The Baroque Cycle - The Confusion Part 60

As Elizabeth de Obregon ate of the fruits and greens of California and recovered her strength, she began to emerge from her cabin more frequently and even to join them in the officers' mess from time to time.

After Jack had related certain things to his partners, and after they'd allowed a day or two to pa.s.s, Moseh turned to Elizabeth one evening as they were dining, and remarked, "The situation of this Bay seems so fair that it will probably attract simpletons from all over the world...doubtless the Russians Russians will throw up a fort on that promontory any year now." will throw up a fort on that promontory any year now."

Elizabeth looked politely amused at the reaction of Edmund de Ath, who turned red and began to chew his food very slowly. She turned to Moseh and said, "Pray tell, why wouldn't sophisticated sophisticated men build here?" men build here?"

"Ah, my lady, I would not bore you with the tedious speculations of the Cabbalists..."

"On the contrary, my family tree is full of conversos, conversos, and I love to steep myself in the wisdom of the rabbis." and I love to steep myself in the wisdom of the rabbis."

"My lady, we are near the lat.i.tude of forty degrees. The golden rays of the sun, and silver rays of the moon, strike the surface of the globe at a glancing glancing angle here, rather than s.h.i.+ning down angle here, rather than s.h.i.+ning down vertically vertically onto the ground. Now it has been understood by onto the ground. Now it has been understood by Cabbalistickal Cabbalistickal sorcerers, ever since the days of the First Temple, that the diverse sorcerers, ever since the days of the First Temple, that the diverse metals metals that grow in the earth, are created by certain that grow in the earth, are created by certain rays rays that emanate from the various heavenly bodies, penetrate the Earth, and there combine with the Elements of Earth and Water to create gold, silver, copper, mercury, that emanate from the various heavenly bodies, penetrate the Earth, and there combine with the Elements of Earth and Water to create gold, silver, copper, mercury, et cetera, et cetera, depending on which Planet emanated the Ray. depending on which Planet emanated the Ray. Videlicet, Videlicet, the rays of the Sun create Gold, those of the Moon Silver, the rays of the Sun create Gold, those of the Moon Silver, et cetera, et cetera et cetera, et cetera. And it follows naturally that Gold and Silver will be found most abundantly in sunny places near the Equator."

"The Alchemists of Christendom have either borrowed borrowed this insight from your Cabbalists, or discovered it on their own," said Elizabeth. this insight from your Cabbalists, or discovered it on their own," said Elizabeth.

"As you know, Lady, the great metropolises of al-Andalus, al-Andalus, Cordoba and Toledo, were crucibles in which the most learned men of Christendom, of Cordoba and Toledo, were crucibles in which the most learned men of Christendom, of dar al-Islam, dar al-Islam, and of the Diaspora commingled their knowledge..." and of the Diaspora commingled their knowledge..."

"I thought the function of a crucible was to purify purify and not to and not to intermix, intermix," said Edmund de Ath, and then put on an angelic face.

"To fall into discussion of alchemichal arcana would be to do the lady a disservice," said Moseh. "She informs me that the sages of the King of Spain are well-acquainted with the nature and properties of the astrologickal emanations. Yet any half-wit who glances at a map could have inferred that that the Rey Rey knows all about the knows all about the rays, rays, for it has ever been the wise policy of the Spanish Empire to follow the Line, and establish colonies in the auriferous belt where Sun and Moon beat straight down on the earth. Leave for it has ever been the wise policy of the Spanish Empire to follow the Line, and establish colonies in the auriferous belt where Sun and Moon beat straight down on the earth. Leave California California and and Alyeska Alyeska to the wretched Russians, for gold will to the wretched Russians, for gold will never never be discovered in be discovered in those those places!" places!"

"I confess I am somewhat taken a-back," said Edmund de Ath, "as I never dreamed until now that I was sharing a s.h.i.+p with a Cabbalistic Cabbalistic sorcerer." sorcerer."

"Don't hang your head so, monsieur. The North Pacific is not generally considered a Jewish neighborhood..."

"What possessed you to venture out this way, sir?" asked Elizabeth de Obregon. The sight of land, and fresh food, had brought her back to life, and now this fencing-match between the Jansenist and the Jew was taking years off her age.

"My lady, you do me a favor to pretend interest in my obscure researches," said Moseh. "I'll return the kindness by being as brief as possible: there is an occult legend to the effect that King Solomon, after building the Temple on Mount Zion-"

"-journeyed far to the East and built a Kingdom on some island there," said Elizabeth de Obregon.

