Page 104 of The Secret of Drulea Cottage

“What are you—”

But Andreas was already recocking the pistol and aiming downward.

BANG!

Santiago’s heart stilled. He didn’t look, but somehow he knew that the shot had reached its target.

He gawked at the captain, someone he’d called a friend for years now, wondering if he truly knew the man at all. Santiago stood there in a daze for a few seconds, not noticing that Silva had taken hold of the ship’s wheel, and they were starting to move away from the harbor.

Andreas didn’t show any signs of regret or even disturbance at his actions. He simply reloaded the pistol and said, “Just leave this to me. Get Lucia below deck.Now.”

Santiago, not knowing how else to respond, turned to find his sister. He came back to his senses when he saw her crouched beside the mainmast, sobbing.

“Lucia, let’s go!” Santiago clutched her shoulders and pulled her up.

She was shaking uncontrollably, and the only sound coming from her mouth was a quiet whimper.

“It’s going to be all right. Come with me,” Santiago said.

Hehelped her reach the doors to the captain’s quarters before glancing back at Andreas once more. The man was shooting bullet after bullet at the quadrilheiros, officers who carried only spears and knives, his face completely emotionless.

Lucia sniffled again, and Santiago repeated his words from before, “It’s going to be all right.”

But as the two of them went inside, Santiago’s stomach churned. Lucia may have believed him, but he knew his words were a lie.

Behind the Mask

“What do you mean, ‘it could take a month to arrive’? When Lucia and I calculated the course, it was only going to be a few weeks at the most!” Santiago argued, pointing to Norway on the map.

Andreas folded his hands together calmly from his seat across the table, a perfect contrast to his friend’s volatile demeanor. It had been a week since that night in Aveiro, and things between the two friends had been tenser than ever.

“Aye, that would be true in normal circumstances. But we’re running from the law. It’s of the utmost importance that we avoid detection. If we go by the shortest route, the oneyouplotted out, we’ll pass several other trade ships. Curious eyes lead to wagging tongues, and word of our presence could reach the navy before we get to our destination. We must be rational about this.”

Santiago’s eyes widened, and he jumped to his feet. “Rational?! Since when has any of this beenrational?What’s rational about running away when we’ve done nothing wrong? What’s rational about going to Norway, of all places!”

Andreas sighed and shook his head as though Santiago was too ignorant to understand. “What are you really angry about? And I know it’s not about the ship changing course.”

Santiago slammed his hand on the table, earning only the slightest wince from Andreas. “Those men back there didn’t need to die. That was never what I wanted!”

Andreas rolled his eyes. “You’re a fugitive now, Santiago! Did you think we could escape without bloodshed? How naive are you? Killing those men bought us the time we needed, so don’t expect me to apologize for it. I’m doing what has to be done. Don’t try to make me feel guilty just because you lack the nerve to do the same.”

Santiago turned and stomped out, slamming the door. He slid a weary hand down his face, again questioning why he’d agreed to flee in the first place.

*

The next days passed in much the same way for the two friends: colder than a Norwegian winter. They exchanged no words, and as more time passed, the larger the gulf between them became. Lucia noticed the strange atmosphere, but when she asked Santiago about it, he brushed her off and claimed she was imagining things. The future was so uncertain that Santiago didn’t wish to add to Lucia’s worries. And if she knew about the rift, he feared she would make things worse by trying to force them to reconcile before they were ready.

Santiago looked out at the water one morning, his mind swimming with sorrow. The days had been growing warmer, and summer would soon be upon them. They had celebrated Lucia’s birthday the evening before, though Santiago hadn’t been able to shake his guilt as they sang to her.

What a miserable situation to be in! The worst of it is that it’s at my expense. What else will this end up costing her?

A cough nearby drew Santiago’s attention. He turned and spotted two sailors swabbing the deck. They were hunched close together, whispering as they worked.

“There’s no way that truly happened!” the younger sailor said.

The other sailor nodded, and when he did, Santiago recognized him as Claudio Perreira, one of the riggers. “Would I lie to you? That’s what I heard, clear as day. Why else would his carriage be there in the middle of the night? He must have been there to get Policarpio out!”

Santiago started at the familiar name. “You, there! What are you jabbering about?”