Spanish for so long that it felt odd to Diko to revert to the local language with her. But it was necessary, for the moment, at least, if Cristoforo was not to understand what they said to each other.
Chipa smiled at that, and ducked her head. "He brought his page with him. He's very tall and fine and he likes me."
"He'd better not like you too well," said Diko. "You're not a woman yet."
"But he's a man," said Chipa, with a laugh. "Should I let them in?"
"Who is with Cristoforo?"
"All the big-house people," said Chipa. "Segovia, Arana, Gutiftrez, Escobedo. Even Torres." She giggled again. "Did you know that they brought him along to be an interpreter? He doesn't speak a word of Taino."
He didn't speak Mandarin either, or Japanese or Cantonese or Hindi or Malay or any of the other languages he would have needed if Cristoforo had actually reached the Far East as he intended. The poor myopic Europeans had sent Torres because he could read Hebrew and Aramaic, which they considered to be the matrices of all language.
"Let the Captain-General come in," said Diko. "And you can bring in your page, too. Pedro de Salcedo?"
Chipa did not seem surprised that Diko knew the name of her page. "Thank you," she said, and then stepped outside to bring in the guests.
Diko could not help feeling nervous -- no, why quibble? She was terrified. To finally meet him, the man who had consumed her life. And the scene they would play would be one that had never existed before in any history. She was so used to knowing what he would say before he said it. What would it be like, now that he had the capacity to surprise her?
No matter. She had a far greater ability to surprise him, and she used it immediately, speaking to him first in Genovese. "I've waited a long time to meet you, Cristoforo."
Even in the darkness inside her house, Diko could see how his face flushed at her lack of respect. Yet he had the good grace not to insist that she call him by his titles. Instead, he concentrated on the real question. "How is it that you speak the language of my family?"
She answered in Portuguese. "Would this be the language of your family? This is how your wife spoke, before she died, and your older son still thinks in Portuguese. Did you know that? Or have you spoken to him often enough to know what he thinks about anything?"
Cristoforo was angry and frightened. Just what she was hoping for. "You know things that no one knows." He was not speaking of family details, of course.
"Kingdoms will fall at your feet," she said, imitating as much as possible even the intonation of the voice in Cristoforo's vision from the interveners. "And millions whose lives are saved will call you blessed."
"We don't need an interpreter, do we," said Cristoforo.
"Shall we let the children go?" said Diko.
Cristoforo murmured to Chipa and Pedro. Pedro got up at once and went to the door, but Chipa didn't move.
"Chipa is not your servant," Diko pointed out. "But I will ask her to leave." In Taino she said, "I want the Captain-General to speak about things that he won't want anyone else to hear. Would you go outside?"
Chipa got up at once and headed for the door. Diko noticed with pleasure that Pedro held the flap open for her. The boy was already thinking of her, not just as a human, but as a lady. It was a breakthrough, even if no one was aware of it yet.
They were alone.
"How do you come to know these things?" asked Cristoforo at once. "These promises -- that kingdoms would fall at my feet, that--"
"I know them," said Diko, "because I came here by the same power that first gave those words to you." Let him interpret that how he would -- later, when he understood more, she would remind him that she hadn't lied to him.
She pulled a small solar-powered lantern from one of her bags and set it between them. When she switched it on, he shielded his eyes. His fingers also formed a cross. "It isn't witchcraft," she said. "It's a tool made by my people, of another place, where you could never voyage in all your traveling. But like any tool, it will someday wear out, and I won't know how to make another."
He was listening, but as his eyes adjusted, he was also looking at
Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 1 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 2 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 3 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 4 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 5 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 6 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 7 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 8 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 9 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 10 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 11 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 12 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 13 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 14 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 15 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 16 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 17 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 18 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 19 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 20 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 21 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 22 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 23 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 24 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 25 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 26 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 27 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 28 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 29 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 30 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 31 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 32 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 33 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 34 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 35 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 36 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 37 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 38 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 39 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 40 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 41 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 42 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 43 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 44 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 45 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 46 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 47 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 48 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 49 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 50 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 51 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 52 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 53 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 54 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 55 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 56 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 57 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 58 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 59 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 60 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 61 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 62 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 63 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 64 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 65 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 66 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 67 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 68 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 69 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 70 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 71 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 72 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 73 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 74 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 75 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 76 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 77 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 78 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 79 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 80 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 81 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 82 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 83 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 84 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 85 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 86 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 87 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 88 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 89 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 90 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 91 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 92 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 93 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 94 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 95 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 96 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 97 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 98 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 99 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 100 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 101 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 102 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 103 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 104 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 105 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 106 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 107 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 108 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 109 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 110 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 111 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 112 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 113 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 114 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 115 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 116 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 117 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 118 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 119 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 120 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 121 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 122 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 123 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 124 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 125 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 126 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 127 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 128 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 129 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 130 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 131 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 132 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 133 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 134 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 135 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 136 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 137 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 138 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 139 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 140 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 141 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 142 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 143 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 144 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 145 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 146 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 147 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 148 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 149 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 150 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 151 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 152 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 153 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 154 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 155 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 156 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 157 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 158 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 159 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 160 Pastwatch- The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus - By Orson Scott Card - Page 161