If I wasn’t so shocked, I might be tempted to laugh. I can’t imagine two people less alike than Dev and Dr. Hewett. It’s hard to envision Hewett as a Shark, or young, or anything other than our professor. But it makes me wonder what Dev might have accomplished when he got older. Would he have gone on to command his own ship and then his own fleet as he’d always dreamed? Or is it possible he would have ended up a frustrated, dejected teacher like Hewett? That idea is almost as sad as knowing that, now, Dev will never get the chance to have any future at all.

Hewett sighs, as if thinking the same thoughts. “At any rate…when your parents found Nemo’s base, Land Institute feared it would give HP an unstoppable advantage. As I said, Nemo’s most important work could only be operated by his descendants. And, unlike Land Institute, we have…good relations with the Dakkar family.”

I get the uncomfortable sense that Hewett almost said we have control of the Dakkar family. He doesn’t seem to notice the cold look I’m giving him.

“The island is completely off the grid,” he says, some color coming back into his face. “It is cut off from all outside communication. Its location is unknown even to me. The only way to find it—”

“Is me.” I look at the coppery paperweight thing.

“Exactly, my dear. The base is our only hope. The staff there won’t know about HP’s destruction. We must warn them. We can regroup there, rearm ourselves, protect—”

“We could just go to the authorities,” I say. “We have been attacked. Our school has been destroyed. We tell—”

“Who?” Hewett demands. “The police? The FBI? The military? Best-case scenario, they write us off as lunatics. Worst-case scenario, they believe us. Are you prepared to be whisked off to a secret government site and spend the rest of your days being interrogated? Land Institute and Harding-Pencroft agree on almost nothing. But we do agree on one thing. Turning Nemo’s technology over to the world’s governments, or worse, the world’s corporations, would be disastrous. We must—”

He slumps forward like he’s been punched.

Gem shoots to his feet. “Professor?”

“I’m fine,” he wheezes. “Just overtaxed myself.”

I exchange a glance with Nelinha. Yeah, that’s a total lie.

“Prefect Twain,” Hewett gasps, “some assistance, please.”

Gem seems relieved to have something to do. He grabs Hewett’s arm and helps him up.

“I’ll leave you for now, Prefect Dakkar,” Hewett says. “Take some time to think. Our course of action will be up to you. We will follow your orders.”

I stare at him. Follow my orders? The idea terrifies me.

“But…you’re leaving?” I stammer. “This is your cabin.”

“Oh, no,” Hewett says. “It’s yours. I did say you’re the most important person on the planet, so suffice it to say you’re also the most important person on this ship. We will talk again in the morning. Mr. Twain, if you will help me to the bridge…”