Darkness Then Could Not See

Ride the waves of the Western Ocean in this historical fiction account of Columbus's first voyage. Told in first person, present tense, and told by three individuals: Columbus; Columbus's cabin boy, Pedro; and the Taino (Ty-EE-no) princess, Higuemota. The story is historical accurate and will give you the ride of your life through storms, huge waves, a disgruntled crew, and island after island in the Caribbean searching for gold.

Excerpt From Darkness They Could Not See

(As told by the cabin boy, Pedro)

Storms.

The Adminral has a sixth sense when it comes to storms. He knows four, five hours — sometimes even a day or more — when trouble is coming. He likes to say that if you wait for the wind and rain and the giant swells to tell you, it's too late. The Admiral learned to read the skies and study the wind.

Even ocean currents and the color of the water speak to him about weather. I Early in the afternoon, on a wonderfully mild day, the Admiral asked me to walk with him. He likes to stretch his legs and at the same time, eyeball the crew. He enjoys making spot inspections to keep the men "on their toes."

We're enjoying a nice following wind on this afternoon, and the fleet is moving along swiftly and smoothly with not the slightest sign of storm clouds on the horizon. I walk with the Adminral out of the cabin to the poop deck where he greets the boatswain, the watch officer.

"Master Diego, please prepare the crew for heavy weather. It will be here before nightfall," the Admiral says, his hands behind his back, looking up at the blue sky. Then he glances at me and winks.

Master Diego is a seasoned sailor and within the fleet, perhaps second to the Admiral in ship experience. Diego looks skyward. A few cirrus clouds float like thin strands of cotton across a beautiful blue sky on a sun-splashed day. He then looks at Admiral.

"Si, señor, Almirante."

Hours later, the ship's master and owner, Juan de La Cosa, summons me from the poop. "Mr. Pedro," he says — most of the officers call me Mr. Pedro — "please have the Admiral come to the poop."

"Si, senñor, La Cosa," I answer.

The Admiral is working on one of his many charts in his cabin. I open the door and notify him thagt he is needed on the poop. He looks over the chart one last time, drops his pen on the side of it, reaches up, turns off the oil lamp, and gets up. I hold the door for him. Waiting outside his cabin is La Cosa.

"Admiral, dirty weather coming fast from the south," La Cosa says, pointing upward off the starboard side of the ship.

The Admiral looks up. "Dirty, indeed, master, dirty indeed. Have the pilot trip the mainsail and hold her steady.

The Admiral yells, "Mr. Herana, prepare the crew."

de La Cosa: "Trim the mainsail, master mate, and secure for heavy weather. All hands up on deck. We got one comin.'"

Diego de Herana, Marshall of the Fleet: ""Git 'em up, everybody up, all hands on deck. Let's go, up, up, up. Everybody up."

`When a storm approaches, everybody, even the sleepers, reports for deck duty. It's late afternoon, and the sun is fading fast, The ships are headed into th sunset, but to the south — on the starboard side — the blackened sky looks troublesome. The water begings to roll, and the experienced seamen know what's coming. The wind whips at the sails and the masts creak.

Diego, biatswaub: "We can't outrun her Admiral, and she's to dangerous to sail in to. We might reverse course and tril the sails."

But the Admiral shakes his head, (Throughout the book the Admiral speaks in capital letters). NO CAN DO, BOATSWAIN. PILOT, REEF THE MAINSAIL AND HOLD HER STEADY."

Whipping Boy

It's doubtful that no one is more of a whipping boy to the far left liberals than Christoper Columbus. You saw the photo on the home page of the workmen boxing up Columbus's statue in Marconi Park, South Philadelphia.