Lions of the Sea

64

"Beat to quarters!"

"The dogs broke out!"

"They went that way!"

Castillano jumped to the cart's seat and signaled the man holding the reins to get going. He was badly shaved and looked even worse, but if he'd mingled unnoticed among the garrison at the carriage yard, he'd do at the cathedral.

Castillano was sort of curious, but he really didn't want to know how Dolores Mondrego had managed to put up that daring plan in only one day. All that mattered was that she'd done it, and now he had a part to play. So there he was, with the husband of one of the Governor's laundresses in a stolen uniform, heading to the cathedral to get Marina. To take her to one of the harbor brothels, where Dolores and the women of the house swore they could hide the child.

They reached the cathedral from the east to avoid the racket around the Governor's palace and stopped at a secondary entrance on the northern side of the building. Castillano sneaked up to the corner to take a look at the Main Square, and the first thing he noticed was that the search parties put together in a hurry were all heading south. To the harbor. Right in his way.

"Bloody dogs!" he snarled. He could only hope Alonso would catch them soon.

He went back to the secondary access and pounded on the door with his fist. He had to do it several times until he heard hurried footsteps from the other side. A creaking spyhole opened and a thin, severe face scowled at him from inside.

He stepped back and opened his cloak, showing his uniform in the light of the lantern by the door.

"Captain Castillano with the Windward Fleet, at the Governor's orders," he said.

The spyhole closed.

He frowned, puzzled, when the door didn't open. He was about to knock again when he heard a bar lifted and a key turning. A scrawny nun, her hardened face covered in small wrinkles, showed at the doorway with a lamp.

"Good evening, sister. I've been sent for the prisoner. My orders are to take her to San Carlos castle right away."

The nun looked him up and down, not signs of having even heard him.

Castillano forced himself to keep his calm and manners. "We're in a hurry, sister. The pirates have broken out of prison and we're afraid they might attack the church to rescue the prisoner. We're taking her to the castle until they're captured and it's safe again for you to have her back in your custody."

The woman kept staring at him in such a way that made Castillano wonder whether she was deaf. He stepped up and she raised the lamp, as if it would stop him. Before he insisted again, she spoke in a voice that sounded like the lashing of a whip.

"And they sent you all alone, without an escort?"

"The Governor doesn't have many men, sister, and I gave him mine to join the chase. I'm enough to transport a single prisoner."

"She's under the authority of the Holy Church, Captain. His Reverence the Bishop will decide what we shall do."

"And does Monsignor know what's going on?"

"His Reverence is resting."

"Then please go inform him that a band of pirates plans to attack the cathedral to retrieve the prisoner."

"Pirates won't desecrate the House of the Lord again."

"That's what you thought after L'Olonnais," he replied bitterly. "Until Morgan came along." He saw his words hit the target and took the last step to stand face to face with the nun. The woman's surly frown hesitated when they heard shouts and shots from the east. "So if you'd allow me, sister. While you report to Monsignor about the situation, and Monsignor makes a decision, I'm taking the prisoner to safety, in order to keep danger away from the House of the Lord. You've already suffered enough in the hands of these murderers. Monsignor can inform the Governor of his decision."