Hewett gestures at the map. ‘Just before Nemo died, he pulled Cyrus Harding aside and had some final words with him. It says that much in Verne’s book. What it does not say is that Nemo gave Harding a treasure chest of pearls and also entrusted him with a mission: to make sure his technology was never used by the world powers or stolen by Land Institute. We were to safeguard Nemo’s legacy, to reveal his advances only a little at a time, when we decided the world was ready for them. Most importantly –’ he looks at me – ‘we were to safeguard his descendants until the time was right.’
I don’t want to ask, but I do anyway. ‘Right for what?’
Again, Dr Hewett simply watches me, waiting for the hints to fall into place.
‘This map leads to one of Nemo’s bases,’ I say, getting goosebumps worse than Nelinha’s. ‘Not just any base. The island where Nemo died. It wasn’t completely destroyed in the eruption, was it?’
Hewett gives me his rarest classroom gesture. He simply points at me to say Correct. ‘Ana, two years ago, your parents gave their lives to find this island. Your brother was being prepared to take charge of operations there once he graduated college. Since we discovered it, the island has become a field lab and underwater archaeology site staffed by HP faculty. It holds our most advanced technology. And … artefacts.’
Gem rubs his forehead. ‘That’s what Land Institute wants. Access to this island. And you … you used to work for LI.’ He sounds personally hurt, as if Hewett has broken a promise.
Hewett stares at the nautical map. ‘That’s true, Mr Twain. When I was younger, I graduated from HP – House Shark, like you and Dev Dakkar. Nevertheless, I always had a grudging admiration for Land Institute. They favour action over caution, offence over defence. That was alluring to me. In some ways, they are a school made entirely of Sharks. That’s why I accepted a job there, and why I spent years designing specs for a submarine that could rival the Nautilus. It took me a long time to see the ugly, brutal side of LI, to realize what they would do with such power …’
He gives me a mournful glance. ‘I don’t expect you to trust me. But my past with LI is one reason I wanted to be Dev’s advisor. I tried to guide his progress, to teach him why HP’s approach is the only responsible way forward. Dev reminded me so much of myself at his age …’
If I wasn’t so shocked, I might be tempted to laugh. I can’t imagine two people less alike than Dev and Dr Hewett. It’s hard to envision Hewett as a Shark, or young, or anything other than our professor. But it makes me wonder what Dev might have accomplished when he got older. Would he have gone on to command his own ship and then his own fleet as he’d always dreamed? Or is it possible he would have ended up a frustrated, dejected teacher like Hewett? That idea is almost as sad as knowing that, now, Dev will never get the chance to have any future at all.
Hewett sighs, as if thinking the same thoughts. ‘At any rate … when your parents found Nemo’s base, Land Institute feared it would give HP an unstoppable advantage. As I said, Nemo’s most important work could only be operated by his descendants. And, unlike Land Institute, we have … good relations with the Dakkar family.’
I get the uncomfortable sense that Hewett almost said we have control of the Dakkar family. He doesn’t seem to notice the cold look I’m giving him.
‘The island is completely off the grid,’ he says, some colour coming back into his face. ‘It is cut off from all outside communication. Its location is unknown even to me. The only way to find it –’
‘Is me.’ I look at the coppery paperweight thing.
‘Exactly, my dear. The base is our only hope. The staff there won’t know about HP’s destruction. We must warn them. We can regroup there, rearm ourselves, protect –’
‘We could just go to the authorities,’ I say. ‘We have been attacked. Our school has been destroyed. We tell –’
‘Who?’ Hewett demands. ‘The police? The FBI? The military? Best-case scenario, they write us off as lunatics. Worst-case scenario, they believe us. Are you prepared to be whisked off to a secret government site and spend the rest of your days being interrogated? Land Institute and Harding-Pencroft agree on almost nothing. But we do agree on one thing. Turning Nemo’s technology over to the world’s governments or, worse, the world’s corporations would be disastrous. We must –’
He slumps forward like he’s been punched.