"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." "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." "the oceanographer went out on the wideopen 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." "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 whale would bring her back to us." "I think he just missed her." "We both did." "we had sailed around the globe twice" "From the Cape of Good Hope to the tip of Ratagonia from Singapore to the Cook Islands." "we found it our home." "This is my island." "huh?" "I don't have to go to school." "Selkie!" "Watch out!" "Move it!" "islandschooled." "Sorry!" "Everything I know about the world I learned from my friends." "Galileo!" "do you know that two objects will fall at exactly the same speed?" "Galileo proved it." "He's my pelican." "taught me how to swim." "So I returned the favor by teaching her soccer." "She's an excellent midfielder." "and I'll bet you didn't know that sea turtles and certain species oflizards 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." "I can go anywhere." "not a bad life." "I throw together some vegetables from our garden." "I toss in some freshly dugup mealworms." "Mmm." "My dad's favorite." "I think." "remember what you're naming it." "Protozoa Nim." I haven't forgotten." "my dad's a marine biologist." "the tiniest little particles in the ocean." "right?" "Did you know there are millions of picoplankton in a milliliter of water?" "Protozoa Nim could be here right now." "What?" "Wha" "Lizard!" "He's not "Lizard." His name is Fred." "you'd think he'd be more into animals." "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?" "Thirtyseven knots!" "I'm not saying a scientist's life is for everyone but it is the life for us." "bringing us things that we need." "nails and cloth" "All the things we can't make for ourselves." "We sail out into the open water to meet it." "not even the supply ship's captain has ever seen how amazing our little island really is." "our island's gonna take care of us." "And that's the way we wanna keep it secret world." "Are ya ready?" "I'm ready." "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?" "Nim." "I'm just gonna start it." "It's been my curse my entire life." "but somehow it finds me." "am I going to die?" "how am I going to die?" "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." "Must be the hero of my own life story." "Where are you taking me?" "Alex Rover." "Ever heard of the Pit of Spiders?" "huh?" "I guess that answers the "how will I die" question." "Aah!" "stop!" "Where're you going?" "death by thirst makes a late comeback." "How did Alex Rover get to be Alex Rover?" "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." "it's not just in you." "each and every day." "Where do you think Alex Rover is at this very minute?" "I don't know." "000 fathoms under the sea." "Or in some pit of spiders trapped without the antidote for their poison." "pit of spiders." "I like that." "Okay." "Time to get some rest." "okay?" "And no dreaming about spiders." "Spider!" "Spider!" "Get away from me." "All right." "These all go back here." "Straight." "Right angles." "Telegraph Hill Pharmacy?" "please." "Purell." "hhow many bottles do you have?" "very good." "All of them." "Yeah." "Send 'em all." "who is it?" "please." "Just leave it here?" "In the rain?" "go ahead." "II put it on my MasterCard." "I left you a very nice tip." "make sure you get it." "Okay." "your favorite editor." "and I know you're not going to pick up." "darling living on a diet of only Progresso soup." "How can you eat that every day?" "Buffy." "how is the new Alex Rover coming?" "Wasn't I supposed to read something two weeks ago?" "no pressure." "what you don't know about me is that where there's an Alex Rover there's a way!" "you know." "Eh." "Excuse me?" "you know." "Alexandra!" "Why can't I get this?" "no pressure." "Volcanic sacrifice." "What was I thinking?" "volcano." "Living in the Shadow of a Volcano. "Hmm." "why would anyone do that?" "wow." "Perfect." "there you are!" "Nim." "Zander's Atoll is gonna be just five feet underwater." "Zander's Atoll?" "But it's almost dinner!" "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." "this is a onceinalifetime experience." "Come on!" "you said that last week about the southern borealis." "Jack." "One little turtle." "I want to stay." "We can talk on the satellite phone." "please." "I'm not a little girl anymore." "you know that?" "good." "Sure." "I could never win a fight with her either." "it's only four hours till low tide." "could you grab my collection jars and my wet suit?" "I already packed them for you!" "tell 'em I'm on expedition." "I'll get