Author: Robin N (157.198.3.51)
Date: 08-20-1999 10:36
Chapter 10
The Luzbel is approaching another island—San Cristobal and Fort
Tyson—and Juan is seeing them with an admiring Monica. (But it’s not
clear what she’s enjoying more, the view or Juan’s company.)
“Apoydada en el brazo de Juan, llevada por el, oyendo su voz calida,
siente que las horas pasan tan blandamente como la brisa que ahora
despeina sus dorados cabellos, tan suavemente como el mar que
extiende alla abajo, sobre la playa rubia, su pañuelo de espumas…”
They’ve been asked to lunch by the fleet who admire Monica. In
particular, Charles Tow, an Englishman, has searched out things to
please her. Juan tells her that their life has changed for the
better, and she asks him if his (Juan’s) has as well. He tells her,
“La mia la primera, desde luego… pero no hables, si es para
recordarlo.” He doesn’t want to think of the past right now, just to
enjoy the day in San Cristobal. He smiles at her and she can’t
respond because her voice is trapped in her throat, looking at him,
she feels she’s living a dream. He worries briefly and asks her if
she feels bad.
“No se como se llama lo que siento, Juan… acaso… acaso estoy cerca
de la felicidad.”
Juan can hardly believe what he’s hearing; is that strange word
right, something they’ve hardly felt in their turbulent life…
happiness? He fells as if he’s in a dream too, but if Monica said
so, it must be true. Without a word they join hands, their hearts
beating in a single rhythm and take the ladder and descend to the
launch.
Back in Martinique: Renato is now bending the governor’s ear. The
governor tells him that his mother wished for him to detain the
Luzbel, but he’s concerned about scandal. Renato, however, cares
nothing for scandal. The gov wonders at the change in him in the 10
days since his wedding: he’s become hard, and fierce. He tells
Renato he has no legal reason to detain Juan. Renato tells him that
if he makes him return to port, his boat left illegally and he left
owing debts and he will have the papers to prove it, plus there is a
wounded man who will testify against him. The gov tells him that
someone paid Juan’s fines and the charges were dropped against him.
Renato tells him that he paid it and now he wants to take away that
indemnity. The gov tells him that to do so, in Juan’s absence, is
inhuman. Renato doesn’t care; he’s willing to sign anything. Okay,
if that’s what you want, the gov tells him, but it won’t be easy.
We’ll send out orders to a few islands who’ll cooperate. Do it!
orders Renato.
The Luzbel continues on it’s Caribbean tour: they’re now approaching
Guadelupe and are near Maria Galante. Juan’s at the helm and let’s
Monica try steering the boat. He guides her hands and they tremble.
Juan smiles strangely. He wonders if Monica thinks he’s avoiding
Maria Galante so she can’t see Dr. Faber. She doesn’t think this. He
tells her that she can if she wishes, he doesn’t want her to see
him. He’s honest about his feelings of antipathy. She reminds him
that he did save her life. That’s true, but he did more bad than
good, it was his fault that he made his resolution to not set anchor
in a French port. He leaves in a dark mood and Monica worries.
Segundo notices her expression and questions her. He notes Juan’s
mood and tells her that Juan’s afraid to land in French territory
because he’s afraid to lose her and he won’t keep her against her
will. Monica asks him if he’s the one who advised Juan to flee Maria
Galante. He tells her yes. She tells him that she understands that
he acted on the behalf of the Luzbel, but that the Dr. wasn’t going
to do anything bad, she just asked him to write a letter to her mom
telling her she was fine. Does Juan know this? She tells him no,
it’s hard to talk to him sometimes. Segundo tells her that he’s a
changed man. He tells her that if she still wants to, he’ll get a
letter to her mother. He cautions her not to betray Juan’s trust
because he was betrayed much as a child, but he’ll put her letter
into the mail in Portsmouth tomorrow.
Monica goes to the cabin and finds Colibri there. She tells him that
she would like to be alone for a little while. She asks for a pen
and paper. In her search she comes across her black dress, looks at
it recalling the last night she wore it, and puts it back. A tear
escapes and Colibri notices it. She tells him that it’s her last
tear for Monica de Molnar!
Noel and Renato meet. Renato feels smug; he has news that Juan’s in
Portsmouth (one of the ports where he can possibly be detained or
perhaps in Roseau), but he supposes that Noel sought him out at his
mother’s bequest. Noel tells him that he, and everyone else, was
concerned by the way he left Campo Real. He wants to talk seriously
about what Renato is proposing to do. Renato tells him that the boat
will be detained and he will rescue Monica. Noel questions him if
it’s true, that he’s revoked his indemnification of Juan and signed
an accusation against him. Renato tells him that it was the only
course open to him. Noel is confused, “wait a minute, didn’t Juan
repay you when he returned from his last voyage? He had the money
and was off to do so?” Renato tells him that he can’t prove it. Noel
is greatly offended and tells him that it’s an infamy. Renato
justifies it by saying that Juan del Diablo has committed worse
things in his life. “Don’t you understand? Monica is innocent!” He’s
off right now to go to see the governor and tells Noel to leave
because it will be useless to try and defend Juan.
