The Mammoth Book of New Jules Verne Adventures (39 page)

I made the most of the welcome darkness to steal a tunic and pointed hat from a smoker and, thus disguised, I followed suit. My small size gave me an advantage since I was easily mistaken for an employee of that strange temple and I was allowed to come and go in peace.

I witnessed the most extraordinary scene which even today, almost half a century later, remains engraved in my memory. Fogg had gone into a modest room, lit by an oil lamp, where the temple accessories were stored. Votive statuettes stood next to rolls of paper covered with frescos painted in old-fashioned colours; crates of moth-eaten tunics framed the most impressive object, a superb Buddha in the lotus position, covered with gold from his belly to the top of his head, as smooth as could be. I crouched down behind a crate, not far from the single door, ready to note the slightest suspicious sign. Fogg, glanced quickly around the room, making sure that he was quite alone and then kneeled in front of the Buddha.

Was he about to pray? I was filled with doubt. Would he secretly invoke the pot-bellied idol of the Asian peoples? But the pretence of prayer did not last. Removing his gloves, Fogg ran his hands over the statue’s belly, which was as round as a globe of the Earth. In a low voice, he started to chant in a language that I did not recognize. Then, to my great surprise, the effigy of the ‘Enlightened One’ shone with a gentle light, which increased in intensity as Fogg recited his rosary.

Under the direction of Camille Flammarion, I had attended a few séances held to communicate with another world. As a result, I had already looked upon the luminescent nimbus of the creatures that had been contacted by the metapsychic. Yet the halo of energy connecting the universes had never been so bright! I was completely dazzled and had to close my eyes for a second. The distant detonation caused me to jump.

When I opened my eyes, Fogg was no longer alone.

He was embracing a large, thin man wearing a loose tunic embroidered with gold thread. The hands of the new arrival, which rested on Fogg’s shoulders, were impressive. Long and knotted, they ended with claw-like fingernails, covered with a silvery polish. The embrace continued. Then Fogg took a step back, revealing the face of the apparition.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from crying out.

The face was a perfect replica of Fogg’s, apart from the skin colour, which was similar to that of the Natives, and the fine, black whiskers that hung from the corners of his mouth, much like those of a catfish.

“Welcome, my brother!” Fogg exclaimed.

I then saw that they were about to leave the room. I withdrew, with the required amount of discretion, on tiptoe, and returned to the smoking room where I hid behind a screen.

Fogg and his ‘brother’ arrived a few seconds later. After embracing once again, Fogg left his curious twin. Then, he gathered up the sleeping Aouda and left the temple.

I followed suit and took to my heels to return to the wharves, still wearing the local dress. The
Rangoon
would soon get underway for Hong Kong. Neither Fogg, nor Aouda for that matter, ever referred to their detour into the opium den.

At this point, I would like to remind you that we ran into a storm and arrived a day late. It was there in Hong Kong that Fogg decided to take Aouda to Europe. I’m convinced that he had already planned the outcome of this decision — marriage — but he never once breathed a word of it.

That imbecile Fix chose this moment to interfere and sidetrack me from my mission. After a number of misadventures, I was able to join Fogg in Yokohama, Japan. M. Verne provides an uplifting account, with the occasional exaggeration.

Still, we finally found ourselves together on board the steamer, the
General Grant,
on our way to America. There, a train would take us from San Francisco to New York, where our trip around the world would be almost over.

I concluded that I would have to force Fogg to reveal his intentions before we arrived on the East coast of the United States. Obviously, I had no way of guessing that he had, in turn, decided to submit to my requirements, in a most spectacular manner!

Using the pretext that we might eventually have to ward off an Indian attack as we travelled through the American Mid West, I purchased some Enfield rifles and Colt revolvers. Fogg accepted the weapons without comment. He didn’t even take the time to inspect them. This was fortunate for me since the models I had given him were loaded with blanks — unlike those I had kept for myself.

