Chapter XIX

CHAPTER XIX.GALLIA'S GOVERNOUR-GENERAL.
The Spaniards who had arrived on board the Hansa consisted
of nine men and a lad of twelve years of age, named
Pablo. They all received Captain Servadac, whom Ben
Zoof introduced as the governour-general, with due respect,
and partook themselves quickly to their separate tasks.
The captain and his friends, followed at some distance by
the eager Jew, soon left the glade and directed their steps
towards the coast where the Hansa was moored.
As they went they discussed their situation. As far as
they had ascertained, except Gourbi Island, the sole surviving
fragments of the Old World were four small islands:
the bit of Gibraltar occupied by the Englishmen; Ceuta,
which had just been left by the Spaniards; Madalena,
where they had picked up the little Italian girl; and the
site of the tomb of Saint Louis on the coast of Tunis.
Around these there was stretched out the full extent of
the Gallian Sea, which apparently comprised about one-half
of the Mediterranean, the whole being encompassed
by a barrier like a framework of precipitous cliffs, of an
origin and a substance alike unknown.
Of all these spots only two were known to be inhabited:
Gibraltar, where the thirteen Englishmen were amply provisioned
for some years to come, and their own Gourbi
Island. Here there was a population of twenty-two, who
would all have to subsist upon the natural products of the
soil. It was indeed not to be forgotten that, perchance,
upon some remote and undiscovered isle there might be
the solitary writer of the mysterious papers which they
had found, and if so, that would raise the census of their
new asteroid to an aggregate of thirty-six.
Even upon the supposition that at some future date
the whole population should be compelled to unite and
find a residence upon Gourbi Island, there did not appear
any reason to question but that eight hundred acres of rich
soil, under good management, would yield them all an ample
sustenance. The only critical matter was how long the
cold season would last; every hope depended upon the
land again becoming productive; at present, it seemed
impossible to determine, even if Gallia's orbit were really
elliptic, when she would reach her aphelion, and it was
consequently necessary that the Gallians for the time
being should reckon on nothing beyond their actual and
present resources.
These resources were, first, the provisions of the Dobryna,
consisting of preserved meat, sugar, wine, brandy,
and other stores sufficient for about two months; secondly,
the valuable cargo of the Hansa, which, sooner or later,
the owner, whether he would or not, must be compelled to
surrender for the common benefit; and lastly, the produce
of the island, animal and vegetable, which with proper
economy might be made to last for a considerable period.
In the course of the conversation, Count Timascheff
took an opportunity of saying that, as Captain Servadac
had already been presented to the Spaniards as governour
of the island, he thought it advisable that he should really
assume that position.
“Every body of men,” he observed, “must have a head,
and you, as a Frenchman, should, I think, take the command
of this fragment of a French colony. My men, I
can answer for it, are quite prepared to recognize you as
their superior officer.”
“Most unhesitatingly,” replied Servadac, “I accept the
post with all its responsibilities. We understand each
other so well that I feel sure we shall try and work together
for the common good; and even if it be our fate never
again to behold our fellow-creatures, I have no misgivings
but that we shall be able to cope with whatever difficulties
may be before us.”
As he spoke, he held out his hand. The count took it,
at the same time making a slight bow. It was the first
time since their meeting that the two men had shaken
hands; on the other hand, not a single word about their
former rivalry had ever escaped their lips; perhaps that
was all forgotten now.
The silence of a few moments was broken by Servadac
saying:
“Do you not think we ought to explain our situation
to the Spaniards?”
“No, no, your Excellency,” burst in Ben Zoof, emphatically;
“the fellows are chicken-hearted enough already;
only tell them what has happened, and in sheer despondency
they will not do another stroke of work.”
“Besides,” said Lieutenant Procope, who took very
much the same view as the orderly, “they are so miserably
ignorant they would be sure to misunderstand you.”
“Understand or misunderstand,” replied Servadac, “I
do not think it matters. They would not care. They are
all fatalists. Only give them a guitar and their castanets,
and they will soon forget all care and anxiety. For my
own part, I must adhere to my belief that it will be advisable
to tell them everything. Have you any opinion
to offer, count?”
