The Island at the Top of the World

- (MAN) Good evening. - I'm Professor Ivarsson.

Yes, Sir Anthony has been expecting you.

It's in your hands, Milo.

- Stand fast. They'll come to terms. - Very well.

If problems come up, consult with the board.

They know my thinking.

Ah, Professor Ivarsson.

I cannot tell you how grateful I am you've joined me.

I haven't agreed to anything.

Someone woke me up at 6.00 yesterday morning

saying he was the British ambassador.

It was the British ambassador.

He'd arranged my passage on a mail-boat to England,

and a large man packed my bags and drove me to the dock.

- Your train leaves in ten minutes. - Good. Come along, Ivarsson.

But the... Sir Anthony.

Expedition to the Arctic?

I'm hardly a professional explorer.

No, let me finish.

- I've had you looked into. - Oh.

You're an American from the University of Minnesota,

currently a guest lecturer at the University of Christiania.

Your specialty is the archaeology of the North.

In the past, you've led several successful expeditions.

You've done interesting work in Greenland.

Oh, no. You're the right man for the job, all right.

For what job? What's so urgent about it? What is it you hope to find?

My... son.

You see, my wife died when Donald was a child.

I began to groom him to take my place in the business.

I pushed him too hard, I think.

Anyway, we had words.

And suddenly, Donald dropped everything

and went off on a whaling ship as an ordinary seaman.

Three months later, I got word that he'd left the ship in Bathenland.

Why?

I had no idea

until I received this from a trading post at Fort Conger on Ellesmere Island.

Donald had left it with the factor for safe keeping

when he had gone off on some sort of expedition.

When he didn't come back, the factor sent it on to me.

It's an old page from a Hudson's Bay Company journal.

Look at the entry for January 15, 1856.

"To this post, this day came John Merchison with his Eskimos,

"who hunt the white bear far beyond the land's end.

"He told of seeing a lone cloud, as if lying on the ice,

"and hidden beneath it, an island.

"This island, he sought to examine, but his Eskimos refused him,

"saying it's guarded by evil spirits.

"For it's the place where the whales go to die."

- We're coming into Dover now. - Thank you.

Sir Anthony, the graveyard of whales is just a fantasy, a whaler's El Dorado,

where he thinks he's going to find a fortune in whalebone and ambergris.

Fact is, it simply doesn't exist.

It's a legend, nothing more.

Legend or not, the graveyard is what my son went after.

It's my son I'm looking for.

- (MAN) Quarters? - Take our luggage to the admiral DPO.

Sir Anthony, I'm afraid this has to be the end of the line for me.

I'd help if I could. I know how much this means to you.

But you're trying the impossible.

To try to find one man with nothing more than a page from a journal...

There is something more.

Donald also left this with the factor.

I was hoping you might know what it was.

Hm. It's a carved bone. It's Eskimo work. It's quite common in the Arctic.

- This one's a map. - (ANTHONY) Map?

If I had a chart, I could show you how this works.

My yacht is at the pier. You can have all the charts you need.

This pattern will correspond to part of the shoreline

here on the chart.

Look.

See how this matches. It's not exactly to scale, of course.

Then this red mark could be what we're looking for.

If there were such an island.

- Why shouldn't there be? - There's no land here.

It's just a gigantic frozen sea.

All explorers agree. Peerey, Nance and all of them.

And what is Ivarsson's opinion?

Of course, there's a lot they haven't covered.

But if there were such an island,

if the graveyard of whales really did exist...

The world will never know, will it?

Unless you discover it, or unless someone else beats you to it.

Sir Anthony, you're a devious man.

Yes, I am, aren't I?

I've got your contract here. Your leave from the university.

Power of attorney. My solicitors will handle your affairs in your absence.

- We're under way. - And have been for some time.

We'll be in France in the morning.

Why France? That's hardly the most direct route to Fort Conger.

On the contrary. I think you'll find that it is.

Can't you slow him down?

You'd think we were leaving tomorrow morning.

