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<p class="vspace">The discovery of the body of Valentin and his dog
Francine in the cave on Hispaniola (p. 204-205) leaves the reader with
a mystery. Who killed Valentin?
</p>
<ol>
<li>Suicide is suggested, but with the musket Valentin at last had
hope for a better life. He would have had to kill his dog, too.
</li>
<li>It had to be someone who knew about the cave. Chris told nobody
else.
</li>
<li>It could not be a random buccaneer who stumbled on the place,
because he would have taken the musket.
</li>
<li>It was probably not Lesage, because the death was by a quick shot
to the head rather than beating Valentin to death (p. 85).
</li>
</ol>
<p class="vspace">This murder has the fingerprints of a
time-traveler all over it. The killer has to be Chris2, aka Ignacio.
This is one of the worst of his killings, because the man saved his
life when he first arrived in Hispaniola. Ignacio knew that Valentin
would come to the cave and he was there waiting for him with the
musket. He converted his own generous gift into a deadly trap. When
Chris says "If you had asked me then, I would have said Valentin would
be joining us in a few days... Now I wish he had" (p. 92), he reveals
his guilt and regret.
</p>
<p class="vspace">Why did he do this? I believe the answer is to enlist
the help of Lesage. Ignacio needed Lesage for various important
actions, and he had a reward for him in each case based on his future
knowledge.
</p>
<ol>
<li>Help get Chris voted in as captain of the <em>Windward</em>, and
get his gun for him (p. 64). His reward: Lesage ends up as captain of
the <em>Windward</em>.
</li>
<li>Using the '"Windward'', transport Ignacio around Hispaniola so
that he can kill Gagne by a simultaneous shot from hiding when Chris
duels him (p. 90). (That shot was too lucky for the inexperienced
Chris). His reward: the life of Valentin. Ignacio probably did it
himself to spare Valentin a cruel death.
</li>
<li>Put out a reward for Valentin much later (p. 204), to throw
Chris1 off track. Lesage knew he would never have to pay it. His
reward: a lead to capture a three-masted ship (probably the wounded
Santa Lucia) (p. 197).
</li>
<li>Get to Rio Hato and betray Bram Burt, so that Chris and Novia
will end up in Veracruz with the treasure maps. Ignacio probably didn't
suggest the betrayal himself (since he thought about avenging it), but
he gave Lesage the information to be in the right place at the right
time. The big hole in Lesage's story (p. 302) was that he knew about
Portobello. If he learned about it through Harker, then Harker would
have come with him (p. 228). But Lesage showed up without Harker.
</li>
</ol>
<p class="vspace">These actions show the moral degradation
of Ignacio is complete -- he's a monster. Chris didn't start out that
way. It took great moral courage to say "I won't take part" (p. 78)
when he knew being marooned was an almost certain death-sentence (p.
61). He was corrupted by his desire for Novia and for a life of "pirate
freedom."
</p>
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