Chapter XVIII Created at 12/27/2007 12:31:48 PM

IN WHICH ONE WILL SEE THAT THE GALLIENS ARE PREPARING TO CONTEMPLATE FROM AN ELEVATION THE WHOLE OF THEIR ASTEROID

What could be the consequences of this serious event from the point of view of Gallia? Captain Servadac and his companions did not yet dare to answer this question.

The sun returned promptly on the horizon, and all the more quickly as the splitting had initially produced this result: if the sense of the rotational movement of Gallia had not been modified, if the comet was still moving on its axis from east to west, the duration of this diurnal rotation had decreased by half. The interval between two risings of the sun was no more than six hours instead of twelve. [Six]{Three} hours after having appeared on the horizon, the radiant star was setting on the opposite horizon.

"Mordioux! Captain Servadac had said, that makes a year of two thousand eight hundred days for us!

"There will never be enough saints for this calendar there! "Ben-Zouf had replied.

And in fact, if Palmyrin Rosette wanted to reapportion his calendar according to the new duration of the Gallien days, he would come to speak about the 238th of June or the 325th of December!

As for this piece of Gallia which carried the English and Gibraltar, it was manifestly visible that it did not revolve around the comet any more. It receded from it, on the contrary. But had it swept along with it an unspecified portion of the sea and atmosphere of Gallia? Were there sufficient conditions of habitability? And, in finally, would it ever return to the earth?

On would know eventually.

What were to be the consequences of the splitting on the course of Gallia? That is what the Count Timascheff, Captain Servadac and Lieutenant Procope had wondered first of all. They had initially sensed an increase in their muscular forces and confirmed a new reduction of gravity. The mass of Gallia having decreased in a notable proportion, would not its speed be modified, and could one not fear that a retard or an advance in its revolution might make it miss the earth?

That would have been an irreparable misfortune!

But had the speed of Gallia varied, even a little? Lieutenant Procope did not think so. However he did not dare to express an opinion, not having sufficient knowledge in these matters.

Only Palmyrin Rosette could answer this question. It was thus necessary, in one way or another, by persuasion or by force, to oblige him to speak, and to say at the same time what was the precise hour at which the meeting would take place.

Initially, during the following days, one could note that the professor was of an unbearable mood. Was it because of the loss of his famous telescope, or could not one rather conclude this from it: that the splitting had not reduced the speed of Gallia, and that, consequently, it would meet the earth at the same precise time as originally computed. Indeed, if, in consequence of the separation, the comet had advanced or had retarded, if the return had been compromised, the satisfaction of Palmyrin Rosette would have been such that he would not have been able to contain it. Since his joy did not overflow, it must have been because he did not have any reason to be merry, -- at least on this count.

Captain Servadac and his companions thus counted on this remark, but that was not enough. It was necessary to tear out his secret from this hedgehog.

Finally, Captain Servadac succeeded. Here then are the circumstances:

It was on the 18th of December. Palmyrin Rosette, exasperated, had just sustained a violent discussion with Ben-Zouf. The latter had insulted the professor in the person of his comet! What a star, my faith, which was dislocated like a child’s toy, which burst like a wineskin, and which was split like a dry nut! Much like living on a shell, on a bomb, whose fuze is lit! And so on. In short, [one easily imagines the things which Ben-Zouf had been able to embroider on this topic]{Hector Servadac's orderly went as far as to say so much and such things about Gallia that Palmyrin Rosette did not burst out raging mad, like a firecracker, because of, one would say, a miracle of the divine Providence}. The two interlocutors had thrown one Gallia, the other Montmartre, to the opponent's head.

It was by chance it happened that Captain Servadac intervened at the most heated point of the discussion. Was this an inspiration from above? but he said that since sweetness did not succeed with Palmyrin Rosette, perhaps violence would act more effectively, and he took the part of Ben-Zouf.

Great anger from the professor, which resulted instantantly in the most sour words.

Anger, but pretended anger, from Captain Servadac, who finished by saying:

"M. Professor, you have a freedom of language which is not agreeable to me and which I am determined not to suffer any more! You do not remember enough that you are speaking to the governor general of Gallia!"

