Nick is intrigued by the story of the statue's magic powers: perhaps the Buddha offers him hope that he too may get his heart's desire: a return to mortality. But there is a sudden crash, as the Titanic hits an iceberg. He leaves Claire Gibson in her stateroom and goes on deck to find out what is going on. When he returns, rather out of breath, she is staring at the Black Buddha statuette. They go on deck, where Nick obliges her by draining her before the Titanic sinks. But, curse or no curse, he takes the statue with him when he leaves the ship.