SCENE--About a year later--Columbus's flagship on the last day of his second voyage. The section of the vessel shown reveals the main deck amidships, the mainmast, the mainsail with its Maltese Cross, the two higher decks of the poop, the lateen sail on the mizzenmast, etc. Wooden stairs on the starboard, near the bulwark, are the means of getting from one deck to another.
It is the time just preceding the dawn. The ship is sailing steadily on a calm sea. There is a large lantern at center of the main deck, another low down in the rigging on the port side, another over the cross which hangs over the stern from the high poop. The ship is crowded with people. On the main deck are the nobles. They are dressed in rich uniforms, in armor. Most of them are asleep, lying sprawled on the deck, wrapped in their cloaks--or huddled in hunched attitudes, their backs propped against the mast or the bulwarks. But one small group has apparently been awake all night. They are sitting cross-legged, throwing dice by the light of the lantern. The faces of the gamesters are haggard and drawn, their eyes feverish. Prominent among them are Oviedo, Castillo, Mendoza and Luis.
On the first deck of the poop, the monks, all Franciscans, are lying asleep. Here, also, are four of the converted Indians Columbus is bringing back. They are dressed in incongruous costumes, half savage and half civilized. They are huddled in the right corner, not asleep, but frozen in a helpless apathy.
On the highest deck Juan is seen standing by the pilot who tends the helm.
LUIS--(excitedly) Double or quits!
OVIEDO--Done. (They play. Luis loses.)
LUIS--I am ruined again! (with a comical groan of despair) Fortune is a damned mercenary wench. She scorns the poor. (takes up the dice to throw) Once more!
OVIEDO--(grumblingly) No. You owe me more than you can pay.
LUIS--I will soon be rich as Croesus. Don Columbus says we will sight land today--the Indies, Isles of Spice, Cipango, Cathay, who knows what? I will stake my future wealth against yours. Come! One more cast for anything you wish.
OVIEDO--(dryly) For gold--gold I can see and touch.
LUIS--(disgustedly) The devil! I must borrow from Juan then. (He gets to his feet.)
OVIEDO--He will not thank you to wake him on a beggar's errand.
LUIS--Do you imagine he sleeps with his Promised Land so near? He is astern on the Admiral's poop keeping a watch of his own--for fear the lookout will miss Cathay!
CASTILLO--Juan is over-eager. He will make the Genoese jealous.
MENDOZA--Has already. It is plain Columbus slights him.
OVIEDO--From policy. He knows Juan is in disgrace at Court since the duel. Our admiral trims his sails to the wind.
CASTILLO--Juan paid dearly for Vicente's wound--a pinprick that hardly drew blood.
MENDOZA--It was the scandal.
LUIS--(indignantly) All false--the malice of envious tongues! Vicente himself apologized to Juan. As for the lady, when I was home in Cordova I saw her with Vicente. You could not find a more married pair. It was even rumored they were to have a child--(Juan has come down from the Admiral's poop, passed through the sleeping monks and now appears by the light of the lamp in the rigging at the head of the stairs to the main deck. Luis breaks off suddenly.) Is that you, Juan? Come, be a brother. This son of luck (he indicates Oviedo) has won everything but my skin.
JUAN--(with a laugh) Then stake the Fountain of Youth which you will find--tomorrow! Sold by the cask it should make you the richest man in Spain. (The nobles laugh.)
LUIS--(with real aversion) What trader's scheming--from you! (then jokingly) Take care! When the pox of old age is on you will come begging to me! (then rattling the dice) But come, loan me gold for a last cast of revenge. (then with a sudden idea) And you throw for me. My star is behind a cloud.
OVIEDO--Not fair. Juan always wins.
JUAN--(frowning) This is no time for gaming.
LUIS--(insistently) Just once, Juan.
JUAN--(consenting unwillingly) Only once. The stakes are yours. Let the cast be an augury for me. (He takes gold from his purse. He and Oviedo play. Oviedo wins and there is a murmur of astonishment.)
OVIEDO--(exultantly) I win. The first time I have ever beat you, Juan.
JUAN--(getting up) A poor omen. (then mockingly) But here on the under side of earth these signs must run by opposites.
MENDOZA--(half frightenedly) Can we be hanging head down and not know it?
CASTILLO--Bah! The Genoese made his first voyage safely. We cannot fall off, it seems.