How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
He tried to pick Barbicane's work to pieces—scientifically. Once the war was commenced, any kind of argument served its purpose and, in truth, they were often specious and illogical. (10.19)
Barbicane's victory drives Nicholl nuts. Although our crazed captain is a scientifically-minded dude, he's not willing to let things like facts and logic get in the way of his vendetta. That shows us how desperate Nicholl truly is: He's willing to go against his core beliefs in order to dethrone President Barbicane. He must be in a really dark place at this point.
Quote #8
In fact Captain Nicholl, with his gun lying by his side, and quite forgetful of the danger of his situation, was engaged in delivering […] the victim caught in the web of the […] spider. (21.43)
Now that the two men are finally settling their beef, we see the truth: Neither one actually wants to hurt the other. Here, Nicholl the armor-maker is doing exactly what he does best: protecting helpless individuals from acts of violence. This is his true self, and a far cry from the angry, vindictive man we've come to know over the course of the novel.
Quote #9
"Nonsense, nonsense," replied Michel Ardan, "such good fellows as you may hate each other, but you must esteem each other as well." (21.51)
Ardan points out what everyone is thinking: There's no reason for two of the most successful inventors in the country to be at odds. This would be like if Steve Jobs and Bill Gates had teamed up back in the day—just think about what they might have achieved if they worked together.