That afternoon, Tristão received the scouting party's report:
The island's riverbeds had dried up, and the wells in the nearby villages had been blocked, with several slaughtered animals thrown inside. They could no longer be used.
With no other choice, Tristão assigned some soldiers to dig a well. Since there were towns and villages nearby, there had to be water underground.
Enduring the scorching sun, the landing force toiled for several days before finally digging a well. Because it was close to the sea, the groundwater tasted slightly salty and bitter, but it was barely drinkable.
Meanwhile, other soldiers felled trees and dismantled houses in the nearby villages, building a siege camp southeast of Suq Harbor.
The Portuguese army moved sluggishly, only launching its attack on September 9. Sixty naval guns were installed on open ground six hundred paces outside the walls and bombarded Suq Fort's eastern wall.
Suq Fort's garrison consisted of three companies and four hundred militia, equipped with thirty cannons. Inside the fortress were cisterns and wells, while the cellars were packed with enough grain to last an entire year.
When the bombardment officially began, Michael washed his face with cold well water to settle his nerves, then patrolled back and forth along the walls.
After the initial confusion, the militia grew accustomed to the thunder of cannon fire and followed orders numbly.
"Aim at those large-caliber naval guns! Ignore the smaller guns on either side!"
"Someone carry this man to the infirmary."
Throughout the day, the enemy paused its bombardment several times to let the overheated barrels cool naturally. Once they had cooled, the firing resumed, continuing until the setting sun sank into the sea.
Resting his hand on a warm merlon, Michael saw cooking smoke rise from the Portuguese camp. Just then, an officer approached