Journey Through the Impossible by Jules Verne, Edward Baxter Page A
Authors: Jules Verne, Edward Baxter
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Tartelet!
Tartelet: You may be right, Valdemar, but when I came to the home
of that young lady's grandmother, poor and hungry and friendless,
those two wonderful women took me in, not as a beggar, but as a
friend. That's why I followed Miss Eva when she left. And today,
when a new and even greater danger stands in her way, should I
abandon her, go quietly back to her grandmother, and say, "I
deserted your granddaughter, madam. A man can't do as much out
of gratitude as this child can do out of love"? No indeed! I would
never dare to be so cowardly.
Valdemar (touched): Well, neither would I. And I won't leave you,
Tartelet. What you have just said was very fine. You must come
soon and live in my home. It will be a palace. My friendship, my
table, my purse, and a little piece of my diamond will be yours,
Tartelet.
(He kisses him on the cheek)
Maston: You'll both go on the journey, then?
Valdemar (energetically): Yes, both of us. I wish we were already on
the way. In fact, I wish we were already back again.
Tartelet: What time do we leave?
Maston: At twelve forty-two, by my chronometer.
Valdemar: Oh, by the way, before we leave I must go and see if my
answer has arrived. They may have forgotten to bring it to me here.
Tartelet: What answer?
Valdemar: I sent another wire to that cruel Miss Babichok, telling her
everything I've done and everything I'm still going to do, so she'll
be sure to know. Ah! What a hero she'll have turned down, what
a hero! Excuse me, gentlemen. (Exit.)
(Enter George and Ox, from the right.)
George: Here! Here it is!
Ox: This is the spot where you'll stand on the earth's surface for the
last time.
Maston: And here is the gigantic cannon that will give you the first
push toward the infinite.
Ox: Toward an older world than ours, whose inhabitants may already
have invented everything that we have yet to invent.
George: So after going back into the past, to Atlantis, now we're
going to head into the future.
Tartelet: But how are we going to get into that cannon?
Maston: You'll see. (He touches a switch and the breech of the cannon
opens, revealing the projectile, which also opens to show the interior fitted
out like a cabin) You see, your space capsule is fitted out exactly
like a first-class cabin.
George: So it is. But isn't it almost time to leave? Hurry! (Aside to
Ox): I don't want Eva to be exposed to any new dangers.
Ox (in a low voice): Don't worry. She won't leave.
(Enter Volsius, Barbicane, the members of the Gun Club, and a crowd
of spectators.)
Barbicane: We've come to say our last farewell, gentlemen. Is everything ready, Maston?
Maston: Everything.
(Enter an employee of the telegraph company.)
Tartelet: Ah! The man from the telegraph company! (To the employee):
You're looking for Mr. Valdemar, no doubt.
The Employee: Yes, sir.
Tartelet: You have a wire for him? Give it to me. I'll see that he gets
it. (He takes it and puts it in his pocket)
Maston: Twelve thirty-nine!
George: Let's go!
Ox: Yes! Let's go! Let's go!
Barbicane: Good-bye, then, my friends, good-bye. We'll cheer you
on your way.
All: Hurrah! Hurrah! (Cheers on all sides)
George: On to the infinite! On to the infinite!
(Enter Valdemar, running)
Valdemar: Ouf! I got here in time, I think.
Tartelet: Hurry up, Valdemar. We were going to leave without you.
Valdemar: Without me!
Tartelet: Will the gentlemen traveling to Altor please board the
cannon.
Valdemar: The cannon!
Tartelet: Oh my goodness! What about Miss Eva?
Valdemar: And Mr. Ardan?
(Enter Volsius and Eva.)
Volsius: Here we are, gentlemen. This young lady has asked me to
accompany her.
George: Eva!
Ox: Silence! They are not going to leave.
Maston: At twelve forty-two I'll give the signal.
(George and Ox enter the capsule, followed by Tartelet and
Valdemar)
Volsius: Come, Eva.
Eva: Yes! Yes! Come!