We are.

What?

I said, we are. First thing in the morning.

Impossible. It's winter.

No ship can get through the ice before spring.

- I've made other arrangements. - What arrangements?

If I told you, you'd think I was mad.

Sir Anthony, you are mad.

And now you're gonna meet another mad one. Capt. Brieux!

Ah, Monsieur Ross!

What a pleasure!

He was building this for Americans, but he ran through all their money.

I heard of it and took it over.

- Ah, Capt. Brieux. - Good evening, Sir Anthony.

- Professor Ivarsson. - I'm honoured.

- Do you mind if I take a closer look? - No, please.

I'm proud we'll have you for the ceremony tomorrow.

Thank you very much.

- What ceremony? - Why, the first flight of my creation.

Tomorrow, the whole world will know of me on my Hyperion.

France will rule the air!

Whatever you planned, cancel it. Tomorrow, we leave for the Arctic.

The Arctic?

The Arctic?

Sir Anthony, that's ridiculous! It can't be done.

That's impossible.

We would need food, supplies, fuel for the motors.

The fuel, I'll leave to you, Captain.

All other necessities have been amply provided by my staff.

I think it is best that we have an understanding.

We have an understanding.

I bought and paid for your airship.

It's mine.

I intend to use it to find my son, who is lost in the Arctic.

But I cannot do it without your help.

I can offer you nothing except hardship and danger,

except your place in history.

- History? - Think of it, Captain.

You have an opportunity which comes but once in a generation.

The world will know you not only as the first man to fly over the Arctic,

but the first man, perhaps, to brave the North Pole itself.

Today, we make history.

There should be flags, music, a speech from the president.

But what do we have? Two children and a herd of goats.

When you bring her back to France,

the celebration's gonna break all records.

- We are ready to depart. - Very good, carry on.

Silence!

There will be no speaking.

Well, we are on our way.

A glorious day, Monsieur. We rise with the sun.

Congratulations, Captain. This will be a morning to remember.

Something in the food hamper just bit me.

That is not the food hamper, that is the small boudoir of Josephine.

It's some kind of a dog.

Of course, the best kind: French.

I am not interested in its nationality.

- Who brought it aboard? - No one brought her aboard.

She lives here. This is her home since the airship was begun.

I'm not running some kind of flying kennel.

Get rid of it.

Very well, if you wish, Monsieur.

Of course, it will take time. The sun has warmed the gas.

We must wait until night to return to the hangar.

- Then bring back the ground crew. - Wait until night?

That will mean 12 hours. I can't lose the time.

You're absolutely right, Sir Anthony.

Congratulations, Josephine.

We've signed on our ship's mascot.

Very well, but I don't like small dogs, and I never did.

Britain may rule the waves, Sir Anthony,

but the French airship rules the sky.

Already, we are speeding in triumph across the shores of your homeland.

It's raining as usual, I see.

- How far have we come? - About 150 miles.

Hundred and fifty? In six hours?

Is that what you call "speeding in triumph"?

We'll travel faster, but now my motors are at half-speed.

What on earth for?

Damn you!

- They must run themselves in. - Poppycock!

I want full speed!

There are the controls.

If you want full speed, it is your responsibility, not mine.

What do you say now, Sir Anthony?

I say, I want full speed.

And I mean to have it.

You have your wish, Monsieur.

It's on your head.

- What's happening? - Somebody route the propeller.

I followed your orders, Monsieur, and you see the result.

Now we must go back to France for repairs.

We will not.

We will proceed on one propeller.

The Arctic winds!

That would be insanity!

Without full power, my airship could not survive.

- I refuse to go forward. - And I refuse to go back.

Well, gentlemen, we have to go somewhere.

Captain, you carry a spare propeller, don't you?

- That is right. - Well, why don't we put it on now.

- In midair? - Mm-hm.

- Impossible! - Nothing's impossible.

Splendid idea, Ivarsson. Come along. Give me a hand.

Sir Anthony!

May I remind you that I am in command here!