Виктория Холт: Spain for the Sovereigns

Ferdinand looked at the Prior with astonishment.

‘What means this?’ he demanded.

‘I will tell you what it means!’ cried Torquemada. ‘The angels are weeping this day. And the reason! Judas Iscariot sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver. The Sovereigns of Christian Spain are preparing to sell Him for thirty thousand!’

He took the crucifix from under his robe and, holding it up, he raised his eyes to Heaven.

‘Holy Mother of God,’ he went on, ‘you have interceded for us. Great victories have been granted us. Now you look down and see our unworthiness. I pray you do not hesitate to take our greatness from us. We have been granted grace, and in return we desecrate the holy name of God.’

Then he threw the crucifix onto the table, and continued: ‘You are bartering Christ for your pieces of silver. Here He is. Barter Him away!’

Torquemada then strode out of the apartment.

Isabella and Ferdinand looked at each other, then at the crucifix on the table, and a terrible fear came to them.

They saw themselves as guilty of the great betrayal.

Isabella said: ‘Pray leave us. The Prior is right. The Edict shall go forth.’

Thus was the fate of the Jews settled.

Meanwhile Cristobal waited.

Beatriz de Bobadilla and Luis de Sant’angel both implored the Queen not to allow him to go away again, while Talavera, on the other hand, was pointing out to the Sovereigns that the arrogance of Cristobal Colon was insupportable.

Luis de Sant’angel talked to Ferdinand of the explorer’s prospects.

‘Why, Highness,’ he said, ‘it is true the man demands a high price, but if he makes no discovery he receives nothing; and if he succeeds in making this discovery Spain will receive wealth as yet undreamed of.’

Ferdinand listened intently. He had made up his mind that Cristobal Colon must make his discoveries for Spain and no other country.

‘It is, however,’ he said to Luis de Sant’angel, ‘a question of providing the means. You know how the exchequer has been depleted since the Moorish wars. Where could we find the money to finance such an expedition?’

Luis was staring carefully ahead of him, for he knew that Ferdinand did not wish to meet his eyes. As Aragonese Secretary of Supplies, Luis knew that there were ample funds in the Aragonese treasury to finance the expedition. But the affluence of the Aragonese treasury was a close secret which Ferdinand did not wish to be made known at the Court of Castile – and more especially to the Queen.

Ferdinand did not forget for a moment his Aragonese ambitions, which meant as much to him as the conquest of Granada itself. Therefore while Castile groaned in poverty, and the Queen had wondered how they could continue to prosecute the war, Ferdinand’s Aragonese treasury had been in possession of these ample funds.

‘I see,’ said Luis slowly, ‘that the Queen could not find the means to fit up this expedition.’

‘Alas, it is so,’ said Ferdinand, but he was thoughtful.

Ferdinand had now become convinced that there was too much at stake to allow Cristobal to offer his plans elsewhere.

He said to Isabella: ‘The man’s demands are arrogant, but if he is unsuccessful he gets nothing. What harm would there be in making him our Admiral and Viceroy of lands he discovers? For if he discovers nothing the tide is an empty one.’

Isabella was pleased; she had always been in favour of the man and was delighted as always when Ferdinand veered round to her way of thinking.

‘Then,’ she said, ‘when we can muster the money we will send him out on his voyage of discovery.’

‘When will that be?’ asked Ferdinand. ‘I do not think this man will remain here much longer. He has as good as said that if there is any more delay he will begin his journey into France.’

The thought of the French’s benefiting by new discoveries so agitated Ferdinand that Isabella said: ‘If I had not already pawned my jewels to pay for the war, readily would I do so to finance this expedition. The treasury is very low. I doubt whether there is enough money in it for what he will need.’

Ferdinand, who had been walking agitatedly about the room, stopped short as though he had come to a sudden decision.

‘There is something I have to tell you, Isabella,’ he said. He called to one of the pages: ‘Send for Don Luis de Sant’angel at once,’ he said.

‘You think you know of a means to obtain this money?’ Isabella asked him.

Ferdinand lifted a hand and slowly nodded his head. But he did not speak, and Isabella did not press him.

Within a few minutes Luis de Sant’angel was standing before them.

‘You are very interested in this man, Cristobal Colon,’ said Ferdinand. ‘You feel certain that his voyage will be successful.’

‘I do, Highness,’ said Luis.

‘You talked to me recently about money . . . money you have in Aragon.’

Luis looked rather puzzled, but Ferdinand hurried on: ‘You would be prepared to help in financing this expedition which Colon wishes to make?’

Ferdinand was now looking intently into the face of his Secretary of Supplies, and Sant’angel, after long experience of his master, understood.

Ferdinand wished this voyage to be made; he knew that delay was dangerous. He was gong to finance it from the treasury of Aragon, but Isabella and Castile must not know that, during the time they had been urgently in need of money, Ferdinand had kept amounts of money separate from those of Castile to be used in the service of Aragon.

Any discoveries Cristobal Colon made would be for the good of Aragon as well as Castile. Therefore what Ferdinand was suggesting was that the money should be provided by Aragon, but that it should be advanced in the name of Luis de Sant’angel.

Luis felt a great uplifting of his spirits.

Cristobal Colon, he thought, at last you are about to have your chance!

‘Since,’ said Ferdinand, ‘you are so generous, Sant’angel, you had better send Colon to us with all speed. We will grant his request, and he shall set about his preparations without further delay.’

Luis retired as quickly as he could and went in search of Cristobal; but the explorer was nowhere to be found.

All through Granada, all through Santa Fe the question was being asked: ‘Have you seen Cristobal Colon?’

At last it was discovered that he had packed his few belongings and had left. He had said that he would not be back; he was leaving Spain, since Spain had no use for him.

Luis was nonplussed. It must not be that, when success was about to come to Cristobal after so many years of waiting, he was to lose it through giving in a day or so too soon. Luis was determined that it should not be so.

He wondered which way Colon had gone. He would go, he believed, in the direction of La Rabida, as he would certainly wish to see Diego before he left Spain. His other son, Ferdinand, had a mother to care for him, but he would want to make some provision for Diego.

Yet perhaps he had decided he could not afford to waste more time and was hurrying northwards to France!

Luis therefore dispatched riders in several directions and one of these overtook Cristobal six miles from Granada at the Puente de Piños.

Cristobal heard the sound of horses’ hoofs thudding behind him as he made his way towards the bridge. He slackened his pace, and hearing his own name called, stopped.

‘Cristobal Colon,’ he was told, ‘you must come back to the Court with all speed. You are to be granted all that you ask, and can make your preparations at once.’

A smile touched Cristobal’s face, and it was so dazzling that it made of him a young man again.