It was another day of no wind. The crew grows more restless and short-tempered. Even Bellisaro seems to grow weary of the slow pace. The captain wanted to cut the food ration. I thought that would be a disaster. I overheard Lopez talk him out of it. Sometimes the captain is a fool. He knows nothing about the sea or sailing the ship, which is common among ship's captains. I find that odd. There are a great many rules and allowances in the House of Trade that I question. But then again, here I am, trying to do their bidding. I'm beginning to think that sending me on this errand is yet another example of their folly.
I passed the day in my cabin reading a book that Valerian loaned me-a strange text written by an English Franciscan friar named Bacon. I'm not sure what I think of it.
Tempers are worse. There is still no wind. The captain yells at Bellisaro as if he were controlling the wind and, out of contrariness, forbidding it to blow. The men are afraid we will remain stranded here. At our slow pace, I'm not sure they aren't right. It is hot.
The poisonous Sancho's cleverness turned against him today. I would like to say that I pity him in his present situation. It was my father's opinion that I was not suited for the military-too tenderhearted, he said. My father was wrong. He, like many, confused my sense of justice and compassion toward the least of God's creatures with being faint-of-heart. Sancho did the unthinkable. He struck the boatswain, his superior. Out at sea, as on a military mission, discipline can be the difference between success and failure, life and death. His action required swift and severe punishment. I confess, I was also relieved at Sancho's plight because I had been brooding over not being able to tell the captain about his plotting.
The origin of the argument began with the boatswain reprimanding Sancho for not carrying out his tasks. Sancho answered by striking the boatswain across the face. The boatswain hauled him for lashes, which was a light punishment in my opinion, but I believe the boatswain was allowing for the frustration of our present circumstances. I was on deck and saw them as they came up to the poop deck, the boatswain grasping Sancho tightly so he would not bolt for the prow. The boatswain was relating to the captain Sancho's offenses when Sancho accused the boatswain of blasphemy. The boatswain turned red and sputtered and denied the accusation. The captain scowled at the boatswain, forgetting Sancho and ready to punish the boatswain for this most serious offence. The boatswain did not deny yelling at Sancho but emphatically denied committing blasphemy.
Surprisingly, it was Lopez who came to the boatswain's defense. "I was in the hold, inspecting some supplies," he said, startling everyone with his sudden proclamation. "The boatswain did not blaspheme. The man lies." I saw the sneer disappear from Sancho's face and terror come into his eyes. After Lopez's declaration, the punishment was swift. Now Sancho stands with his left hand nailed to the mast.
Adding to our misfortunes, Valerian's servant, Jen, suffered a strange accident. He broke his arm near the shoulder. He was with the men in the boats rowing when, by the accounts of the men around him as well as his own, he pulled the oars and felt a sharp and sudden pain and couldn't use his arm. They took him to the surgeon who diagnosed the break. Jen confessed to Valerian that he had been having pains in his limbs, and indeed had started to limp, but he thought nothing of it. Valerian related all this to me over a game of chess. "For a bone to break with normal movement is vexing," he said. However, one of the most surprising things about this event is the concern shown by Lopez and the captain to the poor Jen. These are not men who sympathize with men of Jen's station in life, but their concern is genuine.
On two occasions I have heard both Lopez and the captain ask Valerian what they are going to do. An odd question to ask Valerian. It has something to do with Jen's illness, I believe.
This evening Valerian came to me. His eyes flashed with anger, a state in which I have never before seen Valerian. "I have a favor to ask of you, my friend," he said.
"What?" I asked.
"Will you change cabins with Lopez? I want to bring my good servant Jen to our cabin so that he might have a chance of recuperating. Lopez, the swine, is against it. He will not share his quarters with a servant."
"But Lopez seems so sympathetic," I said.
"It is not sympathy, but selfishness," he said. "Look, my friend, you have the protection of your title and your wealth. I have only wealth. Jen has nothing. The two of us are in need of your goodwill and protection. Will you give it?"
