shanghai on the Takadare in
- 1:59Speaker 1: company with one mister Fix. Passepartout did not change countenance
- 2:04Speaker 1: on hearing this name. He thought that the time had
- 2:07Speaker 1: not yet arrived to divulge to his master what had
- 2:10Speaker 1: taken place between the detective and himself, And in the
- 2:14Speaker 1: account he gave of his absence, he simply excused himself
- 2:18Speaker 1: for having been overtaken by drunkenness in smoking opiumta tavern
- 2:22Speaker 1: in Hong Kong. Mister Fogg heard this narrative coldly, without
- 2:27Speaker 1: a word, and then furnished his man with funds necessary
- 2:31Speaker 1: to obtain clothing more in harmony with his position. Within
- 2:37Speaker 1: an hour, the Frenchman had cut off his nose and
- 2:40Speaker 1: parted with his wings, and retained nothing about him, which
- 2:43Speaker 1: recalled the sectary of the god Tingou. The steamer which
- 2:48Speaker 1: was about to depart from Yokohama to San Francisco, belonged
- 2:52Speaker 1: to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and was named the
- 2:55Speaker 1: General Grant. She was a large paddlewheel steamer of twas
- 3:00Speaker 1: two thousand, five hundred tons, well equipped and very fast.
- 3:05Speaker 1: The massive walking beam rose and fell above the deck.
- 3:09Speaker 1: At one end a piston rod worked up and down,
- 3:12Speaker 1: and at the other was a connecting rod, which, in
- 3:15Speaker 1: changing the rectilinear motion to a circular one, was directly
- 3:19Speaker 1: connected with the shaft of the paddles. The General Grant
- 3:23Speaker 1: was rigged with three masts, giving a large capacity for
- 3:26Speaker 1: sales and thus materially aiding the steam power. By making
- 3:31Speaker 1: twelve miles an hour, she would cross the ocean in
- 3:33Speaker 1: twenty one days. Phileas Fogg was therefore justified in hoping
- 3:38Speaker 1: that he would reach San Francisco by the second of December,
- 3:42Speaker 1: New York by the eleventh, and London on the twentieth,
- 3:46Speaker 1: thus gaining several hours. On the fatal date of the
- 3:49Speaker 1: twenty first of December, there was a full complement of
- 3:53Speaker 1: passengers on board, among them English, many Americans, a large
- 3:58Speaker 1: number of coolies on their way to California, and several
- 4:02Speaker 1: East Indian officers who were spending their vacation in making
- 4:06Speaker 1: the tour of the world. Nothing of moment happened on
- 4:10Speaker 1: the voyage. The steamer sustained on its large paddles, rolled
- 4:14Speaker 1: but little, and the Pacific almost justified its name. Mister
- 4:20Speaker 1: Fogg was as calm and taciturn as ever. His young
- 4:24Speaker 1: companion felt herself more and more attached to him by
- 4:27Speaker 1: other ties than gratitude. His silent but generous nature impressed
- 4:32Speaker 1: her more than she thought, and it was almost unconsciously
- 4:35Speaker 1: that she yielded to emotions which did not seem to
- 4:38Speaker 1: have the least effect upon her. Protector. Aouta took the
- 4:42Speaker 1: keenest interest in his plans, and became impatient at any
- 4:46Speaker 1: instant which seemed likely to retard his journey. She often
- 4:50Speaker 1: chatted with Passepartout, who did not fail to perceive the
- 4:53Speaker 1: state of the lady's heart, and being the most faithful
- 4:57Speaker 1: of domestics, he never exhausted his youth eulogies of Phileas
- 5:01Speaker 1: Fogg's honesty, generosity, and devotion. He took pains to call
- 5:06Speaker 1: Maouda's doubts of a successful termination of the journey, telling
- 5:10Speaker 1: her that the most difficult part of it had passed,
- 5:13Speaker 1: that now they were beyond the fantastic countries of Japan
- 5:16Speaker 1: and China and were fairly on their way to civilize
- 5:19Speaker 1: places again. A railway train from San Francisco to New
- 5:23Speaker 1: York and a Transatlantic steamer from New York to Liverpool
- 5:27Speaker 1: would doubtless bring them to the end of this impossible
- 5:30Speaker 1: journey round the world within the period agreed upon. On
- 5:35Speaker 1: the ninth day after leaving Yokohama, Phileas Fogg had traversed
- 5:39Speaker 1: exactly one half of the terrestrial globe. The general Grant
- 5:44Speaker 1: passed on the twenty third of November the one hundred
- 5:47Speaker 1: and eightieth meridian, and was at the very antipodes of London.
