Chapter Summaries

Bruno confirmed that the prophecy of white-skinned demons had made the Taino wary, but learned the Western Stone tribes were fighting two southern alliances and might accept Portuguese aid. Fearing the dangers of Cuba, he turned the fleet southwest toward Marien to resupply, unaware that a Main God Priest had already sent word of their arrival to Cuba.

• Bruno found that the prophecy of the White-Skinned Demons had spread across Haiti, making the Taino tribes avoid or resist the Portuguese.
• Bruno learned that the Eastern Sun Alliance was losing a war against the Western Sun and Central Sun-Stone alliances, and he saw the Western Stone tribes as potential allies.
• The Portuguese fleet released a Western Sun tribesman with glass beads and sailed toward the Western Stone settlement of Marien for supplies and contact.
• At Cape Haiti, Bruno rejected sailing across the strait to Cuba and ordered the fleet southwest along Haiti, with strict instructions to stay guarded and avoid going ashore rashly.
• A Main God Priest on Haiti had been watching the fleet and arranged for three Taino boats to carry news of the White-Skinned Demons to Cuba.

Bruno’s Portugal fleet made cautious contact with the Marien great tribe at Gonaibo, whose people exchanged food and a small piece of gold for gifts. After Bruno forbade an attack and sent Haroldo and Shushu to negotiate, Shushu revealed that the natives had cursed him as a traitor who guided white-skinned demons to their prey.

• The fleet reached Gonaibo and saw the Marien great tribe’s organized militia defend the village from a distance.
• Bruno ordered the fleet to remain friendly but vigilant, and Big John left glass beads and colorful hats onshore as gifts.
• The natives returned shell pearls, cassava, fruit, and a small piece of placer gold, prompting Silveira to suggest attacking the village.
• Bruno rebuked Silveira and sent Haroldo and Shushu to offer two cutlasses in exchange for food.
• The natives cursed Shushu in Taino, calling him a guide fish for the white-skinned tribe, and Haroldo asked him to find out whether they had more gold.

The Portuguese fleet refused the Marien great tribe’s invitation ashore, anchored offshore for the night, and returned the next morning to trade gifts. As Shushu translated a meeting with a Taino headman, he noticed an ordinary Militia whose face and bearing seemed strangely familiar, and wondered if he was someone he knew.

• The Marien great tribe sent dried fish, cassava flour, and more placer gold, then invited Chief Capito’s fleet ashore for a feast.
• Bruno refused the invitation, ordered the fleet to anchor offshore, and warned the sailors not to contact the natives privately.
• Bruno made A-Yue eat the natives’ fish and cassava mush to check whether it was poisoned, then let the crew eat after A-Yue showed no ill effects.
• The fleet returned the next morning, and Bruno sent Haroldo and Shushu to thank the natives and present them with leather armor.
• A Taino headman came to meet Haroldo and Shushu with more gold, while Shushu noticed an ordinary Militia whose appearance and smile seemed familiar and wondered whether he should reveal what he suspected.

Boatswain Haroldo traded leather armor to a Taino chieftain for gold, and the Portuguese crew realized the natives would pay enormous sums for weapons and military supplies. Shushu secretly recognized that the chieftain's people were connected to the western Highland God of War, while Bruno and Silveira considered expanding their trade and smuggling.

• Boatswain Haroldo received about 200 grams of placer gold from the Taino chieftain in exchange for Refined Leather Armor.
• Shushu revealed in Taino Language that he knew of Huitzilopochtli, and the ordinary Militia answered him in the same language.
• Haroldo returned to the ship with the gold, and Bruno rewarded both Haroldo and Shushu as the crew celebrated the profitable trade.
• Martim calculated that the armor had earned roughly twenty-five times its purchase price, prompting Bruno and the officers to consider selling more weapons and armor.
• Bruno and Silveira discussed trading or concealing military supplies for gold and bringing a larger fleet back the following year.

The Portuguese fleet sold weapons and a cannon to the Taino, earning a large amount of gold while Martin recorded local customs. As the trade continued, a Taino militiaman quietly questioned Shushu about where the ships anchored, but Boatswain Haroldo noticed them and intervened.

• The Portuguese fleet agreed to trade its spare weapons and military supplies for gold and divide the proceeds among the ships, captains, crew, and royal family.
• Quartermaster Martim sent samples ashore, and the Taino agreed to buy the samples and the listed weapons after gathering gold.
• The Taino exchanged gold for breastplates, matchlock muskets, and sabers, while Martin recorded their preferences and local customs.
• Knight Silveira demonstrated a two-pounder cannon and received a large pile of gold for the cannon and a barrel of gunpowder.
• A Taino militiaman quietly asked Shushu where the Portuguese ships anchored, and Boatswain Haroldo confronted them after noticing their conversation.

