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November 2, 2025 • 18 mins
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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter three, an astounding discovery. What is the matter, cried
the cook, entering the room. When will master have his dinner?
Never and his supper? I don't know. He says he
will eat no more, neither shall I. My uncle has
determined to fast and make me fast until he makes

(00:22):
out this abominable inscription. I replied, you will be starved
to death, she said. I was very much of the
same opinion, but not liking to say so, sent her
away and began some of my usual work of classification.
But try as I might, nothing could keep me from thinking,

(00:43):
alternately of the stupid manuscript and of the pretty Gretchen.
Several times I thought of going out, but my uncle
would have been angry at my absence. At the end
of an hour, my allotted task was done. How to
pass the time, I began by lightning my pipe Like

(01:04):
all other students, I delighted in tobacco, and seating myself
in the great arm chair. I began to think where
was my uncle? I could easily imagine him tearing along
some solitary road, testiculating, talking to himself, cutting the air
with his cane, and still thinking of the absurd bit

(01:26):
of hieroglyphics. Would he heat upon some clue? Would he
come home in better humor? While these thoughts were passing
through my brain, I mechanically took up the execreable puzzle
and tried every imaginable way of grouping the letters. I
put them together by twos, by threes, fours, and fives

(01:49):
in vain. Nothing intelligible came out, except that the fourteenth, fifteenth,
and sixteenth made eyes in English, the eighth, fourth, eighty, fifth,
and eighty six the words sir. Then at last I
seemed to find the Latin words rota, mutabile era neck

(02:10):
atra a. There seems to be some truth in my
uncle's notion, thought I. Then again I seem to find
the word luco, which means sacred wood. Then in the
third line I appeared to make out labeled, a perfect
Hebrew word, and at the last the syllables mare r mere,

(02:34):
which were French. It was enough to drive one mad.
Four different idioms in this absurd phrase. What connection could
there be between ice, sir, anger, cruel, sacred wood, changing
mother r and sea. The first and the last might,
in a sentence connected with iceland mean sea of ice.

(02:58):
But what of the rest of this monstrous cryptograph. I was,
in fact fighting against an insurmountable difficulty. My brain was
almost on fire. My eyes were strained. When staring at
the parchment, the whole absurd collection of letters appeared to
dance before my vision in a number of black little groups.

(03:22):
My mind was possessed with temporary hallucination. I was stifling.
I wanted air. Mechanically, I found myself with the document,
of which now I saw the back and then the front.
Imagine my surprise when glancing at the back of the
wearisome puzzle, the ink having gone through, I clearly made

(03:45):
out Latin words, and among others, Caratrem and terrestre. I
had discovered the secret. It came upon me like a
flash of lightning. I had got the clue. All you
had to do to understand the document was to read
it backwards. All the ingenious ideas of the professor were realized.

(04:09):
He had dictated it rightly to me. By a mere accident,
I had discovered what he so much desired. My delight,
my emotion may be imagined. My eyes were dazzled, and
I trembled, so that at first I could make nothing
of it. One look however, would tell me all I

(04:29):
wished to know. Let me read, I said to myself,
after drawing a long breath. I spread it before me
on the table. I passed my finger over each letter.
I spelled it through. In my excitement I read it out.
What horror and stupefaction took possession of my soul. I

(04:55):
was like a man who had received a knockdown blow.
Was it possible that I really read the terrible secret?
And it had really been accomplished? A man had dared
to do what no living being should ever know? Never,
cried I, jumping up. Never shall my uncle be made

(05:19):
aware of the dreed secret. He would be quite capable
of undertaking the terrible journey. Nothing would check him, nothing
stop him. Worse, he would compel me to accompany him,
and we should be lost forever. But no such folly
and madness cannot be allowed. I was almost beside myself

(05:44):
with rage and fury. My worthy uncle is already nearly mad,
I cried aloud. This would finish him. By some accident,
he may make the discovery, in which case we are
both lost. Perry the fearful secret. Let the flames forever
bury it in oblivion. I snatched up book and parchment,

