"My dad always told me stories about her" "How she was this great oceanographer." "Stories about the baby they had... and how my mom just had to name her..." "Nim." "She invented that name." "At least, that's how my dad tells the story." "That's all my mother is to me now- just these stories." "But they're really some amazing stories." "Like the one he calls "The Oceanographer and the Great Blue Whale. "" "Once upon a time, the oceanographer went out on the wide-open sea... to find out what was in the stomach of the great blue whale." "As my mother was staring into the mouth of the whale... a mysterious ship came out of nowhere." "It was called The Buccaneer Ship." "It got much too close, and it frightened the whale." "And the oceanographer was swallowed and taken by the sea." "Dad felt that we should sail the ocean and look for that blue whale- that, someday, that whale would bring her back to us." "I think he just missed her." "We both did." "By my fourth birthday, we had sailed around the globe... twice" "From the Cape of Good Hope to the tip of Patagonia... from Singapore to the Cook Islands." "Then one day, we found it- our home." "This is my island." "Not a bad place to grow up, huh?" "See, I don't have to go to school." "I'm home-schooled." "Hey, Selkie!" "Watch out!" "Move it!" "Or, technically, island-schooled." "Sorry!" "Everything I know about the world I learned from my friends." "Galileo!" "Like, do you know that two objects... no matter how big they are, will fall at exactly the same speed?" "Galileo proved it." "He's my pelican." "Selkie, my sea lion, taught me how to swim." "So I returned the favor by teaching her soccer." "She's an excellent midfielder." "Oh, and I'll bet you didn't know that sea turtles and certain species of lizards... really get on each other's nerves." "Anything else I need to know about the world..." "I just open one of the books my dad brought for me." "With a little imagination, I can go anywhere." "All in all, not a bad life." "For dinner, I throw together some vegetables from our garden." "And for a little extra flavor, I toss in some freshly dug-up mealworms." "Mmm." "My dad's favorite." "Incredible day, Nim." "A new species, I think." "Well, if it's new, remember what you're naming it." ""Protozoa Nim. " I haven't forgotten." "See, my dad's a marine biologist." "He's obsessed with nanoplankton, the tiniest little particles in the ocean." "They're not really my thing, but to each his own, right?" "Did you know there are millions of picoplankton in a milliliter of water?" "Protozoa Nim could be here right now." "What?" "Wha" " Hey, Lizard!" " He's not "Lizard. " His name is Fred." "For a guy who loves nature, you'd think he'd be more into animals." "When they have more than one cell, Jack sort of loses interest." "Scientists write to him from all over the world with questions about all sorts of things." "He even writes articles sometimes... like this great one for National Geographic." " What's the reading?" " Thirty-seven knots!" "Hey, I'm not saying a scientist's life is for everyone... but it is the life for us." "Every few months, the supply ship comes, bringing us things that we need." "New books and paper, nails and cloth" "All the things we can't make for ourselves." "We sail out into the open water to meet it." "No one, not even the supply ship's captain... has ever seen how amazing our little island really is." "We take care of our island, Nim, our island's gonna take care of us." "And that's the way we wanna keep it- our own perfect, secret world." " Are ya ready?" " I'm ready." "Ah, bounty." "Look at this- Heirloom tomato seeds." "Do you remember those freckled ones we were reading about?" "Check it out!" "The new Alex Rover!" "My Arabian Adventure." "What do you think happens in Arabia?" "Wait until after dinner, Nim." "No, I'm just gonna start it." ""It's been my curse my entire life." ""I do not go looking for trouble, but somehow it finds me." "The question wasn't, am I going to die?" "The question was, how am I going to die?" "Will it be by my captors' guns, or will it be death by thirst?" "Must be the hero of my own life story." "Must be the hero of my own life story." "Where are you taking me?" "A special hole, just for you, Alex Rover." "Ever heard of the Pit of Spiders?" ""Pit of Spiders," huh?" "Well, I guess that answers the "how will I die" question." "Aah!" "No, no, no, no!" "Wait, wait, wait, stop!" "Where're you going?" "Oh, death by thirst makes a late comeback." "How did Alex Rover get to be Alex Rover?" " Well, let's see." " Was he born with all that courage?" ""Was he born with all that courage?"" "Hmm." "The thing about courage is... it's somethin' that we have to learn and relearn our whole lives." "You know, it's not just in you." "It's in every choice we make, each and every day." "Where do you think Alex Rover is at this very minute?" "Oh, well, I don't know." "Maybe he's chained up in a sarcophagus 20,000 fathoms under the sea." "Or in some pit of spiders... trapped without the antidote for their poison." "Yeah, pit of spiders." "I like that." "Okay." "Time to get some rest." "Sleep tight, now, okay?" "And no