The Last Song

The slaves carried me in the litter to the alcazar and lowered it to the ground. I peeked out through a slit in the drapery. A dozen of the Inquisition’s armed guards were stationed in front of the palace. Yussuf, who had followed me on foot, parted the curtains and stuck his head inside.
    “What do you want me to do, my lady?”
    “Tell the captain of the guards that I seek an audience with his excellency, Tomás de Torquemada.” I slipped a few maravedis into his palm. “Sweeten your request with these coins.”
    The Moor approached the guards. He was too far away for me to hear what he was saying, but I saw oneof them point to a man standing apart from the group.
    Yussuf bowed before the captain and said something to him. The man shook his head. Yussuf nodded in my direction, and I watched as once again he discreetly paid a bribe.
    The Moor came back to the litter smiling.
    “It’s arranged, young mistress. The power of money never fails. The captain of the guards will escort us inside,” he said as he helped me out of the litter.
    We followed the captain into the alcazar. I patted my chest through the crimson cloak that covered my dress. With my finger I traced the outline of the copy of my great-grandmother Miriam’s letter, which I had pinned to the lining of the cloak. It made me feel a little less afraid.
Both Yonah and I have badges now
, I told myself.
The only difference is that nobody can see mine
.
    The guard led us into a large hall with a stone floor. Rich tapestries depicting the twelve apostles and Christ on the cross, wearing a crown of thorns, covered the walls. The hall was unfurnished except for a carved bench. A wooden staircase rose in the center of the room.
    “Wait here,” the captain said before disappearing through a heavy door set into the wall. We waited and waited, hour after hour, but he did not return. I spent the time rehearsing in my mind what I would say tothe Grand Inquisitor, while Yussuf watched on. I was thirsty and my legs were cramping, but I did not care how long I had to wait. The memory of Papa’s haunted eyes gave me strength.
    “Mistress, perhaps we should go home,” Yussuf said.
    “Not until I talk to the Grand Inquisitor.”
    He shook his head but didn’t argue.
    Finally, the door swung open. A tall, heavy-set Dominican monk came into the hall. The captain was behind him. I curtsied as the monk approached me.
    “What are you doing here?” He turned to the captain. “I told you to send them home.”
    The captain hung his head.
    “Father, I must see his excellency, Fray Torquemada,” I said. “It’s a question of life and death.”
    “It always is,” the monk said in a chilly tone. “You’ve been waiting all this time?”
    “Yes, Father. I beseech you to tell his grace that Doña Isabel de Cardosa, the daughter of Enrique de Cardosa, their majesties’ physician, requests an audience with him.”
    The monk’s face grew less frosty and he dismissed the captain with a wave of his hand. “I am Fray Armand of Pensacola. I am his grace’s secretary. His grace is not granting audiences today. He is occupied withholy business. Come back another day, Doña Isabel.”
    I walked over to the bench and sat down. I kept my eyes lowered modestly and fanned myself slowly, as if I had all the time in the world. “I’ll wait here until his excellency can find a moment to see me.”
    The friar stared at me, a puzzled expression on his face. It was obvious that he wasn’t used to having his orders questioned. I kept on fanning myself and prayed that he couldn’t see or hear the thumping of my heart.
    “All right,” he finally said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
    He bowed and left the room. Yussuf and I stared at each other, afraid to speak. I remembered Mama’s warning that the walls had ears where the Inquisition was concerned.
    After what seemed like hours but must have been mere minutes, Fray Armand reappeared.
    “You’re most fortunate, my child. His grace has granted you an audience. He asked me to tell you that he has but a few minutes to spare.”
    We followed Fray Armand up the staircase and started down a long corridor lined with doors. A man came out of one of the rooms. His head was turned away and he was moving quickly. I caught a glimpse of his cape as he turned the corner to another hallway. Therewas something familiar about him. I realized that the way he was moving reminded me of Tio Diego. I opened my mouth to call after him but