I looked at his boots, torn and muddy up to his knees. He smiled, raising his palm. “We must not judge by appearances, señor. But ask about Abraham in Granada, and outside of Granada—and you will hear what you will hear.” He pulled my sleeve. “I do business even with Her Majesty, the Queen.” He walked away a step or two, and bowed. He approached again. “With Her Majesty.”
“Indeed?”
“I do not mean that I go to the palace or that I am invited to the royal banquets.” He laughed. His teeth were yellow and long as wisps of hay. “But I supply the money. I am not such a rich man. But I can manage. It is not easy, but I can manage. A nobleman transacts the affairs with Her Majesty and I supply the money.”
The snow ceased falling. The sun shone like a newly gilded platter. Soldiers and civilians, arm in arm, vociferated their joy, now considerably augmented by Bacchus.
“Señor,” Abraham said suddenly, “come with me. Away from the crowd. I have a proposition which I am sure will interest you. Only who can speak in this noise? Will you come, señor? I know a small wine-shop where we can speak at leisure.”
“I am not particularly interested in the business.”
“Of course, señor. But if something wonderful is presented to you.”
I deliberated for a few moments. “All right, let us go.”
He tried to keep pace with me; his large flat feet kept at a wide angle, stamped the ground like the flapping of a giant bird’s wings.
The wine-shop was a dingy place in a cellar. The proprietor, a Jew whose face was overshadowed by his enormous nose, bowed so low to us that I feared he would strike his head against the stone floor.
We entered a small room. Abraham ordered wine and instructed the proprietor not to permit anyone to disturb us.
Abraham filled the cups.
“You will like the wine, señor. It is very old. You cannot find a better vintage in Granada. The scoundrel charges me enough good money for it.”
Abraham smacked his lips and rubbed his hands. “So! Now we can talk better.”
“What, in short, is the business in which you would like to interest me, Abraham?”
“A gentleman’s time is very valuable, I know, and life is too short to spend in such company as mine. I shall come to the point at once.”
I nodded.
“I do not know whether the earth is round or flat. What has Abraham to do with such matters? That he leaves to sailors and queens and wise people. Abraham must provide money—isn’t it so?”
I nodded.
“But he does not live in Zipangu where the chamber-pots—forgive the expression—are made of gold. He lives in Spain where even Her Majesty finds a lack of that beautiful metal. And if she finds a lack of it, why should not Abraham?”
I nodded.
“Well, your time is precious, señor, and I am jabbering away. Well—this is the business: Her Majesty—may she prosper forever—wishes to sell her jewels that a certain sailor or admiral, Cristóbal Colón, an Italian or a Portuguese, may buy enough boats and hire enough men to go to India by water.”
“By water?”
“He says that the earth is round and if a man travels far enough on the sea, he will reach the other side of the world. I do not understand it, but I know that the Queen’s jewels are worth many times the money asked for them. But there is not a man in Granada who has the required gold. The wars have impoverished everyone, señor—everyone.”
“What makes Cristóbal Colón think that the earth is round?”
“Who knows, señor? The Queen is convinced. That is sufficient. Besides, for more information about the matter, I can refer you to Don Ricardo in whose care the jewels are at present—provided, of course, you are really interested in the business and are able to furnish the funds.”
“What made you believe that I might be interested or that I might possess such funds?”
“Ah, señor, I have an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and a nose that smells.”
“Take me to Don Ricardo.”
Don Ricardo’s castle, situated upon a hill, was smothered by pine trees. He had suffered from lung trouble in his youth, Abraham explained, and the physicians had advised him to breathe the pure air of the pine.
“You could never tell now that he had ever been ill. He is stronger than one of his trees.”
Don Ricardo received us in his study. He was tall, straight as a tree indeed, and wore a short pointed beard, black as ink.
Abraham kissed his hand and remained bent during his entire stay.
“Don Ricardo, this is the señor, the foreign nobleman who is desirous to see Her Majesty’s jewels.”
I introduced myself.
Don Ricardo asked me how I liked Spain and Granada in particular; what I thought of one thing or another. We spoke at random for some time. Don Ricardo made a sign to Abraham who walked out, his back to the door.
Don Ricardo showed me a map and a plan of the trip. I was delighted to see to what extent my mathematical calculations coincided with the new conception of the earth’s geography.
Don Ricardo continued. “The Queen is convinced, and the Admiral certain of the outcome of the enterprise. Besides, he who buys the jewels has nothing to risk. They are worth much more than the sum demanded.”
He unlocked an iron box and took out two cases of jewels—diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires, rubies. Among them, I recognized a necklace and a pair of earrings that I had sold some centuries previously to the mistress of a Cardinal.
Don Ricardo mentioned a price. I raised my hands and laughed a little. “Don Ricardo,” I said, “thinks me Midas himself.”
He praised the jewels, bade me examine them closely, related the history of some, including the necklace which he attributed to a Moorish Empress.
“Señor,” he said, “I am not capable of bargaining. Abraham, the Jew, will conduct the negotiations.”
“Very well, señor. I need at least a week or two to dispose of certain properties before I can even propose a sum.”
We exchanged greetings.
For three weeks, Abraham pitted his wits against mine. He sweated, breathed heavily, swore in Hebrew and in Spanish, cringed and threatened. I was determined to vanquish him.
“Señor, you are cleverer than a hundred Jews combined!” he exclaimed.
I smiled. “The cleverness of the Jew is largely an illusion and a Christian superstition. By the way, Abraham, is it true that the Queen intends to drive all Jews out of her dominions?”
“Her Majesty knows best what is just.”
“Where could the Jews go if they are driven out?”
He sighed. His small eyes glistened with tears. “The Lord of Israel will discover new lands for His People. Perhaps India—if Colón is right.”
‘This is still another reason why I must buy these jewels,’ I thought.
“The country which drives out her Jews does not fare well, señor. Egypt perished, and other nations too. We may be hated and made slaves. We have sinned in the sight of God, but to be driven out– —” He sighed. “Her Majesty knows best.”
‘And I shall know still better,’ I thought. ‘I shall see whether in truth a country can prosper without its Jews.’
The negotiations were finally terminated and Cristóbal Colón was provided with funds.
“Meanwhile, Kotikokura, we must continue our travels. We shall hear of the Admiral’s success or his failure when the time is ripe.”
LVI: GILLES DE RETZ IN PARIS—TREVISAN DOES A MIRACLE—I DISCUSS THE ELIXIR OF LIFE WITH GILLES DE RETZ—“YOU ARE MY BROTHER”—BLUEBEARD’S WIFE—MY PUPIL ANNE
CHARLES VI was no longer seated precariously upon the edge of his throne, the English no longer menaced France with an invasion, and the ashes of the Maid of Arc were cold and sparkless. The Parisians could devote themselves to the brewing of the elixir which would give them eternal youth and the Philosopher’s Stone. Everybody toyed with magic. Thirty thousand sorcerers were reputed to be in Paris.