Mare Nostrum

1   
Between Europe and Africa,
stretching from Gibraltar to
the Syrian coast, lies the
Mediterranean, land-locked 
and tideless, known to the 
ancients as Mare Nostrum
- "Our Sea".

2
Upon its bosom mankind
spread the first sail. From
its depths the sea gods
were born.

3
A fishing town on the 
Spanish coast.

4
Here for centuries the Fer-
raguts had made their
home. Sailors all of them,
proud of a name made
famous by King's Admiral
and buccaneer alike.

5
This Ferragut, who for forty
years had sailed the seven
seas, had come back to end
his days by the shores of
his beloved Mare Nostrum.

6
"Ulysses, what kind of a 
 ship is this?"

7
"A frigate!"

8
"You do not know the differ-
 ence between a frigate and 
 a brigantine! What the
 devil do they teach you at 
 school?"

9
"Caragol! Refrescoes for two
 sea-faring men!"

10
"Caragol! Caragol!"

11
"To Amphitrite, goddess of
 our sea!"

12
"I would love to see her!"

13
"Some day you will. I, with
 my own eyes, have seen
 Amphitrite...."

14
"......... it is this goddess
 Amphitrite who finds all
 that are lost at sea ....
 She is the mother and
 sweetheart of Mediter-
 ranean sailors."

15
"Amphitrite.... Amphitrite!"

16
"Do not believe in his infidel 
 gods and goddesses. He is
 a pagan!"

17
The Triton's brother, Don
Esteban Ferragut, had
broken from the tradition
of the sea.

18
"I have made up my mind.
 My son, Ulysses, shall
 become a lawyer - like
 me!"

19
"And I have made up my 
 mind. My nephew, Ulysses, 
 shall become a man - like
 me!"

20
The years witnessed the 
triumph of the Triton.
Ulysses, grown to man-
hood, had chosen the sea
and roamed the world.

21
Finally investing his entire 
fortune in the fast freighter
- Mare Nostrum.

22
Ulysses had drawn his
crew from his native vil-
lage. Toni, the mate, remem-
bered the Triton with
respect.

23
"Barcelona off the port bow
 - Caragol has prepared a
 celebration!"

24
"I can go on no longer.
 I must sell this ship - else
 I shall ruin my son."

25
Barcelona, Mediterranean
Port of Spain.

26
Here, Ulysses had made his
home.

27
"Esteban!"

28
The Triton had chosen
Ulysses' profession. Ulysses'
parents had chosen his wife,
Do�a Cinta.

29
"A surprise indeed - you
 have completely upset my
 household."

30
"When I am a man, I want
 to command a ship like 
 that!"

31
"Well, Cinta, it looks as
 though I have returned to
 stay."

32
"Farewell, Amphitrite!"

33
"The world has gone to
 war!"

34
"Russia....France....Germany...."

35
"Here is our chance to get
 rich - to regain all that we 
 have lost! The merchants
 will be besieging us with
 cargoes!"

36
Naples - port of Italy.

37
Cargoes bringing riches 
beyond Toni's wildest
dreams -

38
Leaving Toni in charge of 
the Mare Nostrum, Ulysses,
in holiday mood, had
journeyed to Pompeii -
beneath the smoking moun-
tain of Vesuvius.

39
Over the ancient city,
undisturbed by the chatter
of tourists, hung a silence
of 2,000 years.

40
Where had he known this 
woman? From somewhere
in the dim past came back
the memory of those eyes
- that smile.

41
"Perhaps I have seen you
 before - your name is
 Captain Ulysses Ferragut."

42
"Once I crossed from South 
 America on a boat you 
 commanded."

43
"Oh no, Captain, you never
 even saw me - but I -
 I never forget a face - and
 rarely a name."

44
"He is Spanish - a sea cap-
 tain - much more bold than 
 he is clever."

45
"My name is Freya Talberg
 - this is Doctor Fedelmann -
 an authority on past civili-
 zations."

46
"Spain! The land of knightly
 gentlemen.... Cervantes....
 The Cid.... Alfonso."

47
"We must leave you, Cap-
 tain, to catch our train for
 Paestum."

48
Paestum, the ancient city 
of Neptune, founded by the 
Greeks in 600 B.C.

49
"Undoubtedly, it was Nep-
 tune, the ancient god of this 
 temple, in serpent's form."

