“How can they be so sexist?” she asked as Gloria brought out a very nasty looking pair of silver scissors. “And have you even given anyone a haircut before?”
“Sexist?” Gloria repeated. “I don’t know what that word means. And the only hair I ever cut is on an animal, right before slicing it wide open. I promise I won’t do that last part to you.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Gloria started snipping away.
Dak watched all of this with a constant urge to snicker. Riq sat by a window, lost in thoughts he didn’t care to share with anyone, hopefully looking out for any sign of the Time Warden’s burly frame. Gloria had called in a favor to have him thrown into jail, where his story of time-traveling rascals wouldn’t win him any friends. But it wouldn’t be long before his bosses heard about what had happened and had him sprung. Time was of the essence.
Dak was still confused by the Break business. “We’re here to change history, right? Maybe we could try to talk to the Amancios somehow before the voyage.”
“Not much chance of that,” Gloria answered as she cut free a big handful of Sera’s hair. “First of all, how would you get to them? Second, even if you did, why would they trust some goofy-looking kid? Mutiny is a very serious offense, and the last thing you want to do is scare them into changing their minds unless you’re positive of what needs to happen. You might be doing the SQ’s dirty work for them.”
Dak churned with indecision.
“Ow!” Sera suddenly shrieked.
“Oops,” Gloria responded. “Sorry — sometimes I forget how long these blades are.”
“So how are you going to get us on the ship?” Dak asked.
The Hystorian eyed him for a second, then went back to her cutting. “I know the man in charge of hiring urchins and thieves to do the dirty work — they always need people at the last minute. And a catch of three strong and able boys will make his day, I promise.”
“I’m hardly a boy,” said Riq.
“You’re more of a boy than I am,” said Sera.
“Strong and able?” asked Dak.
For the first time since they’d met her, Gloria looked worried.
THE SUN was sweltering when Gloria took Sera and the others out a back door and saddled a couple of horses she had tied up in a small stable. She’d prepared satchels with bread and grapes and dressed them in clothes she said belonged to her nephew. She also smudged dirt from a little garden all over their faces and clothes — Dak smiled the whole time, crowing about living history; Riq grumbled and complained about “going native.” Gloria tsked at his complaints. She insisted that they needed to look a lot less like nobles, and fast. It was customary that hired hands spent the night before launch on the ship itself, so they had no time to lose.
Sera was a nervous wreck, and it didn’t help that she hated what Gloria had done to her — dirt was one thing, but she felt completely naked without that comforting sense of hair on her neck. She still had enough to wear a ponytail, but just barely. Fortunately, men of the period didn’t wear their hair too short.
“Hey, you make a pretty convincing boy,” Riq said to her after she was all dirtied up. He smiled to soften the blow.
“You don’t,” she replied, but gave a smile back.
Dak finally joined Gloria on one horse — after three failed attempts to get up in the saddle and a whole lot of complaining that the bicycle hadn’t been invented yet — and Sera sat with Riq on the other. He tried to sit in front but she refused — it was already humiliating enough for her to pretend to be a boy. She’d at least have the satisfaction of taking lead on the stupid animal. Why was she in such a bad mood? Just because of a haircut? She tried to convince herself it wasn’t because Dak was raring to go for a sailing adventure with the famous Amancio brothers and didn’t seem scared one bit.
Once they were all mounted up, Gloria turned her horse to face Sera’s. “I know an out-of-the-way path that’ll get us to the port house where we should find my friend, Stonebull. I’m not expecting any trouble, but if we cross paths with that Time Warden or any of his friends, there’d be no point in fighting. These horses are swift, and we’ll have to rely on their legs to save us. If we can reach Stonebull, we’ll tell him that the Warden is just someone you stole food from and who wants revenge. He won’t care a bit about that — he’ll simply be happy to have a few extra hands to replace those who inevitably chicken out on the last day.”
“We’ll be lucky if Dak doesn’t chicken out,” Riq murmured from behind Sera.
Dak heard it. “We’ll be lucky if they don’t have the ugly police inspecting anyone who tries to come on the ship.”
“Why?” Riq responded. “Then you’d have an excuse not to go.”
Dak didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, I know — they only allow ugly people on these voyages. Duh.”
“Are you two finished?” Gloria asked. The woman seemed completely bewildered by their behavior.
Neither of them acknowledged her, but they also shut up.
Sera liked that the two of them had resumed picking at each other. For some reason it gave her a sense of comfort and familiarity. And she was starting to think Riq wasn’t so bad after all. Anyone who could keep up with Dak just might be a friend for life.
“Glad that’s settled. It’s this way.” Gloria started off down a path leading to the woods behind her butcher shop.
Sera gave her horse a light kick and followed.
As they rode through the trees, Sera kept hearing tidbits of conversation from Dak and Gloria about history — Gloria’s future. For the most part it amused Sera, but she was a bit appalled when Gloria turned to her and asked, “Is he telling the truth? The world travels around the sun?”
How could anyone actually think the Earth was stationary? They obviously knew nothing about gravity and centrifugal force.
