Paris: The Novel

times tried to sneak a letter in to her. But Jacob and the rabbi managed to prevent all these attempts from succeeding.
    In the home, the atmosphere was tense. Jacob was not sure how long the family could continue to live like this.
    “I have men with whom I do business in other cities,” he suggested to Sarah. “Perhaps she could go and live with another family for a while.”
    “And what might she do then? Will you have them keep her under lock and key?”
    There seemed no solution to the problem. A month passed. In the Jewish calendar, they came to the fast day of Tisha B’Av.

    King Philip the Fair was both ruthless and efficient. He’d shown it in getting a pope of his own. Now, on the twenty-second day of July, in the year of Our Lord 1306, which was the day following the Jewish fast of Tisha B’Av, he showed it again.
    The preparations had been immaculate. No word of his intentions had leaked out. Renard the merchant had heard nothing. Every street, every house was known. The cordons were ready and moved into place during the night. And at dawn, his men struck.
    The success was total. Every Jew in Paris was arrested. They, their wives, their children. Not a one was missed. By early morning they had been marched through the streets to the awaiting jails. There they were given the news.
    They were to leave France at once. They might take with them the clothes on their backs and the paltry sum of twelve sous. Everything else was forfeit, to the king.
    In the middle of the morning, Jacob met Renard in the street. They looked at each other.
    “It came after all, then,” said Renard quietly.
    “Yes.” There was no need to say more.
    By mid-afternoon, much was known. The same thing had happened in every town in France where there was a Jewish community. They were to leave every territory that King Philip controlled. The usual reasons were given for the arrests—the Jews’ religion, their practice of usury—but nobody was fooled for an instant. Jacob was in a group of merchants whom a royal councillor addressed in the market of Les Halles.
    “None of the debt owed to the Jews is to be forgiven,” the man explained. “Those debts are now the property of the king, and he will insist on their being honored to the full.” This was not popular. But the next piece of news brought groans. “Further, all debts must be repaid in the coinage in use at the time they were contracted. The king will insist upon it.”
    This was devious. King Philip had just issued large quantities of clipped coinage. Clearly, he had no desire to be paid in his own debased currency.
    The expulsion of the Jews from France was simple and straightforward. It was a confiscation of the entire assets of the financial community in order to pay the king’s debts.
    It took a couple of months to complete. The last Jews of Paris didn’t leave until early October. During this time, Naomi was kept indoors, and Aaron was kept on a tight leash by the rabbi. At the start of September, Jacob heard that the rabbi and his family had gone.

    For Jacob, the great expulsion brought horror. Horror at what was being done to his people.
    True, he also felt vindicated. He could turn to Sarah and say: “This is why I converted. This is what I feared.” The pain he had put his family through had not been in vain. He had indeed saved them.
    But at what price in guilt? Every day, as more Jews left Paris, people would watch them go. But not Jacob. He kept away. He didn’t want to see. Above all, he feared that they might look at him. For he couldn’t have met their eyes.
    And then, God forgive him, it also brought relief. Relief that the rabbi’s son was leaving.
    Where were the Jews of France going? Over the eastern border into Lorraine; or into Burgundy, or farther south. Or they might journey toward Italy, up into the alpine territory of Savoy. But wherever they went, young Aaron and his family were gone. That danger, at least, was past. Life could begin anew.

    Or could it? The first few days were difficult. Naomi wanted to follow Aaron. She said so plainly. And though he sympathized, Jacob could not help feeling a little aggrieved.
    “She knows the danger for her family,” he protested to Sarah.
    “She thinks it could be avoided. Aaron would be out of France. She thinks we could say she’d been sent to live with some merchant in another city.”
    “These things get discovered. The risks are too great. She should know this.”
    “She thinks it