ASMR Reading - Chapter 3

Transcript

This is Anna from annawinters.com I hope you're enjoying some Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Chapter 3 I form my resolution Three seconds after reading a letter of the Honorable Secretary of Marine I felt that my true vocation, the sole end of my life Was to chase this disturbing monster and purge it from the world But I had just returned from a fatiguing journey, weary and longing for repose I aspired to nothing more than against my country, my friends, my little lodging My dear and precious collections, but nothing could keep me back I forgot all, fatigue, friends and collections And accepted without hesitation the offer of the American government Besides, thought I, all roads lead back to Europe And a unicorn may be amiable enough to lead me towards the coast of France This worthy animal may allow itself to be caught in the seas of Europe For my particular benefit, and I will not bring back less than half a yard of his ivory halberd To the Museum of Natural History But in the meanwhile, I must seek this narwhal in the North Pacific Ocean Which, to return to France, was taking the road to the Antipodes Consul, I called in an impatient voice Consul was my servant, a true devoted Flemish boy Who had accompanied me in all my travels I liked him, and he returned to liking well He was quiet by nature, regular from principle, zealous from habit He'd be seeing little disturbance at the different surprises of life Very quick with his hand, and apt at any service required of him And despite his name, never giving advice even when asked for it Consul had followed me for the last ten years, wherever science led Never once did he complain of the length or fatigue of a journey Never make an objection to practice portmanteau for whatever country it might be Or wherever far away, whether China or Congo Besides all this, he had good health, which defied all sickness And solid muscles, but no nerves. Good morals are understood This boy was thirty years old, and his age to that of his master as fifteen to twenty May I be excused for saying that he was forty years old? But Consul had one fault He was ceremonious to a degree, and would never speak to me but in the third person Which was sometimes provoking Consul said that again, beginning with feverish hands to make preparations for my departure Suddenly I was sure of this devoted boy As a rule, I never asked him if it were convenient for him or not to follow me on my travels But this time, the expeditions and questions might be prolonged And the enterprise might be hazardous in pursuit of an animal capable of sinking a frigate as easily as an archer Here there was matter for reflection even to the most impassive men in the world What would Consul say?

Consul, I called a third time, Consul appeared Did you call, sir? said he, entering Yes, my boy, make preparations for me and yourself to leave in two hours As you please, sir, replied Consul quietly Not an instant to lose, lock in my trunk All travelling utensils, coats, shirts and stockings, without counting, as many as you can and make haste And your collections, sir? observed Consul They will keep them at the hotel We are not returning to Paris then? said Consul Oh, certainly, I answered very easily, by making a curve Will that curve please you, sir?

Oh, it would be nothing, not quite so direct a road, that is all We take our passage in the Abraham Khan As you think proper, sir, coolly replied Consul You see, my friend, it has to do with the monster, the famous Narwhal We are going to purge it from the seas A glorious mission, but a dangerous one We cannot tell where we may go These animals can be very capricious But we will go whether or not We have got a captain who is pretty wide awake Our luggage was transported to the deck of the frigate immediately I hastened on board and asked for Commander Farragut One of the sailors conducted me to the poop Where I found myself in the presence of a good-looking officer Who held out his hand to me Mr. Piramonax, said he Himself, replied I, Commander Farragut You are welcome, professor, the cabin is ready for you I vowed and desired to be conducted to the cabin destined for me The Abraham Lincoln had been well chosen and equipped for a new destination She was a frigate of great speed, fitted with high-pressure engines Which emitted a pressure of 7 atmospheres Under this, the Abraham Lincoln attained the mean speed of nearly 18 knots and a third an hour A considerable speed, but nevertheless insufficient to grapple with this gigantic citizen The interior arrangements of the frigate corresponded to its nautical qualities I was well satisfied with my cabin Which was in the afterpart opening up on the gondola We shall be well off here, said I to Consul As well, by Honour's eve, as a hermit crab in the shell of a whelk, said Consul I left Consul to store our transcompanion herewith And remounted the problem in order to survey the preparations for departure At that moment, Commander Farragut was ordering the last moorings to be cast loose Which held the Abraham Lincoln to the pier of Brooklyn Soon a quarter of an hour, perhaps less, the frigate would have sailed without me I should have missed this extraordinary, supernatural and incredible expedition The recital of which may well meet with some suspicion But Commander Farragut would not do that day nor hour When carving the seas in which the animal had been sighted He said for the engineer Is this thing full on, asked he Yes sir, replied the engineer Go ahead, cried Commander Farragut.