Angel Time (The Songs of the Seraphim 1)

"Grandfather, I beg you, don't judge me," said Rosa. She knelt down beside the chair and kissed his left hand.

He didn't move or turn to her.

"I'm here," the old man said, "to provide the money that is needed to save the Jewry from the madness of these people, spawned by your sister's foolishly entering their very church. And that much, I've already done. I'm here to save the priceless books that belong to Meir which might have been carelessly lost. As for you and your mother--."

"My sister paid for entering the church," said Rosa, "did she not? And my mother, how she has paid for everything. Won't you come with us and won't you vouch for me that I am who I will say I am?"

"Yes, your sister paid for what she did," said the old man. "And now it seems that innocent people would pay for it, and so I've come. I should have suspected your little plot even if Meir had not confessed it to me, and why I still love Meir after his having been fool enough to love your mother, I can't say."

He suddenly turned to her as she knelt there. It was as if he were struggling to see her.

"Having no sons, I love him," he said. "I once thought my daughter and my granddaughters the greatest treasure I could possess."

"You will go along with what we mean to do," said Rosa, "for Meir's sake then and the sake of all the others here. It is agreed?"

"They know that Lea has a twin sister," he said coldly. "Too many people in the Jewry knew it for it to remain secret. You take a great risk. I wish you had left it to us to buy our way free of this."

"I don't mean to contradict the fact of us being twins," Rosa answered. "Only to claim that Rosa is waiting for me in Paris, which in its own way is true."

"You disgust me," he said under his breath. "I wish I had never set eyes on you as a babe in your mother's arms. We're persecuted. Men and women die for their faith. But you leave your faith for nothing but the pleasure of a man who has no right to call you his daughter. Do what you will and be done with it. I want to leave this place and never speak to you or your mother again. And that I will do as soon as I know the Jews of Norwich are safe."

Godwin approached the old man at this point, and he bowed before him, whispering his name again, Magister Eli, and waited before his chair as if for permission to speak.

"You've taken everything from me," said the old man in a low hard voice as he stared in the direction of Godwin. "What more do you want now? Your brother awaits you at the castle. He dines with the Lord Sherriff and with this zealous Lady Margaret, and he reminds her that we are valuable property. Ah, such power." He turned to the fire. "Would that money had been enough--."

"Then plainly it is not," said Godwin very softly. "Beloved Rabbi, please speak some words to give Rosa courage for what she has to do. If money would have done it, then it would be done, is that not so?"

The old man didn't answer him.

"Don't blame her for my sins," said Godwin. "I was bad enough in my youth to harm others in my recklessness and carelessness. I thought life was like the songs I used to sing when I played my lute. I know now that it isn't. And I've pledged my life to the same Lord that you worship. In His name, and for the sake of Meir and Fluria, please forgive me for all the things I've done."

"Don't preach to me, Br. Godwin!" said the old man with bitter sarcasm. "I'm not one of your addle- brained students in Paris. I will never forgive you for taking Rosa from me. And now that Lea is dead, what is there for me but my loneliness and my misery?"

"Not so," said Godwin. "Surely Fluria and Meir will raise up sons of Israel, and daughters. They're newly married. If Meir can forgive Fluria, how can you not?"

The old man at once flushed with rage.

He turned and pushed Rosa away from him with the very hand that she held and tried to kiss again.

She fell back with a start and Godwin caught her and helped her to her feet.

"I've given one thousand marks of gold to your miserable Black Friars," said the old man looking toward them, his voice now trembling with his anger. "What more can I do but remain quiet? Take the child with you to the castle. Work your blandishments on Lady Margaret, but don't overplay your hand. Lea was meek and sweet by nature. This daughter of yours is a Jezebel. Keep that uppermost in your mind."

I stepped forward. "My Lord Rabbi," I said, "you don't know me, but my name is Toby. I too am a Black Friar, and I will take Rosa and Br. Godwin with me to the castle. The Lord Sherriff knows me and we will make swift work of what we have to do. But please, the cart out back, see that you are ready to go in it, just as soon as the Jews in the castle are safely released." "No," he said shortly, "that you should leave this town after the little pageant is imperative. But I will remain to make sure the Jews are safe. Now get away from me. I know you're the one who dreamt up this deception. Carry it out."

"Yes, I was," I confessed. "And if anything goes wrong with it, I'm to blame for it. Please, please be ready to leave."

"I might give you the same caution," said the old man. "Your friars are disgusted with you that you went off to Paris to seek `Lea.' They want to make a saint out of a foolish girl. Mind, if this fails you'll suffer with the rest of us. You'll suffer as much for what you're attempting here."

"No," Godwin said. "No one will be harmed here, especially not one so devoted to helping us. Come, Toby, we have to go up to the castle now. There's no time for me to speak to my brother alone. Rosa, are you ready for what we must do? Remember, you're ill from your journey. You weren't up to this long ordeal, and speak only when Lady Margaret speaks to you, and keep in mind your sister's quiet ways."

"Will you give me your blessing, Grandfather?" Rosa pressed. I wished she hadn't. "If not that, will you give me your prayers?"

"I'll give you nothing," he said. "I am here for others who would give up their lives rather than do what you did."

He turned his shoulder against her. He looked as sincere and miserable in his rejection of her as any man could.

I couldn't fully grasp it, because she appeared so fragile and gentle to me. She had her fiery purpose, yes, but she was still a girl of fourteen, and a great challenge lay before her. I wondered now if I had proposed the right thing. I wondered if I hadn't made a terrible blunder.

"Very well, then," I said. I looked at Godwin. He put his arm gently around Rosa. "Let's go."