"Of course," I said, though I was puzzled. "But will Lopez mind?"
Valerian grinned. "No," he said simply.
So this evening we changed cabins, and Valerian brought Jen and gave him his cot. Valerian is a kind man, more kind than my father accused me of being. Jen has considerable discomfort. Valerian has a red-lacquered ornate box in his chest. I have seen others like it from China. It contains vials with various powders and herbs. He chose one, mixed it with water, and gave it to Jen to drink. It wasn't long before the poor man fell into a deep sleep.
Valerian thanked me for my kindness, sat back, and pulled a flask and glasses from his trunk. He handed me a glass after pouring into it some very strong spirits. When we had settled, I asked, "Now you can do something for me, my friend. Tell me what we are doing out here off course and away from the fleet."
"Of course," he said. "I owe you an explanation." He took a drink and began this story.
"About a year ago, a Terra Firma fleet loaded its cargo at Cartagena as usual. However, a prodigious amount was loaded into the Espada de Nuestra Senora de la Limpia Concepcion. She was a large ship, sixteen hundred toneladas, and she was overloaded. Early in the voyage during a storm, she disappeared from the fleet. Actually, the pilot took her off course, up the coast of La Florida, heading to Puerto de la Serpiente del Mar."
"I have not heard of this port," I said.
Valerian waved his hand as if dismissing the statement. "It is a secret port. You would not have heard of it. It is an inlet where the ship was to be hidden while unloading its cargo to smaller ships." He told me that these smaller ships are of the type that sail among the islands in search of corsairs who attack the treasure fleets. "No one would suspect these ships to be loaded with treasure. The Concepcion was to be scuttled. The new ships were to return to Havanah to be off loaded."
"In Havana? But-" I began, but Valerian interrupted me.
"Spain and the House of Trade are not the whole world. Many men are making their empires here in this new one."
I wondered if my brother knew about this. Valerian continued his story, taking my silence to mean that I had no more questions. "The Concepcion was crippled in a storm and was dangerously overloaded. Although she was almost to her destination, the crew, along with the master and the pilot, allowed her to sink in shallow water instead of trying to save her. The pilot recorded her exact location. They rowed the ship's boats to shore and made their way to the port, from which they were transported back to Havana."
I thought about what he had told me. It seemed to me that he must not have known about my mission, but I was wrong and very surprised at what he told me next.
"My friend, I like you. You have been good to me and my servant and I see that you have compassion for those who do not have your good fortune. This is why I tell you these things."
I felt I had to be honest with him and blurted my mission. "I am bound to tell Perez what you tell me," I said.
Valerian only smiled. "Perez knows. These are his machinations."
I could not believe my ears. "No, he sent me to ..
"Dear friend, why do you think Perez sent you-you who know nothing of the sea, nothing of the fleets, nothing of the new world, nothing of politics?"
I was stunned. "Are-you- saying he wants me to fail?"
"He knows you will fail. The House of Trade has tried many things-sending investigating committees, judges. They might as well have sent cats to ferret out all the rats on all the ships. You see, the problem with so much wealth is that if you do find a way to kill the rats, then you
have to contend with all the cats."
"Why send me at all?"
"All this wealth flows through Spain. Spain is a country that has to buy everything it needs, as it produces nothing. In addition to that, your King Philip II is a man who spends much and therefore needs much. Perez was placating the king with the brilliant idea of planting a spy among the smugglers."
"Do Lopez and the captain know what I'm doing here?"
Valerian shook his head. "They suspect," he said.
"How did you know about me?"
"Perez told me."
I felt foolish and angry. I believe him. I remember Bellisaro's surprise at being allowed to leave Spain on time when fleets are notoriously late in departing. Only the House of Trade could have seen to that. Valerian sensed my gloom, for he laid a hand on my shoulder.
"Why are we here?" I asked. "To look for the sunken ship?"
