CHAPTER 1 Sanlúcar de Barrameda Spain August 1519 Rato a gruff voice hollers as a toe nudges my ribs Steward points to a dark corner A furry ball its naked tail twitching scurries along the ship’s wall A chunk of bread is clamped in its mouth I jump from my sunny spot on deck Steward is in charge of supplies so he is important on the ship and I try to obey He uses chalk to mark and count casks and bundles as they are being brought onboard After they are stored below he alone has the keys which jingle on a cord around his fat waist
Alison Hart He jerks his thumb toward the rat and I race after it It darts around ropes and barrels more nimble than I no longer a pup My claws rake the deck as I scuttle around a coil of rope I leap over a burlap sack Too late the rat slips through a hole in the wood flooring and I bark in frustration A sailor stumbles over me The crew is loading the last of the supplies Steward shouts at the men directing them this way and that I duck out of their way knowing the importance of their task Wine chickpeas rice honey and cheese are necessary to feed the men at sea during our long journey The supplies also act as ballast packed carefully in the hull to keep the ship balanced Raising my muzzle I breathe deeply This is my fourth voyage and I now have a sailor’s nose The breezes from the Ocean Sea are salty the breezes from the Guadalquivir River are muddy My nose also picks up the smell of chickens and pigs They’re already stashed below in cages and pens Then I 2
