The Black Pearl

The red mist from the lagoon follows Ruiz and Ramón on their journey. At sunrise, the Manta Diablo flies into the air, whipping its tail, and crashes back into the ocean. Despite this display, Ruiz is still unconvinced of its magical origins. Instead, he claims that mantas are easier to kill than whales because they lack blubber; he brags about having killed nine. When the amber eyes of the Manta Diablo meet Ramón’s, he is convinced that he hears an order to return the pearl.

The Manta Diablo swims just out of the harpoon’s reach. Ruiz tells Ramón that the pearl and the Manta Diablo did not cause the fleet to sink; Blas refused to seek shelter from the oncoming storm because he was convinced that the Madonna was watching over them. After telling Ramón this, Ruiz asks him if he would still have stolen the pearl from the church. Before Ramón can answer, Ruiz concludes that he would not have, and that he also won’t try to steal it from the Sevillano himself.

The Sevillano lodges a harpoon right between the Manta Diablo’s wings. It begins to swim westward, in the opposite direction of Guaymas.