Valerian nodded. "Yes, that is why I am here and why the captain and Lopez are so upset over the illness of Jen. He is-was-to be the diver. He was a pearl diver when I met him. Together we found a small fortune in pearls by diving in deeper waters. So lucky were we with our diving successes that we began diving in old wrecks when we could find their location. I knew the pilot of the Concepcion. When he penned the location of his ill-fated ship, he did so in a code that only he and I could decipher. That is how I came to be on this mission."
I had a sudden thought. "Was Bellisaro the pilot of the Concepcion?"
"No. Bellisaro knew nothing of the real purpose of our ship in this fleet. Garcia, my pilot friend, met a mysterious death. I suspect it was in connection with the Concepcion. But Garcia had passed the document containing the location of the wreck to his captain, who took it to Perez. Tricky missions require good pilots. That's why Bellisaro was chosen. But he was not told about it until we were well under way."
"Why do the captain and Lopez not know about me?" I asked.
"Perez doesn't tell everyone everything."
"And my brother?" I asked. "Does he know?"
"No, but the governor of Havana does."
"How do you know so much?"
Valerian smiled at me. "I have many friends in high, middle, and low places. I make it my business-to-find- things out."
I have grown weary. Despite all the fantastic information Valerian has enlightened me with, I shall retire to bed.
Today started out worse. Not only were the crew in low spirits, but I as well since Valerian confided in me.
The surgeon wants to cut off Sancho's hand. He says it's getting infected and he will lose it anyway. Sancho will not let him.
We found a breeze. It has lifted all our spirits along with the sails. It did not take long to leave the strange sea behind. Back in the familiar ocean, Bellisaro found a good wind and we made good speed.
I saw a bird. I assume this means we are near land. What a grand thought.
Quite suddenly, Bellisaro ordered the ship stopped and anchored. I assume this means we have come to the location of the Concepcion. The boatswain gave orders to hoist Valerian's crates out of the hold. I noticed that the captain and Lopez watched eagerly as they were unpacked. The thing I thought was a bell was placed near the railing on the port side of the ship and another contraption with cranks and wheels constructed beside it under Valerian's guidance. That done, Valerian unloaded other mysterious things. I helped him, unenlightened as to what they were. Valerian called them a pneumatic contrivance. I still had no idea what they were, but I have since learned their function.
The captain explained to the crew that he needed a volunteer from among the men who could swim. He said they were looking for something on the bottom of the ocean. He didn't tell them what. I believe he should have. They will know soon enough when it is found, and I think they would be more eager if they knew.
Valerian explained that with the mechanisms he had brought with him, they would be able to breathe underwater. I was not surprised when no one stepped forward. He told them that Jen has done it many times. They murmured among themselves but did not volunteer.
"I will go," I said. They looked at me as though I'd gone mad. The crew stood back, glad that an idiot was on board. I was an idiot, but as Valerian spoke I became aware of an overwhelming desire to know what is on the bottom of the ocean. No, I want not only to know, but to see with my own eyes. Land where the air is water, inhabited by creatures that I have barely glimpsed near the surface. Will there be monsters, cities of lost souls, derelict ships piloted by the bones of the dead? That is why I came, I realized then, not for my king or any sense of justice, but for a burning curiosity I possess and only now acknowledge. Had Valerian said he had a giant crossbow and wanted to strap a man to the bolt and shoot him to the moon, I would have stepped forward. I want to see all those things that God has created and hidden away.
Valerian was as surprised as anyone else. "Do you know how to swim?" he asked. I replied that I do. I was not raised in the city but on my father's estate where my brothers and I swam frequently in the lake. Lopez and the captain nodded their heads in approval. The relieved crew went about their tasks while Valerian explained to me about his pneumatic device.
There are actually two devices. The bell is a small compartment with a glass window whereby a man can sit and be lowered down to the sea floor. A long leather conduit supplies the compartment with air. The other is a device to be worn. It looks like an armor helmet with neck guards and pauldrons of leather and a visor of glass. This, too, has a leather conduit attached to the skull plate. Valerian explained, as he fitted yet another contraption together, that from the deck of the ship at intervals he has worked out and by means of a bellows, he can send air to each of the pneumatic devices, assuring that I will not drown. "Jen has done this many times, as have I," he told me. Valerian is truly an ingenious man.
