Chapter Sixteen
The Legacy of Magellan
The portrait was of Ferdinand Magellan. It was a name that the sisters knew well from their studies of history. He was the first man to successfully lead an expedition that circumnavigated the globe – that is, to travel around the entire world, circling back to where the daring, pioneering voyage had originally begun.
But though they knew the name, the sisters had not put together a connection between Evelyn and Ferdinand. It simply seemed too implausible. They had never suspected such a thing. It seemed rather preposterous… what were the odds that she might be a descendent of the legendary explorer, who had lived and died five centuries earlier?
“Are you… telling us…” Maria trailed off, once more unable to give voice to the notion.
Evelyn smiled in return. “Why, yes! Surely you can see the resemblance between myself and my ancestor.”
Sara pointed a finger at the portrait. “So… you’re…” She realized that she must seem rather dimwitted, voicing her thoughts in such an inarticulate manner. But like her sister, she was having difficulty accepting the suggested conclusion.
“That’s right,” Evelyn assured them. “I am one of the last living descendents of Ferdinand Magellan.”
As unlikely as such a thing seemed, Maria and Sara were inclined to believe Evelyn. Her confidence was quite convincing, and the resemblance between herself and the famous Magellan (a man whose face they remembered from their history books), was undeniable.
“His blood runs within my veins, and our familial curiosity is what propels me through this life,” Evelyn explained, her voice filling with passion. “Our lineage has passed down the knowledge, artifacts, and secrets that began with his epic voyage around the globe, and I am now the trusted caretaker of that estate, which is both intellectual and material in nature.”
“Hang on,” Sara said. She paused, and her eyes squinted in concentration, as she searched through the confines of her memory banks. “I don’t remember Magellan having had any surviving children. How could you be his descendant?”
Evelyn looked impressed. “Very good, young lady! Most people aren’t aware of that fact. I see you paid careful attention to your lessons in history. And the official records are in agreement with what you were taught, of course.”
“Well, then?” Maria asked. She was somewhat incredulous at this obvious contradiction. The words and motives of Black Hats, she was quickly discovering, were difficult to pin down. “So you’re not related to Magellan?”
“Oh, but I am,” Evelyn said, and her voice was resolute with confidence. “I promise you, I am the descendent of Magellan, and this is nothing but the truth. This shall become clear to you in time, and you will be as free of doubt as myself on this matter. I said that the official records of history reflect the misconception that there were no surviving children of Magellan. But that… that is not the complete story.”
“Um… Perhaps you might explain further,” Maria suggested. Her curiosity had been triggered, and this was most definitely a poor place to end the tale. She had begun fidgeting, and her hands were moving for emphasis. “Please, keep going!”
Evelyn was up to the challenge, and she eagerly continued. “The history books indicate that Magellan had no children – at least, none that survived. However, this is not true. He did have two children who survived: a pair of sons named Rodrigo and Carlos. But when they were still young, they were taken to a remote location for their own safety. They did not die. Those deaths were falsely reported, for their own safety.”
“What were they in danger of?” Sara asked.
“Magellan made many political enemies during his prestigious career, for there was an incomprehensible amount of competition in his field. The powerful European countries of the day – and this was the 1500s, mind you – were engaged in a desperate race to establish routes by sea that would give them access to the Asian kingdoms. It was believed that whoever could find the passage first would be granted wealth, power, and control over their rival nations.
“As you can imagine, the stakes were incredibly high. During his career as an explorer, Magellan had been betrayed many times. Even the king of his native land, Portugal, ostracized him, disregarding all of his hard work. It was this betrayal that prompted Magellan to depart for Spain, from whence he would lead his legendary voyage, the circumnavigation of the world.
“But he learned from his past encounters, and he never forgot those who had feigned friendship, only to turn on him. Consequently, he came to develop a deep mistrust of many people that he interacted with, but particularly of those who held power over him. Only the closest of his companions at sea, those who had proven their loyalty beyond question, earned his complete trust.
“With the birth of his children, Rodrigo and Carlos, Magellan realized that they might be used as leverage against him, should the King of Spain decide to extort him, as his previous king had done. It was this fear for their safety that compelled Magellan to hide his sons away from the prying eyes of others, erasing knowledge of their continued existence.
“Rodrigo and Carlos went on to have families of their own, and so the line of Magellan continued, branching through the centuries as time marched on. Of course, they had to adopt new names, or the ruse would have been for nothing.
“But this was some five hundred years ago, and the Magellan name is once more something that the family can wear with pride, as opposed to hiding it away. Not all of my relatives choose to use the name, but I’m quite fond of it. Very few people would ever draw the conclusion that a relationship between myself and Ferdinand Magellan might exist. It is a matter of ‘hiding in plain sight’, you might say.”
Evelyn paused, taking in the reactions of the sisters. They were leaning forward on the balls of their feet as they were drawn in by this remarkable tale. Their mouths hung agape and their eyes were wide with wonder.
“Shall I go on, then?” Evelyn asked.
“Yes, yes!” Maria and Sara answered in tandem.
Evelyn smiled and continued her story, pacing about her office as she spoke. “Magellan’s life was extraordinary, and hiding his offspring was far from his only secret. His journey around the earth was an experience that can scarcely be put into words… but he tried his best, documenting his travels in his personal, highly protected journal.
“Once more… there is the official record, reflected in the texts of history… and then, there is the actual account, faithfully penned in the journal of Magellan himself. This journal – which is the most valuable artifact of our lineage – is filled with the wonders that he witnessed. Lost cities… strange beasts… hidden civilizations… and some things that could not be explained at all. It was an expedition like none that had come before it, into a world that was, quite literally, unknown at the time. Compelled by his endless curiosity and seafaring experience, Magellan took full advantage of the resources that he had been supplied with for the expedition.
“Remember, his journey lasted three years. Even considering the relatively primitive means by which explorers were forced to travel at the time, do you not believe that this would allow ample opportunity for deviation from the charted course? Though this was a voyage of unprecedented ambition, to suggest it might take three years is a bit of a stretch.
“Why, even the circumnavigation of the world was something of an improvisation. The original mission had simply been to establish effective passage to the Asian kingdoms by sea, thereby enhancing trade routes and commerce. It is only thanks to the curiosity of Magellan and his crew that the earth was eventually circled.”
Evelyn’s green eyes took on a distant stare, enraptured by what seemed infinite possibility, as she pondered the travels of Magellan. “By the stars and the sun… you have no idea of the things he saw. To quote another famous explorer, Marco Polo: ‘I did not write half of what I saw… for I knew I would not be believed.’ He uttered those words in his final hours. Can you imagine?
 
; “What things did Marco Polo witness, do you think? And likewise… what did my ancestor, Ferdinand Magellan, bear witness to? Can you imagine, my friends? Three years at sea, exploring a world that was completely uncharted at the time. In contemporary terms, it would have been as if exploring the farthest most reaches of our solar system. Can you imagine?”