I was fully prepared for the final scene when I would force Fogg to reveal his true identity, just when he least expected it, namely when he would once again contact a “brother” from another world, something I was fully convinced he would do. Let me explain. The first contact had taken place, and I am convinced of this, in the compartment of the train that carried us across France. In Europe, as a result. The second, on the ship that carried us to India, near the Arabian peninsula, not far from Africa. The third took place in Singapore, taking care of Asia. And we had just landed on the final important continent in our trip around the world: North America. Thus, it was inevitable that a new ‘brother’ would be contacted there.

However, first hours then days passed and Fogg appeared to take no interest in anything but the interminable whist games played with certain passengers. We did have quite a few adventures (encountering a buffalo herd, crossing a bridge that threatened to crumble under the weight of the train . . . ), but nothing perturbed Fogg particularly. We passed through state after state as we inexorably continued on our way towards the East Coast.

Then we arrived in Nebraska. There, after that stupid duel Fogg fought with a certain Colonel, what had been just a pretext for me became reality. A tribe of blood-thirsty Sioux attacked our train. This was followed by a violent battle in which my sole concern was to hope that Fogg did not notice he was shooting blanks!

I’ll skip the details. However, I would just like to say that I had to use all my skills to distance the Indian threat from the train, taking steps to disconnect the locomotive from the cars. Just as I was about to return to the train, which was rolling freely, I received a brutal blow to the back of my head and fell unconscious.

This was one thing M. Verne did not mention, since he preferred to imply that I remained a prisoner in the tender as a matter of bad luck! As a result, everyone believes that Fogg reacted heroically, and like a perfect gentleman, organizing a hasty rescue mission to Sioux territory.

But, here’s the truth. I regained consciousness inside a teepee, one of those large pointed tents that housed entire Indian families. Two stolid braves, with skin as red as brick, stood guard, armed with rifles. Yet, I was not mistreated and I was even fed well during the time I was confined there.

Then, rifle shots broke the silence. Shortly thereafter, the buffalo hide that covered the entrance to the tent was raised and Fogg came in.

“How are you doing, my old friend?”

He had slipped the Colt I had given him a few days earlier into his belt. The Redskins had given up their posts. Faking anger, I leapt to my feet, and moved as close as I could to the rifle held by the Brave who stood next to the door “What’s the meaning of all this, Fogg?”

“Calm down. You’ll be given all the explanations you need shortly. But, before that, I have one last ritual to complete. This place will be fine.”

I wanted to protest, but Fogg raised his index finger to his lips and murmured, “Shh! Let me concentrate.”

He took off his gloves, as I had seen him do in Singapore, and then consulted his pocket watch, as he had done in France and on board the
Mongolia.

“Yes,” he said, “The time is right. And the location is fitting,” he added after another glance at his watch, which he then put away.

Next, Fogg’s hands appeared to dance in the air, painting complex figures in the void, similar to Japanese calligraphy. Each movement left a luminous residue in its wake, much like the energy halo mentioned by the metapsychics, but even brighter. I noticed that the Sioux, who were impressed, had closed their eyes. I took advantage of the opportunity to slip over to the rifle I had noted earlier and grab it without being noticed.

When I returned my attention to Fogg’s incandescent sculpture, I noticed that it was “inhabited”. I was no longer surprised by the famous detonation, much like the sound of a gun being fired into eiderdown. I was familiar with the phenomenon by now and showed no emotion. Fogg repeated his Buddha trick. But there was one difference. The “brother” he contacted appeared to be no more than a child, judging from his small stature. (I easily towered head and shoulders above him).

I understood my error when the last remnants of the halo dissipated. The individual who had thrown himself into Fogg’s arms, who was kneeling on one knee, was definitely a full-grown man, as could be seen in his features, which were the same as Fogg’s, emaciated, with a hint of trickery in his eyes.

A dwarf! Fogg’s American brother was a dwarf!

“My dear Passepartout,” Fogg started, “Allow me to introduce the final member of the Moriarty tribe, the adorable Loveless . .”

