CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It must have been a sight from the shoreline to watch the Princess, as she approached the harbor. Lane stood on the bow with Stephan and Tiger.
Las Palmas was beautiful. The city sat on the north side of an island called GRAN CANARIA. And, there was every sign of wealth.
It was also plain to see that those on the shore were paying attention to the Princess and her approach. What Lane didn’t factor in was that they were really watching the smaller craft in tow.
There had been very little rest in the local waters for more than two days, because the governor’s son Timothy went missing. That sailing boat was missing, too. Everybody feared something criminal took place.
Lane understood that the Captain was going ashore with the child. There wasn’t a lot of room on the launch for passengers, so this wouldn’t be the time to visit Las Palmas.
It wasn’t impossible to believe Lane would return to this place some day. Their next trip might even be under happy terms. As it was, they had lost track of the Fabien.
Tiger had been explaining many more things about sailing boats and sailing ships. Lane was learning.
The Princess was what you would call a schooner. She wasn’t really a ship, but she was fast.
Most of the time, you would find boats like her in the waters of the local seas. Lane thought of the waters outside of Joppa as his now. They were local to what he had grown up with, even though he had only seen them during this very summer.
The trip from Joppa to Tunis had been just a little shorter than the trip from Tunis to this place, these Canary Islands.
It was till 1734, and Lane learned from David, the helmsmen, that the British where in these Islands. David knew something about these northern people.
They were dangerous. And, they were in power all over the world. Conversations had also produced some interesting facts about these
Romanists, the people Lane first encountered in Joppa.
David was also of the opinion that one should agree with Romanists. He meant to say by the fact that a person could get themselves killed very quickly by having some other opinion.
Lane wondered for a moment about Nathan. Maybe there had been some kind of opinion expressed to get himself sold into slavery. There could have been words spoken and overheard by Pedro Taylor.
Thoughts of Pedro Taylor also brought thoughts of the original plan, the reason Lane went to Joppa.
Nathan seemed to think Pedro Taylor knew what went on with Lane’s father. It all a really big mess, and Lane couldn’t make sense of it.
“Lord.” Lane began to pray. “Please look out for my father. You know where he is, and you know what happened to him. I remember him as a believer and a faithful man. Please watch out for him.”
“You really think the Lord is watching out for your father, don’t you?”
The question came from Stephan.
Lane faced both Stephan and Tiger, for they stood to his right. “It’s something I’ve learned.”
“What have you learned?” Tiger had had this conversation with Lane, but he asked him now to near it again. He also wanted Stephan to listen.
A smile came to Lane’s face, because he liked telling what he learned about the Lord. “Firstly, there’s nothing the Lord doesn’t see. He is aware.”
Stephan seemed doubtful. “I don’t know if I accept that. What about this kid on the boat, the one we found floating adrift?”
“That’s the perfect example.” Tiger spoke up this time. “Perfect example?” Stephan challenged.
Tiger nodded to Lane. “You tell him!”
Lane’s smile grew, as he explained things to Stephan. “We needed a way into the islands and a reason for being here.”
“What’s that got to do with this child?” Stephan seemed determined not to understand.
Lane decided to be patient with Stephan. “The boy wasn’t hurt. He was placed in our path just so we could pick him up.”
Stephan was softening up, but he still wanted to argue. “
”You’re saying that the Lord placed that boy in danger for us?”
Both Tiger and Lane shook their heads. It was Tiger’s turn to explain. “That boy was never in any sort of danger, for the Lord watched over him. His being in the waters was for us to find, and we well benefit from picking him up.”
Stephan smiled now. “You really think so?”
Lane confirmed it. “There’s no other way to explain it. Since I left ZIBA to watch over the animals, and look after our home, the Lord has been providing everything I need.”
“Probably before that, too.” Tiger said it.
Lane thought about it. “You’re right. My view on the matter is that the Lord’s been looking out for me since day one.”
“Since you left for Joppa?” Stephan asked.
Lane shook his head. “I don’t think so. What I mean is that the Lord has watched over me since the day I was born. Probably since he gave me life.”
The Princess had come to a stop now, and Lane felt the launch touch the hull a couple times. The Captain was getting aboard with David and the child.
It would be a couple hours before he found anything more about the child. But, it wasn’t the only thing on his mind. “Hey, Tiger.” Lane invited more conversation.
Tiger had been watching the Captain, too. But, he turned to give Lane his attention. “What’s up?”
Lane didn’t have the right words, but then he remembered some of it. “Tell me about the Fabien!!!! You said the Fabien is a galleon. What’s a galleon?”
Tiger took some time to explain how the bigger boats, those like the Fabien, were made to travel longer distances. He said she was perfect for going across the oceans to reach the Americas.
“Can we take the Princess across to the Americas?” Stephan asked the question. He didn’t know that much about sailing boats either.
Tiger was certain of the fact. “There’s no reason to believe we can’t.”
Lane’s mind wandered from the conversation.
He was likely to find himself in these Americas everybody kept talking about. What would America be like?
Several crew members had at least some information about the new land.
It was possible to see the Captain’s launch had made shore already. Lane couldn’t stop himself from wondering a little more about Timothy.
How did the kid end up floating around by himself, And would these people reach to his return in a friendly manner? Questions kept coming.
“What you thinking about?” Stephan’s voice cut through the fog in Lane’s mind.
Lane faced Stephan and saw that Tiger had departed. He took a moment before answering. “My mind is just busy. That’s all.”
“But, what you thinking about? I’ve learned that your thoughts are often leading somewhere.” Stephan wouldn’t give up.
Lane decided to let Stephan in on his thoughts. “I can’t make up my mind about these Americas I’ve heard about. We are likely to go, or at least go in that direction.”
Stephan nodded. I’ve considered the Americas, too. How long will it take us to get there?”
Lane gave his friend a look. “You sound like you’re already determined to go. What if something happened to change the Captain’s mind about going after the Fabien?”
That got a laugh out of Stephan. “A few moments ago would witness that you were ready for the Americas, too. The Captain is not going to change his mind. He is as determined as you are to interfere with slavery.”
“And, you’re sure that’s going to take us to these Americas?” Lane kind of wanted to hear Stephan say it would. He was fishing for the answer.
Stephan invited something new. “What do you suppose the Captain’s going to find in Las Palmas?”
Lane looked to the shoreline and noticed that the launch was coming back. The Captain wasn’t aboard, so he had to believe things were developing with Timothy.