50
"Amphitrite.... Amphitrite!"

51
"None of your child's play 
 with me, Captain!"

52
"Medicine for a weak 
 stomach."

53
"Perhaps you had better 
 take a dose now."

54
For two weeks the Mare
Nostrum, ready again for
sea, lay idle at her wharf.

55
"Under the Captain's pillow."

56
"He has been bewitched by
 a woman - and each day
 the Mare Nostrum waits,
 we lose a fortune."

57
In Naples, Doctor Fedelmann
had installed herself in the
suite of an ancient palace.

58
"Happy you.... life is worth
 living only for love."

59
"First you must hear what
 I have to tell you, then,
 perhaps you will no longer
 want me."

60
"I am an Austrian woman
 in the service of my 
 country."

61
"The Doctor is an illustrious 
 patriot, who is giving her 
 all for her country."

62
"It is as I feared. You can
 no longer love me. All is 
 ended...."

63
"I have nothing to do with
 Germany's quarrels. I am
 Spanish - neutral."

64
"I thought you were a man
 ready to sacrifice life -
 honor if need be."

65
"Ask of me what you will
 - I cannot give you up!"

66
"You know all then.... Poor
 Germany! She needs such
 gallant gentlemen as you....
 The world is ravishing
 her!"

67
"Count Kaledine."

68
"A distinguished patriot. He
 wishes to talk to you about
 the Mediterranean."

69
Barcelona.

70
"The Mare Nostrum is in 
 the harbor - a cab is
 coming up the hill.... Father
 has come back!"

71
"Where is Ulysses?"

72
"Where is my father?"

73
"Esteban, respect your
 father - imitate him as a 
 seaman...."

74
"He remains in Naples.
 There is a lady.... a demon....
 reeking with perfume!"

75
With morning's first grey
light.

76
German diplomacy no
longer sought to keep Italy
at her side - her fight now
was to prevent this former
ally from going with the 
enemy.

77
"Bad news from Rome.
 These Italians are getting
 away from us."

78
"Mandolin-twangers!
 ..... Bandits!"

79
"What of the Spaniard,
 Ferragut? What does he 
 think?"

80
"Men who are drugged with 
 love do not think."

81
"I must return to Barcelona.
 I must go.... I...."

82
"The time has come for you
 to fulfil your promise."

83
"We have found you a boat,
 Captain. You have merely
 to follow the instructions
 of Count Kaledine."

84
"Do you know the great
 shoal in the Mediterranean
 called the 'Aventura
 Bank'?"

85
"You can conduct us to that 
 point without difficulty?"

86
"Do not go, Ulysses.... I have
 a presentiment of evil...."

87
"Oh, I love him - I love 
 him!"

88
Three days out. The lonely
Aventura Bank.

89
"Thanks to Captain Ferra-
 gut, we have succeeded."

90
Esteban's search for his 
father began with his 
arrival in Naples.

91
"Salute the ladies in my 
 name. Tell them they will 
 soon have news of us."

92
Naples again - resounding
with the blare of trumpets,
the tread of marching feet.
Italy had gone to war.

93
"Your lady-birds have 
 flown."

94
"The signor might take
 lessons in courtesy from 
 his son - a handsome lad,
 worthy of a better father."

95
"Of course I am speaking
 of your son. He came here 
 every day for a week....."

96
"If my father returns here,
 please tell him I have gone
 back to Barcelona."

97
Ulysses had taken passage
from Naples on a French
steamer - planning to join
the Mare Nostrum in Mar-
seilles.

98
"That was the English 
 steamer, Californian,
 saying good-night..... no
 news."

99
The s.s. Californian bound
for Barcelona.

100
"The Mediterranean is so 
 safe it bores me....."

101
"The Californian sending
 an S.O.S."

102
"My God!.... A submarine has
 attacked the Californian. 
 There are women.... child-
 ren!"

103
Ghastly hours..... then the
scene of disaster, where
every floating object seemed
to hold the menace of the
deadly periscope.

104
"Where is Mama? ..... Oh,
 please find her!"

105
"You are Spanish?"

106
"Yes, and the boy I am 
 speaking of was Spanish 
 too. He was returning
 home by rail and I persu-
 aded him to come by sea."

107
"I met him in Naples, he
 was searching for his 
 father."

108
"We were standing at the
 rail....."