"And you," counteracted the irascible astronomer, "you forget too much that you are responding to its owner!"

"It does not matter, M. Professor! Your rights of ownership are, after all, very questionable!"

"Questionable?"

"And since it is impossible for us, right now, to return to the earth, you will conform from now on to the laws which govern Gallia!"

"Ah! really!" answered Palmyrin Rosette, "I will have to subject myself in the future."

"Absolutely."

"Now especially that Gallia will never be able to return to the earth?...

"And that, consequently, are we are destined to live there eternally," answered Captain Servadac.

"And why should Gallia not return again to the earth?" asked the professor with an accent of utter contempt.

"Because since it has separated," answered Captain Servadac, "its mass decreased, and that, consequently, a change may have occurred in its speed."

"And who said that?"

"Me, everyone!"

"Well, Captain Servadac, you and everyone, you are..."

"M. Rosette!"

"Ignoramuses, stupid asses, who do not know anything about celestial mechanics!"

"Beware!"

"Nor with the most elementary physics..."

"Mister Rosette!..."

"Ah! bad pupil!" the professor began again, whose anger reached a fever pitch. "I have not forgotten that you formerly dishonoured my class!..."

"It is too much!..."

"That you were the shame of Charlemagne!..."

"You will keep silent, or else..."

"No, I will not keep myself silent, and you will listen to me, whatever kind of captain you are! Really! What physicists! Because the mass of Gallia had decreased, they reasoned that that could modify its tangential velocity! As if this speed did not depend solely on its original speed combined with the solar attraction! As if the disturbances were not obtained without taking account of the masses of the disturbed stars! Are the masses of comets known? No! Are their disturbances calculated? Yes! Ah! you make me take pity! "

The professor flew into a rage. Ben-Zouf, taking the anger of Captain Servadac seriously, told him:

"Do you want me to break him in two, my captain, that I split him like his rotten comet?"

"Well, you only touch me!" Palmyrin Rosette exclaimed while straightening up to his small height.

"Sir," retorted Captain Servadac vividly, "I will be able to make you see reason!"

"And me, to prosecute you for threats and assaults before the courts of competent jurisdiction!"

"Courts of Gallia?"

"No, sir captain, but those of the earth!

"Nonsense! The earth is far!" replied Captain Servadac.

"However far it is," Palmyrin Rosette exclaimed, carried beyond any measurement, "we anyway will cut the edge of its orbit in the ascending node, on the night of 31st December to 1st of January, and we will arrive there at two hours forty-seven minutes thirty-five and six tenths seconds of the morning!..."

"My dear professor," answered Captain Servadac with a gracious salute, "I could not ask any more of you! "

And he left Palmyrin Rosette, absolutely taken aback, to which Ben-Zouf dutiously addressed a salute none the less gracious than that of his capitain.

Hector Servadac and his companions knew finally what they had so much interest to know. At two hours forty-seven minutes thirty-five and six tenths of a seconds in the morning the return would transpire.

So, still [fifteen]{thirteen} days terrestrial, that is [thirty-two]{twenty-six} galliens days of the old calendar, or [sixty-four][fifty-two} of the new!

Meanwhile, the preparations for the departure were achieved with unparalled zeal. Everyone was in a rush to leave Gallia. The montgolfier of Lieutenant Procope seemed to be a certain means of rejoining the terrestrial sphere. To glide with the Gallien atmosphere into the Earth's atmosphere; that appeared to be the easiest thing in the world. One forgot the thousand dangers of this situation without precedent in aerostatic voyages! Nothing was more natural! And, however, Lieutenant Procope repeated with reason that the montgolfier, abruptly stopped in its translatory movement, would be burned with all those which it carried, -- lacking a miracle. Captain Servadac showed himself, intentionally, filled with enthusiasm. As for Ben-Zouf, he had always wanted to go for a walk in a balloon. He was thus at the height of his wishes.

Only they, Count Timascheff, colder, and Lieutenant Procope, more reserved, considered all the dangers that this attempt offered. But they were ready for everything.

At this time, the sea, delivered from its ice floes, was become again navigable. The steam-launch was put in comission, and, with what remained of the coal, they made several voyages to Gourbi island.

