Between Faith and Freedom: The Story of a Christian Slave in Algiers Chapter 2: Black Sails

The ship Santa María de la Luz, with its creaking wooden hull under the midday sun, moved forward with a slowness that seemed to mock the urgency of its passengers. The Mediterranean, in its deceptive calm, mirrored the sky like a looking glass, but Catalina, her gaze fixed on the horizon, could not foresee the storm. Her dress, made of fine fabric, fluttered in the breeze, and her dark brown hair danced silently with the wind.

It was a hot morning, the humidity palpable in the air, with water evaporating quickly. The captain ordered his men to prepare; they were entering waters frequented by Ottoman warships and pirates from all corners. The following morning, as expected, dawned with a thick fog after the previous hot day. The bow was barely visible from the mainmast, and the captain ordered the sails to be reefed to slow down. Catalina sat at the bow, watching the Santa María slice through the water, lost in her thoughts, unaware of what was approaching in the fog.

As if it were a storm, thunderclaps resounded deafeningly in the vast fog, lighting up the grey clouds. But it was not a storm; several explosions sent splinters flying to starboard, creating a gap in the ship's hull. It was a battle. The fog swirled, revealing the source: black sails appeared out of nowhere, and the cannons roared again, hitting the Santa María several times. Men ran across the deck, officers shouting orders to man their posts and load the cannons. Catalina was in shock, clinging to a bowline, unable to move. Her father rushed to her, grabbing her amidst the chaos to lead her to the hold.

The Berber pirates had taken the initiative, mercilessly attacking the Spanish ship. With the thick fog, they had managed to get close without being seen, and now the Santa María was at the mercy of their cannons. But the pirates didn't want to sink the ship; the bounty they could obtain was far more lucrative. The sailors, their faces hardened by salt and sun, exchanged worried glances. The captain, a man with a steely gaze and a deep voice, ordered to increase speed and turn to starboard, but the wind, capricious, seemed to conspire against them. They had no choice but to fight.

The Santa María de la Luz prepared for defense, but the pirates' experience and cunning gave them the advantage. Within minutes, the corsair ship positioned itself alongside, and with war cries in Arabic praising their god, they launched the boarding. The pirates threw their grappling hooks and boarded. Catalina, terrified, was pushed inside the ship by her father, who tried to shield her with his own body.

The shouts of the sailors, the clash of swords, and the roar of cannons echoed in her ears. However, her mind, educated in peace and serenity, could not comprehend the violence unfolding before her eyes. The corsairs moved with lethal precision. Soon, resistance was futile, and the crew of the Santa María was subdued. The men, those who hadn't fallen in the fight, were taken to the corsair ship's deck, where they were given a cruel choice: slavery or death. Many chose the latter, as slavery meant only submission and torture. The women, including Catalina, were treated with a mix of greed and contempt. The corsairs' eyes, filled with ruthless lust, looked at them as mere spoils. Catalina, with her beauty and noble air, caught the men's attention. Her heart racing, she realized her fate was now in the hands of men who lived beyond God's laws.

The Berber captain ordered the men to be castrated to sell them as eunuchs before reaching land and distributed a group of women for his men to enjoy that night, savoring their victory over the infidels' skin. Catalina and other girls were taken to a cell in the hold; the captain knew he could get a good price for them.

The pirates headed to Algiers, a stronghold of corsairs under Ottoman rule, known throughout Christendom for their ferocity and as an impregnable city. For Catalina and the other girls, those days turned into an eternity consumed by terror and bitterness. Without fully understanding why, they felt relief when they reached land, perhaps thinking the worst was over...

The pirates chained the girls and paraded them through the streets. Catalina tried to look for her parents but saw neither; she didn't know where they were or what had become of them. Those men with dark eyes and long beards spoke to them and looked at them, but they didn't understand the words; they just lowered their gazes, hoping not to attract attention. But the tension in the air grew, and those men started raising their voices, arguing among themselves as if choosing their shares.

Sometimes, they grabbed one by the hair and shook her to the ground. They pointed and pulled them as if they were chosen. Catalina was on her knees, trembling, trying to hide from the gazes, praying to God for salvation. One of those bearded men grabbed her by the hair, pulling her aside, tearing her tunic to expose her chest. Her breasts were white as porcelain, with rosy nipples. Catalina tried to cover herself with her hands, but the man roughly pulled them away to look at them. He caressed her cheek softly and with the other hand squeezed one of her breasts, pinching her nipples. He spoke several lascivious words in Arabic that Catalina didn't understand. Then, he lowered his trousers, revealing himself. Catalina didn't understand what was happening. The man grabbed her head and pulled it towards him; Catalina resisted and tried to pull away, but the man held her tighter, shouting at her, rubbing her face against him. Catalina struggled and managed to break free, falling to the ground. The man yelled at her and started hitting her. He grabbed her by the hair and neck, lifting her head to look ahead. He pointed at something in the distance; it seemed he wanted her to look. It was a wooden beam, like a cross, stained with blood. It seemed he was telling her that if she didn't comply, she would be punished with death. But Catalina didn't give up and kept struggling, though it was all in vain; the man was stronger. He ripped off all her clothes and dragged her towards the cross-shaped beam; other men helped to position her while Catalina screamed, her naked body writhing. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes wide with terror, almost popping out of their sockets. But a deep voice sounded behind them, and moments later, after some complaints, they let her go. Catalina fell exhausted onto the beam; this couldn't be happening to her.