dreaming about spiders." "Spider!" "Spider!" "Get away from me." "All right." "These all go back here." "Straight." "Right angles." "Is-Is this the, uh, Telegraph Hill Pharmacy?" "Yes, I need a delivery, please." "Uh, Purell." "Well, h-how many bottles do you have?" "Oh." "Uh, very good." "All of them." "Yeah." "Send 'em all." "Uh, who is it?" " Telegraph Hill Pharmacy." " Uh, just leave it there, please." "Just leave it here?" "In the rain?" "Yeah, go ahead." "I-I put it on my MasterCard." "I left you a very nice tip." " Uh, make sure you get it." " Okay." "Alexandra, it's Buffy, your favorite editor." "I know you're there, and I know you're not going to pick up." "I just worry about you, darling... sitting at your computer, living on a diet of only Progresso soup." " How can you eat that every day?" " Buffy." "So, how is the new Alex Rover coming?" "Wasn't I supposed to read something two weeks ago?" "No pressure, no pressure, no pressure." "See, what you don't know about me is that where there's an Alex Rover- there's a way!" "I have a certain knack for getting out of predicaments far worse than this one, you know." "Eh." "Excuse me?" "No, hold on." "No." "I'm supposed to get outta this, you know." "Alexandra!" "Why can't I get this?" "No pressure, no pressure, no pressure." "Volcanic sacrifice." "What was I thinking?" "Volcano, volcano." ""Living in the Shadow of a Volcano. "Hmm." "Well, that's just crazy." "I mean, why would anyone do that?" "Oh, wow." "Perfect." " What you doin', Jack?" " Ah, there you are!" "Current's shifted, Nim." "Zander's Atoll is gonna be just five feet underwater." "Zander's Atoll?" "But it's almost dinner!" "Hey, we might not see algae growth like this for years." "More plankton?" "This is the trip we find Protozoa Nim." "I swear it." "I can feel it in my bones." "But Chicca's eggs are about to hatch." "I need to be here." "No negotiating." "I mean, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience." "Come on!" "Yeah, you said that last week about the southern borealis." " Two nights, Nim." " No!" "Chicca only saved one last year, Jack." "One little turtle." "I want to stay." "We can talk on the satellite phone." "Nim, please." "I'm not a little girl anymore." "You got so much of your mom in you, you know that?" " That's a good thing, right?" " Yeah, good." "Sure." "Unfortunately, I could never win a fight with her either." "Okay, it's only four hours till low tide." "Oh!" "Hey, could you grab my collection jars and my wet suit?" "I already packed them for you!" "Any e-mails show up, tell 'em I'm on expedition." "I'll get to their questions on Thursday." "Hey, Lizard, get off of that." "He's not "Lizard. " His name is Fred." "Unless it's, like, a ridiculously obvious e-mail." " Then I can help 'em, right?" " I'd rather you just said Thursday." "Nim, are you sure you're okay with this?" "Come on." "You've left me alone before." "Well, yeah." "One night." "But never for two." "Well, look, I've got Selkie and Fred and Galileo and the new Alex Rover book." " I'll be excellent." " All right, all right." " You just come back with Protozoa Nim!" " I will!" "I'll see ya Thursday!" "Love you!" "Love you too!" "I'll radio you tonight!" "No parties while I'm gone!" "# Baby, baby please let me hold him #" "# I wanna make him stay up all night #" "# Sister, Sister He's just a plaything #" "# We wanna make him stay up all night #" "# Here we go #" "# See him drink from a bottle #" "# See him eat from a plate ##" "Ooh, two new e-mails." "Aren't we popular?" "Hey, Freddie." "How's it goin'?" ""Dear Jack Rusoe, I need a bit of help on my newest adventure." "Might you be able to answer a few questions for me?" "Alex Rover. "" "Alex Rover?" "Alex Rover is writing to my dad?" "Do you think it's the Alex Rover?" "It's him!" "It's him!" "It's really him!" "Dear Alex Rover, I'm sure Jack would love to help you with your newest adventure." "He's a great fan of yours." "We both are." "From..." "Nim." ""Dear Alex Rover..." ""I'm sure Jack would love to help you with your newest adventure." ""He'll be back on Thursday." "He's a great fan of yours." "We both are." "From Nim. "" "Nim." "Hmm, what an unusual name." "Dear Nim, are you Jack's research associate?" "Jack wrote of a volcano where you live." "Are you familiar with it?" "Sincerely, Alex Rover." "Send." " What are you doing, Alexandra?" " Um, research." "Go." "Go." "Go away." "Leave me alone." "You don't mean that." "You love me." "And what makes you so sure of that, huh?" "Because the whole world loves Alex Rover." "Really?" "I know." ""Translated into 21 different languages. "" "No pressure, no pressure, no pressure." "You've been writing chapter eight for three months now." "So either sacrifice me to the damn volcano or let me find my escape already." " Hey!" "It's time to finish the book." " Shh!" " I'm thinking." " Yeah." "You're thinking." "You're thinking." "That's the problem." "You've gotta get outta your head and into your body." "Hey, that's it." "Kinka." ""Kinka"?" "Kinka!" "Kinka!" "Kinka!" "Yeah!" "It was incredible, Jack." "Chicca's babies were born tonight, just like I said." " That's excellent." " And the