ly, Danny nodded. He remembered his history now. The Nina _had_ been
commanded by one Don Pinzon, Don Martin Pinzon! And he was now this
Martin Pinzon, he, Danny Jones. Which meant he was going with Columbus
to discover a new world! A nineteen-year-old American youth going to
witness the single most important event in American history....

"Yes," Danny said slowly, "I am Don Pinzon."

"But--but you're so young!"

Danny shrugged. "I have seen more of the world than you would believe,
Nina."

"The Western Sea? You have been out on the Western Sea, as far as the
Canary Islands, perhaps?" she asked in an awed voice.

"I know the Western Sea," he said. "Trust me."

She came very close. She looked long in his eyes. "I trust you, Martin.
Oh yes, I trust you. Listen, Martin. I'm going. I'm going with you. I
have to go with you."

"But a girl--"

"He is my father. I love him, Martin. He needs me. Martin, don't try to
stop me. I want you to help me aboard, to see that he ... oh, Martin,
you'll have so much to do. Because the rest of our crew--some of them
being hired even now by the three caravel pursers--will be a crew of
cut-throats and ne'er-do-wells embarking into the unknown because they
have utterly nothing to lose. Father needs you because the others won't
care."

"The three caravels will sail west," Danny told her. "Believe me,
they'll sail west. Now, get some sleep."

Her face was still very close. Her eyes filled with tears, but they were
not tears of sadness. She took his cheeks in her hands and kissed him
softly on the lips. She smiled at him, her own lips trembling.

"Martin," she said.

His arms moved. They went around her, drew the softness of her close.
She murmured something, but he did not hear it. His lips found hers a
second time, fiercely. His hands her shoulder, her throat, her ...

"Flat," Columbus mumbled. "Flat. Abs'lutely flat. The Earth is--flat as
a pancake...."

"Oh, Martin!" Nina cried.

* * * * *

It was raining in the morning. A hard, driving rain, pelting down on the
seaport of Palos. The three caravels floated side by side in the little
harbor and a large, derisive crowd had gathered. The crowd erupted into
noisy laughter when Columbus and his little party appeared on foot.

"I need a drink," Columbus whispered. "I can't go through with it."

"Father," Nina said. "We're with you. I'm here. Martin is here."

"I can't go--"

"You've got to go