"Indeed. A kingdom of vast wealth to be sure, but-more importantly-an Olympian center for alchemical scholars.h.i.+p and Cabbalistic research. There the secrets of the Philosopher's Stone and the Philosophic Mercury were first brought to light-in fact, all the lucubrations of our modern-day Alchemists and Cabbalists are but a feeble attempt to pick over the sc.r.a.ps left behind by Solomon and his court magicians. After I had journeyed to the frontiers of learning during my youth, I reached the conclusion that I could only learn more by seeking out the Solomon Islands and going over them inch by inch."

Now it was Elizabeth's turn to become pink in the face. "Many have died trying to discover those islands, rabbi. If your tale is true, you are fortunate to be alive."

"No more fortunate than you, you, my lady." my lady."

Now Elizabeth de Obregon locked her gaze upon Moseh, and mystickal Rays pa.s.sed back and forth between them for a while, until Edmund de Ath could not endure it any longer. He said, "Can you share your findings with us, sir, or must the results be locked up in some encyphered Torah somewhere?"

"The results results are still are still resulting, resulting, sir, there is no definite report to be made." sir, there is no definite report to be made."

"But you've left the Solomon Islands!"

"I have. That much is obvious. But did you really think I could have journeyed there have. That much is obvious. But did you really think I could have journeyed there alone alone? Of all those who went, monsieur, I am the least least. A mere errand-boy, sent this way to fetch a few necessaries. The rest are still there, hard at work."

PLAYING WITH THE MINDS of Edmund de Ath and Elizabeth de Obregon made for excellent sport, and if done right, might even keep Jack, Moseh, and company alive when they reached Acapulco. But it was a sport Jack could only of Edmund de Ath and Elizabeth de Obregon made for excellent sport, and if done right, might even keep Jack, Moseh, and company alive when they reached Acapulco. But it was a sport Jack could only watch, watch, since neither of those two would seriously entertain the idea of having a conversation with him. To Jack, the lady showed faint, perfunctory grat.i.tude, and to all others she showed a sort of amused tolerance-all except Edmund de Ath, who was the only one she treated as an equal. This galled Jack far more than it should have. It was years since he'd been a king in Hindoostan and he should have been used to his reduced status. But being around this Spanish gentlewoman made him want to go back to Shahjahanabad and enlist in the service of the Great Mogul once more. And he was on his own s.h.i.+p! since neither of those two would seriously entertain the idea of having a conversation with him. To Jack, the lady showed faint, perfunctory grat.i.tude, and to all others she showed a sort of amused tolerance-all except Edmund de Ath, who was the only one she treated as an equal. This galled Jack far more than it should have. It was years since he'd been a king in Hindoostan and he should have been used to his reduced status. But being around this Spanish gentlewoman made him want to go back to Shahjahanabad and enlist in the service of the Great Mogul once more. And he was on his own s.h.i.+p!

"The only cure for it is to become a merchant prince," said Vrej Esphahnian, as they were sailing out of the Golden Gate on a cold, clear morning. "And that is what we are working toward. Learn from the Armenians, Jack. We do not care for t.i.tles and we do not have armies nor castles. n.o.ble folk can sneer at us all they like-when their kingdoms have fallen into dust, we will buy their silks and jewels with a handful of beans."

"That is well, unless pirates or princes take what you have so tediously acquired," Jack said.

"No, you don't understand. Does a farmer measure his wealth in pails of milk? No, for pails spill, and milk spoils in a day. A farmer measures his wealth in cows cows. If he has cows, milk comes forth almost without effort."

"What is the cow, in this similitude?" asked Moseh, who had come over to listen.

"The cow is the web, or net-work of connexions, that Armenians have spun all the world round."

"It has never ceased to astonish me how you find Armenians everywhere we go," Jack admitted.

"In every place where we have tarried for more than a few days: Algiers, Cairo, Mocha, Bandar-Abbas, Surat, Shahjahanabad, Batavia, Macao, Manila-I have been able to invest some small fraction of my profits in the diverse enterprises of other Armenians," Vrej said. "In some cases the amounts were trivial. But it does not matter-those men know me now, they are knots in my net-work, and when I return to Paris, even if we lose Minerva Minerva and everything aboard her, I'll be a wealthy man-not in and everything aboard her, I'll be a wealthy man-not in milk milk but in but in cows cows."