mole crabs were crazy hungry." "It was so important that I stayed." "I saved all six turtles." "Well, they're lucky you were there." "I'm proud of you, honey." " How's Zander's Atoll?" " Oh, I wish you could see this, Nim." "It's" "I mean, it's more incredible than the Milky Way." "Next time there's no negotiating, okay?" "Have you found my nanoplankton yet?" "Mmm." "I have a pretty good feeling about it." "Now, go to sleep, Nim." "No more reading." "We'll talk in the morning." "How did you know I was reading?" "Oh, I know you pretty well." "Good night, Nim." "Sleep tight." "It's just magnificent." "No!" "Jack?" "Daddy?" "Oh, no." "Freddie!" "It's a mess in here, eh, Selk?" "No power." "This rots." "Jack?" "Can you hear me?" "Jack..." "Michael..." "Rusoe?" "Daddy, can you hear me?" "Jack?" "Come in, Daddy!" "Jack?" "Daddy?" "Protozoa Nim." "Leak." "Leak is not good." "Nobody likes a leak." "Oh." "Middle of nowhere." "No mast." "No satellite." "Sinking ship." "How do I get back to Nim?" "He's not even due back till tomorrow, right, Fred?" "Nothin' to worry about." "Gotta get food." "I gotta get strength." "I gotta get back to Nim." "That's my fish!" "I saw it first!" "What?" "Huh?" "Who are you?" "Do I know you?" "You're one of Nim's friends?" "I must be gettin' sunstroke." "Talkin' to a bird." "You just come back with Protozoa Nim!" "I will!" "I'll see ya Thursday!" " I love you!" " Love you tool" "I'll radio you tonight!" "It's a mess in here, eh, Selk?" "Alex Rover?" "He's writing to us again?" ""Dear Nim, are you Jack's research associate?" ""Perhaps you can help me." "I'm up against a very serious deadline." ""Jack wrote of a volcano where you live." "Are you familiar with it?" "Sincerely, Alex Rover. "" "Dear Alex Rover, we do have a volcano" ""Only we call it Fire Mountain." "It hasn't exploded in years, but when it did, the sky went completely white with ash. "" "That's excellent." ""Sky white with ash. " I like that image." "All right." "Dear Nim, can one really see bubbling lava... inside the mouth of a volcano?" "Send." "All right." "I can't wait for that." "Oh, no." "Mailman." "Oh, no." "Hey!" "Uh" " Uh" " Excuse me!" "Can you just leave it on the porch?" "Can you just leave it under the door?" "Ouch." "Dear Alex Rover..." "I'm not sure what it looks like inside a volcano, but I'll let you know soon." "Sincerely, Nim, Jack's research associate." "Oh, so much mail." "I just open the door." "Open the door, no big deal." "Just get the mail, get the mail." "Okay, Fred." "No big deal." "Let's do this." "I can do it." "I can do it." "Everyone turns knobs." "You can do it." "Come on." "Come on." "Just a little farther." "Okay, grab it." "One, two, three." "Oh." "Who needs mail?" "I can get it tomorrow." "Hmm, interesting." "Not really lava as much as dry, craggy rock." "I can't wait to tell Alex Rover." "Galileo, we were worried about you!" "Where'd you go?" "We're just doing some research for Alex Rove" "What's that?" "Hold on, Fred!" "Oh, come on." "Come on, open up!" "Open!" "Unclip, unclip!" "Come on!" "Aah!" "Fred, are you okay?" " Let's, um" " Let's not tell Jack we came here, okay?" ""Dear Alex Rover, my volcano expedition didn't go well at all." "I fell down the face of the mountain and got a nasty five-inch cut on my leg. "" "Oh, my." "All because of me." ""It's very swollen and now pus is coming out." "P.S. How would you handle a five-inch gash with pus coming out?"" "What would I do?" "Dear Nim, the most important thing for a cut... is to make sure that it's kept clean and dry." "In the Cook Islands, they use the stem of a Simarouba plant..." " to keep out infection." " Hmm." "Simarouba." "P.S. Are you all right, Nim?" ""Dear Alex, regarding your question 'Am I all right?" "'" ""I will be when my dad gets back." ""But it's awfully good talking to a real live hero." "Nim. "" "W" " Wait a minute." ""When my dad gets back"?" "Oh, my God." "Who are you, Nim?" "How old are you?" "Are you all alone, wherever you are?" "What is it?" "What does it want out there?" "It's coming so fast." ""Buccaneer?" Buccaneer ship?" ""The Oceanographer and the Great Blue Whale. "" "Oh, no." "I think we're being invaded." "Simply heavenly." "Bloody paradise." "Not on any map, either." "Captain, come and take a look at this." "Oh, yes." "This is my bowl of rice, all right." "This'll do quite nicely." "Look at him." "Pretty little porpoise." "Nature in all its glorious splendor." "Put the barbies over there." "We'll fill the sand with beach chairs... and we sell piña coladas for 10 bucks a pop." "Shh, Freddie." "You promised everyone a private island, Captain, and that's exactly what they're getting." "Corporates are gonna love it." "This'll be their own private Buccaneer paradise." " "Buccaneer paradise"?" " Excellent." "We come back in two days." "How great would a hotel look right there?" "Strip all the trees back." "Perfect." "Back in two days." "Jack?" "Jack, come in." "Daddy!" "Daddy, where are you?" "I need you." "" Who are you, Nim?" "How old are you?" "Are you all alone wherever you are?"" ""Yes." "I'm all alone." "I'm 11, and my father's gone." ""He's lost at sea." ""And my leg is swollen