Shushu diverted Haroldo’s questions about the tribe’s gold to its headman, prompting Haroldo to persuade Bruno to sell the king’s gift of Plate Armor. Martin warned Bruno against selling the tightly controlled 8-pounder Cannon and urged the fleet to leave the area the next morning.

• Shushu gave the native Militia his wooden cross and relayed Haroldo’s question about the tribe’s gold, but the Militia told him to say he did not know and direct Haroldo to the headman.
• Shushu told Haroldo that the Militia knew nothing about the tribe’s gold, so Haroldo went to question the headman.
• Haroldo told Bruno that the headman might trade the tribe’s remaining gold for a set of Plate Armor, and Bruno agreed to sell it if the chieftain could pay.
• Bruno said he might also sell the ship’s 8-pounder Cannon, but Martin warned that the tightly controlled weapon would be difficult to replace and could endanger Bruno’s naval career.
• Martin urged Bruno to have the fleet set sail the next morning, warning that its prolonged stay near the hostile Native Kingdom put the ships and captains at risk.

The Portuguese fleet traded its remaining military supplies, including a suit of Plate Armor, with the natives while preparing to leave at dusk. Shushu learned that the native Militia planned to locate the ships that night, and he revealed the fleet was seeking a book with square characters, giving the Militia a possible way to delay its departure.

• Captain Bruno agreed to sail away after the final trade and ordered the fleet to move its anchorage, extinguish its torches, and post double sentries.
• Boatswain Haroldo demonstrated the Plate Armor's strength by wearing it while Quartermaster Martim repeatedly struck it with a Scimitar.
• The natives traded gold for the Plate Armor, bringing the fleet's five-day exchange to 41 Scimitars, 10 Matchlock Muskets, 10 Cuirasses, one Refined Leather Armor, one Two-pounder Cannon, and the Plate Armor.
• The ordinary Militia gave Shushu a Pearl Oyster as a cover and asked where the fleet had anchored; Shushu said it would leave at dusk and was searching for a book with square symbols.
• The ordinary Militia suspected the book was the Kingdom's Sutra of Ali and instructed Shushu to signal with a torch if he could, while the Militia planned to find the fleet's anchorage that night.

Scholar Martin recognized Shushu’s pink conch pearl as a rare, valuable noble gift, while Bruno’s crew argued over how to divide it. Two Natives then brought pages from a book written in square characters, and Bruno arranged to trade a Two-pounder Cannon for the book, gold, and more pink pearls.

• Scholar Martin admired Shushu’s large pink conch pearl and explained that its rarity and beauty made it valuable as a gift to nobles.
• Martim tried to take the pearl, but Ivo defended Shushu’s claim to part of the spoils, and Haroldo proposed a division that gave Shushu three Gold Coins and Bruno the pearl.
• Two Natives arrived with pages from a book bearing the square characters Bruno had been seeking, delighting him with proof of the Book of the East.
• Bruno negotiated a trade for the book, yellow Placer Gold, and more pink pearls in exchange for one Two-pounder Cannon, to be completed the next morning.

Martin warned Bruno that the fleet should leave the coast, but the Portuguese stayed overnight, and Shushu secretly tried to signal approaching allies before Big John stopped him. Shushu later awoke to enemy ships attacking the fleet, with one vessel already closing to board and cannons firing.

• Martin urged Bruno to leave the coast the next day, but Bruno agreed only to move the fleet southwest and keep the ships dark overnight.
• After the crew anchored and fell asleep, Shushu left the hold with a torch and crept toward the bow.
• Big John caught Shushu, made him prove he had an upset stomach, and threw the torch into the sea.
• Shushu crawled back to his cot and waited anxiously for the expected ships, then fell asleep.
• Big John shouted that enemy ships were attacking, and the Portuguese sailors rushed onto deck as native-filled ships closed in and fired cannons.

Portuguese Captain Bruno’s fleet was ambushed at night by Native ships and fled west while firing back. As Scholar Martin prepared the flagship’s cannon, a Native coolie attacked him, and both fell overboard as the cannon fired.

• Bruno woke to cannon fire and ordered his ships to raise sail and flee west from the approaching Native ships.
• Bruno assessed the wind and enemy reinforcements, then ordered the consort ship to escape with his flagship.
• Bruno’s crew fired matchlocks and struggled to aim an 8-pounder cannon at the pursuing ship.
• Scholar Martin directed the cannon’s aim while a Native coolie waited behind him with ammunition.
• The Native coolie lunged at Martin as he prepared to order the cannon fired, and both fell overboard when the gun discharged.

