VOYAGERS! - The Voyager Chronicles
DISCOVERIES - BOOK 1
(The First New Adventure)
By DA Daugherty (VoyagersFan)
October 2006 (Revised 05/2009)
Previous disclaimers apply
Chapter 3 - THE SEARCH FOR CHRIS
The two Voyagers narrowly escaped the terror of their last encounter. In the wink of an eye, they arrived in the city of Grenada and landed in a pile of hay in an alley near the city's marketplace. Not too far in the distance stood the Alhambra Palace, where the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella now resided. Unbeknownst to them at this time, the person they were seeking was several blocks away at his home.
Bogg opened the omni. "Grenada, April 1st, 1492 and a red light. Well, it looks like we're in the right place."
Jeff, still visibly shaken from their encounter with the native, looked to his partner with a great sense of relief.
"Bogg, I'm just glad we were able to escape before that native got a chance to add to his scalp collection. That was a little too close for my comfort." Jeff playfully punched his partner on the shoulder.
"Ouch! What was that for?" Bogg exclaimed as he rubbed his arm briskly.
"So what took you so long to push that button anyway?" Jeff exclaimed. "Did you have a death wish or something?"
Bogg chuckled a bit. "No, I was just trying to get a feel for how scared you can get."
Jeff was a bit miffed by his partner's last comment. In retaliation, he once again played on Bogg's emotions by putting on another performance of his role as the injured kid. At this point, he stood up, brushed the dust from his clothes and stormed off leaving Bogg still sitting in the hay.
Bogg stood up and yelled to his partner, "Hey Jeff!…Wait! Come back here! I'm just teasing." Of course, Jeff ignored him and kept on going.
"Smart kids give me a pain." Bogg mumbled as he ran to catch up with him. Once he finally reached his partner, Jeff turned around, pointed to Bogg and yelled "Gotcha!"
Bogg put his hands on his hips and he gave him a stern look in response to his little performance.
"Kid, we don't have time to fool around." He admonished. "Remember, we've got to find Columbus."
"Yea, but where do we look? He could be anywhere and this is a pretty big country."
"We're not going to get anywhere standing around here all day." Bogg quipped. "C'mon, let's see if we can find someone who knows where he lives."
The two Voyagers strolled out onto the busy marketplace street and began to survey the area. The street was full of people buying and selling food, trinkets and other wares.
"As I remember the stories that were told about him, he lived in an upstairs apartment near a marketplace." Jeff said wryly.
"Well this looks like a marketplace." Bogg acknowledged as he continued to survey the area. "Maybe someone here will know. What about that guy over there? Let's ask him."
Casually, the two strolled over to a booth where a tall man stood behind a display of various fruits and vegetables. He had a slightly wrinkled face and wisps of long gray hair on his head. Without hesitation, Bogg and Jeff approached him.
"Excuse me sir." Bogg said politely.
"We are looking for a man by the name of Columbus. We were told that he lived in this area, but we are not sure exactly where."
"So you are looking for the crazy explorer, huh?" The man replied as he rotated several tomatoes on his display. "You know, these will get too ripe if you don't turn them."
Jeff shook his head. "What do you mean by crazy?"
The man, intrigued by their curiosity, motioned for the two of them to come back behind the display and sit down. They both complied with the man's wishes.
Once the two were seated, he began to explain himself to them.
"Columbus is known by all here and is called 'the crazy explorer' because of his theories. His latest one is that the world is round. Most ordinary citizens and sailors believe that the world is flat and if you sail too far out into the oceans you will fall off the edge."
Jeff interrupted with laughter, which he tried to suppress. Bogg looked at him with a lowered brow and then turned his attention back to the man.
"Please excuse him sir and do continue with your story."
"The crazy explorer believes the world is round. He thinks if you sail a ship far out to sea that eventually you will make a complete circle and find yourself back at your starting point. He also believes that there are other lands which have not yet been discovered on the other side of the oceans."
"What do you believe?" Bogg asked.
"Well, he is a smart fellow and like most scholars who believe in a round world, he has done much research into this subject. You know, there could be some substance to his theories. Think about it. If the world was really flat, eventually all the water of the oceans would be gone. They would just run off the edge and be gone forever. This is my theory. However, theories are just that until someone like Columbus sails a ship into those uncharted areas and proves them to be true. For me, I am much too old to go on such a voyage and so must be content to live out the remainder of my life here, selling my fruits and vegetables. "
"Can you tell us where we can find him?" Jeff asked.
