Page 71 - January 2021

Santiago

No one believed the watchman gave the helm to Santiago; all knew that they were
not friendly. The watchman did not trust anyone with a birth defect because he
believed God malformed them as punishment for reasons he never made clear. I
chose not to contradict the watchman’s story because he held our purse. Later,
when communicating with the men several reported hearing the watchman’s son
shout, “Father, help me, I’ve run the ship aground!” Forgive me; I silenced them
too.

Captain Columbus, I knew you would sentence the watchman and his son to
prison for endangering the crew and cargo, especially this cargo, our treasure
from the New World, our proof of a successful journey, and I did not want that to

happen. I was the watchman’s second in command, your third, I didn’t want to
break rank. If the watchman were removed from his station, I would have been
removed as well. Beyond my interests, the crew counted on the watchman to
deliver our portion of the fortune back home. We sailors had suffered
considerably on the journey and could not risk incurring greater hardship. Know
this, I would trade all my treasure for a chance to be forthright and free of
Santiago’s curse, but this is wishful thinking. I fear my fate is sealed. In an effort
to right my wrongs, I will continue to detail all I know.

We are not bad men. We were uncertain exhausted, nauseated from eating the
sickening biscuits thick with maggots, and far too sober for too little wine. I’d
never endured such physical toil on any ship. None of us have ever sailed so far.
To these ends, I pray you understand why I did not confide in you about the
watchman and his son. The watchman was familiar to many onboard. We’d sailed
with him before and he’d never made any grievous errors and, moreover, he was
familiar, whereas you, sir, are from a foreign land. I know my duty is to obey the

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litterateur 1 january 2021