Vinnie and Mandy hid behind the church benches and watched the two men.
Columbus put his book down and hugged the other man.
"Thank you, Martin Alonzo," he said.
"We have much to do before sailing."
"The Pinzon family is with you!
The sailors are ready too," said Martin Alonzo.
The two men hurried out of the church.
They never noticed the children.
"Do you think he's really Christopher Columbus?" asked Vinnie excitedly.
"Hey, he left his book!"
cried Mandy, running to pick it up.
"The Travels of Marco Polo," Mandy read on the cover.
She flipped through the pages.
"Whoever he is, he must love this book.
He's written in it and underlined some parts."
Mandy stopped. She thought she heard a noise.
"What was that?" she said.
"What was what?" asked Vinnie.
A young man stepped out from behind a stone column.
Vinnie screamed.
"Shh! Quiet!" said the young man.
He seemed as scared as the children.
"Who are you?" asked Mandy.
"My name is Julio," he said.
"That man, Martin Alonzo, is my uncle.
I didn't want him to see me."
Julio looked about 18 years old.
The children introduced themselves.
"Why were you hiding?" asked Vinnie.
Julio looked embarrassed.
"Today we sail and . . . I was scared."
"Are you sailing with someone named Christopher Columbus?" asked Vinnie.
Julio nodded.
"Wow!" cried Vinnie. "He's a great explorer!"
"He is crazy!" said Julio.
"He thinks we can find the Indies by sailing west."
"Columbus knows what he's doing," said Vinnie.
Julio shook his head.
"Columbus planned this journey many years ago.
But nobody wanted to support him, not even Queen Isabella.
But now that Spain is a powerful nation again, the queen and King Ferdinand said yes."
"What if Columbus discovers something great?
There's only one way to find out," Mandy said.
"He DID discover something great. America!" Vinnie said.
"The Portuguese travel around Africa.
They reach the Indies going east without any problems," said Julio.
"When people heard of Columbus' crazy plan, no one wanted to sail with him."
"So why are you going on the voyage?" asked Vinnie.
Julio's face softened.
"My uncles are the Pinzon brothers.
Everybody here in the port of Palos respects them.
When they decided to support Columbus, the sailors decided to go.
I couldn't be the only one to say no."
"How many uncles do you have?" asked Vinnie.
"Three," replied Julio.
"They are all very capable seamen.
I came to the church today to pray for a safe voyage.
I didn't expect my uncle to be here.
If he knew I was scared, he would call me a baby."
"So when are you leaving?" asked Mandy.
"In a few hours," replied Julio.
"I am ready now.
I must get to my ship."