and bleeding." "And the Buccaneers are coming to take over the island." "Nim. "" "What can I possibly do, Nim?" "What can I possibly do, Nim?" "Come." "Come?" "I can't do this all by myself." "I can't be the hero of my own story." "I need you, Alex Rover." "Please." "Help me." "Help me, please." "I'm sorry." "I wish I could come, but I'm a borderline agoraphobic." "Borderline?" "Is that what you're callin' it?" "You're not actually gonna send that, are you?" "I'm sorry." "I wish I could come, but I'm borderline agoraphobic." "I haven't even left my apartment in 16 weeks." "What are you talking about?" "You're one of the greatest adventurers who ever lived!" "You're Alex Rover!" "But I'm not that Alex Rover." "Yeah, you're definitely not." "911." "What is your emergency?" "Uh, me?" "That's really, really not important." "What's important is that there's a little girl... and she's all alone somewhere deep in the middle of the South Pacific... and, well, she-she-she's badly injured herself... and I feel" " I feel quite responsible for this." "Excuse me." "Did you say "South Pacific"?" "Yes, yes, I did." "I'm sorry." "We serve only the greater San Francisco Bay area." " Suva Department of Interior." " Suva, Fiji Islands." " Fiji, yeah." " Uh, there's a little girl on a remote island..." " somewhere near you, I think." " There are 331 islands comprise Fiji, ma'am." ""Nim, where are you exactly?"" "Dear Alex Rover... our island is 20 degrees south, 162 degrees west... in the south Asiatic Sea." " Don't share my location- - " Don't share my location with anyone else." ""My dad would be devastated if the world discovered our secret home." "But I'm scared to be all alone." "Nim. "" " Let's do it." " Do what?" "Go." "Twenty degrees south, 162 degrees west." "I can't even leave my apartment." "I can't- I" " I can't go to the south Asiatic Sea!" "It's just along the road." "Alex, she needs you." "I don't even know her." "What don't you know?" "That she's a little girl?" "That she's alone on an island, and that she's askin' for your help." "Be the hero of your own life story." "Don't throw that line at me." "I wrote that line." "Oh, I know." "Why don't you follow it for a change then?" "Come on." "Let's get out of this damned apartment." "Let's go on an adventure!" "Come on a road trip with me." "Hey, you never know." "You might even enjoy it." "I need you, Alex Rover." "Oh, I really am losing my mind." "Dear Nim." "After some serious soul-searching..." "I've decided to travel to 20 degrees south, 162 degrees west." "Sadly, the only flight I could get leaves San Francisco at midnight... and makes some unusual connections." "I cannot say for sure when I'm arriving, but please know that I am on my way." "If for some reason I never arrive, it probably means..." "I'm lost at sea." "Sincerely, Alex Rover." "Alex Rover is coming?" "Selkie, he's coming!" "He's on his way!" "I can't do it." "I can't go." "Frankly, I'm amazed you made it this far." "Yeah, probably best that you don't go." "I mean, after all" "It was me she asked for, wasn't it?" "Not you." "But, unfortunately, you're not real." "I am to you." "Come on." " Open the door, Alexandra." " You can't make me." "No, you're right." "I can't." "You have to do it for yourself." " Go on." " Uh-uh." " Now, turn the knob." " Uh-uh." "Yeah." "You can do it." "Yes!" "Whoo!" "Let's go save that little girl." "Take my hand, Alexandra." "No." " Touch the world." " I don't wanna touch the world." "I" " It's not sanitary." " Come on!" " Stop pulling!" "Quit it!" " Quit it!" " What the" " Ow!" "Ow!" " What are you afraid of?" "Everything!" "You all right there, lady?" "Yeah." "I'm fine." "I'm just" "I'm thrilled to be getting some fresh air." "Can-Can-Can you just hold-hold- hold on?" "I'm just a little- I'm a little prone to motion sickness." "We're not movin' yet." "Yeah, well, it-it's really the" " It's really the idea of motion that sickens me." "This is what we gotta do, Freddie." "We have to keep 'em in the bay." "Now, Alex Rover's on his way." "We've just gotta hold them off our beach." "It's pure and simple." "Lines of defense, like the Peloponnesians." "They're ancient Greek warriors." "It's all there in the World Book." "Galileo, you're just in time!" "We need you." "We're being invaded." "Now it's all hands on deck." "Everybody's helping out." "Wait, wait." "Galileo." "Galileo, no!" "What are you doing?" "Galileo, come back!" "I need those!" "Those were my tools!" "Shoes, ma'am." "Ahh." "Shoes?" "That's disgusting." "Excuse me, ma'am." "Turn around, please." "We got a hot one!" "Bag check!" "What's this?" "I" " I-It's for my soup." " Not allowed." " B" "How am I supposed to open it?" "With my teeth?" " What are these?" " Oh, that's-that's hand sanitizer." " It's-It's an excellent, excellent product." " Not allowed." " You should use this in your line of work." " I'm sorry." " No liquids greater than three ounces allowed." " B-But I" "Next!" "Oh, no!" "No!" "No!" "Don't!" "Don't die on me!" "Oh, shoot." "My tool belt." "Galileo?" "Galileo." "Thank you." "There's hope for Jack yet, you lousy sharks!" "Oh, my God, it's so hot in here." "It's like a Turkish