V explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Survival and Evolution

  The crew must adapt to a prehistoric environment, hunting plesiosaurs for food and establishing a unified command to ensure their survival.

• Exploration and Discovery

  The chapter details the exploration of the inland sea, the discovery of a landlocked harbor, and the observation of diverse prehistoric fauna.

Characters to notice

• Bowen J. Tyler

  Narrates the chapter, commands the U-33, and proposes a truce between the English and German crew.

• Lys La Rue

  Dines with the officers, is coldly polite to Tyler, and feeds Nobs at the table.

• Bradley

  First lieutenant under Tyler, helps persuade Lys to continue eating after Olson's comment.

• Olson

  Second lieutenant, eats heartily and makes an unfortunate joke about the plesiosaurus steak.

• Baron von Schoenvorts

  Agrees to Tyler's truce terms and is given charge of his own men.

Key passages

• “It seemed odd to be eating a creature that should, by all the laws of paleontology, have been extinct for several million years.”

  Eating an animal that paleontology says should have been extinct for millions of years felt strange.

  Reflects the crew's wonder at the prehistoric nature of Caprona.

• “I therefore put the issue squarely to you all; shall we bury our animosities and work together with and for one another while we remain upon Caprona, or must we continue thus divided and but half armed, possibly until death has claimed the last of us?”

  I ask you directly: should we set aside our differences and cooperate while on Caprona, or remain divided and poorly armed until we all die?

  Tyler's proposal for a truce between the English and German crew members.