“My own opinion, captain, coincides entirely with
yours. I have followed the plan of explaining all I could
to my men on board the Dobryna and no inconvenience
has arisen.”
“Well, then, so let it be,” said the captain; adding,
“It is not likely that these Spaniards are so ignorant as
not to have noticed the change in the length of the days;
neither can they be unaware of the physical changes that
have transpired. They shall certainly be told that we
are being carried away into unknown regions of space, and
that this island is nearly all that remains of the Old World.”
“Ha, ha!” laughed Ben Zoof, aloud; “it will be fine
sport to watch the old Jew's face, when he is made to comprehend
that he is flying away millions and millions of
leagues from all his debtors.”
Isaac Hakkabut was about fifty yards behind, and was
consequently unable to overhear the conversation. He
went shambling along, half whimpering and not unfrequently
invoking the God of Israel; but every now and
then a cunning light gleamed from his eyes, and his lips
became compressed with a grim significance.
None of the recent phenomena had escaped his notice,
and more than once he had attempted to entice Ben Zoof
into conversation upon the subject; but the orderly made
no secret of his antipathy to him, and generally replied to
his advances either by satire or by banter. He told him
that he had everything to gain under the new system of
nights and days, for, instead of living the Jew's ordinary
life of a century, he would reach to the age of two centuries;
and he congratulated him upon the circumstance
of things having become so light, because it would prevent
him feeling the burden of his years. At another time he
would declare that, to an old usurer like him, it could not
matter in the least what had become of the moon, as he
could not possibly have advanced any money upon her.
And when Isaac, undaunted by his jeers, persevered in
besetting him with questions, he tried to silence him by
saying:
“Only wait till the governour-general comes; he is a
shrewd fellow, and will tell you all about it.”
“But will he protect my property?” poor Isaac would
ask tremulously.
“To be sure he will! He would confiscate it all rather
than that you should be robbed of it.”
With this Job's comfort the Jew had been obliged to
content himself as best he could, and to await the promised
arrival of the governour.
When Servadac and his companions reached the shore,
they found that the Hansa had anchored in an exposed
bay, protected but barely by a few projecting rocks, and in
such a position that a gale rising from the west would inevitably
drive her on to the land, where she must be dashed
in pieces. It would be the height of folly to leave her in
her present moorings; without loss of time she must be
brought round to the mouth of the Shelif, in immediate
proximity to the Russian yacht.
The consciousness that his tartan was the subject of
discussion made the Jew give way to such vehement
ejaculations of anxiety, that Servadac turned round and
peremptorily ordered him to desist from his clamour.
Leaving the old man under the surveillance of the count
and Ben Zoof, the captain and the lieutenant stepped
into a small boat and were soon alongside the floating
emporium.
A very short inspection sufficed to make them aware
that both the tartan and her cargo were in a perfect state
of preservation. In the hold were sugar-loaves by hundreds,
chests of tea, bags of coffee, hogsheads of tobacco, pipes
of wine, casks of brandy, barrels of dried herrings, bales
of cotton, clothing of every kind, shoes of all sizes,
caps of various shape, tools, household utensils, china and
earthenware, reams of paper, bottles of ink, boxes of
lucifer matches, blocks of salt, bags of pepper and spices,
a stock of huge Dutch cheeses, and a collection of almanacks
and miscellaneous literature. At a rough guess the value
could not be much under £5000 sterling. A new cargo
had been taken in only a few days before the catastrophe,
and it had been Isaac Hakkabut's intention to cruise from
Ceuta to Tripoli, calling wherever he had reason to believe
there was likely to be a market for any of his commodities.
“A fine haul, lieutenant,” said the captain.
“Yes, indeed,” said the lieutenant; “but what if the
owner refuses to part with it?”
“No fear; no fear.” replied the captain. “As soon as
ever the old rascal finds that there are no more Arabs or
Algerians for him to fleece, he will be ready enough to
transact a little business with us. We will pay him by bills
of acceptance on some of his old friends in the Old World.”