to their questions on Thursday." "get off of that." "He's not "Lizard." His name is Fred." "a ridiculously obvious email." "right?" "I'd rather you just said Thursday." "are you sure you're okay with this?" "Come on." "You've left me alone before." "yeah." "One night." "But never for two." "I've got Selkie and Fred and Galileo and the new Alex Rover book." "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 please let me hold him" "I wanna make him stay up all night" "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 two new emails." "Aren't we popular?" "Freddie." "How's it goin'?" "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!" "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." "what an unusual name." "are you Jack's research associate?" "Jack wrote of a volcano where you live." "Alex Rover." "Send." "research." "Go." "Go." "Go away." "Leave me alone." "You don't mean that." "You love me." "huh?" "Because the whole world loves Alex Rover." "Really?" "I know." ""Translated into 21 different languages." "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." "that's it." "Kinka." "Kinka"?" "Kinka!" "Kinka!" "Kinka!" "Yeah!" "Jack." "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." "honey." "Nim." "It's it's more incredible than the Milky Way." "okay?" "Have you found my nanoplankton yet?" "Mmm." "I have a pretty good feeling about it." "Nim." "No more reading." "We'll talk in the morning." "How did you know I was reading?" "I know you pretty well." "Nim." "Sleep tight." "It's just magnificent." "No!" "Jack?" "Daddy?" "no." "Freddie!" "Selk?" "No power." "This rots." "Jack?" "Can you hear me?" "Jack Michael Rusoe?" "can you hear me?" "Jack?" "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?" "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!" "Selk?" "Alex Rover?" "He's writing to us again?" "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?" "Alex Rover." "we do have a volcano" "Only we call it Fire Mountain." "the sky went completely white with ash." "That's excellent." ""Sky white with ash." I like that image." "can one really see bubbling lava inside the mouth of a volcano?" "Send." "All right." "I can't wait for that." "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 but I'll let you know soon." "Jack's research associate." "so much mail." "no big deal." "get the mail." "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." "three." "Oh." "Who needs mail?" "I can get it tomorrow." "interesting." "craggy rock." "I can't wait to tell Alex Rover." "we were worried about you!" "Where'd you go?" "We're just doing some research for Alex Rove" "Fred!" "open up!" "unclip!" "Come on!" "Aah!" "are you okay?" "okay?" "my volcano expedition didn't go well at all." "I fell down the face of the mountain and got a nasty fiveinch cut on my leg." "my." "All because of me." "It's very swollen and now pus is coming out." "P.S. How would you handle a fiveinch gash with pus coming out?" "What would I do?" "the most important thing for a cut is to make sure that it's kept clean and dry." "they use the stem of a Simarouba plant to keep out infection." "Hmm." "Simarouba." "Nim?" "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." "WWait a minute." ""When my dad gets back"?" "my God." "Nim?" "How old are you?" "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." "no." "I think we're being invaded." "Simply heavenly." "Bloody paradise." "either." "come and take a look at this." "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." "Freddie." "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?" "come in." "Daddy!" "where are you?" "I need you." "Nim?" "How old are you?" "Are you all alone wherever you are?" "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." "Nim?" "Nim?" "Come." "Come?" "I can't do this all by myself." "I can't be the hero of my own story." "Alex Rover." "Please." "Help me." "please." "I'm sorry." "but I'm a borderline agoraphobic." "Borderline?" "Is that what you're callin' it?" "are you?" "I'm sorry." "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." "you're definitely not." "911." "What is your emergency?" "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 shesheshe's badly injured herself and I feel I feel quite responsible for this." "Excuse me." "Did you say "South Pacific"?" "I did." "I'm sorry." "We serve only the greater San Francisco Bay area." "Fiji Islands." "there's a little girl on a remote island ma'am." "where are you exactly?" "Dear Alex Rover 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." "162 degrees west." "I can't even leave my apartment." "I can't II can't go to the south Asiatic Sea!" "she needs