Dreaming America...

Granada, 2 February 1492. A group of Spanish financiers was in the Alcazar, strolling hastily toward the Regal Room of Audiences.

"Again, gentlemen. Are you finally prepared to finance Columbus's project?" Don Luis Santangel said.

"Of course, Don Luis, you have our word of honor," Don Gonzalo de Baeza said.

"Perhaps it's too late. This could be the last chance. Let's see: Guard, announce our presence to Your Majesties," Don Luis said.

As they entered the big, pompous room, they saw Isabella, Queen of Castile, sitting on the throne. She was dressed as a queen, and she was a powerful and knowledgeable one, fluent in Latin, the Scriptures, and the science of the time. Ferdinand, King of Aragon, was looking out the window with a hawk in his hand. He was a warrior. A few days ago, with his wife Isabella riding by his side, he conquered the same city of Granada, the last bastion of the Moors.

Yesterday, Isabella denied her support to Columbus for the second time. At this time, Christopher Columbus was not present; he was traveling back to Portugal. After lobbying for his transatlantic project for seven years, he failed to convince two groups of Spanish scholars.

The meeting has already begun. Queen Isabella said, "Why, my dear gentlemen, if we meet to talk about finances, we have to mention Columbus. Don Luis, you know that the war has drained the kingdom's treasures. I have just sent that good man home for the second time."

"But Your Highness, why did you do that?" Don Luis said.

Isabella looked at Don Luis with satisfaction and curiosity. He was a short man, but with the self confidence of the tall. He was a man of numbers, but with the unexpected questions and often hilarious answers.

"My good and faithful Don Luis," Isabella said, "it is not only money. You must understand that this matter has been studied twice by different groups of scientists and navigators versed in the dangers of the oceans, and Columbus never convinced them. Should I reject the opinion of my wise men?"

"Why, your highness, did you ever consider Columbus's project in the first place?" Don Luis said.

"Two reasons. First, we need to explore the Ocean Sea; the Portuguese are in front of us in that regard. Second, I trust my confessors. They are theologians and scientists, and Columbus gained their friendship," Isabella said.

"Therefore we can safely say, Your Highness, that Columbus is a learned and pious man."

"No doubt, but he is an ambitious man, too. He wants to be the viceroy of the lands he discovers and to have absolute power in the appointment of his officers. He wants 10 percent of the benefits, and asks to be named 'Don Christopher' which is difficult because he is a foreigner," Isabella said.

"He is pious and ambitious. Is that wrong? I am not a dreamer, but I am fond of those who dream. Why should we consider it a fault to dream about new lands, reaches, and new people to be gained for Christ?" Don Luis said.

"One last question, oh Serene Majesty. You heard Columbus twice in spite of your scholars. Why?" Don Luis continued.

This time Ferdinand intervened, "Why not? My Queen Isabella is fond of the poor, of the poor dreamers, I might say."

Now Isabella nodded at Ferdinand, "We are brave, my King, facing armies of Muslims that we know. Columbus is brave facing what he doesn't know, and there are parts of the world we still don't know. We think of monsters and dragons in the sea; he thinks of mermaids. Many see the ocean ending in a frightening abysm of emptiness; he sees beautiful lands with people and gold," Isabella said.

"Don Luis, what is your argument in favor of Christopher Columbus?"

"I have only one, my Queen," Don Luis smiled. "My friends and I are ready to finance the project. He asks for very little, only three caravels and one million of maravedies, and we can help with the money," said Don Luis looking at the group of financiers who bowed in a sign of approval.

"That changes the whole situation," Isabella said smiling. "By the way, the city of Palos owes the crown two caravels, so we could have the ships ... "

Seeing that the Queen almost approved the project, Don Luis decided to imagine the best possible scenario in order to finish the job of convincing her.

"The potential rewards are fantastic. We can find the route to India, and even discover new islands bigger than the Canaries."

"And Columbus expects new lands because he wants to be a Viceroy of all of them," Isabella said.

"Land in such a measure that it will be greater than Castile, Aragon, and Granada combined," Don Luis said.

Isabella was amused. Don Luis was doing it again. What would he say? She smiled, encouraging him.

Don Luis was feeling great. He continued, "Land in such extensions, that even Europe would look small compared with that. Gold and silver in enormous quantities. And in the future, many, may years from now, there will exist a rich nation in that new land. A country of huge proportions, the richest country in the world, with such amounts of gold and silver that its currency will be the currency of the world."

Isabella marveled. Don Luis was trying to impress her with a dream, but the dream was absurd, crazy, disproportionate, without measure.

Ferdinand was very uneasy. "What happened to Don Luis? Is he mad?" he thought.

Seeing the incredulous look of King Ferdinand, Don Luis sensed that he passed the point of no return. If he stopped this madness, he would risk looking as an irrational fool and losing his confidence. No, he must carry his wild exaggerations to their logical extremes, so he would be seen as a wit, not as a buffoon.

He continued, "A nation so powerful and mighty that its armies will impose peace upon the rest of the world. A nation with ships that will sail over all the oceans," Don Luis took a breath and supplied some animated gestures to increase the humor.

Disgusted, King Ferdinand stopped listening to him. He opened the window, extended his arm, and sent his hawk to fly.

Seeing the hawk in the air, Don Luis said, "with ships that will even fly!"

Isabella laughed. "Ha, ha, ha. And where will those ships fly?" she asked.

Laughing also, Don Luis answered, "To the moon! Ha, ha, ha."