A-Yue and Scholar Martim fell into the sea as Bruno’s crew came under attack from pursuing native ships. Copilli’s warriors captured Silveira’s ship, while the flagship’s powder kegs exploded after gunpowder arrows set its stern ablaze.

• A-Yue leapt overboard with Scholar Martim and swam east as Bruno’s crew failed to rescue them.
• Martim killed three captured Taino natives, but Bruno ordered him to stop and sent him back to fire the cannon.
• Copilli’s warriors boarded Silveira’s ship, defeated and captured Silveira, and seized weapons and prisoners.
• Copilli watched the flagship continue its pursuit as the Kingdom ship fired gunpowder arrows at it.
• Gunpowder arrows ignited powder kegs on Bruno’s flagship, blowing apart part of the stern and sending its 8-pounder Cannon into the sea.

The Portuguese flagship survived a devastating explosion but was left with few able crew members as Captain Bruno ordered them to extinguish the fire and flee. Chabo’s pursuing ships could not catch the faster Portuguese vessel, so he ordered his crew to search the sea for the weapon that had caused the blast.

• A gunpowder explosion wrecked the Portuguese flagship’s stern, killing four sailors and wounding Martim, Haroldo, and others.
• Bruno emerged from the captain’s cabin alive and ordered Haroldo to put out the fire while Ivo worked the sails to escape the pursuers.
• Ivo checked that Shushu was breathing after using him as a shield, then went to help the crew sail faster.
• The Portuguese flagship gained distance from Chabo’s ships as its veteran sailors used the changing wind to their advantage.
• Chabo whipped Chachu and Bartolomeo for complaining, then ordered his crew to search for the weapon that had fallen into the sea.

Xiu Maoying, Xolotl’s younger brother and a priest on the Haiti front, oversaw the aftermath of a Taino victory over a Portuguese fleet and tried to identify the newcomers. The chapter left him heading to recover a cannon after learning that rescuers had found a drowned white-haired man and a tattooed, yellow-skinned man who resembled a Carib.

• Taino Militia searched Gonave Bay for wreckage and brought recovered goods to Xiu Maoying, who examined the Portuguese salt and iron ballast.
• Warrior Captain Copilli presented the captured Portuguese flag and ship to Xiu Maoying, who named the ship Leopard Head in Copilli’s honor.
• Xiu Maoying wondered whether the white-skinned raiders belonged to Portugal, France, or England rather than the previously expected Spanish empire.
• A messenger reported that Red-hair Chabo had found the cannon that fell from the Portuguese ship, and Xiu Maoying set out to retrieve it.
• Another messenger reported that Chabo’s men had pulled two unconscious people from the water: a golden-haired, blue-eyed white man and a tattooed yellow-skinned man who seemed Carib.

Xiu Maoying investigated the wrecked demon ship and learned that the kingdom’s warriors could not reliably catch the Demon Fleet in a direct naval fight. He resolved to study and apply his elder brother’s Art of War, while the search for a sunken cannon continued.

• Xiu Maoying arrived at Stone Spear and heard Chabo report that a demon cannon had fallen into the shallow sea during the night raid.
• Xiu Maoying summoned Taino pearl divers to retrieve the cannon and questioned Chabo and Copilli about the attack.
• Xiu Maoying comforted three rescued Taino captives, searched the recovered corpses for Shushu, and prayed for the missing guide.
• Xiu Maoying praised Chabo and Copilli’s warriors, then asked whether they could defeat the Demon Fleet in a direct battle.
• Chabo admitted the kingdom’s ships might not catch the demons, and Xiu Maoying recalled his elder brother’s Art of War and considered how to exploit the enemy’s weaknesses.

Xiu Maoying assessed the kingdom fleet’s strengths and weaknesses and decided to expand its use of incendiary weapons against the Demons. He then recruited Old Sea Turtle, a Taino pearl diver, to search underwater for a Demon ritual vessel, promising him a place in the fleet and a marriage if he succeeded.

• Xiu Maoying and the Owl Shaman discussed the kingdom fleet’s advantages in boarding, setting fires, and using fast galleys, as well as the Demon fleet’s strengths in long-distance sailing and open-sea combat.
• Xiu Maoying learned from Copilli and Red-hair Chabo that Black Oil could burn fiercely and could be ignited with gunpowder, and he decided to request more oil and develop shipboard catapults.
• A group of Taino pearl divers arrived, and Xiu Maoying met Old Sea Turtle, a deaf diver known for his ability to dive unusually deep.
• Xiu Maoying promised Old Sea Turtle a marriage and a place in the fleet if he found the Demon ritual vessel, and Old Sea Turtle entered the sea with a stone tied to a rope.

