The Last Song

were his eyes bore into my face.
    “Your excellency, forgive the love of a daughter for her father.” I lowered my voice. “I am certain that youcan see that the arrest of one of your own kinsmen must be a mistake. Only a fool would believe that somebody who shares the blood of your excellency would be capable of heresy.”
    The Grand Inquisitor’s hand froze midair for an instant before he resumed feeding his animal. The monkey clapped its paws impatiently.
    “What nonsense you speak!” Torquemada said. “Don Enrique is no relative of mine.”
    “He is, excellency. You must know that your grandmother Sara and my papa’s grandmother Miriam were sisters.”
    His sole reaction to my words was a twitch of his lips.
    “I have a letter written by Doña Sara to Doña Miriam. It contains their mother’s recipes, recipes for the food your grace’s great-grandmother ordered prepared for the Passover.” I paused. “That is a Jewish observance, I believe.”
    Torquemada carefully transferred the date from his palm to the table. The monkey jumped on his shoulder to try and get closer to the date. Roughly, he swept the animal off. The monkey ran to a corner of the room squealing.
    “Sit down!” he barked.
    I sank down quickly into a chair across from him,clasped my hands tightly, and crossed my ankles to still their trembling.
    “You speak nonsense. Don’t you realize that I could have you imprisoned for your lies? You’d never see daylight again.” His tone was all the more frightening for its calmness.
    “I hope that you wouldn’t do that, your grace. I treasure my freedom. That’s why I want my papa to be free, too. I must tell you that I left a note to be delivered to their most Catholic majesties if I disappeared or if anything happened to me. I told the queen and the king about my papa’s arrest and that my father was made a prisoner through the lies of a cowardly informer. Their majesties will believe me, for I explained that my papa is your cousin. Their majesties hold you in such high regard, excellency, that they would never believe that a kinsman of yours could be a heretic. Unfortunately, the royal couple would also find out that your grace is a New Christian, like my father and me.”
    “Your allegations are ridiculous! I come from an old Christian family.” He was silent for a moment. “Did you bring Doña Sara’s letter with you?”
    “I was worried that I would lose it, so I put it in a safe place. However, I did copy it for your grace.” I handed it to him.
    He read it quickly. When he finished, he put the letter down on the table in front of him.
    “I want the original of this letter,” he said.
    “Of course. And you shall have it, excellency, as soon as my father is a free man.”
    He stared at me for a long moment, as if he wanted to devour my soul. A telltale muscle twitched by his mouth. The only sound in the room came from the rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat of his fingers on the tabletop.
    “All right,” he finally said. His lips twisted into a wintry smile. “You are quite right, Doña Isabel. Your father seems to be a distant relation of mine. The arrest by the holy Inquisition of one of my kinsmen, regardless how far removed, would be disagreeable to me. I will have Don Enrique freed three days from today.”
    “Why wait so long?”
    “The wait is necessary. I don’t want anyone to say that your father was released because you came to see me. You have my word that the Inquisitors will not, shall we say, question him again. I will have Don Enrique taken home. Once he is there, I expect the original of this letter from you.”
    “You shall have it, your grace,” I repeated. I got up from the chair, approached closer, fell to my knees, and kissed his outstretched hand. “Words cannot describe my gratitude.”
    “No need to thank me. I want justice done.”
    He stood up and beckoned to his monkey. It crossed the room and jumped into his arms. Torquemada carried it out of the chamber as if it were a baby.

C HAPTER 15
 
F RIDAY , J ULY 6 – S ATURDAY , J ULY 7, 1492
    M ama was pacing the hall when I returned. At first she was furious when I told her that I had gone to the alcazar to speak to the Grand Inquisitor.
    “Have you lost your senses? I told you that I would go! Don’t you understand the kind of man Torquemada is? Didn’t you realize that he could have had you arrested, sent you to the stake? That he still might?” She covered her face with her hands and began