Valerian himself donned a leather mask with a glass face plate, stripped himself of his outer garments, and jumped over the side of the ship. He disappeared under the water for a short time before surfacing and climbing aboard with the help of some sailors who must have thought him a madman. "The water," he said, "is not as clear as I had hoped. I think the pneumatic helmet would be best. You will have more freedom of movement."
It was to the point that I must either back out or don the regalia. I took a deep breath, removed my outer cloak, and allowed Valerian to fit the device on my person. He told me to put my spittle on the inside of the glass window and rub over it. I had a difficult time obtaining spittle. Having done thus, Valerian began securing the helmet in place. I tried not to shake.
"Breathe slowly," he said. "Remember to breathe slowly. You will be tied to a rope that is attached to the ship, so you will not become lost from us."
Bellisaro had measured the depth-66 codos. That seemed very deep to me, but Valerian assured me that jen had been deepereven without the breathing devices.
The time had come. I held on to the rope as they lowered me into the water. The breathing armor is heavy and I descended rapidly. I panicked and thrashed about. My breath came rapidly. I tried to remember the first time I faced the enemy in battle, hoping to quell my fear. My feet touched bottom, causing a cloud of particles to swirl upward. I heard a faraway voice tell me to breathe slowly. Had I gone mad so quickly? Was it God? No, I recognized the voice of Valerian. Apparently he yelled down the leather conduit. I assume he could hear me as well. I concentrated on regulating my breathing. I looked up to try to see the bottom of the ship and my feet drifted out from under me. I floated on my back. I thrashed, panicked again, but managed to right myself. I had seen a shadow, but I didn't know if it was the ship.
For this first descent, Valerian told me to only turn and look in all directions. He would use a sand clock to time my stay and bring me up in a short while. "You need to get used to being underwater," he said. I took note of my surroundings. The water was not as clear as I would have preferred, but I could see some distance around me as I slowly turned. It was a wavering greenish-blue world-like
a dream. And like a dream, my movement was slow. My mask fogged around the edges so that I had a smaller window from which to observe this world. I squinted, trying to see far into a distance that faded into a subtle green emptiness. I looked down. The sea floor looked not different from a sandy soil with scattered rocks and some weeds waving with the movement of the water. I had a tendency to float away from the sea floor, but I found I could move my arms certain ways and manage to stay upright and grounded. I saw fish. They did not appear to be afraid, some swimming past me, brushing my legs and shoulders. Besides fish, another creature, like a clear white cloud, floated past me.
All too soon, it seemed, I felt a tug on the rope. My time underwater had ended. I held on to the rope and was lifted upward.
As I sat on the deck shivering, rubbing my face, Valerian told me that I did fine on my first venture into the deep. Lopez and the captain slapped me on the back. Even Bellisaro graced me with a smile.
"We will wait until tomorrow to go down again," Valerian said. "Go to our cabin and rest. Tell jen of your adventure."
I slept soundly last night and dreamed I was a fish. Valerian said that I should not eat before I went down again and I agreed. I could not imagine a worse experience than retching in that situation. I donned the pneumatic contrivance and was again lowered into the ocean. I did not panic as much this time, remembering my ability to swim. I was much better at controlling my position in the water. I reached the sea floor and stood for a moment, waving my arms to keep me steady and on my feet, concentrating on breathing normally. The air was not fresh, but considering I was underwater, it was quite breathable. I released myself from the sea floor and began swimming, quickly reaching the end of my tether. I wanted to be free to swim where I willed. I began to swim in an arc at the end of the tether. Halfway around the ship I tired and stopped to rest, standing on the sea floor, remembering to breathe slowly. This was a wonderful world and I was overjoyed to see it. I walked in my slow fashion in another direction.
LC 04 - Skeleton Crew Page 28