The Island at the Top of the World Page #2

We must wait until night

to return to the hangar.

- Then bring back the ground crew.

- Wait until night?

That will mean 12 hours.

I can't lose the time.

You're absolutely right, Sir Anthony.

Congratulations, Josephine.

We've signed on our ship's mascot.

Very well, but I don't like small dogs,

and I never did.

Britain may rule the waves,

Sir Anthony,

but the French airship rules the sky.

Already, we are speeding in triumph

across the shores of your homeland.

It's raining as usual, I see.

- How far have we come?

- About 150 miles.

Hundred and fifty? In six hours?

Is that what you call

"speeding in triumph"?

We'll travel faster,

but now my motors are at half-speed.

What on earth for?

Damn you!

- They must run themselves in.

- Poppycock!

I want full speed!

There are the controls.

If you want full speed,

it is your responsibility, not mine.

What do you say now, Sir Anthony?

I say, I want full speed.

And I mean to have it.

You have your wish, Monsieur.

It's on your head.

- What's happening?

- Somebody route the propeller.

I followed your orders, Monsieur,

and you see the result.

Now we must go back

to France for repairs.

We will not.

We will proceed on one propeller.

The Arctic winds!

That would be insanity!

Without full power,

my airship could not survive.

- I refuse to go forward.

- And I refuse to go back.

Well, gentlemen,

we have to go somewhere.

Captain, you carry

a spare propeller, don't you?

- That is right.

- Well, why don't we put it on now.

In midair?

- Impossible!

- Nothing's impossible.

Splendid idea, Ivarsson.

Come along. Give me a hand.

Sir Anthony!

May I remind you

that I am in command here!

Only an idiot

would attempt such a thing.

I will do it myself.

Do be careful

and don't take any unnecessary risks.

Take good care.

The wind's coming up.

Let's haul him up.

Well done, Captain.

My congratulations.

Thank you, Sir Anthony.

I am deeply honoured.

What's he up to now?

Vive le France!

Top fellow, Brieux.

- The man's incredible.

- Brave, but mad as a hatter.

Musk ox.

Over there.

What are they doing?

They're forming a defensive ring.

They think we are attacking.

Captain, is it really necessary

to fly so low?

It's easier to control

the airship at this altitude.

No need to be alarmed, Sir Anthony.

Look, I'm in full command.

You made your point, Captain.

There's no need to overdo it.

Take hold of the lines.

I don't understand why

Donald took only one Eskimo with him.

Only one could be persuaded to go.

They all knew what he was looking for.

The mythical island,

where the whales go to die.

One man's myth is another man's

gospel, Mr Ivarsson.

Anyway, the Eskimos

believe the island exists.

They're frightened to death of it.

Say it's guarded by evil spirits.

What about the Eskimo

who went with him?

Oomiak's his name.

They call him "The Fearless One".

Though he was far from fearless

when he came back.

- He came back.

- Aye.

That's him out there.

Showing the captain

how to fly his airship.

Fetch the fellow. Call him in.

I'm afraid you won't get

anything out of him.

Call him in at once. Don't argue.

Very well, Sir.

Any man that goes off with my son

and comes back alone...

- I'll see that he talks, all right.

- You'd better let me handle him.

You've never dealt with Eskimos.

They have a diplomacy all their own.

Blasted.

Why doesn't anyone think I have tact?

Come along, Oomiak.

Ah, so there you are.

What I want is an exact account

of everything that happened...

Sir Anthony, this is the great Oomiak.

Who knows Oomiak?

Your fame has travelled far.

What fame?

Not even my dogs know me.

You were my son's guide.

What happened to him?

Who?

This is the father of Donald Ross.

We wanna know about your trip...

Tell us what happened

when you left here to find the island.

- Island?

- Don't try to play that game with me.

Oomiak, I think

you've seen this before.

This is where the whales go to die.

It's the island Donald was looking for.

Well, speak up, man.

My mind forgets.

Is The Fearless One afraid to help us?

We travelled many days.

Evil spirits watch us

when we find island.

They make big blizzard.

Then they attack us.

I fight like bear. Ah!

Fight like bear,

but evil spirits too strong!

So you ran away and left my son?

No, we both run, blind in snow.

When blizzard stop,

I search for many hours.

No Donald.

I tell truth.

You, Donald's father.

I, Donald's friend.

- His whole story is a pack of lies.

- Maybe.

But he's the only chance we have.

He could show us where he lost him

and start searching there.

I don't suppose

there's any chance he'd go.

No, Sir, none at all.

Nothing on earth

would make him go back.

Nothing on earth.

Why don't you let one of them on.

He can tell the others about it.

- No. You let one aboard...

- What about this fellow?

He's been a great help. Would you

like to see the inside of the airship?

Me?

- Yes, I like.

- Good man.

Give him a hand, Captain.

Why don't you show him around.

- Perhaps we can win him over.

- Well, we can try.

Captain, a word with you.

Captain?

No, no, no, Monsieur.

Quite impossible.

There is no room,

and we are overloaded now.

We could leave the mechanic.

Pick him up on the way back.

You ask me to fly

without the mechanic?

But you have me.

Just tell me what to do.

I could,

but you wouldn't do it.

Looks like we're ready to leave.

I better take you down.

Let go the lines there.

Wait, Oomiak's still onboard.

Hang it all, he's the only one

who knows where Donald went to.

We could bring him back

after he's helped us to find him.

Sir Anthony, since

I no longer have a mechanic,

may I suggest that you first

make fast the door,

then go aloft

and take in the landing lines.

Aye, aye, Captain.

We're here.

We can only guess

how far the island is.

This Eskimo map is a little vague.

It's a lot to gamble

on a piece of bone.

He's not much help to us either.

Did you expect him to be?

Sir Anthony.

Come up, please.

There's been a report.

- What is it?

- Look over there.

- Whales.

- White whales.

Beluga. Indigenous to the Arctic.

Now look over there.

I say, that one's quite different.

The California grey. It's supposed

to be found only in the Pacific.

A narwhal, the unicorn of the sea.

That's a rare sight, Sir Anthony.

By Jove, there are whales everywhere.

All kinds of whales.

And all moving in the same direction.

Exactly.

So there is a place

where whales go to die.

Captain, that big lead

of open water.

Follow it.

If we are on the right track,

we'd have seen something.

Look. You remember the journal?

"A lone cloud, as if lying on the ice."

Oomiak.

Is that where the island is?

Wrong way. Wrong way.

Island not that way.

Island back this way.

He just told us

what we wanted to know.

Steady as you go, Captain.

Look.

And hidden beneath the cloud,

an island.

Captain. What happened?

Captain.

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