They eventually left the woods and went up a long, sandy hill, then crested a rise and stopped when a stunningly beautiful bay came into sight below them. Sera almost gasped at how breathtaking a view it was — greenish-blue water, bright buildings lining the hillsides surrounding it, majestic ships with sails furled, floating in the harbor. No one said anything, but a quick look around showed Sera that the boys were just as impressed.
“We’ll be at Stonebull’s in a matter of minutes,” Gloria announced as she got her horse walking again.
They’d gone out of their way to avoid the eyes of the Time Warden — who may very well have been freed by then — or anyone who might work for him, swinging away from the main road and coming back again where it met the sea. As they entered the cobbled streets, there was still no sign of trouble. But Sera was wary — if Gloria could guess why they might have come to this time and place, so could the SQ.
“Here it is,” the Hystorian announced. They had stopped in front of a plain-looking wooden building with steps and a small porch. Gloria swung off her horse. “Come inside with me so you won’t be sitting targets.” She tied the reins to a hitching post after Dak jumped down. “Like I said, it shouldn’t be too hard to get you three on that ship.”
Sera followed Gloria’s lead up the steps and through a rickety door. There were a few tables and chairs inside, but no people. The place smelled like sweat and beer.
“Just a minute!” a man yelled from a back room — the door stood slightly ajar. “Just takin’ care of me bidness, if you know what I mean!”
His accent was strange, almost a mixture of several that Sera had heard before. It made her wonder if Riq’s device was having a hard time deciding how to best translate his words.
A gruff-looking man walked out, hitching up his dirty trousers. His shirt was filthy, too. And his face and his hair and his hands. Everything about him. He also hadn’t shaved in a few days. But none of this was what stood out most about him.
He only
had one eye. And it was a big one, as if it wanted to make up for the lack of its partner — where the other should have been, there was nothing but a big, mangled scar. He had a bandana tied around his head and, noticing everyone gawking, he quickly pulled it down to cover the injured spot.
“Sorry,” he grumbled. “Forgets that it ain’t the prettiest sight sometimes. Pardon me mishap, if you will. Now, what can we do for you on this fine-weathered day?”
“Where is Stonebull?” Gloria asked.
“Down at the bay, I ’spect. Keeping an eye on the ship’s loadin’. Asked me to fill in for him for a spell. So here I am, lookin’ at you fine folk, askin’ what you might be needin’.”
If Gloria was put out by the change in plan, she recovered quickly, motioning at Sera and her friends. “I rounded these troublemakers up for you — they’re desperate for money, and I know you’re probably looking for some last-minute additions to the help.”
“Right we are,” he said quietly as he looked the three potential workers up and down. “Right we are. Can’t say as we’re all that picky, neither. You three willin’ to work yourselves to the bone? Sleep little, sit little, eat little, sick up that what you do? Get yelled at and kicked in the tush now and then?”
Sera wanted to say something contrary, but she couldn’t risk her voice giving her away. She nodded, and saw the others do it, too.
“Well, that’s good enough for the likes of me,” the man said with a chuckle that revealed several missing teeth. “And blessed be your little bottoms — I’ll be joinin’ you on this fair journey to the far reaches of the hungry sea. Hope you’re up for it.”
Gloria narrowed her eyes. “You’re going on the voyage, too? What are you doing on the ship?” she asked.
“Why, I’m the taskmaster, that’s me. In charge of all the lowly workin’ folk. The name’s not important.” He took a step forward and pulled up his bandana to reveal the hideous scar again. “They just call me Eyeball.”
DAK COULDN’T imagine a more perfect companion on his first voyage across the ocean than Eyeball. Quirky, crude, a vicious scar on his face — probably from a battle with pirates — what more could he ask for? And the taskmaster might be just the right man to seek help from as well. He’d be respected. He’d know everyone on board, and the ins and outs of how things worked.
And if the very sight of the man made Riq visibly uncomfortable, well, that was just a bonus.
“No time to waste,” the man said, grinning his gap-toothed smile again. “My things are already up on the beast, and by the looks of it, you three ain’t got much more to your names than a bag of clothes and all your eyeballs. Be thankful for that, by the way. Having just one ain’t as easy as it might look. Look. Get it? Ha! Let’s go.”
He’d been stepping toward the door as he spoke, a slight limp in his right leg. Gloria quickly gathered Dak and the others in a huddle.
“I know this has all happened quickly,” she said, “but we didn’t have much choice, did we? The Hystorians are asking a lot of you, but I have faith. I’ve barely met you, but I already believe you can do it. Get on there, learn things, scout it out. Find out what the SQ is up to, and do whatever it takes to stop them. Understand?”
Dak suddenly remembered one of the last things his dad had said to him: This wasn’t a game. Not only were they walking right into a violent mutiny — and planning to somehow involve themselves — these voyages were scary enough to begin with. The whole crew neversurvived a trans-ocean trip in these days — a few dozen would probably die from disease alone. Happy thoughts to begin their journey.
And he couldn’t help but feel conflicted about changing the past. Changing the thing he loved most. Could they really take the Hystorians’ word on everything?
