Chapter 42 Chapter Eighteen

Would Gallia's sudden split in two have serious consequences?On this point, Selvadak and others have not seen any signs. The direction of Galia's rotation is still a retrograde motion from east to west.But the time for one rotation has been cut in half, no longer twelve hours.It's been six hours.Three hours after the sun rises in the west, it sets in the east. "My God!" exclaimed Captain Servadac, "Galia's year is now twenty-eight hundred days old!" "I'm afraid no one will be able to figure out this complicated calendar anymore." Ben-Zoff said.

Indeed, if Palmieri Rosette had revised his calendar according to the new circumstances.Then there will be dates such as June 238 or December 325 that no one can understand. The fragment that took the British on a tour of space did not orbit Gallia.Instead, it's moving away from Gallia.Did the fragments take part of Gallia's water and atmosphere?Is its environment suitable for human habitation?And is it possible to go back to Earth?Then I don't know. Selvadak and others felt that the gravity of the comet had been further reduced, and their physical strength had increased accordingly.What they are most concerned about now is whether Galia will speed up or slow down, thus missing the opportunity to rendezvous with the Earth.If this happens, they may never be able to return to Earth.

According to Prokop, Gallia's speed has not changed at all.But he is not very proficient in astronomy, so he dare not speak his opinion to everyone rashly. Only Palmier Rosette can answer this question.Therefore, every effort must be made to get him to tell what he knows. His complex these days is very bad.This is due to the shock of his telescope.Or is it because Galia has been split in two, but its speed has not changed, so it will still meet the earth exactly according to the time he originally calculated?This kind of ending was the last thing he wanted to see, otherwise he would have been dancing with joy.

Selvadak and others judged from their emotions that the actual situation was likely to be the case, but they were not sure, so they had to try to get him to say it himself. On December 18, the irascible Professor Rosset had a quarrel with Ben-Zoff.A quarrel broke out over Galiayo's bursting, and Ben-Zoff laughed at Rosset's comet, which, like a sheepskin bag or a dried walnut, exploded on its own after a long time.He added fuel and vinegar, and said a lot of unsavory things.How can Rose bear it?He flew into a rage and retorted, and the two began a war of words. Just as they were arguing, Captain Servadac suddenly appeared.Seeing such a scene, he suddenly had an idea, thinking that since Rosette was not soft-hearted, he should use aggressive methods to lure him into the bait.Then he took Ben-Zov's side, pretended to be angry, and said to him:

"Professor, you speak too presumptuously. You don't listen to me, and you don't pay attention to me, Governor Gallia." "What about you?" Rosset said without showing any weakness, "You never thought that I was the owner of this comet." "What kind of master are you? Now we can't go back to Earth, I think you'd better resign yourself to fate, don't try your best." "You are right," said Professor Rosset. "It seems that I have to obey the arrangement of fate. But why can't I go back to Earth?" "Is there any need to ask?" Servadac said, "After Gallia is divided into two, the mass has been greatly reduced, and the speed must also change."

"Who said that?" "We all think so." "Captain Servadac, you idiots and asses are so ignorant of astronomy and physics..." "Professor, please don't be too presumptuous!" "Ah! I haven't forgotten that you were once the worst student in my class." The anger in Rosseter's chest had reached the point of no increase, "You were once a disgrace to Galliman Middle School." "Shut up! Or I'll..." "Impossible! Whoever you are, you must let me finish. Look what great astronomers you are. Since Gallia's mass has decreased, you assume that its speed has changed. Good. Like its speed has nothing to do with the gravitational force of the sun, but depends entirely on its own mass. How many comet masses do you know? Do you know which planets have changed speed? Ah! I am ashamed of you."

Ben Yizoff didn't know what it was, so he said to the captain: "Captain, do you think I can give him something powerful, so that he can be divided into two like his ghost comet?" "You dare to touch a single hair of my hair!" Rosette stood up abruptly. "Sir, I must teach you a lesson!" said Servadac. "Then I'll go to court and sue you!" "Haha! What a court in Gallia!" "No! Courts on Earth!" "It's even more absurd that the earth is so far away from us!" Said Servadak. "Don't look at how far away it is now," said Professor Rosset, "December 31st to January 1st night, we will reach the ascending node of the earth's orbit, and at 2:47:35 and Three-fifths of a second to rendezvous with Earth..."

