Your curiosity gets the better of you. You ask the captain to see the fisheries.

To your surprise, he agrees. Captain Nemo looks out over the waves. “By the way, there will be sharks.”

The wind lifts your hair, and you shiver.

You find Conseil and Ned in the drawing room, talking excitedly about visiting the pearl fishery. The captain has already told them the news.

“Can you give us any details?” asks Conseil.

You give Conseil and Ned a quick lesson in pearls.

“Can there be more than one pearl per oyster?” Ned asks you.

“Yes. In fact, there’s a rumor about one oyster that contained no less than one hundred sharks.”

“Sharks?” asks Conseil.

You laugh nervously. “Did I say sharks? I meant pearls. It wouldn’t make sense for an oyster to have sharks in it.” You laugh again.

“What’s going on?” asks Ned.

You shift uncomfortably. “Well, Ned, are you afraid of sharks?”

“I’m a harpooner. It’s my job not to be.”

“It’s not a matter of harpooning them from the safety of your boat.”

Understanding suddenly dawns on Ned’s face. “Then you mean...”

“Exactly,” you say.

“We’d better bring a good harpoon,” says Ned. “Sharks turn on their bellies to seize you and—”

“I get it,” you say. The way Ned says the word “seize” makes your stomach flip.

Conseil’s face is white. He gives you a shaky smile.

***

The next day, you meet Captain Nemo in the drawing room. He takes you up to the platform. Ned, Conseil, and five crewmen wait for you there. They’ve prepared the boat and loaded the diving suits. Captain Nemo explains that you’ll be able to get closer to the pearl fishery in the small boat than you would with the submarine.

You, Captain Nemo, Ned, and Conseil take your places at the stern. One crewman mans the tiller, and the others pull at the oars. Soon you’re gliding out over the ocean.

When you’ve rowed within five miles of the coast of the Island of Manaar, Captain Nemo rises from his seat. He makes a motion to his crew, and they drop anchor. The water is only about a yard deep.

With the help of the crewmen, you and your companions put on your heavy diving suits. None of the crewmen will be going with you.

You feel a twinge of unease. You feel even more nervous when Captain Nemo says you won’t be bringing your lights, either.

He grins. “The sun will light our way. Besides, if we use lights here, the brightness may attract the more dangerous creatures of this coast.”

“Are we at least bringing guns?” you ask. Ned and Conseil already have their helmets on and can’t hear your conversation.

Captain Nemo laughs. “What for?” He hands you a knife. “Put this in your belt. It’s a strong blade.” He clamps his helmet on before you can protest. You glance at Ned. At least he has his harpoon.

The crewmen clamp on your helmet. Captain Nemo waves you forward. Soon you’re beneath the ocean’s surface. You walk downhill for less than an hour to reach the oyster banks, where pearl oysters live by the millions. Captain Nemo points to an enormous heap of oysters. Ned hurriedly stuffs a net full of them.

The captain leads on. You follow him down a steep hill and into a dark canyon full of waving plants that drown out the sun’s rays. The canyon ends in a circular pit. Captain Nemo points to an object in the pit. You squint through the gloom and realize you’re seeing a giant oyster—it must weigh at least 600 pounds!

You can’t image the pearl that must be inside that oyster. It would be a treasure beyond belief. You want it for yourself; should you reach into the oyster to search for the pearl? Or do you let Captain Nemo take the lead—even if it means he will claim the treasure as his own? What will you choose to do?