midnight
I opened it and went below to the lounge . By then the storm had reached its maximum intensity . It was impossible to stand upright inside the Nautilus . Captain Nemo reentered near midnight . I could hear the ballast tanks filling little by little , and the Nautilus sank gently beneath the surface of the waves . Through the lounge 's open windows , I saw large , frightened fish passing like phantoms in the fiery waters . Some were struck by lightning right before my eyes !