bath." "Are you finding it excessively hot in here?" "I already answered you that, miss." "It's very comfortable to me." "Oh." "Excuse me." "Um, just-just- Last time, I promise." " What is it now, ma'am?" " Um" "Do you happen to have any way of heating up Progresso soup?" "You know, I'm not much of a traveler, but, uh" "They confiscated my opener at the airport." "My arm!" " Oh, I'm sorry." " It's fine." "It's just minor turbulence, okay?" " It's fine." " Minor turbulence." "That's right." "Uh, you know what?" "I-I'm just gonna- Just one second." "I'm gonna" "But" " I" " I'm just gonna do this one" "I" " If you don't mind, I'll just scoot right by you." "'Scuse me." "Oh." "Oh, airplanes." "There's nothing good about airplanes, except the peanuts." "Am I allergic to peanuts?" "What was I possibly thinking?" "You were thinking, " Wanderlust, adventure, frequent flier miles. "" "Can I just have a little privacy in the bathroom?" "I mean, I mean, please." "Is nothing sacred?" " What are these?" " Motion sickness pills." "Don't they make you drowsy?" "Drowsy." "Miss Rover?" "Miss Rover?" "Miss Rover?" " Wha" " We're here." "We're in Borneo." "Oh, but I don't wanna be in Borneo." "I wanna be in Rarotonga." "Well, your connecting flight to Rarotonga leaves from Gate F-71 in  in 12 minutes." " Okay." " Do you want a hand or anything?" " No." "I'm... good." "Okay." " 'Scuse me." "Sorry." " Hey!" "Oh!" "Oh!" "Oh!" "I'm so sorry." "I'm so sorry." "I" " I didn't mean to." "I gotta go, though." "No, no, wait." "Wait, how" "I think there's been some mistake." "I'm" " Um" "I" " I'm supposed to be on the plane to Rarotonga." "Oh, yes." "No mistake." "Well-Well" " No." "No, no, no, no, no, no." "Expedia specifically said to me that I would be on the big plane to Rarotonga." "Oh, this is the big plane to Rarotonga." "Oh, this is the big plane to Rarotonga." "Oh." "Isn't that funny?" "Alex Rover." "Same name as great adventure hero." "Yes." "It's hilarious." "Okay." "First, the most important thing is that they don't know we're here." "Kill that fire." "We'll cover the path too." "We have to make this place seem horrible... the last place anybody would wanna be." "When Jack gets back, I'm telling him I protected this island." "We can take 'em, Selk." "We have no choice." "No fire tonight, guys." "No fire and no light." "Nobody can know that we're here." "Come on, guys." "Nobody's out there." "We'll just all close our eyes." "Oh, please." "Please don't take me now." "I promise that if I survive this, I will never leave the house again." "I promise I will only listen to my deepest fears and doubts." "Orion is there, and-and this is April." "Then I must be nine degrees north of" "There's a shipping lane through" "What?" "Am I too far north?" "Yeah, maybe you're right." "I mean, you know your stars, Galileo." "Emily?" "Is it you?" "I will get back to her, Emily!" "I" " I swear it!" "I will take care of Nim!" "Emily?" "Look at 'em." "I promised Jack no one gets on our sand." "Courage is something you find every day." "Selkie, wake up!" "Today's the day we fight for our piece of the world." "This is our island!" "Oh, it's fantastic." "Amazing!" "Check it out, Dad." "Totally undiscovered." "Course it's discovered, Edmund." "Cruise line done discovered it." " Come on, Eddie." " Wait, Mum." "My dollar's not up yet." "Let me take one more squiz." "What the" "Quick, Mum!" "Give me another dollar!" " I think I saw a mermaid!" " Come on, Edmund." "Now, move it!" "The tender is leaving!" " But the mermaid!" " Come on." "Zip it!" "Here's your hat." "Honey bunny, come on!" "It's leaving." "Uh, no, no, no." "I'm" " I'm looking for, uh, Fire Mountain." "Uh, there's a volcano there." "Two hamburger." "Two hamburger." "Two hamburgers." " Oh, no, no." "That's not a hamburger." "Trust me." " One dollar." " Oh, you look beautiful." " One dollar bangle." "Very cheap." "Aah." " Goat." "Goat." "You need goat." " No, no, no." "I" " I-I don't need a goat." "You-You need that goat." "You should wash your hands before you touch anything else." " Buy from me!" "Buy from me!" " I can't." "I need Fire Mountain." " I know what you need." "I take you." " You know Fire Mountain?" "It's 20 degrees south and 162 degrees west." " I know what you need." "I take you." " Okay." "Um" " I know." " All right." "I'll get in." " Toothbrush." "Your very own toothbrush!" " I don't need any toothbrushes." "I always bring my own." "Thank you." "You can use that for yourself." "Your own teeth." "Brush, brush." "Okay." "Thank you." "Good-bye." "Wait!" "Are you" "Are-Are you positive that you know where you're going?" "I know what you need." "I take you." "You wouldn't happen to have any hand sanitizer up there amongst all those Coke cans, would you?" "I know what you need." "I take you." "That's all you know how to say, isn't it?" "I know what you need." "I take you." "Trust, Alex." "Trust, trust." "That's easy for you to say." "Trust is the secret to adventure." "Chapter four, The Trek to Kilimanjaro." " Can't you come up with anything more original?" " Boat!" " What you need." "Boat!" " Ah." "See?" "What did I tell you?" "They've come to the wrong place." "Nobody