- 5:52Speaker 1: Mister Fogg had, it is true, exhausted fifty two of
- 5:56Speaker 1: the eighty days in which he was to complete the tour,
- 6:00Speaker 1: and there were only twenty eight left. But though he
- 6:03Speaker 1: was only half way, by the difference of Meridians, he
- 6:06Speaker 1: had really gone over two thirds of the whole journey,
- 6:09Speaker 1: for he had been obliged to make long circuits from
- 6:11Speaker 1: London to Aiden, from Aiden to Bombay, from Calcutta to Singapore,
- 6:17Speaker 1: and from Singapore to Yokohama. Could he have followed without
- 6:21Speaker 1: deviation the fiftieth parallel, which is that of London, the
- 6:25Speaker 1: whole distance would only have been about twelve thousand miles,
- 6:29Speaker 1: whereas he would be forced by the irregular methods of
- 6:32Speaker 1: locomotion to traverse twenty six thousand, of which he had
- 6:37Speaker 1: on the twenty third of November accomplished seventeen thousand, five hundred.
- 6:42Speaker 1: And now the course was a straight one, and fix
- 6:45Speaker 1: was no longer there to put obstacles in their way.
- 6:49Speaker 1: It happened also on the twenty third of November that
- 6:52Speaker 1: Passpartu made a joyful discovery. It will be remembered that
- 6:56Speaker 1: the obstinate fellow had insisted on keeping his famous family
- 7:00Speaker 1: watch at London time, and on regarding that of the
- 7:03Speaker 1: countries he had passed through as quite false and unreliable. Now,
- 7:09Speaker 1: on this day, though he had not changed the hands,
- 7:12Speaker 1: he found that his watch exactly agreed with the ship's chronometers.
- 7:16Speaker 1: His triumph was hilarious. He would have liked to know
- 7:20Speaker 1: what Fix would say if he were aboard. Zabogue told
- 7:24Speaker 1: me a lot of stories, repeated Passepartout, about the Meridians,
- 7:29Speaker 1: the sun and the moon moon. Indeed, moonshine more likely
- 7:35Speaker 1: if one listened to that sort of people, a pretty
- 7:38Speaker 1: sort of time one would keep. I am sure that
- 7:41Speaker 1: the sun would some day regulate itself by my watch.
- 7:45Speaker 1: Passepartout was ignorant that if the face of his watch
- 7:48Speaker 1: had been divided into twenty four hours, like the Italian clocks,
- 7:53Speaker 1: he would have no reason for exultation, for the hands
- 7:56Speaker 1: of his watch would, then, instead of as now recording
- 8:00Speaker 1: nine o'clock in the morning, indicate nine o'clock in the evening,
- 8:05Speaker 1: that is, the twenty first hour after midnight, precisely the
- 8:08Speaker 1: difference between London time and that of the one hundred
- 8:11Speaker 1: and eightieth Meridian. But if Fix had been able to
- 8:15Speaker 1: explain this purely physical effect, pass Partout would not have admitted.
- 8:20Speaker 1: Even if he had comprehended it. Moreover, if the detective
- 8:24Speaker 1: had been on board at that moment, Passpartout would have
- 8:28Speaker 1: joined issue with him on a quite different subject and
- 8:31Speaker 1: in an entirely different manner. Where was Fix at that moment?
- 8:37Speaker 1: He was actually on board the general grant. On reaching Yokohama,
- 8:42Speaker 1: the detective, leaving mister Fogg, whom he expected to meet
- 8:46Speaker 1: again during the day, had repaired it once to the
- 8:49Speaker 1: English consulate, where he at last found the warrant of arrest.
- 8:54Speaker 1: It had followed him from Bombay and had come by
- 8:57Speaker 1: the Carnatic, on which steamer he himself was supposed to be.
- 9:02Speaker 1: Fix's disappointment may be imagined when he reflected that the
- 9:06Speaker 1: warrant was now useless. Mister Fogg had left English ground
- 9:10Speaker 1: and it was now necessary to procure his extradition. Well
- 9:16Speaker 1: thought Fix, after a moment of anger. My warrant is
- 9:20Speaker 1: not good here, but it will be in England. The
- 9:23Speaker 1: rogue evidently intends to return to his own country, thinking
- 9:27Speaker 1: he has thrown the police office track good. I will
- 9:31Speaker 1: follow him across the Atlantic. As for the money, havn't grant.