"Avast there, Vrej," Jack said, "I am not a superst.i.tious man, but I do not love to hear this talk of losing Minerva Minerva."

Vrej shrugged. "Sometimes a man must accept a great loss."

An awkward stillness for a few moments, made more excruciatingly obvious by the shouting of the riggers as they trimmed the sails for a new course. Minerva Minerva was leaving the Golden Gate behind, and coming about into a new southeasterly course along the coast. She'd follow this general heading for some two thousand miles to Acapulco. was leaving the Golden Gate behind, and coming about into a new southeasterly course along the coast. She'd follow this general heading for some two thousand miles to Acapulco.

Finally Moseh said, "Well, I am am a superst.i.tious man, or at least a a superst.i.tious man, or at least a religious religious one, and I have been pondering this: When is my trading-voyage finished?" one, and I have been pondering this: When is my trading-voyage finished?"

"When you drop anchor in London or Amsterdam and come ash.o.r.e with Bills of Exchange, or imported goods," Jack said.

"I cannot eat those."

"Very well, change them into silver and buy bread with it."

"So I have bread then. But did I need to sail around the world for bread?"

"Bread you can get anywhere," Jack admitted, then glanced at the open Pacific to starboard. "Save there there. Why sail round the world, then? For entertainment, I suppose. We do what we have to do, Moseh, and are not frequently given diverse choices choices. What are you getting at?"

"I believe my journey ended when we crossed the Sea of Reeds and escaped from bondage in Egypt," Moseh said. "Nothing since then has brought me satisfaction."

"Again, though, you've had no choices available."

"Every day," Moseh said, "every day I've had choices, but I've been blind to them."

"You are being too Cabbalistickal for me," Jack said. "I am an Englishman and will go to England. You see? Very simple and plain. Now I will ask you a question that should have a simple answer: When we get to Acapulco, will you be in the Wet or the Dry Group?"

"Dry," said Moseh, "dry forever."

"Very well," said Vrej after another of those awkward silences, "as we've lost poor Arlanc, it follows that I shall have to be Wet. And that sits well with me, for I am eager to see Lima, the Rio de la Plata, and Brazil, and after all we've endured, Cape Horn holds no terror for me."

Dappa happened along. "For a man without a country, the s.h.i.+p is the only choice. Brazil and the Caribbean are awash in African slaves and I cannot learn or tell their stories unless I voyage there and talk to them."

"Then since van Hoek obviously goes with the s.h.i.+p, I'm obligated to be Dry," Jack said, "and my boys will go with me."

They all stood silently for a few moments, caught between a raw Pacific wind and the coast of California. Then every one of them seemed to understand how many preparations lay ahead of him, and each went his own way.

"THE BEST TIME TO NEGOTIATE is before negotiations have begun," said Moseh, as he and Jack watched the longboat crawl towards the sh.o.r.e of the port of Navidad. The Alcalde of Chiamela, several priests, and a few men in the full Conquistador get-up stood there waiting for it. "Or anyway that is what I learned from Surendranath, and I hope it has worked in this case." is before negotiations have begun," said Moseh, as he and Jack watched the longboat crawl towards the sh.o.r.e of the port of Navidad. The Alcalde of Chiamela, several priests, and a few men in the full Conquistador get-up stood there waiting for it. "Or anyway that is what I learned from Surendranath, and I hope it has worked in this case."

Jack noticed that, as Moseh was saying this, he was fingering the sc.r.a.p of Indian bead-work he had inherited from his Manhattoe ancestors. It was something that Moseh did, in an absent-minded way, whenever he was afraid of getting a raw deal. Jack decided not to mention it.

