extinguished by the Reconquest.
Good relations had been kept up through the regular exchange of fruits and sweetmeats on their respective feast-days. Last Christmas had been the only exception. Nothing had arrived at the Captain-General’s residence at the al-Hamra from the family of Hudayl. Don Inigo was hurt but not surprised. The wall of fire had preceded Christ’s birthday by a few weeks. Umar bin Abdallah was not the only Muslim notable to have boycotted the celebrations.
It was with the express purpose of repairing the breach that now existed between them, that Don Inigo had sent for his old friend. And here he was, just as in the old days, sipping his coffee as he stared through the carved tracery of the window. Except that in years gone by, Umar would have been seated with the Sultan Abu Abdallah as a member of his council, giving advice to the ruler regarding Gharnata’s relations with its Christian neighbours.
‘Don Homer, I know why you are angry. You should have stayed at home that night. What was it that your grandfather once told mine? Ah, yes, I remember. When the eye does not see the heart cannot grieve. I want you to know that the decision was not mine. It was Cisneros, the Queen’s Archbishop, who decided to burn your books of learning.’
‘You are the Captain-General of Gharnata, Don Inigo.’
‘Yes, but how could I challenge the will of Queen Isabella?’
‘By reminding her of the terms which she and her husband signed in this very room, in your presence and mine, over eight years ago. Instead you remained silent and averted your eyes as one of the greatest infamies of the civilized world was perpetrated in this city. The Tatars who burned down the Baghdad library over two centuries ago were illiterate barbarians, frightened of the written word. For them it was an instinctive act. What Cisneros has done is much worse. It is cold-blooded and carefully planned ...’
‘I ...’
‘Yes, you! Your Church put the axe to a tree that afforded free shade for all. You think it will benefit your side. Perhaps, but for how long? A hundred years? Two hundred? It is possible, but in the long run this stunted civilization is doomed. It will be overtaken by the rest of Europe. Surely you understand that it is the future of this peninsula which has been destroyed. The men who set fire to books, torture their opponents and burn heretics at the stake will not be able to build a house with stable foundations. The Church’s curse will damn this peninsula.’
Umar felt himself going out of control and stopped suddenly. A weak smile appeared on his face.
‘Forgive me. I did not come here to preach a sermon. It is always presumptuous of the vanquished to lecture their victors. I came, if you want the truth, to discover what your plans are for dealing with us.’
Don Inigo stood up and began to pace up and down in the large audience-chamber. There were two options before him. He could deploy a troop of honeyed words and calm his friend, assure him that whatever else happened or did not happen, the Banu Hudayl would always be free to live as they had always lived. He would have liked to say all that and more, but he knew that it was not true, even though he wanted it to be true. It would only make Homer more angry, since he would see it as yet another example of Christian deception. The Count decided to abandon diplomacy.
‘I will be blunt with you, my friend. You know what I would like. You see how I am dressed. My entourage consists of Jews and Moors. For me, a Granada without them is like a desert without an oasis. But I am on my own. The Church and the court have decided that your religion must be wiped out from these lands forever. They have the soldiers and the weapons to ensure that this is done. I know that there will be resistance, but it will be foolish and self-defeating for your cause and ultimately we will defeat you. Cisneros understands this better than anyone else on our side. You were about
Good relations had been kept up through the regular exchange of fruits and sweetmeats on their respective feast-days. Last Christmas had been the only exception. Nothing had arrived at the Captain-General’s residence at the al-Hamra from the family of Hudayl. Don Inigo was hurt but not surprised. The wall of fire had preceded Christ’s birthday by a few weeks. Umar bin Abdallah was not the only Muslim notable to have boycotted the celebrations.
It was with the express purpose of repairing the breach that now existed between them, that Don Inigo had sent for his old friend. And here he was, just as in the old days, sipping his coffee as he stared through the carved tracery of the window. Except that in years gone by, Umar would have been seated with the Sultan Abu Abdallah as a member of his council, giving advice to the ruler regarding Gharnata’s relations with its Christian neighbours.
‘Don Homer, I know why you are angry. You should have stayed at home that night. What was it that your grandfather once told mine? Ah, yes, I remember. When the eye does not see the heart cannot grieve. I want you to know that the decision was not mine. It was Cisneros, the Queen’s Archbishop, who decided to burn your books of learning.’
‘You are the Captain-General of Gharnata, Don Inigo.’
‘Yes, but how could I challenge the will of Queen Isabella?’
‘By reminding her of the terms which she and her husband signed in this very room, in your presence and mine, over eight years ago. Instead you remained silent and averted your eyes as one of the greatest infamies of the civilized world was perpetrated in this city. The Tatars who burned down the Baghdad library over two centuries ago were illiterate barbarians, frightened of the written word. For them it was an instinctive act. What Cisneros has done is much worse. It is cold-blooded and carefully planned ...’
‘I ...’
‘Yes, you! Your Church put the axe to a tree that afforded free shade for all. You think it will benefit your side. Perhaps, but for how long? A hundred years? Two hundred? It is possible, but in the long run this stunted civilization is doomed. It will be overtaken by the rest of Europe. Surely you understand that it is the future of this peninsula which has been destroyed. The men who set fire to books, torture their opponents and burn heretics at the stake will not be able to build a house with stable foundations. The Church’s curse will damn this peninsula.’
Umar felt himself going out of control and stopped suddenly. A weak smile appeared on his face.
‘Forgive me. I did not come here to preach a sermon. It is always presumptuous of the vanquished to lecture their victors. I came, if you want the truth, to discover what your plans are for dealing with us.’
Don Inigo stood up and began to pace up and down in the large audience-chamber. There were two options before him. He could deploy a troop of honeyed words and calm his friend, assure him that whatever else happened or did not happen, the Banu Hudayl would always be free to live as they had always lived. He would have liked to say all that and more, but he knew that it was not true, even though he wanted it to be true. It would only make Homer more angry, since he would see it as yet another example of Christian deception. The Count decided to abandon diplomacy.
‘I will be blunt with you, my friend. You know what I would like. You see how I am dressed. My entourage consists of Jews and Moors. For me, a Granada without them is like a desert without an oasis. But I am on my own. The Church and the court have decided that your religion must be wiped out from these lands forever. They have the soldiers and the weapons to ensure that this is done. I know that there will be resistance, but it will be foolish and self-defeating for your cause and ultimately we will defeat you. Cisneros understands this better than anyone else on our side. You were about
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