(They both head toward the cannon, but just as they are about to board
it, the breech closes from the
Tartelet: You may be right, Valdemar, but when I came to the home
of that young lady's grandmother, poor and hungry and friendless,
those two wonderful women took me in, not as a beggar, but as a
friend. That's why I followed Miss Eva when she left. And today,
when a new and even greater danger stands in her way, should I
abandon her, go quietly back to her grandmother, and say, "I
deserted your granddaughter, madam. A man can't do as much out
of gratitude as this child can do out of love"? No indeed! I would
never dare to be so cowardly.
Valdemar (touched): Well, neither would I. And I won't leave you,
Tartelet. What you have just said was very fine. You must come
soon and live in my home. It will be a palace. My friendship, my
table, my purse, and a little piece of my diamond will be yours,
Tartelet.
(He kisses him on the cheek)
Maston: You'll both go on the journey, then?
Valdemar (energetically): Yes, both of us. I wish we were already on
the way. In fact, I wish we were already back again.
Tartelet: What time do we leave?
Maston: At twelve forty-two, by my chronometer.
Valdemar: Oh, by the way, before we leave I must go and see if my
answer has arrived. They may have forgotten to bring it to me here.
Tartelet: What answer?
Valdemar: I sent another wire to that cruel Miss Babichok, telling her
everything I've done and everything I'm still going to do, so she'll
be sure to know. Ah! What a hero she'll have turned down, what
a hero! Excuse me, gentlemen. (Exit.)
(Enter George and Ox, from the right.)
George: Here! Here it is!
Ox: This is the spot where you'll stand on the earth's surface for the
last time.
Maston: And here is the gigantic cannon that will give you the first
push toward the infinite.
Ox: Toward an older world than ours, whose inhabitants may already
have invented everything that we have yet to invent.
George: So after going back into the past, to Atlantis, now we're
going to head into the future.
Tartelet: But how are we going to get into that cannon?
Maston: You'll see. (He touches a switch and the breech of the cannon
opens, revealing the projectile, which also opens to show the interior fitted
out like a cabin) You see, your space capsule is fitted out exactly
like a first-class cabin.
George: So it is. But isn't it almost time to leave? Hurry! (Aside to
Ox): I don't want Eva to be exposed to any new dangers.
Ox (in a low voice): Don't worry. She won't leave.
(Enter Volsius, Barbicane, the members of the Gun Club, and a crowd
of spectators.)
Barbicane: We've come to say our last farewell, gentlemen. Is everything ready, Maston?
Maston: Everything.
(Enter an employee of the telegraph company.)
Tartelet: Ah! The man from the telegraph company! (To the employee):
You're looking for Mr. Valdemar, no doubt.
The Employee: Yes, sir.
Tartelet: You have a wire for him? Give it to me. I'll see that he gets
it. (He takes it and puts it in his pocket)
Maston: Twelve thirty-nine!
George: Let's go!
Ox: Yes! Let's go! Let's go!
Barbicane: Good-bye, then, my friends, good-bye. We'll cheer you
on your way.
All: Hurrah! Hurrah! (Cheers on all sides)
George: On to the infinite! On to the infinite!
(Enter Valdemar, running)
Valdemar: Ouf! I got here in time, I think.
Tartelet: Hurry up, Valdemar. We were going to leave without you.
Valdemar: Without me!
Tartelet: Will the gentlemen traveling to Altor please board the
cannon.
Valdemar: The cannon!
Tartelet: Oh my goodness! What about Miss Eva?
Valdemar: And Mr. Ardan?
(Enter Volsius and Eva.)
Volsius: Here we are, gentlemen. This young lady has asked me to
accompany her.
George: Eva!
Ox: Silence! They are not going to leave.
Maston: At twelve forty-two I'll give the signal.
(George and Ox enter the capsule, followed by Tartelet and
Valdemar)
Volsius: Come, Eva.
Eva: Yes! Yes! Come!
(They both head toward the cannon, but just as they are about to board
it, the breech closes from the
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