The Quality of Mercy by Faye Kellerman Read Free Book Online Page B

told his wife Sarah. Roderigo hoped that travel would teach him more successfully than had the university.
    Lopez sat on the sweet-smelling rushes next to Benjamin. Across from him were Dunstan and his brother Thomas — a smooth-faced fair man of nineteen. Thomas was built lanky, with long, thin, effeminate fingers. The boy cursed his body often and lashed out frequently at anyone who suggested he was anything less than a man. His quick temper had necessitated early in life an expertise of swordplay. Thomas was renowned for his skill of the fence — much to Dunstan’s displeasure. Thomas could easily best his older brother with a few quick strokes.
    Roderigo faced his brother-in-law, Jorge Añoz — Sir George Ames outside the converso community. Jorge had married Sarah’s sister. Good women, thought Roderigo, gentle and dutiful wives. Roderigo thought of his and Jorge’s mistresses and mentally added, tolerant women as well. He said to Jorge, “Raphael needs a replacement as soon as possible.”
    Dunstan twisted a braided gold chain around his first finger, then let it fall back against his chest. Surely they didn’t mean him.
    Jorge said, “We must find out who told the Spanish captain that Raphael was on board.”
    “What makes you think that someone told the captain?” Roderigo said. “He could have simply been found by one of the crew, hiding with the stowaways.”
    “Not in a galleon,” Jorge said. “The vessel is so big, twould be an incredible bit of luck to find someone well hidden. So many hatches and compartments.”
    “Well,
someone
found Raphael and the stowaways,” Aben Ayesh said. “Someone handed them over to the Inquisition. But that must not deter us. Too many lives depend on us, on this mission. When was the last time you communicated with the Spanish king, Ruy?”
    “I’ve yet to receive word from King Philip,” answered Roderigo.
    But Roderigo knew he would hear from His Majesty soon. Another payment was due.
    “Do you think he knows what happened?” Jorge asked him.
    “I don’t know,” Roderigo said. “But if he is aware of this mishap, we’ll have to increase the payments greatly.”
    All the men groaned. They were already paying the Spanish King a fortune in bribe money.
    “Can you discreetly get word to His Majesty, Ruy?” Aben Ayesh asked. “Find out what he expects from us?”
    Roderigo shook his head. “Transactions such as this one may only be made under the most private of conditions. If, God forbid, our correspondence is discovered, Philip will be angered — beyond repair this time.”
    Everyone knew what Roderigo meant. Four years ago, at Roderigo’s and Jorge’s prodding, Queen Elizabeth had abetted the revolt of Don Antonio against King Philip. Don Antonio was an illegitimate descendant from the royal house of Portugal. With English forces at his side, Antonio had rallied his people to revolt against the tyrannical yoke of Spain. It had been a well-placed scheme at the time, and had Don Antonio been of stabler character, it would have worked. The Queen hoped to set up Don Antonio as King of Portugal and gain a formidable ally against Spain in the Iberian peninsula. The conversos wanted Don Antonio as monarch because he was of Jewish descent. Perhaps, as king, Don Antonio would do away with the Inquisition in Portugal — if not abolish the tribunal, at least restrict its powers.
    Unfortunately Her Majesty’s fleet, commanded by Sir John Norris and Sir Francis Drake, failed miserably, their attacks easily repelled by King Philip’s Armada. All were left with much to explain. To restore faith with King Philip, appease his wrath, and prevent repercussions against the Spanish conversos, Aben Ayesh paid Philip the enormous sum of fifty thousand ducats. Philip’s anger abated and he allowed their mission to progress without interference. To mollify the irate Elizabeth, Jorge opened the coffers of his lucrative spice business — chartered as the Ames Levantine