"Columbus spends most of his days either studying his maps in his room or trying to find someone to fund his exploration."
The old man pointed down the street to an old two-story stucco building with a clay-tiled roof.
"You see that building down there, that's where you will find him. He lives in a room on the upper floor."
Bogg and Jeff rose from their seats. They thanked the old man for his information and set off walking down the street. After walking a couple of blocks, they came to the front door of the stucco building where Columbus was reported to live. Bogg knocked on the door and after a few moments, a small, frail woman opened the door a bit and peered outside.
"May I help you?" She asked with a weak voice.
"Yes. My friend and I are looking for Mr. Columbus." Bogg replied. "Does he live here?"
"Are you acquainted with Mr. Columbus?"
"Yes, you could say that."
"He is here." She said as she struggled to open the heavy wooden door. "Please come in."
Bogg and Jeff obliged the woman and stepped through the door. Once inside, they found themselves standing in a spacious hallway with a grand staircase leading to the upper floor of the building. The area was dimly lit and on its walls were portraits and paintings reminiscent of those found in museums such as the Louvre.
With all her strength, the woman closed the massive wooden door and latched it. She then hobbled over and stood in front of her guests.
"You will find Mr. Columbus in the first room on the right at the top of the stairs. If you need anything else, I will be in my room just over there."
"Thank you, ma'am." Bogg replied. The two stood there for a moment and watched as the woman slowly made her way across the hallway to her room.
"C'mon kid." Bogg urged.
The two walked over and began to climb the grand staircase to the upper floor. Upon reaching the landing, it was only a few more steps until they found themselves at the door of Columbus's room.
"Well…this must be it." Bogg whispered. He knocked on the door and a voice from within beckoned unto them.
"Come! It's open."
Bogg quietly opened the door and the two stepped inside. After closing the door behind them, the two Voyagers stood silently in the midst of the great explorer and observed their surroundings.
Columbus' room was very dimly lit and scarcely furnished. Unlike most homes of the time, it looked more like an office than an apartment. On one wall, there were shelves filled with hundreds of dusty, cobweb covered leather bound books. A fireplace and two chairs stood on the opposite side of the room. In the middle of the room there was a table with several old parchment maps strewn across it, along with a lit candlestick and some writing tools. On the far wall was a bed and next to it a desk where Columbus now sat, his eyes intensely fixated on a map.
After a few moments, Bogg walked over and stood in front of Columbus' desk.
"Mr. Columbus, I presume."
Columbus looked up from his map. "Yes! And who might you be sir?"
"The name's Phineas Bogg and this is Jeffrey Jones."
"What can I do for you today Mr. Bogg?" He asked.
Bogg, using his incredible ability for thinking on his feet, replied. "Well, my partner and I have heard of your theories concerning the possibility of undiscovered lands on the other side of the ocean. We want to join you in your quest to prove them."
"I see…and what do you hope to gain from helping me prove my theories?"
"Well sir, when it comes right down to it, nothing." Bogg replied. "We are not here to gain wealth from this venture or to take credit away from you. We are explorers much like yourself and wanted to offer our assistance to help you to prove those theories.
"At this moment, sir, they are just that! Theories! Without ships and funding from the Royal Court, I have no way to prove their validity." Columbus quipped.
Jeff walked up to the edge of the desk and peered curiously at the maps strewn across it.
"I take it you have already petitioned the King for support?" Jeff asked pointedly.
"Yes. Even after I provided him with documents proclaiming what riches and benefits could possibly be reaped from the journey. He scoffed at it! He said it was a terrible waste of ships and money especially during this time of war with the Moors. Then he dismissed me from his presence."
"What about speaking to the Queen?" Bogg asked. "Maybe she could persuade him to fund it if she was convinced the journey would be fruitful."
Columbus put down his compass for a moment, rubbed his eyes and looked up at the Voyager.
"No. I had thought about approaching the Queen, but I was so disappointed after the first attempt, I decided against it. I felt it was hopeless."
Jeff tapped his partner on the arm. "Bogg!" Jeff whispered. "That's it!"
Bogg turned to face his partner. "What?"
Jeff continued in a whispered tone, "That's why he never made it to the new world in October 1492. He has not gotten any backing. He was not supposed to convince King Ferdinand that he needed the ships and money to make the voyage. His backing came from Queen Isabella. He has to meet with her! Bogg, she is the key!"
"Well kid, we'll just have to do something about that." Bogg whispered boldly.
