It’s October 1492. Christopher Columbus and his three ships left the Canary Islands 36 days ago. He'd expected to reach Asia by now.
He’s been lying to his crew each day about how far they’ve sailed. If they knew the truth, they'd know he’s made a mistake and might demand to go home. In September, one sailor saw the first sign that land was near. He spotted a kind of bird that’s never seen more than 75 miles from land. But that was weeks ago. The crew is edgy. Finally, at two in the morning on October 12, a sailor cries out. He sees land!