(06:09):
and was about to cast them into the fire when
the door opened and my uncle entered. I had scarcely
time to put down the wretched documents before my uncle
was by my side. He was profoundly absorbed. His thoughts
were evidently bent on the terrible parchment. Some new combination

(06:31):
had probably struck him while taking his walk. He seated
himself in his arm chair, and with a pen, began
to make an algebraical calculation. I watched him with anxious eyes.
My flesh crawled as it became probable that he would
discover the secret. His combinations, I knew now were useless,

(06:53):
I having discovered the one only clue. For three mortal hours,
he continued without speaking a word, without raising his head, scratching, rewriting,
calculating over and over again. I knew that in time
he must hit upon the right frace. The letters of

(07:14):
every alphabet have only a certain number of combinations. But
then years might elapse before he would arrive at the
correct solution. Still time went on, night came, the sounds
in the streets ceased, and still my uncle went on,
not even answering our worthy cook when she called us

(07:36):
to supper. I did not dare to leave him, so
waved her away, and at last fell asleep on the
sofam When I awoke, my uncle was still at work.
His red eyes, his pallid countenance, his matted hair, his
feverish hands, his hectically flushed cheeks showed how terrible had

(07:57):
been he struggle with the impossible, and what fearful fatigue
he had undergone during that long sleepless night. It made
me quite ill to look at him. Though he was
rather severe with me, I loved him, and my heart
ached at his sufferings. He was so overcome by one

(08:17):
idea that he could not even get in a passion.
All his energies were focused on one point, and I
knew that by speaking one little word, all this suffering
would cease. I could not speak it. My heart was
nevertheless inclining towards him. Why then, did I remain silent

(08:42):
in the interest of my uncle himself? Nothing shall make
me speak, I muttered. He will want to follow in
the footsteps of the other. I know him well. His
imagination is a perfect volcanal, and to make discoveries in
the interests of geology, he would sacrifice his life. I

(09:03):
will therefore be silent and strictly keep the secret I
have discover'd. To reveal it would be suicidal. He would
not only rush himself to destruction, but drag me with him.
I crossed my arms, looked another way, and smoked, resolved
never to speak. When our cook wanted to go out

(09:26):
to market or any other errand she found the front
door locked and the key taken away. Was this done
purposely or not? Surely Professor Hartwick did not intend the
old woman and myself to become martyrs to his obstinate will.
Were we to be starved to death? A frightful recollection

(09:47):
came to my mind once we had fed on bits
and scraps for a week, while he sought it some curiosities.
It gave me the cramp even to think of it.
Are you wanted my breakfast? And I saw no way
of getting it? Still my resolution held good. I would

(10:08):
starve rather than yield. But the cook began to take
me seriously to task what was to be done? She
could not go out, and I dared not. My uncle
continued counting and writing. His imagination seemed to have translated
him into the skies. He neither thought of eating nor

(10:31):
drinking in this way. Twelve o'clock came round. I was hungry,
and there was nothing in the house. The cook had
eaten the last bit of bread. This could not go on.
It did, however, until two, when my sensations were terrible.
After all, I began to think the document very absurd.

(10:54):
Perhaps it might only be a gigantic hoax. Besides, some
means would surely be found to keep my uncle back
from attempting any such absurd expedition. On the other hand,
if it did attempt anything so quixotic, I should not
be compelled to accompany him. Another line of reasoning partially

(11:15):
decided me very likely he would make the discover himself
when I should have suffered starvation for nothing under the
influence of hunger. This reasoning appeared admirable. I determined to
tell all. The question now arose as to how it
was to be done. I was still dwelling on the

(11:37):
thought when he rose and put on his hat, What
go out and lock us in? Never Uncle, I began.
He did not appear even to hear me. Professor Hartwig,
I cried, what he retorted? Did you speak? How about

(11:57):
the key? What key? The key of the door. No
of these horrible hieroglyphics. He looked at me from under
his spectacles and started at the odd expression of my face.
Rushing forward, he clutched me by the arm and keenly
examined my countenance. His very look was an interrogation. I

