Part 4 (2/2)
”To the New World!” cried Danny melodramatically.
”What did you say?” Nina asked him.
His face colored. ”I mean, to the Indies! To the Indies!”
The skiff bobbed out across the harbor toward the three waiting caravels. Departure time had arrived.
Two hours later, they were underway.
The sea was calm as gla.s.s, green as emerald. The three caravels, after a journey of several days, had reached the Canary Islands where additional provisions and fresh water were to be had.
”This,” said Columbus, waving his arms to take in the chain of islands.
”This is as far as a mere man has a right to go. There is nothing further, can't you see? Can't you?”
He was sober. Danny had come over in a skiff from the Nina to see that he remained sober at least for the loading and the departure. It was as if he, Danny, was going to preserve Columbus' name for history--single-handed if necessary.
”We will not go on,” Columbus said. ”We're going back. The only way to the Indies is around the Cape of Storms, around Africa. I tell you--”
”That's enough, father,” Nina said. ”We ...”
”I'm in command here,” Columbus told them. It surprised Danny. Usually, the drunken sailor was not so self-a.s.sertive. Then it occurred to Danny that it wasn't merely self-a.s.sertiveness: it was fear.
Danny called over the mate, a one-legged man named Juan, who walked with a jaunty stride despite his peg leg. ”You take orders from Columbus?”
Danny said. ”Would you take orders from me?”
Juan shook his head, smiling. ”You command aboard the Nina only, Martin Pinzon. I heard what the Captain said. If he wants to go back and give up this fool scheme, it's all right with me. And you know the rest of the crew will say the same.”
Nina looked at Danny hopelessly. She said, ”Then, then it's no use?”
Danny whispered fiercely, ”Your father loves you very much?”
”Yes, but--”
”And doesn't want to see anything happen to you?”
”But--”
”And believes the world is flat and if you sail far enough west you'll fall off?”
”But I--”
”Then you're coming with me aboard the Nina!”
Columbus gasped, ”What did you say?”
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