Chapter 359 The End of 1485 AD, the Death of Diogo

The blue sky is cloudless, and the clear sun shines brightly, casting sparkling waves on the surface of the South Atlantic Ocean. The ocean is vast, the sky is vast, and there is no human habitation for thousands of miles.

Three caravels from the Kingdom of Portugal sailed on the sea without ships, expanding to the end of the known world. Between the scorching sun and ripples of light, they chase the trajectory of the wind, looking for the ethereal hope. The southern part of the African continent is so vast and desolate that it seems to have no borders.

The exploratory fleet set out from the mouth of the Congo River and headed south, crossing the south of the equator and passing through the plateau of Lower Guinea. At this time, they had sailed more than 4,000 miles and arrived in the desert of Namibia.

Groups of Namibian seals play freely on the coast, chasing delicious fish. The Benguela Current rises here, forming a rare and rich fishing ground in the "Blue Desert".

The abundant food attracts huge beasts, and the huge blue whale is floating not far away. They swim freely in the vast sea, sometimes leaping to hit the waves, sometimes spraying water mist, and then making a shocking cry!

In this era, blue whales, the largest creatures in the world, have no natural enemies. Their songs came from far away, leisurely telling the story of the loneliness of this sea for millions of years.

"Almighty Lord! I sincerely pray to Him, asking Him to protect us from being devoured by sea monsters!"

Bruno stood on the bow of the boat in awe, praying devoutly to God. Beside him were a dozen sailors praying together. Everyone looked in the direction where the whale song came from, and could vaguely see a figure as huge as a hill, like a giant beast in the deep sea in mythology.

Great navigation is in the ascendant, and the maritime myths circulated in ancient Rome are still lingering in people's minds. In traditional European belief, the movement of waves would cause animals to merge and form terrifying hybrid beasts. Therefore, the deeper and more remote the ocean is, the more terrifying sea monsters hide there, sleeping the terror that destroys everything.

The roar of the beast paused momentarily after the prayer. The sailors loudly praised the Lord and calmed down a little. Bruno rolled up his sleeves, climbed up the mast nimbly, and stood on the observation deck more than ten meters high, looking for the edge of the southern continent. In his sight, the red sand dunes continued to rise and fall on the southern continent, extending to the horizon, which made people feel despair.

"Tenho saudades! Merciful Virgin! Please give me divine revelation. Does the end of the southern continent exist? Can I return to my hometown and see my wife again?"

Bruno held the cable and stood on the high observation deck. This was a place closer to the Lord, so he prayed devoutly again. The flag of the Portuguese royal family fluttered above his head. It has experienced countless winds, rains and waves, but it has always remained intact.

White seagulls flew across the sky, attracted by sailing boats they had never seen before. They circled up and down curiously, making loud calls of "Ou, Ou", and occasionally pecked the white bones hanging on the mast. Yes, the bones are the last traces left by Boatswain Diego after more than a month of tropical voyage.

Bruno finished his prayer, glanced at the bones lightly, and quickly climbed down the mast. Then, he came to the door of the captain's cabin worriedly and knocked gently.

"Praise the Lord! Dear captain, noble knight Bruno greets you!"

After a long time, a faint voice came.

"Ahem. Praise the Lord and please come in."

Bruno opened the cabin door softly and walked into the captain's cabin. He was greeted by an indescribable smell of blood.

Diogo's eyes were open, his face was haggard, and there was no trace of blood on his face. He lay on the wooden bed, stretched out his dry arms, and tried hard to get up, but he couldn't use the strength at all, so he could only look up with difficulty.

Bruno immediately closed the hatch and walked quickly to the captain. He carefully helped the captain up and touched the increasingly skinny body under the wide ship's robe, feeling that he was light and airy.

"It's like an ancient Egyptian papyrus, filled with symbols of death."

Bruno lowered his eyes and sighed in his heart.

On the banks of the Congo River, the elusive Aedes mosquito brings terrible malaria and dengue fever. Although he was far away from the devil's land at this time, the cruel tropical disease had penetrated into the captain's bones and tortured the weak "Lion" day and night. Cold syndrome and fever attack alternately, hemoptysis and vomiting occur together; muscles and bones are severely sore, and nose, teeth and skin continue to bleed.

It had only been more than two months since he contracted the disease, and Diogo had already exhausted all his vitality. No matter how strong the body is, no matter how devout the faith is, no matter how strong the iron will is, they cannot resist the laws of nature. At this time, he was just a dying pilgrim, pursuing the divine destination, but he heard God's call too early.

"How about it?"

Diogo opened his mouth with difficulty and asked three words.

Bruno shook his head silently.

"Dear Captain, the noble scholar Martin measured the latitude today. This is already south of the equator, 21-22 degrees. We sailed south from the Congo River for at least four thousand miles. And when I boarded the observation deck, the southern continent The desert is still endless, with no boundaries in sight.”

Diogo remained silent and slowly closed his eyes. After a while, he suddenly coughed violently, and unstoppable blood flowed from his mouth.

Seeing this scene, Bruno stood up in panic, not knowing what to do. He clumsily took out a piece of cotton cloth and wiped the corners of the captain's mouth, but blood was everywhere. The smell of blood in the captain's cabin became stronger and stronger.

