I did not see what ultimately became of the so recently jubilant Fray Hojeda, except to know that none of the soldiers would go near him but stood around him in a leery half circle as he cried out weakly for help. With the help of one of his guards, Gabriel dragged me into his house, into the dining hall where he had once swept all the dishes from the table in a burst of passion. I was made to sit in a chair while the guard tied my hands behind my back. Gabriel, far from being concerned about his brother’s grave illness, seemed pleased and revitalized by the prospect of questioning me. He stood over me, a pale-haired, hawk-nosed giant, his pallid face pushed near mine, his breath warm on my face. “You are a crypto-Jew. The evidence is clear. That was some sort of Jewish ritual object.” “I am a crypto-Jew,” I admitted softly. There was no point in denying the obvious, and speaking the truth aloud brought relief. He grinned. The disturbing light in his eyes was the same one I had seen the day he had beaten Antonio and the Jew, the same as when he had swept all the dishes from the table, the same as the instant he had realized that I had no choice but to submit sexually to him.