After two weeks of working their way down the coast of California they had crossed the Tropic of Cancer and weathered the bald promontory of Cabo San Lucas on New Year's Day of 1701. Then they had set their course due southeast so as to traverse the mouth of the Gulf of California, a journey that had ended up taking several days because the Virazon, or northwest wind down the coast, had failed. Eventually they had come in sight of the trio of islands called the Three Marys, which lay off the bony elbow of New Spain, Cabo Corrientes-the Cape of Currents. Two rather tense days had followed. Those two Capes (San Lucas and Corrientes) formed the gate-posts of the long narrow body of water that ran between lower California and New Spain, which was called a Strait by those who still believed California was an island and a Gulf by those who didn't. Whether it was a Strait or a Gulf, the Three Marys had a commanding position near its entrance. Yet they were far enough north to be out of reach of the Spanish authorities in Acapulco. Consequently they were a popular place for English and French pirates to spend winters. And to this human danger were added certain natural ones: the Three Marias were nearly joined to Cabo Corrientes by vast shallows. Even if they'd been able to salvage the latest Spanish charts from the Manila Galleon-which they hadn't-these would have been nearly useless, because the powerful currents pa.s.sing between the two Capes in and out of the Strait or Gulf s.h.i.+fted the sands from one tide to the next. The only persons in the world who would have the cunning to pilot a s.h.i.+p in that area would be the aforementioned pirates-if there were any. If there were, and they were English, they might or might not be the natural allies of Minerva Minerva. If French they would certainly be enemies.

But a nerve-wracking circuit of Maria Madre, Maria Magdalena, and Maria Cleofas had not turned up anything beyond a few decaying bivouacs, some abandoned and some manned by skeleton crews of dumbfounded wretches who fired guns in the air in weak bids to beckon them closer. "This year's crop of pirates-if any made it around Cape Horn-must be wintering in the Galapagos," van Hoek had said one night at mess, as they supped on the meat of some tortoises that had been captured from the longboat.

"The only pirates are we, we," Dappa had remarked. This had not sat very well with van Hoek, but it had made something of an impression on Elizabeth de Obregon and Edmund de Ath. They had excused themselves early, withdrawn to the taffrail, and had yet another in their seemingly un-ending series of obscure conferences. "They'll be re-writing their d.a.m.ned letters all night long," Jack had predicted.

More conferences, and more re-writing, had followed the next day, as they'd dropped anchor off Maria Madre (the largest of the islands) and used the longboat to ferry Heavy Objects back and forth between Minerva Minerva and sh.o.r.e. Elizabeth and Edmund were confined to their cabins the whole time, and the longboat's load was covered with sailcloth whenever it was within view of their windows. The cargo hold was off limits to them. There was no way for them to know what had been done. The obvious interpretation was that part of the quicksilver had been taken ash.o.r.e and buried, and stones brought out from the island to ballast the s.h.i.+p. But it might just as well have been a mountebank's sh.e.l.l-game: quicksilver-flasks going in to sh.o.r.e and then coming right back out again to be put back in their places in the hold. and sh.o.r.e. Elizabeth and Edmund were confined to their cabins the whole time, and the longboat's load was covered with sailcloth whenever it was within view of their windows. The cargo hold was off limits to them. There was no way for them to know what had been done. The obvious interpretation was that part of the quicksilver had been taken ash.o.r.e and buried, and stones brought out from the island to ballast the s.h.i.+p. But it might just as well have been a mountebank's sh.e.l.l-game: quicksilver-flasks going in to sh.o.r.e and then coming right back out again to be put back in their places in the hold.

The same performance had been repeated two days later on the Cape of Currents itself. Only then had van Hoek given the order they'd all been waiting for: to put that Cape behind them and run before the Virazon, coasting southeast into the country of New Galicia, the northernmost part of the coast that was really settled. The mountains and volcanoes of that country looked empty and barren, but after the sun went down they saw a signal-fire blazing on a high remote summit and knew from this that they had been sighted by the sentinel who was posted there. It meant that a rider was now galloping post-haste towards the City of Mexico, a journey of five hundred miles across terrible mountains, to deliver the news that a great s.h.i.+p had come out of the West. According to Elizabeth de Obregon, the people of Mexico (who were almost all monks and nuns, as the Church owned all of the land in the city) would begin to pray around the clock as soon as they heard that news, and would not stop until letters arrived from other watchers, farther down the coast, confirming that it was indeed the Manila Galleon.