He stopped there. I had cocked my rifle. The small click had its usual effect. I held everyone off, the Sioux, Fogg and the dwarf — Loveless Moriarty. What a dance card!

“You promised me some explanations. I believe the time has come. Unless your curious watch has something to say about all this?”

“This device is much more than a simple timepiece,” Fogg started. “It enables me to keep track of the brief periods of time when a breach is opened between two worlds and to locate the areas where the energy required for a transfer flows at its purest.”

I had guessed as much, but I preferred not to interrupt him, particularly since what interested me most was still to come.

“This technology is the fruit of the information that is constantly exchanged between the Reform Club and certain scientists from other worlds. I joined those amateurs to take advantage of it. If they only knew the potential of what’s available to them! But those Pall Mall imbeciles prefer to lend a hand to Her Majesty’s secret services, rather than turn a profit. You should know all about that since you’re an agent for France, aren’t you?”

I nodded in agreement. What was the point in lying?

“And as for me . . . Well!” He sighed. “Good grief, I fear that my tale is both terribly trite and terribly complicated. Of course, my name isn’t really Phileas Fogg. In some circles, I’m known as Professor Moriarty. Use that name, if you prefer.”

I learned no more. What was the true identity of this “Professor Moriarty”? Believe it or not, I still have no idea today, fifty years after our first meeting!

“As you may have noticed,” he continued, “I’m rather skilled at contacting other worlds. For a time, I trained with that medium Daniel Home, when he officiated in London. But I soon came to realize that my talent far surpassed his. I could have put my talent to good use for profitable purposes, and I would have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. But money or rather money
alone
holds no interest for me . . .”

Oh, now we’re getting to it, I thought. With a shake of my rifle, I ordered him to continue.

“As a result of the contacts I made with other worlds, I learned one fact that the metapsychics have yet to learn: each of us, you and me alike, has as many doubles as there are universes.”

“As many brothers, you mean?”

Fogg/Moriarty nodded.

“Almost twins, with a few slight differences, depending on their environment. As you see, the unfortunate Loveless was stricken with a serious illness in his youth and didn’t grow as he should have. But what does that matter?”

The dwarf, in fact, was smiling, not the least bit inconvenienced by his disability.

“Although the body may have undergone certain modifications, the mind, my dear Passepartout, the mind of each double reverberates in unison with the same concerns. There’s no chance that a nice boy from the London we know would behave like a boor anywhere else.”

“Or vice versa.”

Moriarty burst into laughter.

“Of course, you’re right. And vice versa!”

I changed the topic abruptly. “How many of you are here, now?”

“You crossed paths with my first brother, dear Fantomas, in France, without realizing it,” replied the fake Fogg.

“That can’t be!” I exclaimed. “They’re so much like you that I would have noticed!”

“Except that that particular brother is a master of disguise. Imagine him with a goatee, fake eyebrows and dressed as a railway porter.”

I jumped. The blackguard had duped me thoroughly with his “Mr Smogg”! He had pulled the wool over my eyes with the audacity of the master criminal he actually was.

“All right, I’ll let you have that one,” I admitted. “But as for the transfer on the
Mongolia, I
stand firm. You reappeared alone
down below
and then I locked the cabin door!”

“My dear friend, you’re not the only break-in artist around. There are others who can pick locks too, you know. The individual you saw reappear was my brother, the admirable Nemo. And as for me, I waited until you left your hiding place to go to the upper deck and peacefully join the captain’s table, while my twin slipped off on board the submarine that was waiting for him.

“So, you knew I was there, watching you.”

“But, of course. Just as I knew that you were following me in Asia, when I set out to meet my Asian brother, the refined Fu Manchu.”

I admitted that this point astounded me. But the reason for all these masquerades was still beyond me.

“Why did you allow me to observe the successive arrivals of your brothers without making any attempt to stop me?”

“First of all, because I didn’t want to alert your employers. It’s far easier to keep an eye on a single agent. Then, too, because I wanted a worthy witness. And I think you are one, my dear Passepartout, if that really is your name.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “A witness? Whatever for?”