Mandy could not believe it.
She was aboard the Santa Maria.
And it was sailing away from the dock.
"Where is Vinnie?" she wondered.
Diego had disappeared too.
Then Mandy spotted a familiar figure.
It was Christopher Columbus, and he was speaking with some sailors.
"Excuse me, sir!" she called out.
Mandy took the book out of her pocket.
A sailor grabbed her arm.
"How did you get on the ship?" he asked, surprised.
"You're a little girl!"
"Wait a minute!" Christopher Columbus interrupted.
"What do you have in your hand?"
"This is why I'm here, sir," explained Mandy.
"I found your book in the church.
I knew it was important to you."
"I thought it was lost," Columbus said.
"This must be a sign from God.
You have brought good luck for our journey."
On another part of the ship, Vinnie was looking around.
After he helped gather the spilled potatoes, Vinnie had somehow lost Mandy.
The ship was full of activity.
The Santa Maria was long and narrow.
Vinnie counted more than 35 sailors aboard.
They were uncoiling ropes, connecting equipment, and opening the large, white sails.
Before he knew it, the ship was in open water.
"I wonder what Mandy's doing," he thought.
He looked behind him.
The Niña and Pinta were following closely.
They were smaller ships with fewer sailors.
"Don't just stand there," said a young boy about Vinnie's age.
He was holding a mop.
"You'll get in trouble. Here, take this."
"But, I'm not—," Vinnie began.
The boy gave Vinnie an odd look.
A big sailor walked over to them.
"Why are you just standing there?" he demanded.
"Get to work!"
"Yes, sir!" cried Vinnie.
He started mopping the deck quickly.
The sailor walked away.
"Thanks for the warning," Vinnie said to the boy.
"I'm Manuel," the boy said.
"This is my first time sailing.
How about you?"
"My first time too," said Vinnie.
Together, the boys mopped the deck.
It was wet from the mist of the ocean waves.
Meanwhile, Mandy stood listening as Christopher Columbus spoke to some of his crew.
She realized that each of them had a different job.
One man was a carpenter.
Another was a cook.
A silversmith and a doctor were on board too.
"Unexpected things happen at sea," Columbus was saying.
"Each of you has a duty to make sure this voyage is successful."
"Any wood that needs repair, the men can see me," said the carpenter.
"I'll keep the meat well salted," said the cook.
"Captain, I'll make sure your instruments are working perfectly," said the silversmith.
"If any men get sick or break their bones, I will take care of them," said the doctor.
"Good. And every day, I expect a report from each of you," said Columbus.
"Yes, Captain," the men said.