Jules Verne Forum

<jvf@Gilead.org.il>

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 19961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009

The Blog of Axel Lidenbrock : August 11th 2008

From: Harry Hayfield <harryhayfield~at~googlemail.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:27:00 +0100
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

BlankFirst of all the good news, I am now feeling a lot better following my
little escapade on the 8th. I still wince every now and again if I move my
head suddenly, but compared to then I am miles better.

But during that time, I had the most bizarre dream. I dreamt that I was
sitting in a stadium in the capital of China, Peking, watching a display
celebrating the opening of an international sporting event the like of which
I hadn't seen. I asked the person next to me what was going on and he
replied in a language I had never heard of before. Thankfully a steward came
up and said "Honourable gentleman, may I answer for you?" and I consented.
She then explained that I was at the opening ceremony of the 29th Games of
the Modern Olympiad. I then remember from my history lessons that the
Olympiad Games were held in Greece until about 1,400 years ago so asked the
steward why this was only the 29th celebration. She handed me a leaflet as
she had to attend to another person but the leaflet explained that the
Olympiad Games were resumed in 1896.

Just at that moment I woke up and found myself in a charming grotto, adorned
with splendid stalactites, and the soil of which was a fine sand. It was
half light. There was no torch, no lamp, yet certain mysterious glimpses of
light came from without through a narrow opening in the grotto. I heard too
a vague and indistinct noise, something like the murmuring of waves breaking
upon a shingly shore, and at times I seemed to hear the whistling of wind. I
shook my head, winced slightly and tried to figure out my dream. Had I
really dreamt the the Olympiad Games will be resumed in 33 years time? As I
was pondering that idea, my uncle came in and asked if I was feeling better.
I answered that I was, but then queried about the light I could see and the
sound that sounded like waves crashing on a shore. He was a little coy but
said that I would soon be setting sail.

This as you can imagine got me very concerned indeed. Had my uncle gone so
completely mad that he was planning on sailing underground? It turned out
that he wasn't mad, but the earth was as I discovered this morning when I
got out of my couch, and beckoned by my uncle set my eyes on... the sea,
which my uncle had duly named "the Lidenbrock Sea"

A vast sheet of water, the commencement of a lake or an ocean, spread far
away beyond the range of the eye. The deeply indented shore was lined with a
breadth of fine shining sand, softly lapped by the waves, and strewn with
the small shells which had been inhabited by the first of created beings.
The
waves broke on this shore with the hollow echoing murmur peculiar to vast
inclosed spaces. A light foam flew over the waves before the breath of a
moderate breeze, and some of the spray fell upon my face. On this slightly
inclining shore, about a hundred fathoms from the limit of the waves, came
down the foot of a huge wall of vast cliffs, which rose majestically to an
enormous height. Some of these, dividing the beach with their sharp spurs,
formed capes and promontories, worn away by the ceaseless action of the
surf. Farther on the eye discerned their massive outline sharply defined
against the hazy distant horizon.

"But that's impossible!" I shouted, but then suddenly remembered the theory
of an English captain, who likened the earth to a vast hollow sphere, in the
interior of which the air became luminous because of the vast pressure that
weighed upon it; while two stars, Pluto and Proserpine, rolled within upon
the circuit of their mysterious orbits. Helped by my uncle we walked around
the shoreline and came across an sight that was unsual. Mushrooms. But not
the ones you find in the Black Forest, oh no, these were as tall as oaks!
And if that wasn't enough on the ground were bones of mastadons and other
excinct creatures. I sat down on a piece of rock and looked out over this
ocean and wondered if it could be used to ply trade and I dare say that this
evening my odd dream of the resumation of the Olympiads will be joined by a
dream of an ocean going ship.

Received on Mon 11 Aug 2008 - 17:27:11 IDT

JV.Gilead.org.il
Copyright © Zvi Har’El
$Date: 2009/02/01 22:36:11 $$