Subject: Chap XV.. Better late than never... Author: marta i (198.232.250.51) Date: 01-10-2000 16:43 XV: Juan is giving navigation orders at the first lights of daybreak. The Luzbel is very heavily loaded. Juan is more decisive than ever. They leave Saint Pierre behind in the distance. Juan looks at Mount Pelee (the volcano) and then stares at Monte Parnaso (the mountain by which he left Monica) with anxiety. They cannot drop anchor there because it is too deep so they have to wait riding the waves until they see what happens with the volcano. Everyone has evacuated Mount Pelee toward the city of Saint Pierre, but once there, they are partying, eating, not really worried at what is going on. Meanwhile, there is a deadly heat, fish are dying, sea birds are fleeing, smells like sulfur, streams from MP are carrying mud instead of water. The governor is giving a speech with a tone of 'nothing is going to happen, going to be business as usual tomorrow.. we'll wait this one out, no need to leave town'. Sofia and Yanina are listening to this. Sofia runs into Renato who just arrived to the Governor's mansion. She's mad at him for abandoning her and Campo Real for his love craze with Monica. He tells her it's no longer an impossible obsession. Monica is free and loves him. He got the annulment papers with him. Sofia claims what about CR?? He says he'll take care of that afterwards as soon as Monica is rescued. He will take care of CR and she will regret her bitter words towards him. Sofia asks if he has soldiers available. Not yet, but know the Governor will provide me with them. He has the legal authority now to go after JDD (which is what the GOvernor had requested of him, the papers). Sofia begs him not to go after Juan himself. He's going!! Pedro Noel is defending him. Sofia says all his (renato) life has had the dark shadow of Juan. Renato says you don't even know the whole story, it's gone farther. But this is the last battle and Renato already has the winning decision made for it, the one that redeems him and noone can take away. PN gets to the governor first. HE's carrying 3 thousand signatures from townspeople requesting life for Juan Del Diablo and the fishermen. Governor says Juan is not sentenced to death. PN says Juan and the others are virtually sentenced to death, since they are trapped at CDD, precisely where the lava is headed. The Governor says but J acted against government officers. PN says the town wants help for them who are going to be scorched alive only for trying to defend themselves from the injustice of a thief landlord with no soul. PN tells the Governor this is his chance to benefit his image in the town. He (PN) could gather many more thousands of signatures if given more time. They are interrupted by Sofia and Renato who break into the room without even knocking when they realize PN is in with the GOv. Gov is upset that they broke in unannounced. He wants them to wait but Renato says it's about the same issue PN is there for. Renato says he brought what the Governor had requested to let him go after Juan, the annulment papers. Renato tells PN to warn Juan that he's holding Monica without having the rights and that he advises... PN says Juan is not in the mood to take advice from noone!! If Governor agrees with his (PN) request, Monica will be free to do what she wants to. REnato says she already can and it will cost Juan his life to hold her by force. PN insists J is not holding Monica by force!! Renato says he is not there to argue with PN. PN is just an unloyal ex-employee of his family. Sofia backs Renato on his insults to PN. SHe and Renato throw threats and insults to PN who keeps trying to have the Governor send them to another room and wait their turn. Renato insists that the Governor comply with their earlier agreement and Renato will hand over to him the fugitives. A messenger arrives to let them know that the fugitives have escaped from Cabo del Diablo. They arrested some men but Juan del Diablo was not among them. REnato asks about Monica. She's not with those arrested. With this the GOvernor is enraged. If he only had more men.. Renato reminds the Gov that he is a reserve officer and offers him his services, along with those of other officers he knows are in SP. They can form a supplementary troop to enforce law and order. Gov accepts Renato's offer. Renato asks for 40 men and the coastguard ship (Galion). Gov thinks it is much to ask, but still complies with the requested resources. PN keeps complains about Gov's turnaround to no avail. Monica is at the convent looking out to sea and wishing she could see through the weather, smoke and distance the Luzbel, the people on it, and Juan on the post looking at the volcano and waiting anxiously. Juan and Colibri are worried about all the smoke and ashes, dead fish and fleeing sea birds. J tells C when night falls, they'll get closer to the shore to let a boat down and observe what is going on with the volcano. Saint Pierre will perish. J is sure, like if the birds could tell him about it when they fly past them. Something terrible is about to happen to his homeland, and a terrible threat is falling over the woman he loves... REnato is forcing Segundo to tell him where Juan and the others went. Segundo asks if he'll be set free if he talks, but Renato yells that he will kill him if he doesn't. Segundo tells him they are leaving on the Luzbel but they can't get far with that load. Monica is also with them. Renato asks him if Monica was taken by force and Segundo tells Renato he thinks Monica loves Juan. Renato gets enraged and shouts calling Segundo a liar and a dog, slapping him around pretty hard. PN is enraged at the physical abuse on Segundo, who is even tied up. Can't believe Renato's attitude. Renato has Segundo sent back to the basement cells. Let's go on the Galion right away!! Get the 40 soldiers and let's go!! PN begs REnato, don't you care about your father's last wish and final request? But Renato is choking on his own hate, pain and jealousy. PN: He's your brother! / R: So what if I needed his blood?? LEt's go!! PN runs into Ana. PN yells at her and she says that Catalina sent her to tell him that she received a letter from the Mother Superior saying that Monica is with them at the Mount Parnaso convent and she is safe. Cata wants to go there asap (seems like she needs PN to go with them or get them a way there). PN realizes REnato should hear this, this neews could stop him and prevent him to go against his brother. He calls for a coach, a horse or something to try and catch up with Renato. PN catches up with them before the ship leaves. But Renato is reluctant to believe the story and does not trust it coming from Ana, so he asks to see the letter before he believes it. He thinks PN is making it all up. PN offers to go to the convent and get her (Monica) himself. PN asks Renato to wait for him there, it will take about an hour. As soon as PN leaves Renato orders the soldiers to sail immediately. They'll find the LUzbel. HE thinks PN is just trying to slow him down in order to give Juan some extra prescious time to escape. That brother whom he admires and despises, seizes and rejects all at the same time. He keeps shouting orders to be ready for a battle. Be alert at all times. The battle is to death, the Luzbel cannot be very far!!