Captain Servadac, Procope and some Russians took the first voyage. They found the island, the gourbi, the station, respected by this long winter. Some streams ran on the surface of the ground. The birds, having left the "Hot-Land" quickly, had returned to this fertile piece of land, where they saw again the greenery of the meadows and the trees. New plants appeared under the influence of this equatorial heat of the three hour days. The sun poured onto them its perpendicular rays with an extraordinary intensity. It was the extreme summer, succeeding almost suddenly the winter.

It was on Gourbi island they harvested the grass and the straw which were to be used for inflating the montgolfier. If this enormous aircraft had not been so cumbersome, perhaps they would have transported it by sea to Gourbi Island. But it appeared preferable to leave from "Hot-Land" and to bring the fuel there intended to operate the rarefaction of the air.

Already, for their daily needs, they burned wood coming from the debris of the two vessels. When it was a question of thus using the boards of the tartan, Isac Hakhabut wanted to be opposed. But Ben-Zouf told him that they would make him pay fifty thousand francs for his place in the basket, if he so much as opened his mouth.

[Isac Hakhabut]{The avaricious Jew} sighed and was silent.

The 25th of December arrived. All preparations for departure were completed. [Christmas]{The anniversary of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ} was celebrated as they had celebrated one year before, but with a stronger religious feeling. As for the next New Year's Day, it was on earth that all these good people hoped to celebrate it, and Ben-Zouf went so far as promising beautiful New Year's gifts to the young Pablo and to the little girl.

"Look," he said to them "it, it is as if you held them! "

Although this is perhaps difficult to accept, as the supreme moment approached, Captain Servadac and Count Timascheff thought about anything else but the dangers of the landing. The coldness that they showed was not feigned. These two years they had just passed together far from the earth, it was for them like a forgotten dream, and they were going to be found on the ground of reality, opposite one another. A charming image was placed between them and prevented them from seeing themselves as before.

And, at this point in time the thought came to Captain Servadac to complete this famous rondo, whose last quatrain had remained unfinished. Some verses more, and this delicious small poem would be complete. It was a poet which Gallia had removed from the earth, it would be a poet that Galllia would return to it!

And, meanwhile, Captain Servadac reviewed again all his unfortunate rhymes in his head.

As for the other inhabitants of the colony, Count Timascheff and Lieutenant Procope were anxious to re-visit the earth, and the Russians had only one thought: to follow their Master everywhere where he would like to lead.

The Spanish had done so well on Gallia, they would have readily passed the remainder of their days there. But in the end Negrete and his compatriots would not see again the plains of Andalusia without some pleasure.

For Pablo and Nina, they were delighted to return with all their friends, but on the condition that they will never have tobreak up.

There remained only one dissatisfied person, the furious Palmyrin Rosette. He did not improve his temper. He swore that he would not embark in the basket. No! he claimed never to give up his comet. He continued day and night his astronomical observations. Ah! how much his regrettable telescope was missing for him! Here is where Gallia was going to penetrate this narrow zone of shooting stars! Were not phenomena to be observed there, was not some discovery to be made?

Palmyrin Rosette, desperate, then employed a heroic means by increasing the pupil of his eyes, in order to replace somewhat the optical power of his telescope. He subjected himself to the action of the belladonna, an ingredient which he borrowed from the pharmacy of Nina-Hive, and then he observed, he observed until he was going blind! But, although he had thus increased the intensity of the light which painted his retina, he did not see anything, he did not discover anything!

The last days passed in a feverish excitement of which nobody was free. Lieutenant Procope supervised the last details. The two lower masts of the schooner had been planted on the beach and were used as a support for the enormous montgolfier, not yet inflated, but covered with the network of its net. The basket was there, sufficient to contain its passengers. Some goatskin bottles, attached to its sides, were to enable it to float a certain time, in case the montgolfier would land at sea, close to a littoral. Obviously, if it fell on the open ocean, it would sink soon with all those which it carried, unless some ship was at that point for the rescue.

The 26, 27, 28, 29 and December 30 passed. There were no more than [forty-eight]{twenty-seven} terrestrial hours to pass on Gallia.

