The Last Song

told him how Luis rejected my pleas for help. I described the closed doors of Tia Juana’s house. “You see? I must go to Torquemada and ask him to release you from prison.”
    Papa opened his mouth to reply but coughed instead. When he wiped his mouth, I saw blood.
    “I’m afraid the danger is probably upon you already. We have nothing to lose. I cannot last much longerhere,” he said. “God, forgive me, but I agree to your plan, daughter. Go see Torquemada.”
    “I will go with you, Isabel,” Mama said.
    “No. I must go by myself. He is more likely to listen to me if there are no witnesses present.”
    “Then I’ll talk to him!” Mama cried. “I don’t want you to go. It’s too dangerous.”
    I tried to calm her down. “We can decide later which one of us will see the Grand Inquisitor.”
    “Don’t fool yourselves,” Papa said. “Torquemada might arrest you on the spot.”
    “He won’t, Papa. As long as I don’t give him his grandmother’s letter, he won’t harm me. I’ll tell him that the letter is hidden in a safe place. I’ll be respectful but firm.”
    “Isabel,” Mama said, “I will be the one to see …”
    Papa tried to stand up, but he sank to his knees. Mama reached for him, but he held up his hand.
    “They had me on the rack. My legs … it’ll take time … never mind that now. Tell the Grand Inquisitor how delighted you were to discover that he was a kin and a New Christian like your papa.”
    “I’ll tell him that putting you into prison was a mistake. I’ll ask him to set you free.”
    He squeezed my shoulder. “Do you realize that talking to him may cost you your life? Are you willingto take such a chance?”
    I spoke quickly to forestall Mama from interrupting me. “I’ll do whatever it takes. I can’t bear this. I miss you.”
    Papa leaned forward and kissed my cheek, then Mama’s face. “I have the best wife and daughter in the world. It’s not too late to change your minds.”
    “I don’t intend to,” Mama said.
    “Neither do I,” I told him.
    I started silently plotting how I could arrange an interview with the Grand Inquisitor without Mama finding out.
    Papa’s whispered voice was urgent. “All right, but be careful. Tell Torquemada that his refusal to help a relative hurts you deeply. Explain to him that he leaves you no choice but to show the letter to the queen and to the king. Tell him that you are certain that their Catholic majesties hold him in such high regard that they will not allow his kinsman to go to the stake.” The words had taken all his energy. His head fell to his chest. “I am tired,” he muttered. “I cannot talk anymore.”
    I grabbed his hands. “Don’t lose hope, Papa. I will make sure that the Grand Inquisitor listens. There is nothing he wants less than to have his Converso origins made public.”
    “Mama, please!”
    “You must go before they find you here,” Papa said.
    We bid him a sad farewell.
    “You’ll be home before you know it, my dear husband.”
    Mama’s soothing words did nothing to reassure me. I was not sure that Papa had even heard them.
    Mama dismissed Yussuf as soon as we came through the front door. When the Moor left, she turned on me.
    “How can you imagine that I would allow you to go to the Grand Inquisitor?” she shouted. “But Mama …”
    She shook her head. “No more arguments. Not now. I am weary. I must lie down. We’ll talk tomorrow,” she said as she mounted the stairs.
    I waited for a few moments until I was sure that she was in her room. Then I went into the garden, got a shovel from the shed, and headed toward the orange tree. I began to dig. It took me a long time because the packed earth was still dry and hard. I was hot and sweaty by the time the shovel hit the top of the iron chest with a clunk. I lifted out the chest and carefully filled the hole up with the loose dirt. I took the chest back to my room.
    I rang for Sofia to bring me a bottle of ink and a quill. I made a faithful copy of the letter. I hid theoriginal letter in my jewelry box and then locked the box. I put it back into my armoire and hid the key in the vase. I hid the empty iron chest under my bed and put the copy of the letter under my pillow. I decided that I would ask Yussuf to take the chest away tomorrow.

C HAPTER 14
 
T HURSDAY , J ULY 5, 1492
    I knew Mama was exhausted and would be sleeping soundly. At the first light of dawn, I was able to tiptoe out of the house without waking her.