1636: Seas of Fortune Read Online Free PDF

the Amazon women warriors. The ones Father Cristobal de Acuna wrote about. And Sir Walter Raleigh. There are only two of us, so we will certainly enjoy favors of their queens. For a whole month. And—”
    Henrique grabbed Maurício by both shoulders and forcibly rotated him about-face. “What it means, Maurício, is that their men are off on the warpath, and we really, really don’t want to be here when they come back.”
    * * *
    Henrique and Maurício made it safely back to their canoe, and pressed on. They felt safe enough, at this point, to erect a makeshift sail, so they could travel more quickly. It didn’t seem likely that they were still being pursued.
    A few days later, they saw a large canoe overtaking them from the south. They hastily took down their mast, but it was a false alarm. The canoe was crewed by Manao Indians. The Manao were great traders, criss-crossing the central Amazon. The Portuguese had first encountered them on the Solimoes, the “River of Poisons”—so-called because the tribes there used poison arrows. Rumor had it that the Manao came from far to the north, way up the Rio Negro, but no Portuguese had visited their homeland.
    Henrique raised his hands, palms open, signaling peaceful intent. The Manao greeted him, and, politely, asked his business in their region. He said that he was looking to trade and, perhaps find a path to the Great Water in the north. He gave them a few beads, and they offered him some cachiri to drink.
    This particular trading party was returning from a run up the Madeira, one of the tributaries on the right bank of the Amazon. That night, Henrique, Maurício and the Manao camped together, on an island, and Henrique questioned them about what tribes lived along the Madeira, and what goods they had to offer.
    Maurício had other concerns. He eagerly asked them whether they had seen any women warriors there, and they told him that it was a nonsensical idea. “No more cachiri for you,” one suggested kindly.
    Maurício whispered to Henrique. “Perhaps these Manao haven’t traveled widely enough. Someone else at the village may have heard of the Amazons. After all, Acuna and Raleigh reported them.”
    Henrique was unimpressed. “Perhaps Father Cristobal de Acuna and Sir Walter Raleigh were a pair of bald-faced liars.”
    The Manao invited Henrique and Maurício to follow them to their village. This was located near where the Solimoes joined with the Rio Negro to form the mighty Amazon. The site had been abandoned, for some mystical reason, by the local Taruma Indians. The Manao had first used it as a trading camp and it had gradually evolved into a village. It was definitely a good location for traders.
    And for refugees from Portuguese law, it was a place to gather news of pursuit.

    Summer 1634

    Henrique raised his eyebrows. “You sure you want to go through with this?”
    Maurício continued painting himself for the ceremony. “Coqui told me that I have to, if I want to marry Kasiri. Or any other of the village girls, for that matter.”
    Henrique knew who Kasiri was. Wherever she walked, she was followed by a crowd of admirers. Including, most recently, Maurício. Henrique did have to admit that Maurício seemed to have eclipsed the former favorite. The lure of the exotic perhaps.
    As soon as Maurício discovered that Kasiri’s name meant “moon,” he had started composing poetry in her honor. Fortunately, it was all in Portuguese.
    These ruminations only occupied a fraction of a second. “Uh, huh,” Henrique said. “Kasiri’s older brother really wants to help you get inside her loincloth. Right.”
    “He’s always been polite to me.”
    “Are you sure you understand what this ritual involves?”
    “I just have to let them put a few ants on me. And not complain. No big deal, I’ve had ants crawl onto my hammock and bite me. Thanks to you. If ants are so bad, why did you try to get me to hang my hammock on that ‘greenhorn’ tree?”
    Henrique