"Pedro, is everything ready?..."
"Lord be praised! Chief, the natives helped us prepare two months' worth of food for thirty men! As for the fresh water aboard, it should last about a month and a half, and we can replenish some more when it rains. Judging by the little over a month it took us to come here, our supplies are absolutely enough. And the wind is blowing from the northwest, so it's fairly favorable... Oh, right! The sails and hull were repaired long ago, and the sailors prepared extra spare planks... Everyone's spirits are high. We can raise sail and depart at any time!..."
"Good! Truly, the Holy Mother has blessed us well!..."
The sea and sky were bright, the heavens high and the clouds wide. The Carrack Santa Maria was anchored in the natural deep harbor on the island's southern shore, her sails already hung. This harbor, the later "Nassau," had been named "Port of Redemption" by De La Cosa, praying for the Lord's salvation and also signifying the fleet's rebirth.
"What a fine, sunny day! It reminds me of spring in Valencia!"
At that moment, Captain De La Cosa climbed out of the dim, stifling cabin and took a deep breath. He stood beneath the clear Caribbean sky, feeling the warm January breeze, his face full of delighted smiles. Beside him, navigator Pedro glanced slightly over and noticed that De La Cosa was holding a fine roll of parchment in his hand. Dense lines of small writing could be vaguely seen inside, seemingly in Columbus's hand.
"Chief, Columbus... gave in?..."
"Haaha! With a knife at his neck, that stubborn donkey finally knew what was good for him for once!"
De La Cosa smiled faintly and stuffed the parchment roll into the pocket inside his captain's coat. With