Of course in this case it wasn't, wasn't, and so the letters would say something else. As the only two survivors of the disaster, Elizabeth and Edmund would perforce be the authors of those letters. Van Hoek would make a report, too, as a courtesy to the Viceroy. Much hinged upon how exactly those letters were worded, and on how and so the letters would say something else. As the only two survivors of the disaster, Elizabeth and Edmund would perforce be the authors of those letters. Van Hoek would make a report, too, as a courtesy to the Viceroy. Much hinged upon how exactly those letters were worded, and on how Minerva Minerva's involvement was explained. The two survivors had spent much of the journey from the Golden Gate to Cabo San Lucas writing and re-writing them, and had continued to make revisions until a few minutes before the doc.u.ments had been placed on the longboat and despatched toward the sh.o.r.e. Minerva Minerva had cruised past the port of Chiamela, which was large and well-sheltered by islands but too shallow for large s.h.i.+ps, and continued a few hours down the coast to the deep-water port of Navidad. By then it must have been obvious to the Alcalde of Chiamela, who was pursuing them on horseback the whole way, that this was no Manila Galleon, and that something had gone wrong. But not until had cruised past the port of Chiamela, which was large and well-sheltered by islands but too shallow for large s.h.i.+ps, and continued a few hours down the coast to the deep-water port of Navidad. By then it must have been obvious to the Alcalde of Chiamela, who was pursuing them on horseback the whole way, that this was no Manila Galleon, and that something had gone wrong. But not until Minerva's Minerva's longboat pulled to within shouting distance of Navidad did anyone who'd not been on the voyage learn of what had happened in the middle of the Pacific. There was a suitable eruption of wailing, cursing, praying, and (eventually) bell-clanging when this bit of intelligence finally sparked across the gap. Moseh winced empathetically and turned his attentions back to Jack. longboat pulled to within shouting distance of Navidad did anyone who'd not been on the voyage learn of what had happened in the middle of the Pacific. There was a suitable eruption of wailing, cursing, praying, and (eventually) bell-clanging when this bit of intelligence finally sparked across the gap. Moseh winced empathetically and turned his attentions back to Jack.

"Though they were our captives in all but name, Ed and Elsie" (here he used Jack's names for the two pa.s.sengers) "might have said to us: 'You men of Minerva Minerva are starving, your s.h.i.+p needs repairs, your cargo is valueless save at the mine-heads of New Spain and Peru. Only at the great ports of the King of Spain, such as Acapulco, Panama, and Lima, have you any hope of trading your quicksilver for what you so desperately need. If you are barred from those ports, you shall be exiled to a few wretched pirate-islands, for in your current plight you've scant hope of weathering Cape Horn. A few words on parchment, signed and sealed by us, determine whether you'll be welcomed as heroes or hunted down as scurvy pirates.' " are starving, your s.h.i.+p needs repairs, your cargo is valueless save at the mine-heads of New Spain and Peru. Only at the great ports of the King of Spain, such as Acapulco, Panama, and Lima, have you any hope of trading your quicksilver for what you so desperately need. If you are barred from those ports, you shall be exiled to a few wretched pirate-islands, for in your current plight you've scant hope of weathering Cape Horn. A few words on parchment, signed and sealed by us, determine whether you'll be welcomed as heroes or hunted down as scurvy pirates.' "

"They might might have said that," Jack agreed. "But they didn't." have said that," Jack agreed. "But they didn't."

"They didn't. If they had, it would have meant we were negotiating, which was best avoided. So before the subject was even broached I went into my Cabbalist act and gave Ed and Elsie to believe that I was naught more than an errand-boy for a legion of wizards and alchemists in the Islands of Solomon. That, and the caches of quicksilver that we might or might not have buried on Maria Madre and Cabo Corrientes, put us in a stronger position than we really deserve."

"Dappa has read their letters," Jack remarked. "He admits that their Latin is high-flown and abstruse, and that he may be overlooking much that is nuanced. But he seems to think that the survivors' accounts depict us in a favorable light."

"At the very least we should avoid summary execution," Moseh allowed.

"There you go again-always the optimist."

The port of Navidad despatched a boat of its own to bring out some provisions. The only cure for scurvy was to go ash.o.r.e, but since they had arrived at the Golden Gate and begun to eat the fruits of the earth again, teeth had stopped falling out and gums had pinkened. Whatever was on this boat should tide them over to Acapulco. As it turned out, the boat carried not just food, but also tidings from Madrid: King Carlos II, "The Sufferer," had finally died.

Of course hardly anyone on Minerva Minerva cared, and in any case it was not much of a surprise, as all of Christendom had been waiting for it to happen for three decades. But as they were in the Spanish Empire now, they tried to look solemn. Edmund de Ath crossed himself. Elizabeth de Obregon covered her face and went into her cabin without saying a word. Jack naively supposed she was praying the rosary for her dead monarch. But when he next went to his own cabin for a cat-nap he could hear the cared, and in any case it was not much of a surprise, as all of Christendom had been waiting for it to happen for three decades. But as they were in the Spanish Empire now, they tried to look solemn. Edmund de Ath crossed himself. Elizabeth de Obregon covered her face and went into her cabin without saying a word. Jack naively supposed she was praying the rosary for her dead monarch. But when he next went to his own cabin for a cat-nap he could hear the scribble, scribble scribble, scribble of her quill, inscribing yet more letters. of her quill, inscribing yet more letters.