He realized everyone was looking at him. “I’m totally excited about this. Let’s do it.”
“Okay, then,” Gloria said with a motherly smile. She pulled each of them into a hug and then stepped back. “I wish I could be of more help. I wish I could go with you, but you know I can’t. Good luck, and remember: The fate of the world lies in your hands.”
Dak laughed. “No pressure or anything, right?”
“Hey!” Eyeball barked from the open door. “If I stand here much longer, I’ll have to take care of me bidness again. Let’s get!”
A flurry of panic swirled through Dak, but he pushed it down. This was it. His chance to literally live history. The right path would present itself.
“Thanks, Gloria,” he said. “One day there’ll be a book about how you helped us save the world.”
And with that, he walked out the door, trusting the others to follow, and hoping he was right.
Eyeball led them through the streets, dodging carts and people and kids who darted around like fish. Their guide didn’t say a word, just kept moving with that limp and a grunt every now and then when he saw something that he seemed to take unkindly to. But he never bothered explaining. Dak stayed right on his heels, enjoying every second.
They turned a corner at a large wooden inn, and Dak almost stumbled when he saw the ships docked in the bay suddenly rise up before him. Each mighty mast seemed to touch the blue sky far above, with pointed beakheads at the front and squared off sterns in the back. They looked just as he’d seen them in countless illustrations. People swarmed all over the ships like hungry ants searching for a spare crumb, and shouts and whistles filled the air. Somewhere, men were singing.
“There she is,” Eyeball said, his voice full of pride. He was pointing at the largest of the ships. “La Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción. Destined to do great things, that beauty. If she weren’t made of splintered wood and filled with sweat and grease, I’d marry her and have lots of babies.”
“For the love of mincemeat,” Sera muttered. “Not a good image.”
The man didn’t seem to hear her. He kept walking, head held high as they got closer and closer. A gangplank had been laid out, and two roughnecks with knives in their belts stood guard at the bottom of it. They didn’t flinch or make a move for their weapons when Dak’s group approached, which could only mean they knew Eyeball well.
“Afternoon, you buckets of lard,” the taskmaster said to them. “Got a few of those extra recruits Stonebull’s been hoping for. These ugly little runts ought to do.”
“Hey!” Sera said in protest. But then she quickly shut her mouth, and Dak hoped her higher voice hadn’t made the men suspicious.
“Shut up, you little weasel!” Eyeball roared. Then to the guards, “That one hasn’t hit the age yet, but he’ll work hard enough. I’ll make sure of that.”
“You slugs better be up to workin’ right away,” one of the guards said, a tall man with a ridiculous mustache. “Lots to do before setting sail tomorrow. Slack on the job and you won’t be aboard when we go.”
“We’ll make you proud, sir,” Dak said enthusiastically before he could stop himself. Riq groaned next to him and Sera gave him a dirty look. Dak hardly noticed.
“Up with ya, then,” the other guard said, before launching a long, slimy spit into the ocean water.
“Follow me,” Eyeball said. He stepped between the two armed men and started walking up the long plank.
Dak motioned for Sera to go next, then Riq. Dak wanted to savor every moment of this. He’d forget for now that they could very well be dead in a few days. With a deep breath of satisfaction, he headed up the narrow strip of thick wood.
The ship seemed so much bigger now, almost like a living thing — especially with the workers moving about every last inch of it. There was even a guy working on the furled sail at the very top of the mid mast, looking as if he’d fall to his death with the slightest wind or misstep.
Dak stepped onto the lower deck of the ship, where his two friends were straining their necks to take it all in. Eyeball was talking to a group o
f men in hushed whispers, one of whom stood out from the crowd. He was tall with broad shoulders, and dressed much nicer than anyone else. He had that look about him that said he expected people to do whatever he told them to do.
The man suddenly stepped away from the group and approached Dak, looking square into his eyes. Dak realized he’d been staring. Squirming under the man’s gaze, part of him wanted to turn and run back down the gangplank. But he stood his ground and waited to see what would happen.
“Welcome aboard the Santa María,” the man said, holding out a hand. Dak timidly took it, and the guy about ripped his arm off shaking it. “My name is Christopher Columbus.”
HISTORY HADN’T been kind to Columbus. Those few stories that even acknowledged his existence didn’t paint him as the nicest guy. But now, with so much at stake, all Sera wanted in all the world was to not get kicked right off of the man’s boat.
She had seen this look in Dak’s eyes before, after all. They were wide and dazzled . . . which meant he was about to do something really stupid.
“I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you,” her friend said. “The books I’ve read have been critical, but —”
Sera kicked him in the shin to shut him up.
“Ow!” he shouted, jumping up and down while he held his leg. “What was that for?”
Columbus let out a huge laugh. “Oh, how I love the stupidity of these kids you bring on the ship, Eyeball. They remind me of my own son.” Then he switched from amusement to fierceness faster than Sera could blink. “Now get them working! And I better not see any more of this horseplay, or we’ll have people in the brig by the time we launch tonight!”
With that he stormed off, shouting orders left and right as he went. Sera saw him kick someone in the rear end.