Free Solomon's Throne by Jennings Wright

for you, I can vouchsafe your ability to pay him for this undertaking.” He stared pointedly at Joao. This man had found buyers for the artifacts Joao had sold over the course of the first year, and he knew him as Father Eduardo, as well as Joao Xavier.
    Joao smiled. “Yes, I can pay.” He bowed. “We remain at the magistrate’s estate, living in the small quarters beyond the orchard in the back. You may send word after you have spoken with this captain. Of course there will be a comision for you, and a bonus if you can convince Senhor capitao to leave as soon as his crew has been rested and the ship made ready.”
    Toasting again, the man took a long draught. “If it can be done, I shall do it. Make ready your voyage, Father. And God speed.”

    Six weeks later, Joao and Isabel stood on the foredeck of the huge nau, the Santo Antonio de Tanna, and watched Goa fade into the horizon. Isabel was a little teary, as she knew it was unlikely that she would see her family again. But the clear blue sky, the vast expanse of sea before them, and her husband at her side all served to soothe her spirit. She hadn’t been outside of Goa since her arrival eleven years before, and Joao had told her so many fabulous tales of the ports in which they would stay that she felt like a young child again.
    She turned to him. “I am so happy to be here with you! And to see all those places you have told me about… Shall we explore as you did when you were there before? Are there friends that we will visit?”
    Joao smiled. There would be no visiting friends—he had been Father Eduardo when he had spent time at the outposts before. He was hoping, rather, that no one would recognize him, especially when they attended mass.
    “ Sim , my dear. We will explore many amazing things. I do not know if we shall see any friends—I did not spend much time in society, as I was so taken with the wonderful surroundings. We shall see, though, and maybe we shall make new friends.” He squeezed her hand. Yes, we will do much exploring…

    The Santa Antonio de Tanna entered the Persian Gulf on a warm breeze. Having watched the strange scenery on either side for some time, Isabel turned to her husband. “It is a very dry country, is it not? It is strange to see all this water, and yet much that is brown.”
    “Yes, it is a desert country, except very near the rivers. We shall travel up one of the rivers to visit Ctesiphon. It was a very great kingdom, before the Romans and the Arabs came. They were Persians. It is said that the Garden of Eden was near these lands.”
    Isabel looked around in amazement. There was nothing in view that would lead one to suspect God’s perfect garden had flourished here. “How shall we get there, Joao? Will we take the ship?”
    He smiled. “No, but we shall be on a small boat for some of the return journey, back down the river. We will have to ride on camelo . Camels.”
    “Camels!” She gasped. “ Meu Deus!”
    Joao laughed. “ Sim, camels. It will be an adventure for you, my dear. It is very much like being on this ship, actually.”
    Isabel made a face at him, and turned back to the view in front of them. The small port town of Umm Qasr was getting larger as the big ship navigated the channel. The port had been friendly to Portugal from time to time over the last few decades, but the Ottomans were making themselves known about the whole region, so the ship was on alert. However, as they got closer it was apparent that no other vessels were moored by the tiny fishing village, and a general stand-down occurred throughout the crew.
    The nau, a large 42 gun frigate built in Goa, dropped anchor in front of the village. Captain Tiago Querido came alongside Joao. “And we have arrived, signor. You wish to go ashore today? We can lower the boat.”
    “Yes, thank you, capitao. We will stretch our legs on land for a bit, and I will try to find a guide for our trek inland to Ctesiphon. But as I recall there are no rooming