THE SECRET COULD NO LONGER BE HIDDEN
Word spread.
People began asking questions.
Who was the giant woman?
Why did Joaquim keep her near the mill?
Why were his machines suddenly working better?
Why was the plantation producing more coffee?
Álvaro became suspicious.
One evening, he confronted Joaquim.
“You’re hiding something.”
“No.”
“I saw her working on the mill.”
“She was helping.”
“She knows engineering.”
Joaquim looked at him sharply.
“She knows how to fix things.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
Álvaro laughed.
“Because she’s a slave.”
Joaquim’s face changed.
“She is a person.”
Álvaro shrugged.
“Not to the law.”
The words hung in the air.
Joaquim knew he was right about the law.
And that terrified him.
Because he had begun to realize something.
Benedita was not simply strong.
She was brilliant.
And if the wrong person discovered what she could do, someone would try to take her.
THE MAN WHO CAME FOR HER
Two weeks later, a wealthy plantation owner named Silveira arrived at Santo António.
He had heard rumors.
He walked into the yard with two men behind him.
“I hear you have an unusual worker.”
Joaquim said nothing.
Silveira smiled.
“The tall one.”
“Her name is Benedita.”
“I’d like to see her.”
“No.”
Silveira’s smile disappeared.
“You misunderstand me.”
“No,” Joaquim replied.
“I understand perfectly.”
Silveira stepped closer.
“I will pay you.”
“How much?”
“Ten mil-réis.”
Joaquim laughed.
“You came all this way to offer ten?”
“Twenty.”
“No.”
“Fifty.”
Joaquim shook his head.
Silveira’s eyes narrowed.
“One hundred.”
Still nothing.
“Two hundred.”
Joaquim stepped forward.
“You could offer me the entire plantation.”
Silveira stared at him.
“I wouldn’t sell her.”
Silveira’s voice became cold.
“You paid seven cents.”
Joaquim answered:
“And that’s exactly why you don’t understand.”