After a while, Diogo's coughing stopped. He was breathing hard, his lungs making a murmur like water. Then, Bruno discovered with horror that at some point, two lines of light red blood were flowing out from between the captain's nose and dripping silently on the deck.

"captain!"

Diogo closed his eyes and lay down on the bed with difficulty. The nosebleed slowly flowed back, and then seeped out from the corners of his mouth, unable to stop it at all.

The captain's cabin smelled of death. After a while, a weak voice sounded.

"Bruino."

"Captain, I'm here!"

"How many days is today?"

Bruno was stunned, carefully calculating in his mind. After a while, he answered uncertainly.

"Today is December 27th? Ah! Christmas has just passed, and tomorrow is the Martyrdom of the Holy Child."

"Well Holy Infant Martyrdom Day."

Diogo closed his eyes and responded in a low voice. The captain's room fell into silence again.

In this era, Christmas inherited the tradition of the ancient Roman Saturnus Festival and existed more as a celebration festival. Although it is religiously important, it is far less important than Easter after Christ's victory over death. December 28th is the day when King Herod massacred the babies of Bethlehem. Babies were martyred for Christ, so it was an ominous day.

Time passed in silence, and Diogo seemed to have fallen asleep. Bruno was about to get up and leave when he heard a faint whisper.

"olive oil."

"What?"

"olive oil."

"Captain! You."

Bruno stood frozen. He knew the meaning of this sentence, but it was difficult to accept it for a while.

"Go and get ready to announce the call."

Bruno's nose felt a little sore. He lowered his head silently and walked out of the captain's cabin. Outside the captain's room, the sun gradually set in the west, filling the sky with glow. The red sun sinks into the deep sea; the waves rise like the dusk of the gods.

When the sunset disappears and night rises from the sky, endless darkness sweeps in, swallowing up all the light. A precious candle was quietly lit in the captain's cabin, illuminating the red-stained wooden bed.

With tears in his eyes, Bruno knelt beside the bed, holding a bottle of olive oil in his hand and a precious hand-written Bible beside him. Beside him were two noble captains with solemn expressions, Pero Anais and Pero da Costa.

Diogo lay calmly on the bed, his face showing an abnormal blush. He smiled gently, and even his words suddenly became fluent.

"God bless you! Noble knight Pero da Costa, after I leave, the fleet will be handed over to you!"

"God bless you! Dear Royal Knight, Captain Diogo Con, please do not say this. The Holy Lord will send a miracle to heal His devout saints."

The middle-aged nobleman Pero da Costa folded his hands and was about to pray for Diogo.

"The Lord is witness! Old Perot, after taking charge of the fleet, will you continue to go south?"

Diogo tried his best to tilt his head and stared at the middle-aged noble.

"Uh Diogo, there are less than a hundred sailors in the fleet, food is in short supply, and there are still many damages on the sailboat."

Pero da Costa looked embarrassed. He lowered his head slightly, unwilling to look directly at the dying captain.

"really."

Diogo nodded slowly. He didn't ask any more questions, but continued to give instructions.

"The Lord is a witness! The noble knight Pero Arnes, please make a copy of our chart and give it to my old friend, Sir Dias, on the way back."

"The Lord is my witness! It will be as you wish."

Another young noble bowed his head in greeting.

"Little Perrault, this is my will, and the seal of my royal knight. Please take it to my eldest son."

Diogo stretched out his hand with difficulty, took out another cloth bag that had been prepared, and handed it to Pero Anais.

"I swear on the honor of my family! Your wish will be fulfilled."

The young noble took the cloth bag and solemnly swore an oath. Diogo nodded and looked at Bruno who was kneeling.

"Noble Knight Bruno, I leave the flagship to you."

"captain."

"The Lord is witness! Take good care of the palace advisor Martin and escort him back to the kingdom safely. This is my last mission."

"Witness the Lord! Obey your command!"

Bruno knelt on the deck, crying silently in his eyes, with mixed feelings in his heart.

Diogo thought for a while and gave some instructions about navigation. Then he closed his eyes and stopped talking. Countless pictures flashed before his eyes, pulling him affectionately into a peaceful dreamland.

Everyone gathered around and waited patiently.

The candles slowly became shorter and time passed silently. The waves of the ocean rock the squeaking sailboat, like a baby's cradle. Diogo opened his eyes in the cradle, and for the first time a bright smile appeared on his face, as if he had returned to his pure childhood.

"I heard the call of the Lord. His light was so warm, shining before my eyes. Listen, the voice was so clear."

Seeing this scene, Old Perot quickly stretched out his fingers, dipped them in olive oil, and made a cross on Diogo's forehead. Then he chanted Latin and said his last prayers.

"Per istam sanctam unctionem, indulgeat tibi Dominus quidquid deliquisti, Amen."

After he finished reading, he looked sad and was about to burst into tears, but suddenly stopped. Because, Diogo's eyes are still open.

Diogo blinked silently and showed a child-like naughty smile.

"Bruno, has it been midnight yet?"

"Ah, it's over! Captain, today is the Martyrdom Day of the Holy Child."

Bruno responded quickly, but did not hear the captain's reply for a long time. He looked up and saw that Diogo had closed his eyes, tilted his head, and fell asleep like a child.

"Ah! Diogo, my old friend"

The cry of pain finally came from the captain's cabin. Then, more cries came in, on this distant sea, in this lonely sea breeze.