Time folded in on itself as I galloped through town. Had it been minutes or an hour? I couldn’t tell. I was only concerned with delivering José’s message. When I made it to Canabarro’s camp I jumped from my horse just as he came to a stop. I dodged and bobbed through groups of people rushing about loading provisions to be taken away. I stopped and looked at this quizzically. Why are they leaving? I found my way to Canabarro’s tent, where I was stopped by a large soldier.

“No women in the general’s tent.”

“I come bearing a message from José Garibaldi.”

“I don’t care if you come with a message from the president of the republic himself.” The man grinned down at me.

I pulled my sword. “I will run you through. I have a mission and I aim to complete it.”

Canabarro stuck his head out of the tent. “What is all this commotion?” He looked to the soldier first, then let his gaze travel along the sword and up to my face. “Ah, Anita, I should have known. Well, stop wasting time and get in here.”

I sheathed my sword and looked smugly back at the soldier. “You should really find better help.”

“Wartime.” Canabarro shrugged. His desk was littered with papers and miniature wooden soldiers. Standing around it were several other men in officers’ uniforms. Their faces were creased with worry, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads. “What news do you have of Garibaldi and his legion?”

“We can barely hold off the attack from the navy. Garibaldi asks for more men.”

“I can’t send them.”

“What do you mean you can’t send them? We are sorely outnumbered and are at a severe disadvantage.”

“I can’t send them because I don’t have them,” Canabarro responded. “The whole Imperial army has descended on Laguna.” He waved a hand over the map covered with small wooden ships and toy soldiers.

“What are we to do?”

Canabarro sighed as he continued to study the map in front of him. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Not taking his eyes from the map, he swiped a handkerchief over his face. “Burn the ships.”

I looked back at him in horror.

“Burn the ships and fall back. We’ll rendezvous in Rio Grande do Sul, with whatever we are able to get away with. Laguna is lost.”

* * *

I pulled my horse to a halt as the harbor came back into view. I allowed the horse to step back in trepidation as my breath caught. José’s ship looked like it had taken more than its fair share of cannon fire since I left. I got down and slapped the horse on his haunch to let him run to safety.

Griggs’s ship looked even worse than José’s. Its mast lay broken at the top and the ship listed to one side. I ran to a small supply boat that was loading fresh ammunition. After helping the sailors fill the hull, I jumped in and we rowed back to the Rio Pardo. The men rowed hunched down, but I stood at the front of the ship directing the sailors. Cannonballs and bullets hurtled past me, but I didn’t care. My eyes were focused on the Rio Pardo.