Chapter 5: Where no one asks

The sun fell over the Albatross with a motionless heaviness, forcing the men to move slowly and desperately seek any miserable patch of shade. The lack of drinking water had made the deck quieter than usual, full of exhausted bodies and dried sweat. The ship kept moving forward, damaged but obstinate, while the crew did only what was necessary. It was then, amid that stifling calm, that Tomás, from the top of the mast, spotted a shape on the horizon different from the ocean.

Pierre did not take long to come up on deck and fix his gaze on that dark line. He observed it for only a few moments, following the shape of the coast and the broken relief with his eyes. He recognized Cuba with the calm certainty of someone who had already smelled half the sea. He approached the captain and spoke to him in a low voice; the captain merely nodded once.

The order ran through the ship without needing to be repeated. It was not the first time the Albatross changed its skin before touching port, and everyone knew his place when the time came to look like something else. The black flag disappeared and the Spanish colors rose up the mast. Some men changed scarves, jackets, or belts; others hid overly obvious weapons, cleaned old blood from the deck, or removed any trace that recalled too closely what that ship had been days earlier.

Edward on land would be Eduardo, captain of a merchantman battered by the storm and too indisposed to deal personally with anyone. Diego would take the post of boatswain in port, not as a clumsy invention, but as a role already rehearsed on other occasions. He had the language, the knowledge, and the composure needed to sustain the lie. Miguel was reduced to presence and threat, useful on board but less visible on land.

The transformation was not complete, but it was sufficient. The spice booty taken from the Spanish merchantman went from trophy to merchandise, placed where it could be seen without excess. The Albatross stopped looking like a predator and became a battered merchant vessel, eager for water, provisions, and minor repairs before continuing its route.

The problem arose at once. Three of the men who had fallen in the boarding were among the few who spoke Castilian fluently enough to go down and handle questions without taking risks. Diego was still enough to direct the dealings, but they would need a second voice, someone who could accompany him to the dock, hand over the false documents, and answer just enough without arousing suspicion.

In Cuba they were not in friendly waters. It was still Spanish territory, a port of a crown that would have shown no indulgence if they discovered what the Albatross really was. A suspicious ship could be searched, its cargo seized, and its men detained or handed over to the authorities. And in a sea where piracy was still harshly pursued, that could end in prison, forced labor, or the gallows. Edward, who spoke Castilian fluently enough...