"My dear teacher, that's all I want to know." Captain Servadac suddenly said to him respectfully.Then politely withdrew.It made Professor Rosset bewildered. The question that Servadak and others have been concerned about for many days is now finally clear: the comet and the earth will meet at 2:47:35 and 3/5 seconds in the morning on January 1 next year!In this way, they only stayed on Galia planet for half a month. Preparations for departure are still in full swing.Everyone is anxiously waiting for this day to come.Prokop's idea of ​​leaving Gallia by balloon to avoid the impact of the collision of the two planets seems to be an ideal way.It also appears to be very easy to enter the Earth's atmosphere from Gallia's atmosphere.But there are many great dangers that have never been encountered before.So the problem is not that simple.Prokop has repeatedly emphasized that unless there is a miracle, if the balloon stops suddenly in high-speed motion, it may immediately turn into a raging fire and be reduced to ashes.Captain Selvak forced his composure, deliberately showing a very optimistic look.Ben Yizoff had long wanted to go around in a balloon, and now he can finally get his wish.

Only Earl Iron Mashov and Pudokop's second mate were very calm, ready to deal with any dangerous situation. At this time, the Galia Sea had melted away and could be navigated.Captain Selvadak and his second mate Pusui Kepu took some Russian sailors and used the little coal left as fuel to go to Gulby Island several times. After a long and severe winter, the huts and stone houses on the island are still the same.On the fields, the rivers are vertical and horizontal, and the flowing water is gurgling.The birds that went to the "warm land" for the winter are now flying back to this fertile land to settle down.After the cold winter, the hot summer almost followed.Thanks to the abundance of sunshine—although only three hours a day—the fields are already green.

Everyone collected some hay on the island and transported it to the "Land of Warmth" to prepare the hot air needed to fill the balloons. On December 25th, everything will be ready.Like last year, everyone commemorated Christmas with great excitement.As for New Year's Day, if all goes well, it will be over on Earth.Ben-Zoff had promised Pablo and Little Nina that he would give each of them a New Year's gift on that day. But what is unbelievable is that as this day draws nearer, both Captain Selvadak and Earl Ironmashev seem to be preoccupied with other things.Their relationship has become very bad.The two years of Gallia's life have now drifted away like a dream, and they are about to return to reality.A beautiful face lingers in their minds from time to time, making them unable to live in harmony as they used to.

Captain Servadac thought again of his unfinished sonnet.He spent the whole day thinking over the few remaining rhymes in his mind, preparing to finish writing it. Earl Ironmashev and Second Officer Prokop missed their homeland very much and hoped to go back as soon as possible.The Spaniards are very satisfied with Gallia's life, even if they die here, they will have no complaints.But now they can go back to their Andalusian homeland.They are also very happy.Pablo and little Nina are of course willing to go back with everyone, but they vowed that they will never be separated in this life.As for Professor Palmier Rosset, he was still full of anger all day long, and vowed never to go back with everyone in the blue sky.No!He must not leave his comet. In the last few days, everyone was extremely emotional.Second officer Prokop made another check on the preparations before the trip.Two broken-off masts from the Dobsina have been buried on the shore to hold the balloons.The balloon is not yet inflated, but the netting is attached.The gondola was there, big enough to hold the whole crew.There are also several sheepskin bags hung on the top of the basket, in case the balloon lands on the sea, these sheepskin bags can be borrowed to make the basket float to the coast.Of course, if the balloon falls in the ocean far from the coast, all the crew will surely die in the belly of the fish, unless there is a ship nearby to rescue them. December 31 has passed.They now have only the last twenty-four hours left to stay on the planet Galia.Twenty-four hours later, once the balloon is filled with hot air, it floats into the air.Of course, the buoyancy of Galia's atmosphere is much smaller than that of the earth's atmosphere, but it should be noted that Galia's gravitational force is small, and the weight of the balloon itself has been greatly reduced.Go down or throw the money away.You can choose two routes. " Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Isaac had no choice but to take off his belt and throw it outside the hanging basket. As for Palmilla Rosset, he was in a different situation.He declared that he would never leave Gallia.Because this comet is his own.Besides, what's the use of the balloon top?As soon as the atmospheres of the two planets come into contact, it will instantly be reduced to ashes.It would be much safer to stay on a comet.In case Gallia just brushes across the face of the earth.He can still continue to travel in space with it.Seeing that he was so stubborn, Captain Seldak had to let two strong Russian sailors tie him up and put him in a gondola. Servadac's two horses and Nina's kid could not be taken away under any circumstances.Ben-Zov and little Nina are very heavy-hearted, but what can they do if they don't give up?Only the carrier pigeon has a place in the basket, because God knows if we will need it to carry messages when we reach the earth? Earl Ironmashev and Second Officer Prokop also walked into the gondola under the urging of the captain.Now only Servadak and Ben-Zov are left standing on the land of Galia. "It's your turn now, Ben-Zov," said Servadak. "No, Captain, please go first." "No. We are in a sinking ship, and I must be the last to go." "Well, I have to obey." After Ben-Zov went up, Selvadak followed suit. The rope holding the balloon was cut, and the balloon slowly rose into the air...