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CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

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‘There they are!’

‘Keep your voice low, Jabuti,’ Esteban said.

‘But I can see him.’

‘No, Jabuti,’ Esteban said. ‘We cannot show our hand just yet. Wanadi and Luis are still in danger.’

Despite his anxiety to be reunited with his friend, Jabuti stood back.

‘Is Rapau ready?’

Mapi spoke with him quickly and replied, ‘He is, Esteban.’

‘He doesn’t have to do this.’

‘He is a warrior; these men are our enemies.’

Esteban nodded.

‘Please,’ Hernando interjected. ‘Does it have to be so?’

‘Do you think the governor would have come this far to give up without a fight?’ Esteban said.

‘I could try reasoning with him.’

‘You’ll just walk out of the forest, shake his hand and ask him to return home?’

‘Well, I...’

‘I’m sorry,’ Esteban said. ‘That was uncalled for. I think the tension is getting to all of us. Avert your eyes, Hernando, this is the only way.’

‘Will he suffer?’

‘It is quick and painless,’ Jabuti assured him.

Hernando nodded and walked away a small distance.

With a deftness of hand, Rapau lifted the blowpipe to his lips and silently blew the deadly dart towards the man at the back of the group. With hardly a sound he fell; dead before he hit the ground. His absence was not noted as the governor’s group continued on their weary path.

‘Pull him off the trail,’ Esteban said to Lorenzo’s men.

They dragged his lifeless body off the path that the governor’s party had made and returned to the others.

‘And now we follow,’ Esteban said.

And so, they shadowed them for the rest of the day, and Jabuti was reminded of the time when they followed Diego. That was the first time that he and his friends had seen a man killed and in the most violent of manners. This was to be their introduction to the world of the white man and their obsession with wealth and status.

‘What do you mean you cannot find him?’

‘I’m sorry, governor,’ Baltasar said. ‘Sancho was right there at the back, and now...’

‘Well, send two of those other fools to go and find him. I cannot afford any more losses.’

‘Giraldo, Manuel, go see what has happened to Sancho.’

They exchanged nervous glances but knew that they had to obey.

‘Keep your wits about you and have your weapons primed,’ Baltasar advised.

They nodded and returned along the path whence they had come.

‘Shh!’ Rapau said dropping to his haunches.

Without being instructed the others followed.

‘What is it?’ Esteban said.

With Mapi’s translation, Rapau said that he could hear two men coming their way.

‘What is going on?’ Jabuti said.

Esteban shrugged. ‘We’ll soon find out.’

As they hunkered down in the shadows, they heard two men crashing noisily through the undergrowth.

‘Why don’t we just keep on walking?’ they heard one of the men say.

‘But what of the governor?’

‘I don’t care, I’ve had enough of this God-forsaken pl—’

‘Lower your weapons!’ came a voice from behind them.

They turned in shock to see Esteban standing there with his gun pointed at them. Esteban saw a moment’s hesitation in their eyes, and then they turned to run away. They had hardly placed one foot forward as the rest of Esteban’s party appeared in front of them.

‘I wouldn’t if I were you,’ he warned them.

‘Please don’t kill us,’ Giraldo pleaded.

‘Why not?’ Esteban said.

This question threw him off balance, and he and Manuel looked around nervously.

‘I have a proposition for you.’

‘Yes, sir?’

‘What are your names?’

‘Giraldo, sir.’

‘Manuel, sir.’

‘Well, Giraldo and Manuel,’ Esteban said. ‘I can take your weapons from you, and you can take your chances against the cannibals that inhabit this region...’ he said with a smile.

Giraldo gulped and said, ‘Or?’

‘Or you use those weapons against the governor and help us free his hostages.’

‘Yes, sir... of course,’ he spluttered.

‘I will not see any harm come to the captain,’ Manuel said speaking for the first time.

‘An honourable sentiment, indeed.’

‘He has always been good to us.’

‘No need to explain. I will see that he is not harmed, but as for the governor...’

‘I owe no loyalty to that man,’ he spat.

‘We just want to live to see our families again,’ Giraldo cried.

‘And so you shall. Do I have your word?’

They both nodded vigorously.

‘We’ve waited long enough,’ the governor said.

‘But, sir. I must protest.’

‘Be of heart, Baltasar. We will reach our goal soon. Is that not so, savage?’

‘I have kept my word,’ Wanadi said.

‘And I shall keep mine. Lead me to the gold, and you and the priest can do as you wish,’ the governor promised them. ‘Come, Baltasar. By the end of the day, we shall be rich.’

‘If only we live long enough to enjoy it,’ he muttered.

‘Let us talk,’ the governor said leading him away by the elbow. When they were out of earshot of the others, he confided in Baltasar. ‘I understand your concerns.’

‘This is pure madness, sir.’

‘We’ve lost a lot of men, that’s true,’ the governor said. ‘But we’re almost there, can you not feel it?’

‘Feel what?’

‘Gold,’ he said. ‘Just the power of holding it in one’s hands, the weight of it, the way that it shines in the light.’

‘I am a simple man, sir. I have no knowledge of it.’

‘Let me enlighten you then,’ he said with a smile. ‘When those two savages came into my town with that golden statue stolen from some of our finest countrymen, I knew then that this is where my destiny and fortune lay,’ the governor informed him. ‘Such treasures are wasted upon these heathens. What use do they have of such riches? Just think of the life you can lead with such a fortune.’

‘And how many of these treasures have you seen?’

The governor paused. ‘Well... I have seen one such piece.’

‘One?’ Baltasar repeated.

‘Where there is one there’ll be others.’

‘Hmm.’

‘You’re asking me these questions now?’

‘I never thought our mission was to be so perilous,’ Baltasar said. ‘We’ve lost half our party; our ship was fired upon, and God only knows whether we’ll have a vessel to return to.’

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‘WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY’RE saying?’ Luis said.

‘I’m not sure, but the captain does not seem happy,’ Wanadi said. ‘The other two have not returned. This must be of Mapi’s making,’ he grinned.

‘Perhaps they’ve had a change of heart?’

‘The governor?’ Wanadi said. ‘Never. That man thinks of only one thing.’

‘Stop talking!’ the man guarding them barked.

Luckily for Wanadi the governor did not hear and continued talking with the captain.

‘Do you want to be next?’ Wanadi whispered.

‘What do you mean?’

‘All of your friends are dead. It’s just the captain, the governor and you. Do you think they’ll share the gold with someone like you?’

‘Shut-up!’

‘Then you don’t really know the governor.’

‘I... I joined the ship in Cadiz,’ the man replied. ‘He seems a fair man to me.’

‘Did you not see him blow your friends head off?’

‘Well... yes, but h—’

‘But what? Does that seem the actions of a fair man?’

‘He talks sense,’ Luis joined in. ‘What do you think has happened to all the other men?’

‘I was promised gold,’ he said ignoring the question.

‘And what good will that be if you do not live long enough to spend it?’ Wanadi said. ‘My friends are coming, and they’ll kill anyone stupid enough to be holding a weapon.’

The man looked down at the gun that he held and looked around nervously.

‘What is your name?’

‘Gregorio,’ he replied.

‘Gregorio,’ Luis said. ‘Think carefully, these last few hours of daylight could be the last you ever see if you make the wrong decision.’

‘Priest, I’m confused. It all seemed like an incredible adventure back in Cadiz, but now...’

‘How old are you my son?’

‘Twenty-three.’

‘Too young to die would you say?’

The man nodded with a tear in his eye.

‘Compose yourself,’ Luis whispered. ‘They’re coming back. Make the wise decision, my son.’