you." "I don't even know her." "What don't you know?" "That she's a little girl?" "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." "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." "you never know." "You might even enjoy it." "Alex Rover." "I really am losing my mind." "Dear Nim." "After some serious soulsearching 162 degrees west." "the only flight I could get leaves San Francisco at midnight and makes some unusual connections." "but please know that I am on my way." "it probably means I'm lost at sea." "Alex Rover." "Alex Rover is coming?" "he's coming!" "He's on his way!" "I can't do it." "I can't go." "I'm amazed you made it this far." "probably best that you don't go." "after all wasn't it?" "Not you." "you're not real." "I am to you." "Come on." "Alexandra." "You can't make me." "you're right." "I can't." "You have to do it for yourself." "Go on." "Uhuh." "turn the knob." "Uhuh." "Yeah." "You can do it." "Yes!" "Whoo!" "Let's go save that little girl." "Alexandra." "No." "Touch the world." "I don't wanna touch the world." "IIt's not sanitary." "Come on!" "Stop pulling!" "Quit it!" "Quit it!" "What the" "Ow!" "Ow!" "What are you afraid of?" "Everything!" "lady?" "Yeah." "I'm fine." "I'm just" "I'm thrilled to be getting some fresh air." "CanCanCan you just holdhold hold on?" "I'm just a little I'm a little prone to motion sickness." "We're not movin' yet." "itit's really the It's really the idea of motion that sickens me." "Freddie." "Alex Rover's on his way." "We've just gotta hold them off our beach." "like the Peloponnesians." "They're ancient Greek warriors." "It's all there in the World Book." "you're just in time!" "We need you." "We're being invaded." "Now it's all hands on deck." "Everybody's helping out." "wait." "Galileo." "come back!" "I need those!" "Those were my tools!" "ma'am." "Ahh." "Shoes?" "That's disgusting." "ma'am." "please." "We got a hot one!" "Bag check!" "What's this?" "IIIt's for my soup." "Not allowed." "B" "How am I supposed to open it?" "With my teeth?" "that'sthat's hand sanitizer." "excellent product." "Not allowed." "You should use this in your line of work." "I'm sorry." "No liquids greater than three ounces allowed." "BBut I" "Next!" "no!" "No!" "No!" "Don't!" "Don't die on me!" "shoot." "My tool belt." "Galileo?" "Galileo." "Thank you." "you lousy sharks!" "it's so hot in here." "It's like a Turkish bath." "Are you finding it excessively hot in here?" "miss." "It's very comfortable to me." "I promise." "ma'am?" "Um" "Do you happen to have any way of heating up Progresso soup?" "uh" "They confiscated my opener at the airport." "My arm!" "okay?" "It's fine." "Minor turbulence." "That's right." "you know what?" "II'm just gonna Just one second." "I'm gonna" "But I I'm just gonna do this one" "I'll just scoot right by you." "'Scuse me." "Oh." "airplanes." "except the peanuts." "Am I allergic to peanuts?" "What was I possibly thinking?" "frequent flier miles." "Can I just have a little privacy in the bathroom?" "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." "but I don't wanna be in Borneo." "I wanna be in Rarotonga." "your connecting flight to Rarotonga leaves from Gate F71 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." "though." "how" "I think there's been some mistake." "I'm Um" "II'm supposed to be on the plane to Rarotonga." "yes." "No mistake." "no." "Expedia specifically said to me that I would be on the big plane to Rarotonga." "this is the big plane to Rarotonga." "this is the big plane to Rarotonga." "Oh." "Isn't that funny?" "Alex Rover." "Same name as great adventure hero." "Yes." "It's hilarious." "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." "I'm telling him I protected this island." "Selk." "We have no choice." "guys." "No fire and no light." "Nobody can know that we're here." "guys." "Nobody's out there." "We'll just all close our eyes." "please." "Please don't take me now." "I will never leave the house again." "I promise I will only listen to my deepest fears and doubts." "andand this is April." "Then I must be nine degrees north of" "There's a shipping lane through" "What?" "Am I too far north?" "maybe you're right." "Galileo." "Emily?" "Is it you?" "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." "wake up!" "Today's the day we fight for our piece of the world." "This is our island!" "it's fantastic." "Amazing!" "Dad." "Totally undiscovered." "Edmund." "Cruise line done discovered it." "Mum." "My dollar's not up yet." "Let me take one more squiz." "What the" "Mum!" "Give me another dollar!" "Edmund." "move it!" "The tender is leaving!" "But the mermaid!" "Come on." "Zip it!" "Here's your hat." "come