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Updated: June 16, 2025
"We can hardly carry ourselves; we can't have any dead weight here. Pitch it out, man, pitch it out!" "God of Israel!" whined Hakkabut. "Out with it, I say!" cried Servadac. "What, all my money, which I have saved so long, and toiled for so hard?" "It can't be helped," said the captain, unmoved. "Oh, your Excellency!" cried the Jew.
Selfish and morose, Hakkabut could never be induced to be present at these social gatherings. He was far too much occupied in his own appropriated corner, either in conning his accounts, or in counting his money.
Of the anxiety endured during the last two months Isaac Hakkabut had known nothing. Since the day he had done his lucky stroke of business he had never left the tartan; and after Ben Zoof, on the following day, had returned the steelyard and the borrowed cash, receiving back the paper roubles deposited, all communication between the Jew and Nina's Hive had ceased.
"You shall kill me first!" bellowed the Jew. "No, but I must!" persisted the professor again. It was manifestly time for Servadac to interfere. "My dear professor," he said, smiling, "allow me to settle this little matter for you." "Ah! your Excellency," moaned the agitated Jew, "protect me! I am but a poor man " "None of that, Hakkabut. Hold your tongue."
"Sir!" shouted Ben Zoof, quite unable to bear the unprovoked attack. "Quiet, Ben Zoof!" said Servadac sternly. Fortunately for the sake of peace, Isaac Hakkabut, who at length was beginning to realize something of the true condition of things, came forward at this moment, and in a voice trembling with eagerness, implored the professor to tell him when they would all be back again upon the earth.
"Come, Hakkabut, I see that you are not disposed either to lend or to sell your steelyard. What do you say to letting us hire it?" The Jew's eyes twinkled with a satisfaction that he was unable to conceal. "But what security would you give? The instrument is very valuable;" and he looked more cunning than ever. "What is it worth? If it is worth twenty francs, I will leave a deposit of a hundred.
The professor stamped with vexation. "I believe old Hakkabut has a steelyard on board his tartan," said Ben Zoof, presently. "Then why didn't you say so before, you idiot?" roared the excitable little man. Anxious to pacify him, Servadac assured him that every exertion should be made to procure the instrument, and directed Ben Zoof to go to the Jew and borrow it.
"And what does his Excellency say?" inquired Hakkabut. "Why, Nehemiah, he says he shan't give you any." "Merciful heavens!" began the Jew. "He says he doesn't mind selling you a little." "But, by the holy city, why does he make me pay for what anybody else could have for nothing?" "As I told you before, you are not anybody else; so, come along. You can afford to buy what you want.
A flight of steps, recently hewn by Hakkabut himself, gave access for the present to the gangway, but it was evident that some different contrivance would have to be resorted to when the tartan should be elevated perhaps to a hundred feet. A thin curl of blue smoke issued from the copper funnel that projected above the mass of snow which had accumulated upon the deck of the Hansa.
Everyone, however, approved of all the internal arrangements of Nina's Hive, and were profuse in their expressions of satisfaction at finding themselves located in such comfortable quarters. The only malcontent was Hakkabut; he had no share in the general enthusiasm, refused even to enter or inspect any of the galleries, and insisted on remaining on board his tartan.
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