Old Sea Turtle’s failed dives showed that the Great Thunder Ritual Artifact could not be salvaged with breath-holding alone, while Xiu Maoying questioned the rescued Lokono sailor A-Yue and examined the captive Martin Behaim. The chapter ended when Martin recognized a Castilian among the Native Kingdom’s men and realized he had allied with them.

• Old Sea Turtle repeatedly dived to locate the 8-pounder Cannon, but he could only touch it before running out of air and had to be hauled to safety.
• Xiu Maoying considered using air bladders and low tide to help the Pearl Divers salvage the Great Thunder Ritual Artifact.
• The Taino Militia brought the unconscious A-Yue and Martin Behaim aboard, and A-Yue told Xiu Maoying about the Demon Fleet’s route and its battles with the Carib.
• Xiu Maoying welcomed A-Yue into the Kingdom’s fleet and assigned him to follow Red-hair Tribe Chabo.
• Xiu Maoying noticed a suspicious scar on Martin’s abdomen, and Martin recognized a Castilian hiding among the Native Kingdom’s men.

Martin tried to save himself by promising a ransom and offering his knowledge, but Xiu Maoying doubted anyone would come for him and planned to sacrifice him. Xiu Maoying gave Martin a chance to live by ordering him to find a way to salvage an 8-pounder Cannon from deep water.

• Martin identified himself as a Holy Roman Empire noble and begged Xiu Maoying for humane treatment and a ransom.
• Xiu Maoying became interested when Martin claimed he could arrange weapons, cannons, horses, and other goods, but Martin could not say when a ship would arrive.
• Xiu Maoying decided Martin was unlikely to be ransomed and ordered him prepared as an offering to the Main God.
• Chachu and Bartolomeo frightened Martin by describing the sacrifice, and Martin begged for his life and offered his knowledge.
• Xiu Maoying learned Martin was a scholar and challenged him to salvage the sunken 8-pounder Cannon in exchange for his life.

The captive scholar Martin struggled to save his life by devising a way to recover the 8-pounder Cannon from the seabed. He presented Xiu Maoying with three sketches for a pulley system, a rope binding, and a Diving Bell, leaving the plan awaiting judgment.

• The Castile Sailors threatened Martin with execution unless he devised a way to salvage the 8-pounder Cannon, and Taino Militia guarded him in a pit dwelling.
• Martin spent the night terrified and resolved to prove his worth so he would not be killed by the Natives.
• By the next evening, Martin brought Xiu Maoying three charcoal sketches explaining his salvage plan.
• Martin described a pulley system for divers and a crossed-rope binding to secure the cannon, adjusting his proposal when Xiu Maoying questioned the ropework.
• Martin explained how a heavy, watertight Diving Bell could preserve air underwater and help divers work at depths exceeding twenty meters.

Xiu Maoying forced the captured scholar Martin Behaim to convert, renamed him Xiu Ading, and kept him to contribute his knowledge to the Kingdom. After assigning captives and ships, Xiu Maoying sent three vessels back to Cuba with news of victory and preparations for a grand sacrifice.

• Xiu Maoying praised Martin Behaim’s designs and promised rewards, then bestowed the name Xiu Ading on him.
• Xiu Maoying carved the Main God’s hummingbird mark onto Martin’s forehead, and a dose of Blue Scorpion venom stopped his panicked cries.
• Xiu Maoying told Xiu Ading to serve the Main God and the Kingdom, promising him a chance to earn a fief and noble title through merit.
• Xiu Maoying ordered Copilli and Chabo to take three ships to Iron Bay Town and report the victory to Chief Priest Tomatl.
• Xiu Maoying kept Xiu Ading and the translator A-Me with him, while ordering five captives and a demon knight to be sacrificed.
• The three ships set sail for Cuba as their crews prayed for the Main God’s protection.

After a devastating native attack left only eight Portuguese sailors alive, Captain Bruno planned a cautious return voyage along the coast of the New Continent. As the battered ship sailed on, Martim suspected that someone aboard had helped the attackers.

• Five days after the night raid, Captain Bruno and the surviving sailors mourned their dead and raged against the native kingdom of Cipangu.
• Bruno rejected Pilot Pedro’s suggestion to stop in the Bahamas, fearing the local tribes could alert their allies.
• Bruno ordered the ship to seek a small island for brief repairs and supplies, then follow their known route rather than trust Columbus’s sailing log.
• Bruno planned to sail east along the southern jungle continent toward Sierra Leone, hoping to shorten the return voyage and record the continent’s extent.
• Martim told Bruno he suspected an inside man, possibly the guide 'Rat,' had aided the attackers and demanded that he be questioned.