They sailed for another week along a coast lined with cacao and vanilla plantations, and on the 28th of January came in sight of the first city they'd seen since leaving Manila in July. It was a shoal of mean little shacks that looked in danger of being shrugged into the water by the green mountains rising up behind. They could have sailed right past it, mistaking it for a wretched fis.h.i.+ng-village, if not for the fact that a large castle stood in the middle.

The steepness of those mountains suggested a deep-water harbor. This was confirmed by a few large s.h.i.+ps that had come in so close to sh.o.r.e that they were tied up to trees! But the pa.s.sage in to that harbor was winding; the barque de negoce barque de negoce that came out to meet them had to put her three lateen sails through any number of difficult evolutions just to get out into blue water. This barque sported two six-pounders on either side of her high stern as well as a dozen or so swivel-guns distributed around her gunwales. In other words, compared to a Dutch East Indiaman like that came out to meet them had to put her three lateen sails through any number of difficult evolutions just to get out into blue water. This barque sported two six-pounders on either side of her high stern as well as a dozen or so swivel-guns distributed around her gunwales. In other words, compared to a Dutch East Indiaman like Minerva Minerva she was essentially unarmed. But the gaudy encrustations wrapped around her stern, and the fabulously complex heraldry on her ensign, told them that this barque had been sent out by someone important: according to Elizabeth de Obregon, the castellan, who was the highest authority in Acapulco. The two survivors of the Galleon were welcomed aboard this barque. she was essentially unarmed. But the gaudy encrustations wrapped around her stern, and the fabulously complex heraldry on her ensign, told them that this barque had been sent out by someone important: according to Elizabeth de Obregon, the castellan, who was the highest authority in Acapulco. The two survivors of the Galleon were welcomed aboard this barque. Minerva Minerva was told not to enter the harbor, but to proceed several miles down the coast to a place called Port Marques. was told not to enter the harbor, but to proceed several miles down the coast to a place called Port Marques.

Van Hoek had heard of it; Port Marques was the semi-official smugglers' port, frequented by s.h.i.+ps that came up from Peru with pigs of silver and other contraband that it would be unseemly to unload directly beneath the windows of the Castle of Acapulco. So they pa.s.sed Acapulco by, with no sense of regret, as every building there was either a mud hovel or a monastery, and a few hours later dropped anchor before Port Marques. This was even more ragged and humble, being little more than a camp inhabited by Vagabonds, blacks, mulattoes, and mestizos.

Moseh went ash.o.r.e on the first boat-load, fell on his face in the sand, and kissed it. "I will never set foot on a s.h.i.+p again as G.o.d is my witness!" he hollered.

"If you are talking to G.o.d, why are you speaking Sabir?" shouted Jack, who was watching from the p.o.o.p deck of Minerva Minerva.

"G.o.d is far away," Moseh explained, "and I must rely on men to keep me honest."

LATER D DAPPA WENT ASh.o.r.e and talked to some of the black men camped on the beach. There was a group of half a dozen who had come from the same African river as he, and spoke a similar language. Each of them had been captured by other Africans and sold down the river to Bonny, where he had been branded with the trademark of the Royal Africa Company and eventually loaded on an English s.h.i.+p that had taken him to Jamaica. and talked to some of the black men camped on the beach. There was a group of half a dozen who had come from the same African river as he, and spoke a similar language. Each of them had been captured by other Africans and sold down the river to Bonny, where he had been branded with the trademark of the Royal Africa Company and eventually loaded on an English s.h.i.+p that had taken him to Jamaica.

Each of them had come, in other words, from a part of Africa notorious for breeding lazy and rebellious slaves, and each had acquired some additional defect en route: infected eyes, gray hair, excessive gauntness, mysterous swellings, or contagious-looking skin diseases. Therefore none of the planters had wanted to buy them, or even take them for free. Obviously the captain of the slave-s.h.i.+p had no intention of taking such refuse slaves back to Africa and so they were simply abandoned on the dock of Kingston, where it was hoped and expected they'd die. And indeed there was no better place for it, as Kingston was perhaps the filthiest city on the planet. Most of the refuse slaves obligingly died. But each of the ones in this little band had separately made his way inland, and entered into a sort of Vagabond life, joining together in bands with escaped slaves and native Jamaicans and roving about the island stealing chickens and trying to stay one step ahead of the posses sent out after them by plantation-owners.

