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Around the World in 80 Days - Part VI

This is the sixth and final episode of our serialisation of the abridged version of Around the World in Eighty Days for the 2006 Great Reading Adventure.

It has been specially adapted for children.

The adventure is part of the Brunel 200 programme which is funded by the National Lottery through Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and the Millennium Commission.

If you missed the earlier chapters,

before reading on.

Chapter 6: Journey's End

It would be two more days before another passenger ship crossed the Atlantic Ocean. There was nothing they could do that night so they booked into an hotel. Phileas slept soundly but Passepartout and Aouda stayed awake, worried that they might not make it home in time. Fix also hated the thought of any delays. He was desperate to arrest Phileas.

The next day Phileas walked around the docks looking for a ship that he might use, but they were all sailing ships and would be too slow. At last, in the evening, he noticed a cargo ship puffing smoke from its funnel. It was called the Henrietta and it was getting ready to leave.

Phileas climbed on board and asked the captain where he was going.

'Bordeaux,' said the captain.

'Do you take passengers?' asked Phileas.

'No,' said the captain. 'Too much bother. Always grumbling and getting in the way.'

'What if I paid you £500 each? There are four of us,' said Phileas.

'Very well,' said the captain, 'but I leave in half an hour and won't wait for you.'

'We'll be ready,' said Phileas and he rushed back to the hotel to fetch the others.

The following morning Phileas spoke to the sailors on board and offered to pay them a lot of money if they would take the ship to Liverpool rather than Bordeaux. They were happy to help him as he was so generous and they did not like the captain. The captain was locked up in his cabin and Phileas was in command.

For the first few days all went well, but the wind soon began to rise. It was blowing against them, making it harder to force their way through the waves. The sailors warned Phileas that they might not have enough coal to get them to Liverpool.

Phileas went to see the captain who was, of course, very angry.

'You pirate!' he yelled at Phileas.

'Would you sell me your ship for £10,000?' asked Phileas, politely. 'I need to burn her.'

'You're mad,' said the captain but he took the money.

Phileas then told the sailors to cut down anything on board that was made of wood – the cabin walls, the bunks and doors, the decks, the masts – and to burn them in the engine's firebox to make more steam. It was enough to get them to Queenstown in Ireland where they caught a train to Dublin and then a steamer to Liverpool.

It was twenty to twelve on 21 December. Phileas could still get to London to win the bet but as he stepped on to Liverpool Pier, Fix put his hand on Phileas' shoulder and said:

'Phileas Fogg, I am arresting you for the robbery at the Bank of England that took place on 29 September.'

Passepartout threw his hat on the ground and jumped on it in rage but there was nothing they could do. Phileas was locked up in a cell and Passepartout and Aouda waited outside. It looked as if Phileas was ruined.

At 2.30 that afternoon there was the sound of shouting outside the door and Fix and Passepartout burst in. Fix was very embarrassed. He had just heard that the real bank robber had been arrested three days before. Phileas was free to go.

Phileas punched Fix on the nose then he, Passepartout and Aouda jumped into a cab that whisked them to the station. The last express train to London had left half an hour earlier. Phileas had to hire a private train. The engine driver ran the train at top speed, but as they pulled into London all the clocks at the station showed the time was 8.50. Phileas had lost his bet by five minutes.

'We might as well go home,' said Phileas quietly.

The next day Phileas shut himself up in his office and went through his accounts. He had very little cash left and all the money in the bank was needed to pay the bet. Aouda and Passepartout stayed in the house all day, feeling miserable. At 7.30 in the evening Phileas went to see Aouda.

'When I brought you away from India, I thought that I could give you half of my fortune,' he said. 'You would have been free to live as you chose. But now I have nothing. Do you forgive me?'

'There is nothing to forgive,' said Aouda. 'I don't care about your money. I fell in love with you that first morning when I saw you at the temple. Would you like to marry me?'

Phileas' eyes twinkled and for the first time a happy grin spread across his handsome face.

'Oh, yes, indeed,' he cried.

He called for Passepartout and told him to run to the church at the end of the street.

'Tell the vicar we wish to be married tomorrow. Monday,' he said.

Passepartout did not hesitate. He ran off. It was five minutes to eight.

But what had happened at the Reform Club on the Saturday evening?

A large crowd had gathered and were watching the clock. Just as the clock chimed 8.45 the door of the club opened and in walked Phileas Fogg.

'Here I am gentlemen,' he said.

Now how did he manage that?

When Passepartout went to the church he made an amazing discovery. It was not Sunday, as they thought, but only Saturday. Because they had gone around the world travelling east, in the opposite direction to the sun, they had gained an extra day.

He ran home again to tell Phileas who just had time to dash to the club.

Phileas and Aouda were married on the Monday, as they had planned. He had won his bet and, even more wonderful than that, he had brought home a woman who made him the happiest man in the world.

Visit the South West Reads website above to find out more about Phileas Fogg and Jules Verne, and to get involved in events and competitions.