Meeting the governor

Sancho guides you up to where the governor's mansion, Alcazar, sits. It's on a small hill at the edge of town, overlooking the Ozama river. The building itself is not large, but it is a beautiful stonework mansion, contrasting with the simplicity of most of the town's buildings. The two finely-equipped guards on either side of the main door relax on seeing Sancho, and each use one arm to open their side of the double doors to allow your entry. The building has many windows and open spaces, a response to the great heat and humidity of the island.

You walk up a flight of stairs to the governor's office. Sancho has you pause outside so that he can run in and announce your entry. After you hear Sancho's awkward attempt at a flowery introduction, you step through the open door. You see that the governor is a surprisingly young man, perhaps only in his late thirties. He has a fairly pale complexion and a full beard, and he is dressed in the most current style of fine clothing. "Welcome, Senor Delgado! I am happy to finally have a fellow peninsular man of the nobility here!" What did he say? "Thank you, governor, you are most gracious. But if I may ask, please, tell me, what is a peninsular?" The governor brings a hand to his head comically. "Ah! Excuse me, I have become so used to the way of thinking here. You see, peninsulares are full-blooded Spaniard from the home country. The people here have this system, the Casta, a hierarchy. It settles where one is socially, as a matter of blood, primarily, and birthplace, second." The governor begins to pace thoughtfully. "I am sorry to start our relationship with such banal technicalities, but it is good for you to know sooner than later. Peninsulares are at the top of the social ladder in the colonies, so to speak. Next are criollos, like my daughter, full-bloods born in the colonies. That is the simple part. Come, sit and I shall explain. It may be a while."

You take a seat in a plush chair and wait for him to go on. "You see, though it is regrettable, there has been a great deal of breeding with the locals and imported **** women. A natural consequence, I must admit, as few Spanish ladies want to come to such a rugged and dangerous place as this, our home. Thus, two other major groups have formed, Mestizos formed from unions with the locals, and Mulatos, from unions with Africans, in their respective social ranks. Other group names are bandied about, but you will do fine to know only these for now." He sighs. "But enough of such complexities for the time being. I invited you here to talk about your settling here. Please, tell me what is on your mind?"