This particular group had drifted to an unsettled stretch of coast towards the western tip of Jamaica, where fis.h.i.+ng was rumored to be good. About a year later they had encountered a brig full of English adventurers sailing out of the west, i.e., from the general direction of New Spain. These Englishmen-who, to judge from their description, were likely nothing more than incompetent or luckless boca-neers-had lately been reckless enough to find a route through a barrier reef that had hitherto barred access to a certain part of the Mosquito Coast, seven hundred miles due west of Jamaica. Now they were making a foray to Kingston to collect gun-powder, musket-b.a.l.l.s, swine, and other necessaries, so that they could go back and establish a settlement.

Here the narrator-an African by the name of Amboe, with a bald head and grizzled beard-jumped over what must have been a somewhat involved negotiation, and said simply that he and a dozen of his band had decided to leave Jamaica and throw in their lot with these boca-neers, and had helped establish a rudimentary village at a place called Haulover Creek near the mouth of the river Belice. But it was a pestilential place, and the Englishmen got drunker and nastier every day, and so those who'd survived the initial rounds of diseases and hurricanes had pulled up stakes and moved inland, pa.s.sing through a land of jungle-covered Pyramids (lengthy, implausible yarns deleted here), and straying across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (or so Jack-who'd been studying maps-inferred), to the Pacific Coast, and then wandering up this way.

Acapulco, Amboe explained, was far too hot, cramped, and famished to support many Spaniards and so for most of the year its hovels were occupied by the wretched soldiers of the garrison, a few missionaries who did not care whether they lived or died, and people like these: Indians, refuse-slaves, and the like. Only when the Manila Galleon or the Lima treasure-fleet was expected did white men swarm down out of the mountains and kick out the squatters and turn Acapulco into a semblance of a real city. This had just happened a week ago, which explained why so many rabble were camped on the beach at Port Marques; but word had already gotten around that the s.h.i.+p was not the Manila Galleon, and disappointed merchants were already streaming out of town in droves, leaving behind empty buildings that the beach-people would soon move back into.

Naturally all of Minerva Minerva's crew wanted to come ash.o.r.e, but van Hoek only let them do so one watch at a time, and he insisted that men stand by the longboat with muskets. He was worried, in other words, that the Spaniards would try to seize the s.h.i.+p on some pretext, and that she would have to fight her way out onto the main and make for Galapagos or some other pirate-haven. Jack for his part was inclined to believe that the Spaniards would see things their way. If Minerva Minerva came under attack she would either flee or be sunk, and in either event the quicksilver in her holds would never arrive at the mine-heads of New Spain. And if she were not received hospitably and dealt with fairly, she could sail down the coast to Lima and the quicksilver would end up at Potosi, the greatest mine in the world. came under attack she would either flee or be sunk, and in either event the quicksilver in her holds would never arrive at the mine-heads of New Spain. And if she were not received hospitably and dealt with fairly, she could sail down the coast to Lima and the quicksilver would end up at Potosi, the greatest mine in the world.

In any event there was a pause while the accounts of Edmund de Ath and Elizabeth de Obregon were sent by express to Mexico City, and (presumably) pondered by important people, and orders sent back by express. This ended up taking sixteen days. Van Hoek never once came ash.o.r.e, but remained aboard his s.h.i.+p, doing sums in his cabin or pacing the p.o.o.p deck with a spygla.s.s, scanning the horizon for armadas. Vrej Esphahnian ventured into Acapulco to procure the wood and other items needed to repair Minerva Minerva's foremast. He ended up being absent for two nights and a day, and van Hoek was getting ready to send out a rescue party when a barge emerged from Acapulco Harbor's broad southeastern entrance and came their way, laden with what they wanted. Vrej was posed insouciantly on a new foremast, and explained the delay by informing them that Acapulco was that rarest of places, an important trade-port without a single Armenian, and so he had been forced to deal with slower minds.