on!" "It's leaving." "no." "there's a volcano there." "Two hamburger." "Two hamburger." "Two hamburgers." "no." "That's not a hamburger." "Trust me." "One dollar." "you look beautiful." "One dollar bangle." "Very cheap." "Aah." "no." "III don't need a goat." "YouYou 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." "brush." "Okay." "Thank you." "Goodbye." "Wait!" "Are you" "AreAre you positive that you know where you're going?" "I know what you need." "I take you." "would you?" "I know what you need." "I take you." "isn't it?" "I know what you need." "I take you." "Alex." "trust." "That's easy for you to say." "Trust is the secret to adventure." "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." "Selk." "Go get 'em now." "Gas 'em out." "Teach 'em what happens when chunks of dead fish and plantains mix together." "A pictureperfect paradise." "What's that down there?" "maybe." "my God." "What's that filthy smell?" "Rancid!" "Oh!" "Turn this boat around." "It's horrible!" "I'm going to vomit." "look!" "It's a sea lion." "Look at him." "Our very own welcoming committee." "Smells fresher over here." "Selk." "where are you?" "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." "ButWhWhat's that?" "That?" "Ah." "That is a monsoon." "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." "I might steal that." "I'm a writer." "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!" "Buccaneer Olympics in half an hour!" "all right." "There you go." "What are those little houses they brought with them?" "Ladies and gentlemen the portapotties are now open for business." "Drop the volleyball." "My telly." "don't go too far." "You don't know what sort of horrible creatures are in there." "Mum." "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!" "where were you?" "Help!" "Shirley?" "The scavenger hunt in 20 minutes." "Any mateys or wenches who want to explore the island 20 minutes." "Fred." "I'm okay." "Time for the second wave." "Call to your friends." "Come on now." "Oh!" "kid." "Freddie?" "Bury my lollies!" "It's on me!" "what is it?" "help me!" "Aah!" "Dragons!" "Flying dragons!" "Dragons!" "ladies and gentlemen!" "They roam all over these islands." "Captain?" "To the boats now." "Come on." "Be gone with you." "do not fear!" "Lizards are afraid of fire!" "and we know how to tame it!" "please!" "I'd like to introduce the worldfamous Buccaneer Dancers!" "Tuvalu Island." "You walk from here." "What?" "II walk?" "it'sThat's like a hundred yards offshore." "youyou said to Tuvalu." "This is This is Tuvalu adjacent." "Little boat go no farther." "Bad for motor." "you ca You can't be serious." "Come on." "Off you go." "This is just" "This isThis is This is insanity." "let me tell ya." "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." "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!" "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." "fishy and hey!" "Hey!" "Take me back!" "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." "hurry up!" "Let's move!" "TheThe thing's going!" "Hurry up!" "Who are you?" "What were you doing up there?" "I live here." "What are you doing here?" "We're supposed to be on holiday." "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!" "now!" "You're different than I imagined you." "YouYou imagined me?" "Buccaneer Ship?" "The Oceanographer and the Blue Whale." "But I'm not from a story." "Edmund!" "Hurry up!" "I'm from Brisbane." "Edmund!" "Edmund!" "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!" "Mother." "Edmund!" "Eddie?" "where have you been?" "We've been looking for you everywhere." "We've gotta get out of here." "I met a girl!" "Met a girl on this godforsaken island?" "I'm happy for you." "Eddie!" "This island is no place for human beings." "I promise you that." "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 television for a month." "He's staying at home forever." "where are you?" "What's happening?" "Storm's changing course!" "This is bad!" "What?" "This is bad!" "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." "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." "Alexandra." "You came all the way down here just to answer a distress call." "claiming control of this part of your life!" "no." "You can't." "Oh!" "What's that?" "II think it's a cruise ship." "I'm taking her down." "We land there." "There?" "No!" "full speed." "you might want to see this." "Good Lord." "No more!" "No more!" "No more!" "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!" "Whoohoo!" "Okay." "Come on!" "Mother Nature!" "Take me back to Nim!" "Whoohoo!" "I know the coordinates perfectly well." "They're right in my head." "162 degrees west." "There's