At court, complaints mount that Columbus’s rule in the Indies is cruel and despotic, prompting the Crown to send Bobadilla as investigator. Upon arrival, Bobadilla seizes power in Santo Domingo and sends the Columbus brothers to Spain in chains. The spectacle shocks Europe, yet after an audience the monarchs pardon and restore his honor. Strengthened by faith and pride, Columbus resolves to sail once more, envisioning a final voyage that would fulfill his divine purpose and prove his unbroken spirit.