Minerva's idlers were now idle no more, as the new foremast had to be stepped and rigged. That procedure might have been interesting to Jack if it had been done in mid-ocean where there was nothing else to look at, but as it was, being on land had reminded him of how much he hated being aboard s.h.i.+p. He spent those days ash.o.r.e, making friends with diverse Vagabonds and ne'er-do-wells, learning which of them were idiots and which merely independent-minded. Amboe and his band were obviously of the latter type, but most of these beach-people did not have such informative Narrations to tell, and Jack could sound them out only through carousing with them over a period of weeks. Jack had long since lost interest in carousing per se, per se, but he recalled how it was done, and could still put on a performance of carousing that looked sincere but was in fact wholly affected, shrewd, and calculating. He was helped in this by his two sons, who really meant it. but he recalled how it was done, and could still put on a performance of carousing that looked sincere but was in fact wholly affected, shrewd, and calculating. He was helped in this by his two sons, who really meant it.

Gentlefolk liked to claim that horsemans.h.i.+p was a n.o.ble art. If that were true, then half of the renegadoes on the beach at Port Marques were b.a.s.t.a.r.d sons of Dukes and Princes. New Spain bred horses the way London bred fleas, and many of these mulattoes and mestizoes could ride like cavaliers, even bareback. Jack of course was the last man on earth who'd ever believe that riding well was a sign of superior breeding. But he did know that riding badly was its own punishment, and that spirited horses could smell fools and poseurs from a mile away. Some of the Port Marques crowd would entertain themselves by roping wild beach-mustangs and riding them up and down the sand, forcing them against their will to gallop into breaking waves. From a musket-shot away Jack could see the white teeth of those riders as they laughed, and later on, as they gathered around driftwood-fires to eat the food of the country (maize flat-bread wrapped around meager helpings of beans and spicy stews), he would seek those men out and try to learn something of them, and he would ply them with rum to see if they had a weakness for liquor. Of all of these, the best man, in Jack's opinion, was an African named Tomba, a member of Amboe's band. Tomba was not a refuse slave; he had escaped from a sugar plantation in Jamaica. The scars on his back confirmed part of his story, which was that he'd fled to avoid being beaten to death by an overseer. The time he'd spent on the plantation, and at the English settlement on Haulover Creek, had given Tomba some knowledge of English, and he spent several long evenings sitting by the fire with Jimmy and Danny Shaftoe talking about what sons of b.i.t.c.hes Englishmen were in general.

Almost three weeks after Minerva Minerva had dropped anchor at Port Marques, Edmund de Ath came out alone one morning from Acapulco, bearing sealed letters from the Viceroy. One was addressed to van Hoek and another to the Viceroy's counterpart in Lima. Van Hoek opened his in had dropped anchor at Port Marques, Edmund de Ath came out alone one morning from Acapulco, bearing sealed letters from the Viceroy. One was addressed to van Hoek and another to the Viceroy's counterpart in Lima. Van Hoek opened his in Minerva Minerva's dining cabin, in the presence of de Ath, Dappa, Jack, and Vrej.

Moseh's vow compelled him to remain ash.o.r.e. Later Jack rowed in on a skiff and found the Jew eating a taco.

"These Vagabond-boots are longing to Stray," Jack said. "I reckon that tomorrow we will round up a posse of these vaqueros vaqueros and and desperadoes desperadoes and begin to a.s.semble a mule-train." and begin to a.s.semble a mule-train."

Moseh finished chewing a bite of his taco and swallowed carefully. "The news is good, then."

"We are all vile hereticks and profiteers, says the Viceroy, and ought to be whipped all the way to Boston...but Edmund de Ath has put in a good word for us."

"Is that Ed's version or..."

"It's right there in black and white in the middle of the Viceroy's letter, or so literate men a.s.sure me."

"Very well," said Moseh, dubiously. "I do not like being beholden to that Jansenist, but-"

"We are beholden to him anyway," said Jack. "Do you recollect the fellow we had dealings with in Sanlucar de Barrameda?"

"That cargador metedoro cargador metedoro? It's been a while."

"You don't have to remember him personally, personally, but only the cla.s.s he belonged to." but only the cla.s.s he belonged to."

"Spanish Catholics who front for Protestant merchants..."

"...because hereticks are barred from doing business in Spain. You've got it."

"The Viceroy wants our quicksilver," Moseh said, "but as long as the Inquisition is active in Mexico City, he cannot allow Protestants and a Jew to roam about transacting business in his country. And so he insists that we nominate a Papist to act as our cargador metedoro cargador metedoro."

"Just so," Jack said.