"Partners blessed and witnessed by the Almighty? Together draft the report for the Queen? ... Share the honors of the new navigation route, and jointly lead the next voyage? ..."
A faint sll of tobacco drifted in from outside the Taino hut, soothing the heart and mind naturally. Inside the hut, Columbus was listening to De La Cosa's persuasive "bewitching talk," laced with that gentle, enticing "nobility accent," leaving him montarily bewildered, even nodding unconsciously in agreent.
But when Columbus heard the last part about "sharing the honors of discovering new routes," it was as if he had triggered an untouchable "keyword" in his mind, instantly widening his eyes and coming to his senses! Furious beyond belief, he abruptly stood up from the grass bed and glared at De La Cosa, cursing like a stubborn mule.
"Diamine! Cazzo! Hijo de puta! It was ! It was I who pointed out the plan to sail westward, it was I who persuaded the great Queen! And it was I who led you bunch of ungrateful idiots, sailed westward over five thousand kiloters, discovered the prosperous India and Japan, discovered the new route to the East!!..."
"The honor of discovering the new route is mine, mine!! My glorious na, Columbus, will forever be inscribed in epics and ballads of heroes!... And you betrayers dragging down, you will beco sinners who betrayed the Almighty like Judas!!..."
"De La Cosa, you are just a subordinate who betrayed , still trying to deceive ? Pah! You snake born from a sheep's rear, dare to seize my authority as Commander?! Ah pah!... I, Columbus, was appointed by the Queen herself as Admiral, Commander of the Kingdom Fleet, and Governor of all newly discovered lands! And you are nothing! ... Huh! You dare to hit ? Ah!!..."
Columbus let out a miserable scream as De La Cosa kicked him hard, sending him crashing into the corner of the hut and slamming against the wall. Then, a sharp, cold rapier was pressed heavily against his neck, even cutting into his skin!
"Jorder! Columbus, don't force to eliminate you!"
De La Cosa's expression was fierce, baring his teeth, his face sowhat twisted. At this mont, he rarely lost composure, even swearing. As soone skilled in verbal inducent, fond of ensnaring people's hearts, De La Cosa most despised soone like Columbus, who was utterly oblivious and stubborn, yet not foolish! It was like a highly skilled thief used imnsely clever techniques to steal, only to encounter a robber who disregarded finesse, just brandishing a knife and shouting...
"Coño! I am a good-tempered person, but my patience has limits! I don't like killing, I prefer cooperation with friends... But when confronted with the unyielding or uncooperative, I have no choice but to take action!..."
"rda!... De La Cosa, you are a shitty good person, you damn betrayed ! Haha! I see, you don't want to kill ... No, you don't dare to kill ! You still find useful, you want to take to see the Queen, the Queen who personally appointed and trusts !... Ugh! Ahhh!..."
"Ha! Commander Columbus, I really don't want things to get ugly! But you insist on being a stubborn mule, rembering pain but not the beating... Take a different perspective! If our roles were reversed, what would you do? Surely, you would've killed by now, right?... Look, I won't kill you; I want to cooperate well with you, even intend for you to return to Madrid as Commander to et the Queen... Am I not a good person? Dammit, I am the Saint under the Almighty's protection!..."
De La Cosa's eyes squinted viciously, spewing fierce and vulgar threats like a venomous snake poised to bite. His expression indifferent, he looked down at Columbus, who was painfully curled up, knelt on the grass bed, unable to utter a word, and in a low voice continued his threat.
"Columbus, if you cooperate with alive, obediently follow my instructions, it will be beneficial for us both! But if I act, causing you to die of illness and have your corpse tossed into the sea... No one aboard would discover anything suspicious about your death! ... And no one in the Kingdom of Castile would care about your life or death or seek any form of justice for you!..."
"No! The... the Queen... will... care... about !..."
"What did you say? The Queen will care about you?... Ahaha! You are killing with laughter! ... To be honest with you! Initially, the Queen wasn't interested in your ludicrous navigation plan!... It was King Fernando who felt it was worth a try. It was the King who valued your plan and convinced the Queen!..."
De La Cosa's corners of the mouth lifted, rcilessly ridiculing Columbus, seemingly smashing his final stubbornness and faith.
"Everyone in the Castile court knows that your admiral title is nothing more than a joke, unable to command any of the Kingdom Navy... And you are rely a living signboard for other navigators!... The Royal Family wants to expand overseas, seeking truly capable navigators, thus elevating you, this fool, up high... With a hundred gold coins, the Royal Family bought you, this stubborn mule, as a show for those genuine horses!..."
"Why didn't the Pinzon brothers listen to you? Because they are under King Fernando, belonging to the Minister of Finance! Why did I join in large ships for exploration? Because I am the Queen's navigator, personally guided by Archbishop Talavera!... Among the exploration fleet, not a single captain of any fleet truly regards you, rootless, as any sort of Commander! Only those ignorant lower-tier sailors are deceived by your Commander title!... And you? rchant's son from the Italian City States, who did you follow? You followed no one! I cannot believe you rejected the Archbishop's solicitation, crafting a suicidal discovery agreent... You are overestimating yourself, greedily foolish, viewing yourself larger than the adults of the court!..."
"Haha! Ignorant fools like you deserve a lifeti of stagnation, disdain from the court elders, treated as mud beneath their feet!... Only the rciful Almighty favored you, leading you to truly discover these peculiar islands and continents in the depths of the Atlantic!... Dammit! Who knows what the hell this place is? These backward barbarians, without even clothes, who can believe it's India!..."
De La Cosa finally vented the words he had suppressed for a long ti, feeling a rush of satisfaction throughout his body. Coldly smiling, he looked at Columbus, whose expression was filled with pain and disbelief, whose faith seed to have crumbled, leaving him with one last ultimatum.
"Columbus, I will give you seven more days! After the New Year's voyage begins, I will see you once more!..."
"Be wise! Let go of your ridiculous, aningless Commander identity, don't remain stubborn to the death!... Otherwise, I truly will have no choice but to... kill you and feed you to the fish!..."
With that, De La Cosa shook his head, carrying the rapier and turning away. In the hut, only Columbus remained, lost and bewildered, his soul seemingly more pained than his body.
"No... This can't be true!... I... am appointed by the Queen herself... Admiral... No... No!..."
The silent hut had no response, only the sacred icons of the Taino people. A few words in light Spanish drifted in from outside, like a distant and uncertain future...
"Boss, how's it going?..."
"Pedro, the Commander is almost okay; can't stay in the natives' village any longer!"
"Ah? You an?..."
"Tonight, bring a trustworthy sailor... Take him to the ship, find a small storage room on the lowest deck, lock the door..."
"What? The lowest deck, so hot and suffocating, without even sunlight?..."
"What's wrong? Pedro, do you feel bad?..."
"No, no, no! I follow all your commands! I will arrange it at once, find a sailor with a grudge against him, watch him tightly!..."
"Hmm... Food on the ship is limited and we must prepare for the return journey! And as the Commander's injuries are mostly healed, eating too much will aggravate the healing..."
"Boss, you an? The Commander's food rations to be halved?..."
"Halved?..."
Under the slanting sun, De La Cosa smiled slightly. He turned to glance at the not-so-large Taino hut as if looking at an overly spacious prison cell.
"That's too much! Under the Almighty's protection! Make it a quarter! Just keep him from starving to death..."
"Yes! Boss!..."
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