To the Edge of the World Read Online Free PDF Page B

hissed under his breath.
    The marine thrust us into Magallanes’s cabin. The door closed. Light from candle flames flickered off the faces of captains and pilots. Faces that stared at me. The cabin reeked of candle smoke. Of dinner. Of sweat. Even of fear. A heavy silence pressed upon me, hot as my shame.
    The captain-general, who had sat in his chair regarding us with a brooding, unreadable expression, now sighed and rose to his feet. His shoulders drooped and he scowled, his dark brows drawing together. “Spies?” he asked.
    Desperate, I looked to Cartagena. My heart swelled with horror when he regarded me coolly, as if he had never seen me before, as if he knew not my name.
    Magallanes faced me, and suddenly he did not seem the weak, sniveling creature I had observed through the window hatch. And although my knees quaked, I thrust up my chin. “I am not a spy,” I said, surprised my voice sounded so calm.
    “Perhaps,” he replied softly, “you are a spy and a liar as well.”
    I made no answer, fearing what he might say next.
    His gaze darted from me to Rodrigo.
    Rodrigo stared unblinking into the captain-general’s eyes. And when Magallanes began to turn away, Rodrigo spat, the spittle landing on Magallanes’s boot.
    An unearthly silence filled the room.
    Magallanes stared at his boot, blinking, making no move to wipe the spit away.
    Then for the first time since our entrance, Cartagena spoke. “Kill them.”
    I was grabbed and my arms thrust behind me. The marine bound my wrists with strong cord. I should have spoken aloud. I should have told them that Cartagena had commanded us to spy, but my mouth filled with dryness and I could not speak. My pride was too great. And in that moment, I hated Cartagena.
    The marine pulled us toward the door.
    “Wait,” said Magallanes, with a wave of his hand. He turned to gaze at me. “These boys. To which ship are they assigned?”
    “The
San Antonio,
” someone replied.
    Magallanes closed his eyes and sighed. We waited while he said nothing, his forehead creased with thought. Finally, he spoke, “My cabin boy jumped ship yesterday.” He paused before continuing. “Reassign these crewmen to the
Trinidad
. Captain Cartagena should no longer be burdened with such scum. Their conduct shall now be my responsibility.”
    I glanced at Cartagena. A look of triumph spread over the young captain’s face, a look which he quickly masked. His lips curled slightly. “As you wish, Captain-General.” In a swirl of Castilian wool, he gathered his cloak about him, bowed to Magallanes, and left.
    Rodrigo and I returned to the
San Antonio
for our possessions.
    “Why didn’t Cartagena tell him we were only following orders?” I asked angrily, kicking my bedding.
    Rodrigo smiled. “Did you see the way I handled the captain-general?”
    I slammed my sea chest closed and cinched the straps tight. “And why did Cartagena order us killed? What would have happened if Magallanes had agreed? What then?”
    Rodrigo folded a shirt and placed it in his sea chest. “I would spit on his boot again if I had the chance. A hundred times. A thousand. Portuguese pig.”
    “Rodrigo! You’re not listening to me!”
    “Why should I? You’re boring and have only one thing to say. Besides, you have not said anything about how I humiliated the captain-general.”
    “What do you want me to say? That you are a fine spitter and have great accuracy?”
    “All right,” answered Rodrigo.
    “All right, what?”
    “All right, you may say that.”
    “For the sake of God, Rodrigo, this is serious!”
    Just then, a dog growled, low and deep-chested. I turned, startled. Cartagena stood stooped under the shadow of the quarterdeck. Now he stepped into the lantern light of the waist deck, along with his two massive dogs. “Congratulations. You managed to fool a crusty old commander. You played your parts to perfection, as I had hoped. My compliments to both of you for a job well done.” Cartagena made a