invades my island and gets away with it." "Okay, Selk." "Go get 'em now." "Gas 'em out." "Teach 'em what happens when chunks of dead fish and plantains mix together." "A picture-perfect paradise." "What's that down there?" "Some kind of underwater geyser, maybe." "Oh, my God." "What's that filthy smell?" "Rancid!" "Oh!" " Turn this boat around." " It's horrible!" "I'm going to vomit." "Hey, look!" "It's a sea lion." "Look at him." "Our very own welcoming committee." "Smells fresher over here." "You gave it your best, Selk." "Jack, where are you?" "Keep your eyes on the horizon." "Keep your eyes on the horizon, eyes on the horizon." "Then you won't vomit." "Eyes on the horizon." "Eyes on the" "I'll take you as far as Tuvalu Island." " That is as far as the little boat goes." " Okay." "But-Wh-What's that?" "That?" "Ah." "That is a monsoon." "You-You mean, like a- like a monsoon monsoon?" "Storm wants to come this way." "The sky won't let it." " And I trust my sky." " "I trust my sky. "" "That's a very good line." "You know, I might steal that." "I'm a writer." "No, no." "My line." "I'm a writer too." " I use line in my story." " Yeah?" "Well." "Okay." "That's fine." "It's all yours." "No!" "Hey!" "Mateys and wenches, Buccaneer Olympics in half an hour!" "All right, all right." "There you go." "What are those little houses they brought with them?" "Ladies and gentlemen... the porta-potties are now open for business." "Drop the volleyball." "My telly." "Edmund, don't go too far." "You don't know what sort of horrible creatures are in there." "There are no horrible creatures, Mum." " Aah." " Shh, Fred." "Not yet." "No one can know that we're here." "Get it off!" "Get it off!" "Get it off me!" "Dragon!" "I saw a dragon!" "Help!" "Flying dragons!" "Help!" " Edmund, where were you?" " Help!" "What's wrong with that boy now, Shirley?" "The scavenger hunt in 20 minutes." "Any mateys or wenches who want to explore the island... 20 minutes." "No, don't worry about me, Fred." "I'm okay." "Time for the second wave." "Call to your friends." "Come on now." "Oh!" "Come on." "Move it." "Let me at it, kid." "Okay." "Are you ready to really fly, Freddie?" "Bury my lollies!" "It's on me!" "Oh, what is it?" " Shirley, help me!" "Aah!" " Dragons!" "Flying dragons!" "Dragons!" "Oh, they're just lizards, ladies and gentlemen!" "They roam all over these islands." "But, uh, how many lizards can fly, Captain?" "To the boats now." "Come on." "Be gone with you." "Ladies and gentlemen, do not fear!" "Lizards are afraid of fire!" "It's just nature, and we know how to tame it!" "Everyone, please!" "I'd like to introduce the world-famous Buccaneer Dancers!" "Tuvalu Island." "You walk from here." "What?" "I-I walk?" "Uh, it's-That's like a hundred yards offshore." "I mean, you-you said to Tuvalu." "This is- This is Tuvalu adjacent." "Little boat go no farther." "Bad for motor." "Uh" " Uh, you ca- You can't be serious." " Come on." "Off you go." " This is just" "This is-This is- This is insanity." "I know" " I know a little thing about insanity, let me tell ya." "Oh, God." "Man with a helicopter live here." "He'll take you the rest of the way." " But I" " You find that man with the helicopter." "Oh, no, no, no." "Wait, wait." "Don't you know what the safety ratings are on those things?" "I can't take a helicopter." "I need to go back right now." "Come on." "Right now!" " Hey!" "I-I'm reporting you to, uh" " So long!" "Good luck!" "someone!" "Now you're up to your waist in it." " The beautiful ocean." " Ah!" "The salt water." "Doesn't it feel just great?" "No." "No." "It doesn't feel just- great." "It doesn't even feel good." "It feels like the wet, disgusting, fishy and" "Hey, hey, hey!" "Hey!" "Take me back!" "Ach!" "Away with ya, Alexandra." "This is it!" "You're tasting adventure." "It tastes bad." "What's wrong?" " Have you seen Edmund?" " No." "Edmund!" "Eddie!" "Are you in there?" "Play nicely now!" "This is no place for games!" "It's the perfect place for games!" "Edmund!" "Look up there." "What's that?" "Yes!" "Smoke!" "Act like a volcano!" "What is it?" "Is it erupting?" "Is that an avalanche?" "Come on." "No." "No." "Wrong way!" "Wow." "Shirley?" "Shirley!" "Oh." "Whoa." "Did I do that?" " Geez!" " Edmund!" "Off we go!" "Don't panic." "It's part of the experience." "Back onto the boats." " Edmund, hurry up!" " Let's move!" "The-The thing's going!" "Hurry up!" "Who are you?" "What were you doing up there?" " Do you live here?" " Yes, I live here." "What are you doing here?" "We're supposed to be on holiday." "Calm down!" "Ludwig, get on the boat." "Get us out of here." " Hurry!" " Shirley!" " Come on!" "Where's our boy?" "Get the boy!" " I don't know!" "Edmund!" "Edmund, now!" "You're different than I imagined you." "You-You imagined me?" "From the story, Buccaneer Ship?" ""The Oceanographer and the Blue Whale. "" "But I'm not from a story." "Edmund!" "Hurry up!" "I'm from Brisbane." " Edmund!" " Edmund!" " Ladies and gentlemen, do not panic." " Edmund!" "Edmund!" "Edmund!" "Hurry!" " It's time for you to leave now." " Are you coming with us?" " Why?" " It's not safe here." " But it's safe for me." " But