- 9:35Speaker 1: There may be some left, but the fellow has already
- 9:38Speaker 1: spent in traveling, rewards, trials, bail elephants, and all sorts
- 9:44Speaker 1: of charges more than five thousand pounds. Yet, after all,
- 9:50Speaker 1: the bank is rich. His course decided on, he went
- 9:55Speaker 1: on board the General Grant and was there when mister
- 9:58Speaker 1: Fogg and Aouda arrived. To his utter amazement, he recognized
- 10:03Speaker 1: Passepartout despite his theatrical disguise. He quickly concealed himself in
- 10:09Speaker 1: his cabin to avoid an awkward explanation, and hoped, thanks
- 10:14Speaker 1: to the number of passengers, to remain unperceived by mister
- 10:18Speaker 1: Fogg's servant. On that very day, however, he met Passepartout
- 10:24Speaker 1: face to face on the forward deck. The latter, without
- 10:28Speaker 1: a word, made a rush for him, grasped him by
- 10:31Speaker 1: the throat, and, much to the amusement of a group
- 10:34Speaker 1: of Americans, who immediately began to bet on him, administered
- 10:38Speaker 1: to the detective a perfect volley of blows which proved
- 10:42Speaker 1: the great superiority of French over English pugilistic skill. When
- 10:47Speaker 1: Passepartout had finished, he found himself relieved and comforted. Fix
- 10:52Speaker 1: got up in a somewhat rumpled condition, and, looking at
- 10:56Speaker 1: his adversary, coldly, said, have you done for this time. Yes,
- 11:04Speaker 1: then let me have a word with you, But I
- 11:09Speaker 1: in your master's interests. Passepartout seemed to be vanquished by
- 11:14Speaker 1: Fix's coolness, for he quietly followed him and they sat
- 11:18Speaker 1: down aside from the rest of the passengers. You have
- 11:22Speaker 1: given me a thrashing, said Fix. Good I expected it.
- 11:27Speaker 1: Now listen to me. Up to this time, I have
- 11:30Speaker 1: been mister Fogg's adversary. I am now in his game.
- 11:35Speaker 1: Ah ha, cried Passepartout. You are convinced he is an
- 11:39Speaker 1: honest man, no, replied Fix coldly. I think him a rascal.
- 11:45Speaker 1: Sh don't budge and let me speak. As long as
- 11:49Speaker 1: mister Fogg was on English ground, it was for my
- 11:52Speaker 1: interest to detain him there until my warrant of arrest arrived.
- 11:56Speaker 1: I did everything I could to keep him back. I
- 11:59Speaker 1: sent the Bombay priests after him. I got you intoxicated
- 12:03Speaker 1: at Hong Kong, I separated you from him, and I
- 12:07Speaker 1: made him miss the Yokohama steamer. Passepartout listened with closed
- 12:12Speaker 1: fists now resumed. Fix, mister Fogg seems to be going
- 12:19Speaker 1: back to England. Well, I will follow him there, but
- 12:23Speaker 1: hereafter I will do as much to keep obstacles out
- 12:25Speaker 1: of his way, as I have done up to this
- 12:28Speaker 1: time to put them in his path. I've changed my game,
- 12:31Speaker 1: you see, and simply because it was for my interest
- 12:34Speaker 1: to change it. Your interest is the same as mine,
- 12:38Speaker 1: For it is only in England that you will ascertain
- 12:40Speaker 1: whether you are in the service of a criminal or
- 12:43Speaker 1: an honest man. Passepartout listened very attentively to fix and
- 12:48Speaker 1: was convinced that he spoke with entire good faith. Are
- 12:52Speaker 1: we friends, asked the detective. Friends, no, replied Passepartout, But allies,
- 13:01Speaker 1: perhaps at the least sign of treason. However, I'll twist
- 13:05Speaker 1: your neck for you, agreed, said the detective quietly. Eleven
- 13:12Speaker 1: days later, on the third of December, the General Grant
- 13:15Speaker 1: entered the Bay of the Golden Gate and reached San Francisco.
- 13:19Speaker 1: Mister Fogg had neither gained nor lost a single day.
- 13:24Speaker 1: End of chapter