Chapter 5: Havana

1 November, 1686 Afternoon

On the afternoon of the first day of November The Maidens Revenge sailed into the harbor of Havana Cuba.

The town of San Cristóbal de La Habana, or simply Havana, was one of the first seven villages founded by the Spaniards on the island of Cuba. It was named after the Indian chief Habaguanex, head of the aboriginal settlements of that zone by the time the Spanish conquerors arrived.

In 1553, Havana became the capital of the country once the Spanish Governor moved to it from Santiago de Cuba, then the town acquired the title of city in 1592, upon completion of the most important public work of the 16th Century, the Zanja Real (royal ditch), which constituted the first aqueduct of the city. After that the city flourished and quickly became a commercial center point with the most renowned shipyard in the New World. Given the exceptional geographical location of the bay, Havana soon became a point of merchandise for the export of products such as sugar, tobacco, and slave trade, as well as a gathering port for the Spanish fleet that would depart from Havana to Spain carrying gold and silver from the whole continents of South and Central America each September, but this 'Key of the New World' attracted more and more the attention of pirates and privateers that constantly besieged it so the Spanish crown built fortresses as a protection from these dangers. The most impressive ones are La Fuerza inspired on Italian Renaissance patterns, and Morro and La Punta Castles at the harbors entrance channel. Additional protection was provided by the stone walls which surrounds the city.

Havana, like other ports in the Caribbean allowed pirates and privateers safe anchorage for trade, outfitting, and ship repairs, providing they were not known to pray on Spanish shipping.

As the Maidens Revenge set anchor, from nearly every pirate ship, Spanish Galleon, and trade ship in the anchorage the proceedings of the newly arrived vessel had been watched. No one wanted to board her or in any way to interfere with her crew until it was found out what they intended to do. The Maidens Revenge was a stranger in that harbor, and although her fame was known on not a few of the decks, they just watched and waited.

"So, what's your estimate for how long it will take to locate the chest?" Constance asked Jon.

Jon brushed a few strands of arrant hair away from his face then answered thoughtfully, "Umm... I would estimate perhaps two hours there, and two back."

"We should probably wait until dusk, fewer inhabitants to wonder what we're up to and we'll need that pull cart you took from Blanchart," Scarlet suggested.

"There is sense in that," Carmen agreed then added, "So then, take the cash-box we found in Adalberto Carapau's cabin along with about half its contents and leave it where you find the larger one for the crew of the De Droom as we promised. Jon, I think Constance, Jack and Felipe will go with..."

"Ah, Captain..." Teresa interrupted.

"... and Teresa will go with you. The rest of us will remain on board," Carmen concluded without Teresa having to voice her request aloud. 'Yes, ' Carmen thought to herself, 'something was stirring between Teresa and Jon, and perhaps Teresa even had womanly dreams.' She had watched the two young people seemingly drawn together as if by magnet at any opportunity, and in the weeks that Teresa had been aboard the Maidens Revenge little Teresa Santos had grown to be a woman, 'and what should not be dreamed about by a woman!'

While they waited for dusk, Jon and Teresa once again found themselves talking together in quite, soft tones. But this was only at first, for afterward Teresa sat quite still, permitting Jon to gaze long, into her eyes, her face was radiant and her lips smiling, and they, as it were, neither of them breathing, but hearing, as if in a far-distant place, the jargon of the rest of crew talking together, or the sounds of creaking block and tackle straining against the ship.

Jon's silent fixation and ungentlemanly thoughts concerning Teresa were interrupted when the girl addressed him loudly, "Jon? Jon! Did you not hear me? I asked you a question."

"I'm sorry, I mean... I've been so rude, I was completely carried away..." he stammered, conscious of her twinkling dark eyes fixed on him. He felt awkward. Her searching graze was so intent, he felt sure for a brief instant that she must have read his thoughts, but he knew that to be ridiculous. "Please forgive me," Jon apologized, "What was it you asked?"

"I asked what it was that you did before sailing with your uncle. After all, I've told you everything concerning myself and I should think you doing likewise only to be fair?"

"Oh, I am sorry I just assumed you would hold little interest concerning my dreary history. But, as you wish... now should I bore you to tears do not hesitate to stop me."

"I shall hang on your every word," Teresa answered him smiling.

"Well," Jon said, and in accordance with her request, he gave a brief history of his previous life, "Rauf Denkton is not in actuality my true uncle of blood, but rather my uncle by virtue of being the brother of my step-mother. You see my mother died when I was four giving birth to my still born sister, and then when I was seven my father took a second wife. Even as young as I was, before he remarried I remember my father as being a simple man content with his life on our small farm, but after he remarried, my new step-mother wanted more and she pressed him until he became manipulative and inclined to speculations in trade which were entirely out of his line, and when he met his death in the sea he left her little but our home and the land about it. I had been going to a school in the town, and was considered a fair scholar, but with my father's death all that stopped, and my step-mother obliged me to go to work to do what I could to satisfy her self interests, and ever since I have been doing just that, without regard to appearances, thinking only of earning for her."

Teresa heaved a sigh, "Oh you poor thing!" she said, "It is dreadful that you should be forced to grow up like that."

"To be absolutely truthful, my intent after having earned wages as supercargo on my uncle's ship was not to give those earnings to my step-mother, but rather to use the funds that the world might open before me and I to never lay eyes upon my step-mother or uncle ever again. But now, not having earned those funds, I don't know where to go or where to send," Jon said simply, "I feel lost, and that is all of it."

"Oh," cried Teresa, "don't feel so! You are with good friends, and here you can stay just as long as you like."

"I should think you would wait to speak with Captain O' Daire before offering this ship's hospitality to Mr. De'lee," Isabel commented having overheard her sister's offer.

"Of course you are right Isabel," Teresa responded turning toward her sister, "It's just that Jon has nowhere else to turn. Surely he wouldn't be turned away from here... from us. Will you help me convince the Captain Isabel?"

Isabel smiled as she answered, "Unless I, in actual fact, am not acquainted with our Captain O' Daire's disposition as well as I believe, I should think it will take very little convincing. Have no fears little sister."

"Thank you Isabel," Teresa told her older sister while seizing her hand lightly within hers.

"Yes, from my heart I thank you, Isabel," Jon said sincerely.

"Do not thank me so very quickly Jon," Isabel offered, "Remember this is a pirate ship of the sea, and the Jolly Roger floats above our heads, there are risks."