you're all alone." "Hurry up!" "Edmund!" "Coming, Mother." "Edmund!" "Eddie?" "Eddie, baby, where have you been?" "We've been looking for you everywhere." "We've gotta get out of here." "I met a girl!" "Mum, I met a girl!" "Met a girl on this godforsaken island?" "I'm happy for you." " A girl who lives here." " Oh, you and your stories, Eddie!" "This island is no place for human beings." "I promise you that." "Now, come on." "Wait for us!" "Please!" " Wait for us!" " We're coming!" "My God!" "Look at that!" "Move it faster!" "Come on!" "How old are you now?" "Eddie?" "Eddie?" "No more Game Boy, no more television for a month." "He's staying at home forever." "Oh, no." "Alex Rover, where are you?" "What's happening?" "Storm's changing course!" "This is bad!" " What?" " This is bad!" "Oh!" "Oh, this is it!" "I'm gonna die!" " I gotta agree with you on that one." " What?" "Glass bubble hanging a hundred feet above the middle of nowhere." "Oh, I hate helicopters." "It's my Achilles' heel." "You can't say that." "You're a hero!" "I'm not a hero." "I wish I were." "I'm just a helicopter pilot." " Oh!" " No, you're the hero, Alexandra." "You came all the way down here just to answer a distress call." "You-You seized the moment, claiming control of this part of your life!" " I'm gonna be sick." " No, no." "No, no, no, no." " You can't." "Oh!" " What's that?" "I" " I think it's a cruise ship." " I'm taking her down." "We land there." " There?" "No!" "South by southeast, full speed." "Captain, you might want to see this." "Good Lord." "No more!" "No more!" "No more!" "Oh, thank you!" "Who gave you permission to land on my ship?" " Who are you?" " I'm Alex Rover." "Alex Rover?" "The adventurer?" "No!" "The writer!" "Come on now!" "Don't let me down here!" "You're my last chance!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "That's it!" "Come on!" "You did it!" "Whoo-hoo!" "Okay." "Come on!" "Take me home!" "Come on, Mother Nature!" "Take me back to Nim!" "Whoo-hoo!" "I know the coordinates perfectly well." "They're right in my head." "It is, uh, 20 degrees south, 162 degrees west." "There's a little girl there." "There's no girl for 200 miles." "Oh, but she's-she's all alone on an island." "And but-but what" "Why is everybody looking at me like I'm crazy?" "We've just come from the nearest island." "Trust me, no human being could survive there." "Just take me to the island!" "Young lady, we're battling a bloody monsoon here." "Now, this ship is full throttle at sea and we will not be coming about." "Uh, but" " I" "Captain, she's not playing with a full deck." "You should have the medic come and give her a little sedation." " Yeah, why don't you do that, huh?" " Yeah." " Eddie?" " He's probably after the dessert tray." "I know she's there." "You know, I mean, I heard her voice." "I didn't really hear her voice." "I got her e-mails." " You're not crazy." " I'm not?" "I know it." "I saw her." "She's real." " She-She's real?" " And she's on the island." "Oh." "Thanks." "Thanks." "The way you are handling it, the poise with which you are handling this situation" " Ship's medic is on his way, Captain." " Thank you, Ensign." " Hey!" "Hey!" "After her!" " Security!" "Bingo in five minutes." "Oh!" "Stop her!" "Someone stop her!" "Oh, stupid suitcase!" "Oh, you dropped soup." " I've got her!" " Come on!" "Down here!" "Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!" "There she isl" "Don't let her go!" "What on earth are you doing?" "Just having a nervous breakdown!" "Whoo-hoo!" "No, no, no, no, no." "No, don't do this!" "I will not give up, Nim!" "I will get back to you!" "I promise you!" "Daddy?" "Jack?" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Are you all right, Daddy?" "Jack!" "Selkie, Selkie, come on!" "Jack needs us!" "We have to save him!" "Nim?" "Nim!" "No!" "Nim." "Is that you?" "Nim?" "Is that you?" "Nim." "Who are you?" "Nim, I'm- I'm Alex Rover." "Alex Rover?" "Yeah, that's me." "But" " No." "No, that's impossible." "Alex Rover, he's a man." "He's a hero." "He was gonna help me find my dad." "He saves people." "He doesn't need saving." "I" " I know." "I'm-I'm Alexandra Rover." "Alexandra?" "I'm the writer from San Francisco." " The writer?" " Yeah." "Well, you said you needed someone, so" "But I didn't say I needed you." " You have to go." " What are you talking about?" "I mean, I" "You can't be here." "You have to go before my dad gets back." "Before your dad" "This is our island, okay?" "Our island alone." "And we don't want anyone else here!" "Okay?" "Please go." "Go!" "Follow her, Alexandra." " You-You be quiet." " No, I won't be quiet." "She needs you." "What?" "She's" " She's fine." "I mean, you heard her." "Apparently, she can do quite well." "She doesn't need me." "Of course she needs you." "And to be honest, you kinda need her as well." "I mean, where you gonna go?" "But I" " I'm gettin' outta here." "I'm gonna" "I'm gonna make a raft." "I'm gonna, like, make a little bonfire thing." "And-And then I'm gonna go home, and I'm" " I am never leaving." "You cannot be alone for the rest of your life, Alexandra!" "I'm not alone." "I have you." "No, you don't." "No, you don't