CHAPTER SEVEN

After my exciting conversation with my uncle, I was eager to start our adventure, but I felt quite confused after I left his study. I left the house to take a walk to calm myself. After I became calmer, I thought more about what my uncle had said.

"It's crazy!" I exclaimed. "It makes no sense. It's not a serious plan; nothing of all that is real."

Meanwhile, I had walked to the river, near the outside of the city. After a short time, I arrived at Grauben's relatives' home, just as she was leaving to return to my uncle's home.

"Grauben!" I called out.

She soon noticed me walking to her. "Axel!" she said, surprised. "You've come to meet me! That's very nice of you." She then noticed how worried I looked. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"I'll tell you what's the matter, Grauben," I said. I then explained the situation to her in a few sentences.

When I finished, she was silent. After a short time, however, she spoke. "Axel," she said quietly, "it will be a wonderful trip!"

I was shocked to hear such words. She was so brave to speak such encouraging words. She was insisting that I go, even though she loved me.

"Grauben," I said, "we'll see if you still talk that way tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, Axel, I'll still talk the same way."

As we walked back to my uncle's house, I thought, it's still a long time till the first of July. Perhaps my uncle will change his mind or forget about his crazy idea to go to the center of the Earth.

It was quite late by the time we returned. I expected that my uncle would be asleep, as he regularly went to bed quite early.

But I had forgotten about my uncle's impatience and interest in his new findings. As soon as we walked in the door, my uncle walked to me quickly, saying, "Come, Axel! Hurry you foolish boy! Your suitcase isn't packed yet!"

I was shocked.

"We're going very soon!Why did you go on a walk, instead of staying here to help me?"

"We're going?" I said, quite confused.

"Yes, the day after tomorrow, early in the morning."

I could not bear to listen to him any longer. I left him and returned to my room. I slept very little that night, worrying about my uncle's foolish plans. The next morning, I heard the sweet voice of Grauben calling to me.

"My dearest Axel, come out of your room."

I came out, and was greatly calmed after looking into her beautiful face.

"Ah, my dearest Axel," she said, "I see you're feeling better, you look more calm than you were yesterday."

I was quite surprised to hear such words, as I felt quite a bit more worried than last night.

"Axel, I've had a long talk with your uncle. He is a brave scientist, and I know you are, as well. You must trust him. Oh Axel, you'll share in his fame. When you come back, you'll be a man."

Her words gave me courage, but I was still upset, and went to my uncle's study to speak to him about my fears.

"Uncle," I asked, "why are you in such a hurry to be gone? Today is only the twenty-sixth of May, we still have time before we have to go."

"Do you think it's so quick and easy to get to Iceland, you fool? If you'd not left me yesterday, we could have gone on a ship leaving for Copenhagen. There's only one ship going from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Reykjavik, the city in Iceland where the volcano is. That ship leaves on the twenty second of each month. If we had waited till the twenty second of June to leave from Copenhagen for Reykjavik, we'd arrive too late to see the shadow in the volcano that will lead us into the Earth. Now, we have to find some other way to get to Iceland. Go and pack your suitcase."

There was nothing for me to say. I went back to my room; Grauben came with me. She was not excited for me to leave, but she spoke calmly, which eased my fears about the coming journey. We finished packing my suitcase, and went downstairs.

All throughout the day there were deliveries of scientific instruments, weapons and other things we would take on our journey. Night came, I was too worried to think of the passing time.

"I'll see you in the morning," my uncle said. "We'll leave at six o'clock."

During the night, my terrors returned. I had terrible dreams of falling into the Earth, and never returning. I woke up at five o'clock, tired and anxious. I went down to the dining room. My uncle was already there, eating quickly. Grauben was there, as well. I said nothing. I couldn't eat.

Soon, we prepared to leave. Grauben kissed me on the cheek before I left, with a tear in her eye, she said, "Go, my dearest Axel, go! You're leaving your fiancée, but you'll find your wife when you come back."

(end of section)