The 31st of December arrived. Still twenty-four hours, and the montgolfier, supported by the hot air rarefied in its sides, would glide into the Gallien atmosphere. It is true that this atmosphere was less dense than that of the earth; but it should be also considered that attraction being less, the apparatus would be less heavy to lift.

Gallia was then located at forty million leagues from the sun, a distance a little greater than that which separates the sun from the earth. It advanced with an excessive speed towards the terrestrial orbit which it was going to cut at its ascending node, precisely at the point of the ecliptic which the spheroid would be occupying.

As for the distance which separated comet from the earth, it was not more than two million leagues. However, the two stars going one towards the other, this distance would be crossed at a rate of eighty-seven thousand leagues per hour. Gallia by making fifty-seven thousand, and the earth twenty-nine thousand, approximately.

Finally, at two o’clock in the morning, the Galliens prepared to leave. The meeting would take place within forty-seven minutes and thirty-five seconds.

As a result of the modification of the rotational movement of Gallia on its axis, it was day then, -- day also on the side of the terrestrial globe where the comet would collide.

Since one hour ago, the inflation of the montgolfier was complete. It had succeeded perfectly. The enormous apparatus, being balanced between the masts, was ready to leave. The basket, attached to the net, awaited its passagers.

Gallia was seventy-five thousand leagues from the earth.

Isac Hakhabut, the first, took his seat in the basket.

But, at this time, Captain Servadac noticed that a belt, enormously inflated, girded the waist of the Jew.

"What is that?" Asked he.

"That, Master governor," answered Isac Hakhabut, "it is my modest fortune which I carry with me!"

"And how much does it weigh, your modest fortune?"

"Oh! about thirty kilos only."

"Thirty kilos, and our montgolfier has only the sufficient ascensional force to lift us! Disencumber yourself, Master Isac, of this useless burden."

"But, Mister governor..."

"Useless, I say to you, since we cannot thus overload the basket!

"God of [the universe]{Israel}!" exclaimed [Isac]{the Jew}, "all my fortune, all my good, so painfully amassed!"

"Eh! Master Isac , you know well that your gold will no longer have any value on the earth, since Gallia is worth two hundred forty-six sextillions!..."

"But, his lordship, by pity!..."

"Let us go, Mathathias," said Ben-Zouf then, "deliver us from your presence or from your gold -- you choose! "

And {the }unhappy [Isac]{Jew} had to be lightened of his enormous belt, in the midst of the lamentations and abjurations of which one cannot even try to give an idea.

As to Palmyrin Rosette, it was a very different matter. The raging scientist claimed he would never leave the core of his comet. It was to tear him off from his domain! Moreover, this montgolfier, it was an absurdly imagined apparatus! The passage from one atmosphere to another could not take place without the balloon flaming like a simple sheet of paper! There was less danger to remain on Gallia, and in the case where, just in case, Gallia would only graze the earth, at least Palmyrin Rosette would continue to revolve with it! Lastly, a thousand reasons accompanied by imprecations furious or grotesque, -- such as threats to condemn the student Servadac with punitive assignments.

At any event, the professor was introduced the second into the basket, but was bound up and restrained by two robust sailors. Captain Servadac, well determined not to leave him on Gallia, had embarked him this way, a little lively.

It had been necessary to give up the two horses and the goat of Nina! It was a heartbreak for the captain, Ben-Zouf and the small girl, but one could not take them. Of all the animals, only the pigeon of Nina had a reserved place. Who knows, moreover, if this pigeon would not be used as messenger between the passengers of the basket and some point on the terrestrial surface?

Count Timascheff and Lieutenant Procope embarked on an invitation of the captain.

He still trod the Gallien ground with his faithful Ben-Zouf.

"Go, Ben-Zouf, in your turn," he said.

"After you, my captain!"

"No. I must remain the last on board, as a commander who is forced to give up his ship!"

"However..."

"Do it, I say to you."

"By obedience, then!" Ben-Zouf.

Ben-Zouf stepped across the edge of the basket. Captain Servadac took his seat there after him.

The last bonds were then cut, and the montgolfier rose majestically into the atmosphere.

Chapitre XIX

Dans which one quantifies, minute per minute, feelings and impressions of the passengers of the basket.