He arrived in the king’s chamber in a state of great agitation.

“Relax.” The king was standing at his window, leaning against the sill as he stared out over the castle grounds. “You’ve done well.”

“You’ve removed the bandages already? You were supposed to wait.”

“So what? Do you think I always follow everything my doctor tells me?” The king laughed. “If I listened to everything you told me, I would be far better off than I am —slim, healthy, and getting enough sleep at night. Alas, I am a stubborn old mule. Seventy years old, but I feel I’m a man over a hundred…”

The king turned and Aviasar gasped. The king looked amazing; his eyes bore into Aviasar’s.

“Thank you for what you’ve done for me.” The king smiled sadly.

“It is my great honor, as always.”

“But I have not brought you before me to simply give thanks. I wanted to tell you personally that I can no longer have you work for the royal palace.”

“This is my reward? I am repaid for restoring your sight by being dismissed from my post?”

“Don’t act like you didn’t see this coming. Yes, if it was up to me you’d stay for as long as I’m alive. I need doctors like you, smart, dedicated, and skilled. But alas, the times are not favorable for your people. Consider it a miracle that I kept you for even this long. It’s time for us to part ways.”

Aviasar felt his knees grow weak. “I’ve always relied upon your help, your commitment to my safety. If I lose my position at the palace, I lose everything. I’ll have to flee and leave everything I own behind, all that I have acquired through much toil. Please… have compassion… Let me stay.”

“I can’t.” The king dismissed Aviasar with a flick of his wrist. “I’m not sure why you look so surprised, either. Physician extraordinaire though you are, are you not also my court astrologer? You should have seen the stars are aligned against the Jewish nation. By fire or by sword, the Jewish people will eventually perish. The thought doesn’t please me in particular; I think we need Jews for our economy and their skillset is impossible to replace. But destiny has predicted—”

“The Jewish people are not governed by the stars. Our fate is determined by the Master of the World. He has promised that the Jewish nation will never disappear. Of this, I have no doubt.”

The king shrugged.

“Either way, we must part from each other. Good luck.”

Aviasar left the room in a daze. The familiar hallways of the palace seemed so foreign to him now. Every soldier that he passed made his heart rate quicken. It was time to leave the city. He had held on as long as possible, but there was clearly nothing left here. Not for him, not for any other Jew.

When he arrived home, he instructed his family to pack their belongings. There was no time to waste. Aviasar’s haste was justified: Within an hour there were several angry peasants and priests gathering outside of his beautiful home.

“Where will you flee?” the priest shouted. “The fire will follow you wherever you go. You will face the same choice as your brethren; convert or be burned alive at the stake. No Jew will remain.”

“Ignore him.” Aviasar gripped Avraham by his shoulder. “I see we must leave almost everything… We cannot continue packing.”

Even the servants in the house suddenly began yelling at Aviasar, refusing to pack his belongings any longer. In one horrifying moment, the doctor’s entire world had come crashing down on his head. Word has spread swiftly, apparently. The Jewish doctor, Aviasar Ibn Crescas, was no longer working for the king. He had been dismissed, and now was no longer protected under any special status.

A crowd had grown outside of Aviasar’s house. Escape now seemed even more unlikely.

to be continued…

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 899)