(12:21):
simply nodded with an incredulous shrug of the shoulders. He
turned upon his heel. Undoubtedly he thought I had gone mad.
I have made a very important discovery. His eyes flashed
with excitement, his hand was lifted in a menacing attitude.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. It is hard

(12:43):
to say which was most excited. You don't mean to
say that you have any idea of the meaning of
the scrawl I do, was my desperate reply. Look at
the sentence as dictated by you. Well, but it means nothing,
was the angry answer. Nothing if you read from left

(13:04):
to right, but mark if from right to left backwards,
cried my uncle in wild amazement. Oh, most cunning SAGNOSEM
and I to be such a blockhead. He snatched up
the document, gazed at it with haggard eye, and read
it out as I had done. It read as follows

(13:26):
in Snephel's Yoculis kratrem kem delibat umbra scartaris Julie intra
kalendas descende audas viator it terestresentrum attings card feki arne sagnussem,
which dog Latin, being translated, reads as follows. Descend into

(13:48):
the crater of jocul of Snepheos, which the shade of
Scartaris caresses before the canons of July Ordashu's traveler, and
you will reach the seer of the earth. I did it,
Arnes sagnussem, my uncle leaped three feet from the ground
with joy. He looked ragant and handsome. He rushed about

(14:12):
the room, wild with delight and satisfaction. He knocked over
tables and chairs. He threw his books about, until at last,
utterly exhausted, he fell into his aunt chair. What's o'clock?
He asked, about three. My dinner does not seem to
have done me much good, he observed, Let me have

(14:33):
something to eat. We can then start at once. Get
my portmanteau ready. What for and your own, he continued,
We start at once. My horror may be conceived. I resolved, however,
to show no fear. Scientific reasons were the only ones
likely to influence my uncle. Now there were many against

(14:56):
this terrible journey. The very idea of going down to
the center of the earth was simply absurd. I determined,
therefore to argue the point. After dinner. My uncle's rage
was now directed against the cook for having no dinner ready.
My explanation, however, satisfied him, and having gotten the key,

(15:18):
she soon contrived to get sufficient to satisfy our voracious appetites.
During the repast, my uncle was rather gay than otherwise.
He made some of those peculiar jokes which belonged exclusively
to the learned. As soon, however, as dessert was over,
he called me to his study. We each took a

(15:39):
chair on opposite sides of the table. Henry, he said,
in a soft and winning voice. I have always believed
you ingenious, and you have rendered me a service never
to be forgotten. Without you, this great, this wondrous discovery,
would never have been made. It is my duty therefore

(16:01):
to insist on your sharing the glory. He's in a
good humor, thought I I'll soon let him know my
opinion of glory. In the first place, he continued, you
must keep the whole affair a profound secret. There is
no more ennous race of men than scientific discoverers. Many

(16:22):
would start on the same journey. At all events, we
will be the first in the field. I doubt your
having many competitors, was my reply. A man of real
scientific acquirements would be delighted at the chance we should
find a perfect stream of pilgrims on the traces of

(16:43):
Ernest Sucknussom if this document were once made public. But
my dear sir, is not this paper very likely to
be a hoax? I urged. The book in which we
find it is sufficient proof of its authenticity. Here, replied I,
thoroughly aloud, that the celebrated professor wrote the lines. But

(17:05):
only I believe as a kind of mystification, was my answer.
Scarcely were the words out of my mouth when I
was sorry I had uttered them. My uncle looked at
me with a dark and gloomy scowl, and I began
to be alarmed for the results of our conversation. His

(17:25):
mood soon changed, however, and a smile took the place
of a frown. We shall see, he remarked, with decisive emphasis.
But see what is all this about Jokul and Sneffels,
and this Cartaris, I have never heard anything about them.
The very point to which I am coming I lately

(17:47):
received from my friend Augustus Piederman of Leipzish a map
take down the third atlas from the second shelf series,
set plate for I rose, went to the shelf, and
presently returned with the volume indicated this, said, my uncle,
is one of the best maps of Iceland. I believe

(18:09):
it will settle all your doubts, difficulties and objections. With
a grim hope to the contrary, I stooped over the map.
End of Chapter three
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