Whip on the Periscope — Indy's Silent Stowaway
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Indy's whip remains unnoticed on the submarine's periscope as activity continues around it, heightening tension as Indy remains undetected.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Tense, furtive with controlled panic quickly masked by professional calm once the whip is reclaimed.
Concealed on the submarine's turret above the dock, Indy keeps his body hidden while his coiled bullwhip dangles from the periscope; when the captain almost discovers it, Indy silently retrieves the whip and remains unseen.
- • Avoid immediate detection and capture by Nazi personnel.
- • Retain possession of his primary tool/weapon (the whip) for future action.
- • Observe Nazi movements to time a later intervention or escape.
- • Discovery by Nazis will lead to interrogation or death.
- • Maintaining a hidden position preserves his ability to influence the situation later.
- • Belloq and the Nazi officers are distracted by ceremony and logistics, creating a narrow window to remain concealed.
Composed and businesslike, anticipatory about the Ark's ceremonial transfer and its significance.
Steps ashore confidently and directs the transport of the Ark toward tents, speaking with measured authority and theatrical assurance while the unloading continues around him.
- • Ensure the Ark is moved to the tents for whatever ritual or study he intends.
- • Maintain control of the archaeological narrative and his leverage with the Nazis.
- • Keep the operation orderly and impressive to cement his authority.
- • The Ark must be staged and handled per his plan to achieve its purpose.
- • He can direct Nazi resources through persuasion and spectacle.
- • Formal procession lends legitimacy and security to the artifact's movement.
Physically spent and shaken, edged with guarded defiance and fear about what will happen next.
Has been forced ashore looking exhausted and disheveled; she follows the procession weakly while the Nazi officers speak and the Ark is moved.
- • Stay alive and intact while under Nazi custody.
- • Assess any opportunity to escape or signal allies.
- • Endure long enough for a possible rescue or intervention.
- • The Nazis are dangerous and must be avoided if possible.
- • Her presence here increases personal risk and exposure.
- • She cannot trust her captors to act honorably.
Irritated and constrained, holding back bureaucratic or military objections while preserving chain-of-command appearance.
Disembarks with the others, listens to Belloq's instruction about the tents and the Ark; his body language registers displeasure though he offers no challenge aloud.
- • Ensure the artifact reaches Berlin intact on a timetable.
- • Maintain operational efficiency and minimize unnecessary theatrical delays.
- • Preserve military control over the excavation and transport process.
- • Time and protocol matter more than Belloq's theatrics.
- • There is risk in unnecessary delay or mismanagement.
- • The Nazi chain-of-command must not be undermined publicly.
Initially relaxed and indifferent; shifts to alert curiosity and decisive action upon seeing something amiss.
Perched on the Wurrfler's turret, lighting a cigarette and watching dock activity; he idly leans on the periscope and nearly discovers Indy's whip, then shouts and climbs down to investigate.
- • Monitor ship and dock activity for irregularities.
- • Address any threat or unusual occurrence on his vessel.
- • Maintain the safety and order of the Wurrfler and crew.
- • Unusual items near the periscope could indicate sabotage or stowaways.
- • As captain, he must personally attend to anomalies aboard his ship.
- • Routine vigilance protects the vessel's mission.
Professional, alert, and procedural—committed to executing orders cleanly.
Formally salutes Shliemann and Belloq, then communicates that tents have been arranged; focused on protocol and immediate logistical matters while standing between the arrivals and the dock activity.
- • Execute sub-base protocol and ensure the commanders' instructions are followed.
- • Coordinate personnel to move the Ark efficiently to the tents.
- • Maintain order during the transfer and arrival.
- • Following radioed instructions is essential to appearance and safety.
- • Visible formality reinforces command legitimacy.
- • Quick, orderly action prevents chaos or security breaches.
Businesslike and authoritative, projecting institutional control while attending to logistics.
The broader Nazi contingent mans the dock, receiving arrivals and coordinating unloading; their presence enforces the operation's security and ceremonial order.
- • Secure the Ark and transport it safely to the tents.
- • Provide military presence to deter interference.
- • Support senior officers' instructions and maintain order.
- • The artifact is of high strategic importance to their leadership.
- • Strict protocol and manpower ensure success of the operation.
- • Cooperation with specialists like Belloq is tactically necessary.
Focused and businesslike, their attention fixed on the task rather than the peripheral oddity above them.
A group of greeting Nazis and working soldiers unload the Ark, move the cart and pass within feet of the dangling whip without noticing; they focus on lugging and arranging cargo.
- • Unload and secure the Ark efficiently.
- • Follow orders from their superiors without delay.
- • Prepare the procession and tents per instructions.
- • Orders from officers are to be followed without undue questioning.
- • Practical task execution is the immediate priority.
- • The ceremonial aspects will be handled by officers, not them.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Ark, placed on a cart at the dock, is the operation's focus; its unloading and planned procession toward the tents provide the event's stakes and distract personnel, enabling the near-miss with Indy's whip.
The Wurrfler's periscope serves as Indy's concealment anchor and the immediate point of near-exposure when the captain leans on it; the periscope's exposed tip is the physical pivot that turns casual dock activity into a moment of crisis.
The Nazi Ark transport cart holds the Ark on the dock and is the immediate vehicle preparing to haul it toward the mine train. It structures the procession and frames the ceremonial movement Belloq demands.
The Wurrfler (submarine) is the arrival vessel whose turret provides Indy's hiding place; it also functions as the logistical anchor for the Ark's delivery and the source of the captain whose action nearly exposes Indy.
Mine-train cars sit on rails leading from the dock into a tunnel; they form the route the Ark will take toward the tents and provide the procession's mechanical motion, drawing the unloading operation forward and serving as the immediate destination for the cart.
The Wurrfler captain's lit cigarette is a small prop that establishes his casual tempo and physical location on the turret before he leans on the periscope, making his near-discovery feel incidental and thus more suspenseful.
Indy's coiled bullwhip drapes from the periscope and functions as both his exposed vulnerability and his primary tool; its near-discovery by the captain creates immediate suspense and forces Indy to retrieve it silently, preserving future agency.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Wurrfler's conning tower/turret functions as Indy's precarious hiding spot; it is the vertical, exposed vantage that both protects and endangers him by placing him inches above dock activity and the hands of the ship's captain.
Docking Bay 137 — a vast, water-filled cavern reinforced by German engineers — is the central stage where the Wurrfler docks, the Ark is unloaded and the near-discovery occurs; its scale amplifies ceremony and the danger of exposure for a hidden man on the turret.
The mine-train tunnel and its tracks form the exit route for the Ark's cart; its mouth swallows the procession and provides a directional objective for the unloading—moving the Ark from dock into the subterranean ceremony area.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Nazi organization provides the structural force executing the Ark's transfer — officers, troops, logistics and ceremonial protocol crowd the dock. Their presence militarizes the artifact, turning archaeological recovery into a militarized state operation built on discipline and secrecy.
The Wurrfler crew manifests as the ship's operational hand — the captain's casual watchfulness nearly reveals Indy. The crew's presence underpins the sub's docking, the safety of the vessel and the human element that can imperil or protect a stowaway.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
No narrative connections mapped yet
This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph
Key Dialogue
"TALL CAPTAIN: "The tents have been arranged in accordance with your radioed instructions, sir.""
"BELLOQ: "Good. We must take the Ark there now.""