have me anymore." "I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna be your crutch anymore." "What?" "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." "Okay." "Okay, look." "You-We just need to figure this thing out, so you give me some ideas now." "Come on." " I'm sorry, love." "It's over." " What?" "What are you talking about?" "Alexandra, I quit." "No more adventures." " You're on your own." " You-You-You can't quit." "I created you, and you have to do what I say, not-not the opposite." "Good-bye, old friend." "Good luck." "But wa-Wait!" "Wait!" "Come back!" "Go to the little girl!" "Nim?" "Oh!" "What was that?" "Oh, God." "Just kill me now and just get it over with." "Oh!" "Eh!" "Aah." "Nim?" "Help!" "Uh, Nim?" "Help!" "Can you hear me?" "It's so dark out here!" "Nim?" "Nim?" "Come on, help me." "I traveled halfway around the world." "I took a plane." "I took a helicopter." "I" " I stole a boat." "The least you can do is help me get the last hundred yards." "Oh!" "Oh." "Nim?" "Nim." "I'm sorry you don't want me here... but I" " I just thought I was doin' the right thing." "Oh." "Oh, no." "Oh, no." "Oh." "This is how it ends." "A bright light in the darkness." "My" " My worst nightmare" "Death by- death by firefly!" "Thank you, Nim." "Oh!" "How long have you lived here?" "As long as I can remember." "Wow." "You can go in if you want." ""Jack Rusoe is a scientist and a writer..." ""living on a remote island in the South Pacific." "He won't tell anyone where it is. "" "Nim, how long has your father been gone?" "Four days." "But when Jack sets his mind on something, it always gets done." " He'll be back." " I'm sure he will." "You want any of this?" "What-What is it?" "Well, these are mung beans and gobo root." "And these are mealworms." "Oh, uh" "No, I'm-You know, I" " I'm just gonna" "I'm just gonna stick with my soup." "Your soup?" "Sorry about that." "Here." "Try some." "Uh, no." "You didn't write those Alex Rover books, did you?" " I didn't?" " No." "I mean, all Alex Rover ever does is try new things all the time." "Hmm." "Mmm." " Hmm." "Mmm." " So?" "How is it?" "Chewy." "It's chewier than I'd expected... and it's, uh, not disgusting." "What was I possibly thinking?" "Uh." "Oh, okay, okay." "Nim?" "Nim?" "Nim?" "It's beautiful." "It's empty." "Maybe" "Maybe he's-he's just lost." "No." "No, my- my dad is smarter than that." "If his boat was all right, he would be home by now." "You-You found your way all the way from San Francisco... and you don't know how to do anything." "My dad would be back from Zander's Atoll... if he was still alive." "He's not coming back, Alexandra." "Oh, look." "I" "Listen to me." "No matter what happens... whether it's here or anywhere..." "I'll take care of it." "You-You will not be alone." "What" "What-What is that?" "Galileo?" "It's him." "It's him!" "Daddy!" " Come on, get on!" " Oh!" "Whoo!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" " Oh." "Nimmy!" "Oh!" "Oh, my God." " You're here!" "You're alive!" "You're-You're alive!" " I was so worried." " I told you I'd be back, didn't I?" "Oh." "Look at you." "Oh, I missed you so much." "Ah." " Are you all right?" "Yeah?" " I am now." "Thank you, Galileo!" " Thank you, Galileo!" " Hoo-hoo!" "What's this?" " Protozoa Nim?" " I don't know." "I have a pretty good feeling about it." "Come here." "Oh." " What?" " Hi." "Who's this?" "Dad, this is Alex Rover." "Alex Rover?" "I thought" "She wrote the books, Dad." "This is Alexandra Rover, the writer." "From San Francisco." "You must be Jack Rusoe, the scientist." "Uh, yeah, Jack... the scientist, yeah." "What, Daddy?" "Oh, nothing." "I'm sorry." "I just imagined Alex Rover so... well, differently." ""The Writer and the Scientist. "" "That's how their story began." "How it ends exactly... nobody knows." " # It's a beautiful day # - # Day #" "# The sky falls, you feel like it's a beautiful day #" "# Day #" "# Don't let it get away #" "# You're on the road #" "# But you've got no destination #" "# You're in the mud #" "# In the maze of her imagination #" "# You love this town #" "# Even if that doesn't ring true #" "# You've been all over #" "# And it's been all over you #" " # It's a beautiful day # - #Day #" "# Don't let it get away #" " # It's a beautiful day # - # Day #" "# Ooh, ooh, ooh #" "# Touch me #" "# Take me to that other place #" "# Teach me, oh #" "# I know I'm not a hopeless case #" "# See the world in green and blue #" "# See China right in front of you #" "# See the canyons broken by clouds #" "# See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out #" "# See the Bedouin fires at night #" "# See the oil fields at first light and #" "# See the bird with a leaf in her mouth #" "# After the floods all the colors came out #" "# Day #" " # It was a beautiful day # - # Day #" "# Don't let it get away #" " # Beautiful day # - # Day #" "# Touch me #" "# Take me to that other place #" "# Reach me #" "# I know I'm not a hopeless case #" "# What you don't have you don't need it now #" "# What you don't know you can feel it somehow #" "# What you don't have you don't need it now #" "# Don't need it now #" "# It was a beautiful day ##"