109
"He was from Barcelona.....
 His father is Captain
 Ulysses Ferragut."

110
After the death of her son,
Do�a Cinta turned to the
church for consolation.

111
"God may forgive Ulysses,
 but I shall hate him until
 I die!"

112
With Italy's entrance into
the war, Dr. Fedelmann had
moved her headquarters
to Barcelona.

113
"Freya will at once replace
 agent number 47 in Mar-
 seilles. Upon her arrival
 there, you will cable her 
 false instructions in cipher
 known to the French."

114
Marseilles.

115
In a waterfront hotel,
Ulysses had lain ill for 
weeks.

116
"I can never return to 
 Barcelona until I have 
 tracked down and punish-
 ed the assassins of my 
 son."

117
"Do not go, Ulysses, listen
 to me! Believe that I tell
 you the truth because I
 love you."

118
"When I learned of the
 death of your son, I wrote
 you, denouncing the cause
 which could sanction such
 barbarity."

119
"The Doctor intercepted
 my letter. I know she has
 sent me here, planning to
 betray me to France."

120
"Take me away, Ulysses,
 on your ship - else I shall 
 perish."

121
"The net they have laid is 
 closing around me, and I
 am too poor to flee alone."

122
"They are my coat of 
 arms. With them a lone
 woman can face the world
 - often with an empty 
 purse."

123
"Take me with you, Ulysses.
 You are the only man I
 have ever loved!"

124
"I have had a magnificent 
 cruise, thanks to you. I
 am anxious to read the 
 reports."

125
"Assassin! You swore to 
 me that no passenger 
 vessel would be sunk."

126
"Spy!.... Spy!"

127
"He is a spy! A Boche spy!"

128
"Traitor!"

129
"You killed my son!"

130
The dedication of the Mare
Nostrum to the services of
France was the first move 
in Ulysses' campaign of
vengeance.

131
"To-morrow the Mare
 Nostrum sails for Salo-
 nica with munitions for
 the Allies. German sub-
 marines are waiting 
 for us."

132
"It is necessary that we say
 good-bye. Toni is leaving.
 I alone remain with a 
 French war crew."

133
"Do you know how much 
 ten thousand pesetas are?"

134
"With that you will be 
 free from worry the rest 
 of your days."

135
"Let the others go! Let Toni
 go - he has a family. As
 long as the Captain stays,
 Uncle Caragol will stay."

136
"But I tell you we shall
 be.... perhaps sunk....."

137
"With Caragol and his
 saints aboard, you will be
 protected."

138
"A cousin of yours is here
 - Lieutenant Blanes of the
 Foreign Legion."

139
"I was present at her arrest,
 and conducted her to the
 prison of St. Lazare."

140
"You have both paid, you in
 the loss of Esteban - and
 she must die."

141
"The Council of War has 
 sentenced her to be shot."

142
"Go - go! You are driving 
 me to madness again with 
 your talk of her!"

143
The prison of St. Lazare....
dawn.

144
Freya's obvious betrayal
by the Power she served
had rallied a famous 
French lawyer to her
defence.

145
"Courage, Freya. All efforts
 to change your sentence
 have failed.... I have seen
 the President himself."

146
"Military law recognizes no
 sex - and for espionage
 the only penalty is death."

147
"It turns out to be much
 more simple than I had
 believed.... we all must die."

148
Freya's last request - the
privilege of wearing her
furs and jewels - had
been granted.

149
"I die in my uniform, like a 
 soldier."

150
"It is for him of whom I
 have told you."

151
"I am ready, Messieurs."

152
Vincennes - the field of
execution.

153
"Are all these people here 
 for me?"

154
Camouflaged, armed and
manned with a French war
crew, the Mare Nostrum
sailed again.

155
"Watch well and keep full
 steam ahead.... another
 hour will see us out of
 the danger zone."

156
"They were thrown aboard 
 as we sailed."

157
For centuries upon this sea
the Ferraguts had fought
out their destinies, and in
its green depths had
found their tomb. With good
reason they called it "Mare
Nostrum".

158
Down through the infinite
levels of the abyss.....
perhaps to find her..... this
goddess Amphitrite - mother
and sweetheart of Mediter-
ranean sailors.

159
Conscious no longer, seeing
her with eyes now closed 
forever - in his heart a voice
crying to her: "Freya!...
Amphitrite!

FIN