Chapter 35 Chapter 35 The Storm

Friday, August 21 Today, that magnificent fountain is out of sight.The wind had picked up and was quickly sending us out of Aksai, and the rumbling was slowly dying away. The weather - if I can call it that - seems to be about to change.The atmosphere was filled with electrically charged water vapour, and the clouds were low and olive-coloured; the electric light could hardly penetrate the curtain of the theater where the stormy drama was evidently being staged. At that time, I was like a person about to encounter a storm.Cumulus clouds in the south take on an ominous and grim look.The air is heavy; the sea is smooth.

The clouds in the distance are like big bales of cotton; they slowly swell and become smaller and bigger.They seemed too heavy to lift; at last they mingled and formed a frightening mass. The atmosphere was clearly electrified; I was the same as before—my hair stood on end as if it had been electrified by an electric motor.I seem to feel that if my partners touch me, they will jump up.At ten o'clock in the morning the sight was still more definite; anyone could say that the wind was softening, trying to catch a breath, and the clouds seemed to be a great hole in which the storm was brewing.

I try not to think of the scary things, but I have to say: "It looks like the weather is bad." The professor didn't answer.Uncle was greatly troubled by the sight of this boundless ocean stretching before us.He just shrugged. "We're going to have a storm," I said, putting my hand out toward the horizon, "and the clouds are getting lower and lower, as if they're going to weigh down the sea!" There was silence.The wind had died down—nature seemed dead and had stopped breathing.The sails were drooping along the masts, and the raft was motionless in the heavy, waveless sea.But in this case, why hang the sails on it, because if there is a storm, we will be ruined.

"Let's lower it," I said, "and put the mast down; it's safer that way." "No, no, hell!" cried my uncle, "let the tempest hit us and carry us away; and I don't care if the storm smashes our raft to pieces, as long as it can bring us to shore! " No sooner had these words left my mouth than a sudden change took place on the southern horizon; the accumulating vapors condensed into ice, and the wind from the farthest ends of the clouds blew wildly; the darkness increased until at last I I can't even remember the simplest diary. The raft was lifted and jumped forward.My uncle fell down, and I got up and crawled beside him.He gripped the anchor line tightly, as if admiring the sight.Hanns was motionless, and his strange face was reminiscent of the faces of ancient people.

The mast held up nicely, though the sails swelled like bubbles about to explode. "Sail! Sail!" I cried, gesturing to draw it down. "No!" replied the uncle. "No." Hannes shook his head slightly and said the same thing. The rain formed a roaring waterfall, obscuring the horizon to which we were fleeing desperately.But when we reached the waterfall, the mast was split by lightning; the loud thunder was mingled with the bright flash of the brakes.The steam had become white-hot, and the hailstones blazed on the metal of our tools and guns; Dazzled by the intense light, and deafened by the thunder, I was forced to cling to the mast, bent like a reed. ...

(My record here is far from complete. I find only a few cursory observations recorded here. However, their brevity and incoherence may reflect my mood at the time.) … Sunday 23rd August We are being carried forward at a speed unheard of - where are we now?It was a dreadful night; no peace—the constant sound of explosions.Our ears were bleeding and we couldn't exchange a word. The lightning continued.I saw the winding path go first down and then up to meet the granite top.What if it collapsed!At this time, several fireballs exploded like bombs, but the noise did not increase, because the noise was already so loud that people's ears could not distinguish it.

There were still flashes of lightning in the clouds.Countless jets of water rushed into the air, and then crashed down again, splashing a drop of water. Where are we going? ... Uncle was lying upright in the stern of the boat. It's getting hotter and hotter, I look at the thermometer, the mercury column is pointing to... (The numbers can't be seen clearly.) Monday, August 24 Is there no end to this sea?Why is the air pressure so low?Is there no going back to the way it was?We were all overwhelmed by fatigue, except Hannes.We were still heading southeast, having traveled more than six hundred miles from Aksai.

At noon the storm intensified; we tied everything to the raft, ourselves included, and let the waves splash over our heads. For three whole days, we could not exchange a word.We open our mouths and move our lips, but we cannot make audible sounds.I can't hear clearly even if I yell with my ears. Uncle approached me and said a few words.He seemed to say, "We're done," but I'm not sure. I wrote to him and said, "Let's take the sail off." Uncle agreed. Suddenly a flaming ball appeared near the raft, and at the same time the mast and sail were rolled up to a high place, and it looked like a pterosaur, an ancient strange bird.

We were paralyzed with fright; the half-blue, half-white fireball, about ten inches in diameter, was rolling with great speed under the blast of the storm.It floated here and there, landed on one of the raft's planks, danced on the grain sacks, bounced lightly, and bounced up again to touch the cartridges.horrible!It's going to explode!No, the bright thing went away—flying beside Hans, who just watched it—and wandered around my uncle and me again.It turns around my feet, and I want to move away, but it's impossible.The smell of nitrogen fills the atmosphere, choking our lungs. Why can't I pull my feet back?Ah, I see, this electrified ball has sucked all iron; instruments, implements, and guns shake and clatter, and the nails in the soles of my shoes are firmly sucked to the iron plate.

Finally, just as the fireball was about to grab my foot, I pulled it away with force— Ah, what a light!This ball has suddenly turned into countless flames spraying into the sky!It's all over now.I saw my uncle lying sprawled on the raft, Hannes still at the helm, but breathing fire all the time because he was covered in electricity. Where are we going?Where are we going? ... Tuesday, August 25th I was dizzy for a long time, and just recovered. The storm continued--shining lights like snakes. Are we still at sea?Yes, we are moving at an incalculable speed.We have passed England, the English Channel, France, perhaps all of Europe! ...

A new sound was heard—something was pounding against the rock!But at this time——…