Bogg turned his attention back to Columbus. "Mr. Columbus, Jeff and I have an idea as to how you can get your backing to make this voyage. That is, if you will allow us to assist you."
"Yes, I would welcome your assistance and please do call me Christopher. Addressing me as Mr. Columbus makes me feel old and I am not that old yet.
"Do you mind if we call you Chris?" Bogg asked.
"No, that will be ok. So now, where should do we begin?"
The two Voyagers looked at each other for a moment, before Bogg finally spoke up.
"If I understood you correctly, you said that you had petitioned King Ferdinand for the money and he said 'it was a waste of money and ships during a time of war'. Correct?"
"Yes! That's what he said." Columbus affirmed. "And I heard every single word of it most clearly."
"Ok, and am I correct to say that the war with the Moors is over?"
"Yes, the war ended several months ago, with the conquest of Grenada. What are you trying to say Mr. Bogg?"
Bogg began to slowly pace around the room, his head down and a finger in the air, obviously in a state of deep thought.
"What I'm saying is this…The money and ships would not have been available during the war, but now that the war is over…"
Jeff interrupted. "There would be lots of ships and money available for other uses."
Bogg whirled about, snapped his finger and pointed to his partner. "Yes! Couldn't have said it better myself, kid. Now we are getting somewhere."
"Ok, so you struck out with Ferdinand during the war." Bogg said with a hint of excitement in his voice. "Now you have a second chance with Isabella and there is no war on now."
Columbus stoked his chin and cast his eye on the two. "You and your young companion's words are strange, Mr. Bogg, but I believe I understand your meaning."
"Sir, you are a member of the Royal Court, right?" Jeff asked.
"Yes, I have been in the Royal Court for several years now."
"So you should know who has the Queen's ear so to speak?"
After Jeff's latest question, the great explorer had a rather perplexed look on his face.
"Who has the Queen's ear?" Columbus asked innocently. "She still had both of her ears the last time I saw her. I don't quite follow you lad."
Bogg spoke up. "I think, sir, what he means is there is always one person in the Royal Court whom the Queen is more receptive to. Who besides the King does she listen to and accept advice from?"
"Well, in matters such as these, there is only one person that I know of in the Royal Court who could persuade the Queen, his name is Luis and he is the Royal Treasurer."
"Ok, Chris. Everything now points in your favor." Bogg acknowledged. "As I see it, the first thing we need to do is to seek an audience with Luis the Treasurer and convince him of this golden opportunity. Once he is convinced, he can put a word in the Queen's ear and then we can seek an audience with her. For now, though, prepare your papers and documents, the ones you presented to King Ferdinand. We will attempt a meeting with Luis the Treasurer tomorrow."
"Thank you Mr. Bogg and Mr. Jones. Thank you both." Columbus replied with an extreme sense of gratitude. "You must have been sent directly from heaven on the wings of angels to help me solve this problem."
Bogg looked at Jeff and smiled a bit. "On the wings of angels, I really don't think so. More like on the back of an…"
"Bogg!" Jeff quickly interrupted. He knew all too well his partner was about to give quite a colorful description of the beast.
Bogg turned and whispered to his partner as he rubbed his aching backside. "What? I'm still in pain from the last landing." Jeff shrugged his shoulders as his partner turned his attention back to Columbus.
"Chris…We have some preliminary work to do to prepare for tomorrow's meeting. If it's ok with you, we will leave now and return in the morning."
"Please, by all means. Go and get yourselves some food and some rest." Columbus replied. "I will see you in the morning. Good afternoon to you both."
"Good afternoon Chris!"
The two Voyagers slowly turned and left the room. Upon exiting the building, they began to plan their strategy.
"Kid, I'd say the first thing we need to do is to find some suitable clothing. What do you think?." Bogg asked.
"Yea! And we need some food and a place to sleep as well."
Bogg stopped in his tracks and looked at his partner.
"What? Hungry again?" He exclaimed in disbelief. "It hasn't been that long since we ate."
Jeff smiled and teased his partner. "Hey, I'm still growing you know! These are my formative years and growing boys tend to eat quite a bit during this time."
Bogg nodded and smiled at his partner. "Yea, at this rate, you'll have grown so much, we'll soon have to put you on a diet!"
"Bogg!!!" Jeff yelled.
Bogg winked at this partner and put his arm on his shoulder. "C'mon, kid, let's see what we can find." At this point, the two strolled off toward the marketplace.