A Fine Line Runs Through Seville
By Hippy Gypsy (with assistance from Avena)
Chapter 5: Sixteenth Century Woman
Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Road to El Dorado, nor do I own Elton John or his lyrics to "Sixteenth Century Man". I did however, switch a couple of the words to make this song fit into the story. Bear with me. When I first started coming up with this fic, I knew it had to be something Isabella and Meg could mock our favorite con men with. Anyways, not making gold off this, so by all means, enjoy!
PS The lyrics Isabella and Meg sing are in italics. I strongly suggest listening to Sixteenth Century Man during this, and I also suggest reading the previous chapter while listening to The Brig off the Road to El Dorado soundtrack. Peace out!
Isabella and Meg did not wait around to see if the two con men Tulio and Miguel followed them. Once they were through the broken bars of the jail cell, they hot footed out of there, stopped at the inn where they were staying, grabbed what little possessions they had, and split from Andalucia all together.
They traveled through the night, ignoring the hunger and exhaustion, and amazingly by the morning had managed to make it to the next town over. Silence had overtaken them over the time, the intensity of the situation and the need to get away being their number one priority. But by the time they had made it into the city, Meg stopped a moment, adjusted her bag along her shoulder, and turned around, looking in the direction of the rising sun. She began to let her wind wander.
"Hmph."
Isabella stopped and turned around, bringing her hand up to wipe the impending sleep out of her eyes. "What is it?"
"I don't know," Meg said turning to her slightly. "I'm just wondering if they got out or if they stayed behind." She caught up with Isabella and they continued on. "Or if they did get out, but got caught again."
Isabella shrugged her shoulders. "It was their choice to leave or not. No skin off our backs. We gave them the chance." After a moment, she began to smirk. In the next minute, she began to downright laugh out loud.
"What is it?" Meg asked raising an eyebrow with tired curiosity.
Isabella grinned evilly and replied, "Those two huevos and that damn story of theirs."
"Huevos? The bad eggs?"
"Si. And to find El Dorado, and then claim they were treated as gods? Oh yeah."
Meg snorted and with a smile, her energy suddenly began to perk up. "Uh huh. Where's the proof? Oh lord, and could just think of those two trying to come up with this story on a whim. Probably drunk in some pub and just tale tailing all night." She hopped up on a large boulder they happened to be passing, then mockingly made her voice go deep. "Just think! Miguel and Tulio!" she exclaimed.
Isabella joined her. "Tulio and Miguel!" she shouted, making her voice sound equilateral to Tulio's.
"Mighty and powerful GODS!" they voiced together, and the two instantly broke down into undeniable laughs. Energy and adrenaline once again returned to their bodies.
They stood up and continued down the road, just coming inside the village, but Meg had reached the point of giggles. As she trailed Isabella, she mockingly mumbled under her breath, "Oh look at me, look at me! I'm a god!"
Isabella snorted.
She turned to Meg and began to rant. "You see? That's one thing I don't get about the con artists of today. It's not even like it's all men."
"What do you mean Bella?"
"Gold! Everybody's after it anymore. But the difference between us and them is while everybody's clamoring for the New World, they're forgetting what's being left behind here. People have forgotten the plain ol' Spanish currency, making it up for grabs to the first people who want to take it."
"Meaning us?" Meg said with a smile.
"Exactly. Why sail the great oceans when the money in the bank is right here on shore?"
Meg adjusted her bag's strap once more. "And besides the fact we get sea sick."
"Precisely," she finished. "That's why we stay in Spain."
"Well, one reason."
"True, but…"
Isabella
Oh it's great to see my homeland
and breathe the Iberian atmosphere
Just because I am Hispanic
Doesn't mean I'm oceanic
Quite frankly I've had water up to here
"Wait, you're afraid of water?" Meg asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Nearly drowned when I was six," Isabella replied hopping down off of her perch.
"Ew…"
Both
We've made waves to last a lifetime
We've been saturated, almost drowned
Isabella
I am Spanish, not Caribbean
Meg
I'm human, not amphibian
Both
We'll seek our fortunes on Spain's solid ground
The two of them continued through the town, conversing about their theories of El Dorado and, one of their favorite subjects, gold.
Both
There's no future in the new world
Only fools believe the tales
Of the gold of El Dorado
Isabella
And those suckers
Both
Set their sails
But we've seen the way the tide is turning
Isabella
Cortez is a charlatan!
Meg
We are in the ball, discerning
Both
We're anit-diluvian
But two very fine examples of
Sixteenth century man
They're two very modern samples of
Sixteenth, sixteenth century man
"Do you really think those two guys thought people would believe that cracker barrel story about the City of Gold?" Meg said turning back, as if she were hoping Tulio and Miguel were right over her shoulder so they could hear her.
"The better question is do the people who hear it and get a good laugh out of it actually care? Or if they did go sailing for El Dorado, don't they know what they're missing here?" Isabella corrected.
Meg laughed. "Touché."
Isabella
We are women who are lining
Every avenue in every port
Meg
So instead we get to grips with
Things they never equip ships with
We have sailed into our last resort
Both
There's no gold out in the new world
It's a trick to get recruits
Forget boats to El Dorado
We've returned to our roots
Meg
Don't they know we're land like ladies?
Isabella
Cortez never let us board
Both
All in all the point we've made is
We don't want to go abroad
Two very fine examples of
Sixteenth century man
They're two terra firma samples of
Sixteenth, sixteenth century man
Two very fine examples of
Two terra firma samples of
Sixteenth century man!
"So we agree? Spain for good?" Meg said.
"Spain for ever," Isabella replied. "With gold."
"Definitely with gold."
"So should we stop and rest or keep going? If we keep this pace up we should make Seville by tonight."
Meg thought a moment and nodded. And the two women went straight through and out of the town.
Both
O, sixteenth century man!
Little did they know that as they exited the one side of the town, the two con men in their question were entering it and heading in the same direction.