“But why should he want any payment?” inquired the
lieutenant. “Under the circumstances, he must know that
you have a right to make a requisition of his goods.”
“No, no,” quickly rejoined Servadac; “we will not do
that. Just because the fellow is a German we shall not be
justified in treating him in German fashion. We will
transact our business in a business way. Only let him
once realize that he is on a new globe, with no prospect of
getting back to the old one, and he will be ready enough
to come to terms with us.”
“Perhaps you are right,” replied the lieutenant; “I
hope you are. But anyhow, it will not do to leave the
tartan here; not only would she be in danger in the event
of a storm, but it is very questionable whether she could
resist the pressure of the ice, if the water were to freeze.”
“Quite true, Procope; and accordingly I give you the
commission to see that your crew bring her round to
the Shelif as soon as may be.”
“To-morrow morning it shall be done,” answered the
lieutenant, promptly.
Upon returning to the shore, it was arranged that
the whole of the little colony should forthwith assemble
at the gourbi. The Spaniards were summoned, and Isaac,
although he could only with reluctance take his wistful
gaze from his tartan, obeyed the governour's orders to
follow.
An hour later and the entire population of twenty-two
had met in the chamber adjoining the gourbi. Young
Pablo made his first acquaintance with little Nina, and the
child seemed highly delighted to find a companion so
nearly of her own age.
Leaving the children to entertain each other, Captain
Servadac began his address.
Before entering upon further explanation, he said that
he counted upon the cordial co-operation of them all for
the common welfare.
Negrete interrupted him by declaring that no promises
or pledges could be given until he and his countrymen
knew how soon they could be sent back to Spain.
“To Spain, do you say?” asked Servadac.
“To Spain!” echoed Isaac Hakkabut, with a hideous
yell. “Do they expect to go back to Spain till they have
paid their debts? Your Excellency, they owe me twenty
reals apiece for their passage here; they owe me two
hundred reals. Are they to be allowed...?”
“Silence, Mordecai, you fool!” shouted Ben Zoof, who
was accustomed to call the Jew by any Hebrew name that
came uppermost to his memory. “Silence!”
Servadac was disposed to appease the old man's
anxiety by promising to see that justice was ultimately
done; but, in a fever of frafitic excitement, he went on
to implore that he might have the loan of a few sailors
to carry his ship to Algiers.
“I will pay you honestly; I will pay you well,” he
cried; but his ingrained propensity for making a good
bargain prompted him to add, “provided you do not overcharge
me.”
Ben Zoof was about again to interpose some angry
exclamation; but Servadac checked him, and continued in
Spanish:
“Listen to me, my friends. Something very strange
has happened. A most wonderful event has cut us off
from Spain, from France, from Italy, from every country
of Europe. In fact, we have left the Old World entirely.
Of the whole earth, nothing remains except this island on
which you are now taking refuge. The old globe is far, far
away. Our present abode is but an insignificant fragment
that is left. I dare not tell you that there is any chance
of your ever again seeing your country or your homes.”
He paused.
The Spaniards evidently had no conception of his
meaning.
Negrete begged him to tell them all again.
He repeated all that he had said, and by introducing
some illustrations from familiar things, he succeeded to a
certain extent in conveying some faint idea of the convulsion
that had happened.
The event was precisely what he had foretold. The
communication was received by all alike with the most
supreme indifference.
Hakkabut did not say a word. He had listened with
manifest attention, his lips twitching now and then as if
suppressing a smile.
Servadac turned to him, and asked whether he was still
disposed to put out to sea and make for Algiers.
The Jew gave a broad grin, which, however, he was
careful to conceal from the Spaniards.
“Your Excellency jests,” he said in French; and turning
to Count Timascheff, he added in Russian: “The governour
has made up a wonderful tale.”
The count turned his back in disgust, while the Jew
sidled up to little Nina and muttered in Italian:
“A lot of lies, pretty one; a lot of lies!”
“Confound the knave!” exclaimed Ben Zoof; “he
gabbles every tongue under the sun!”
“Yes,” said Servadac; “but whether he speaks French,
Russian, Spanish, German, or Italian, he is neither more
nor less than a Jew.”