The governor tries to talk Renato out of this one last time, but to
no avail. He plans to go personally with the coastguard to apprehend
Juan.
Back on the Luzbel… The cargo is stored. Segundo watches Juan go to
the cabin door and pause. Juan thinks that perhaps Monica won’t
reject him now, things have changed between them, but it’s just a
“chispazo de luz entre las sombras,” and he slowly turns his back
and looks at the stars and muses, “No! She’s not mine… and she never
will be!” Inside the cabin, Monica says, “I am yours, yours
forever…” She lets these words of longing escape. She’s been looking
at the door, waiting for Juan to walk thru it. She too turns her
back to the door, torn with her desires. Looking out the porthole
she looks out at the stars and whispers his name uselessly, over and
over. “Juan… Juan… If you would love me!”
At Campo Real, Noel fills in Sofia with Renato’s plans, that he told
Noel that Monica is innocent of everything. This is news to Sofia
and she wants to know who spoke to Renato that he would have learned
this. Yanina tells her it was Aimee. Sofia wants to talk to her
immediately.
The Luzbel is now entering the port of Roseau, the capital of
Dominica and Segundo calls Monica at Juan’s behest. She looks at
herself in the mirror and recalls how Juan first made her look at
herself. Yes, she is beautiful, desirable, and she is pleased to
think that Juan finds her beautiful, “y siente el anhelo intenso,
irresistible, de mirarse en aquellos ojos oscuros y ardientes que
son ya como una obsesion sobre su vida, goce y tormento de su alma…”
Juan’s already gone ashore though—without waiting for me? Monica
wonders—and Segundo tells her that he had to arrange harbor and to
find a surprise for her… maybe a prettier dress.
Segundo tells her that Juan was in a rare mood last night, like a
tiger. He took 20 pounds from the ship’s account and asked Segundo,
“Habra en Roseau un anillo de novia? Alcanzaran veinte libras para
comprar un anillo de oro fino, con una piedra blanca que brille como
el sol?” Segundo told him sure he will, and Juan asked me if his
little finger looked small enough, “Sera asi el dedo de Monica?”
Monica asks him what he’s telling her, overcome with emotion.
Segundo tells her that he’s repeating his conversation, but perhaps
he’s talking too much. “Dice (Juan) que se casaron ustedes demasiado
de prisa, y que no pudo comprarle el anillo, pero que mas vale
hacerlo tarde que no hacerlo nunca. Y yo pienso igual…”
Monica is overwhelmed. She feels something too intimate to show in
front of a stranger, but her hands grab the railing and her eyes
seek out the boat rowing in to shore, carrying Juan.
In the store, Juan and Colibri are looking at rings. He’s got to see
the port authority, but they’ll return later to pick up the most
beautiful ring. Colibri is confuse, he tells him that sometimes he
sees Monica cry over the things Juan buys her. Juan says, “Why cry?
She has no reason to cry. One time she told me she was happy, that
she felt something she could call happiness. She told me herself,
quite clearly, and not that many days ago.” Colibri tells him that
she cried when she found the black dress, and that they were tears
for Monica Molnar, that she threw it back in the chest and cried
while she wrote… Juan wants to know what Monica wrote, but Colibri
can’t tell him more than it was a letter. Juan is immediately
panicked and wants to know where she wrote it. Colibri tells him
that Segundo mailed it in Portsmouth, but told him it was a letter
he wrote to his sister. Colibri calms him by saying, “Mi amo… mi
amo, no se ponga bravo! Yo no se nada… de veras que yo no se nada.
Preguntele a ella, patron… seguro que le dice la verdad. El ama es
mas buena que el pan.”
“Bruscamente se ha detenido Juan… Otra vez aquel chispazo de vida y
de esperanza se enciende en su imaginacion exaltada. Si… ella es
buena, es sincera, es generosa, es leal… y acaso le ama. Recuerda su
mirado, su sonrisa, las palabras en las que su voz ha tembado, su
muda emocion ante la belleza del paisaje, el lento renacer a la
vida… Poco a poco su amargura repentina se calma.
Tal ves tengas razon. No puedo juzgar sin haberle preguntado. Le
hablare mas tarde.”
Calmer now, Juan and Colibri set off for the port authority where an
official detains them. “Are you the captain of the Luzbel?” There he
is arrested in the name of France!!!