“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.”
24. Up the Gangplank
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 of 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.”
25. Scrub Scrub
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.
Dak looked at Sera, almost sad. “Guess you have to be a jerk to lead a ship full of thugs.”
“You want to give us away?” she whispered back to him. “Careful what you say!”
“Hey, that rhymed.”
Sera wanted to strangle him.
“You poppycocks done?” Eyeball asked roughly. “Embarrassed me right in front of the captain. I ought to dash your brains out and throw ’em overboard.”
“We’re really sorry,” Sera said. “My friend is just excited that we’re here and got a little carried away. We’re ready to work.”
A huge grin spread across the man’s face. Several of his teeth looked rotten and about to join their long-lost partners. “That’s good, then. ’Cause you’re gonna be worked to the livin’ bone.”
Eyeball lived up to his word.
Sera spent the next few hours working harder than she’d ever done before. And it mostly involved crawling around on her hands and knees, scrubbing the wood of the upper decks. Every last muscle in her body ached. Dak was helping her, and Riq was behind them spreading out pitch — a black tarlike substance that sealed the wood and protected it from water.
Despite having the easiest job, Riq complained the most. But they didn’t talk much, because every time they did, someone would yell at them to shut their traps and get back to work. It had become impossible to tell who was in charge anymore, but everyone on board seemed to have the right to boss them around. Eyeball showed up every now and then, threw out a few swearwords for good measure, and then he’d disappear again.
Sera was scrubbing away when she heard voices above her. She looked up to see a couple of men fixing a rip in one of the sails with some thick twine and a large needle. She couldn’t quite tell what they were saying, but she thought she heard the name “Amancio,” and one of them was pointing toward the back of the ship.
She nudged Dak, then turned to look. Two men — one short, one tall — were making their way along the decks. They both had long black hair and shirts that revealed their entire arms, which were ripped with muscle.