a little girl there." "There's no girl for 200 miles." "but she'sshe's all alone on an island." "And butbut what" "Why is everybody looking at me like I'm crazy?" "no human being could survive there." "Just take me to the island!" "we're battling a bloody monsoon here." "this ship is full throttle at sea and we will not be coming about." "but I she's not playing with a full deck." "You should have the medic come and give her a little sedation." "huh?" "Yeah." "Eddie?" "He's probably after the dessert tray." "I heard her voice." "I didn't really hear her voice." "I got her emails." "You're not crazy." "I'm not?" "I know it." "I saw her." "She's real." "SheShe's real?" "And she's on the island." "Oh." "Thanks." "Thanks." "the poise with which you are handling this situation" "Ensign." "Hey!" "Hey!" "After her!" "Security!" "Bingo in five minutes." "Oh!" "Stop her!" "Someone stop her!" "you dropped soup." "I've got her!" "Come on!" "Down here!" "go!" "There she isl" "Don't let her go!" "What on earth are you doing?" "Just having a nervous breakdown!" "Whoohoo!" "don't do this!" "Nim!" "I will get back to you!" "I promise you!" "Daddy?" "Jack?" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Daddy?" "Jack!" "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?" "I'm I'm Alex Rover." "Alex Rover?" "that's me." "that's impossible." "he's a man." "He's a hero." "He was gonna help me find my dad." "He saves people." "He doesn't need saving." "II know." "I'mI'm Alexandra Rover." "Alexandra?" "I'm the writer from San Francisco." "so" "But I didn't say I needed you." "I" "You can't be here." "You have to go before my dad gets back." "Before your dad okay?" "Our island alone." "And we don't want anyone else here!" "Okay?" "Please go." "Go!" "Alexandra." "I won't be quiet." "She needs you." "you heard her." "she can do quite well." "She doesn't need me." "Of course she needs you." "you kinda need her as well." "where you gonna go?" "But I I'm gettin' outta here." "I'm gonna make a little bonfire thing." "and I'm I am never leaving." "Alexandra!" "I'm not alone." "I have you." "you don't have me anymore." "but I'm not gonna be your crutch anymore." "What?" "look." "so you give me some ideas now." "Come on." "love." "It's over." "What?" "What are you talking about?" "I quit." "No more adventures." "You're on your own." "YouYouYou can't quit." "notnot the opposite." "old friend." "Good luck." "But waWait!" "Wait!" "Come back!" "Go to the little girl!" "Nim?" "Oh!" "What was that?" "God." "Just kill me now and just get it over with." "Oh!" "Eh!" "Aah." "Nim?" "Help!" "Nim?" "Help!" "Can you hear me?" "It's so dark out here!" "Nim?" "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." "no." "no." "Oh." "This is how it ends." "A bright light in the darkness." "My My worst nightmare" "Death by death by firefly!" "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." "how long has your father been gone?" "Four days." "it always gets done." "He'll be back." "I'm sure he will." "You want any of this?" "WhatWhat is it?" "these are mung beans and gobo root." "And these are mealworms." "uh" "II'm just gonna" "I'm just gonna stick with my soup." "Your soup?" "Sorry about that." "Here." "Try some." "no." "did you?" "I didn't?" "No." "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 not disgusting." "What was I possibly thinking?" "okay." "Nim?" "Nim?" "Nim?" "It's beautiful." "It's empty." "Maybe" "Maybe he'she's just lost." "No." "my my dad is smarter than that." "he would be home by now." "YouYou 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." "Alexandra." "look." "I" "Listen to me." "No matter what happens whether it's here or anywhere" "I'll take care of it." "YouYou will not be alone." "What" "WhatWhat is that?" "Galileo?" "It's him." "It's him!" "Daddy!" "get on!" "Oh!" "Whoo!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "my God." "You're here!" "You're alive!" "You'reYou're alive!" "didn't I?" "Oh." "Look at you." "I missed you so much." "Ah." "Are you all right?" "Yeah?" "I am now." "Galileo!" "Galileo!" "Hoohoo!" "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?" "this is Alex Rover." "Alex Rover?" "I thought" "Dad." "the writer." "From San Francisco." "the scientist." "Jack yeah." "Daddy?" "nothing." "I'm sorry." "I just imagined Alex Rover so differently." "The Writer and the Scientist." "That's how their story began." "How it ends exactly nobody knows." "It's a beautiful day Day 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" "Touch me" "Take me to that other place 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" "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"