“Am I a common criminal now? Has my duty to the king and the king’s noblemen been all but forgotten?"

Madrid, Spain, Late 1400s–1500s

The months that followed were extremely difficult for Aviasar. The Inquisition raged ever stronger, trapping more Jews in its deathly vise. Who could escape the reach of the Church? It was only a matter of time until every Jew was caught, discovered by a neighbor eager to see another Jew burned alive before the masses.

Then, a visitor appeared one day in the countryside village where Aviasar was staying. It was the grand Duke, accompanied by a battalion of soldiers. They surrounded Aviasar’s house, demanding that he appear outside.

“Aviasar Ibn Crescas! Make your presence known!”

“What crime am I being arrested for?”

Aviasar stepped out of the house, blinking in the sunlight. He raised his hands, his face fearful but defiant.

“Am I a common criminal now? Has my duty to the king and the king’s noblemen been all but forgotten? Will the hands that saved so many of your people now be burned in the pyre, like the rest of my people?”

“I’ve come to do no such thing.” The duke slid off his horse. His immaculate uniform and medals gleamed in the sunlight. “I’ve come to ask for a favor, a request from the most skilled doctor in all of Spain. My relative is deathly ill and needs someone to operate on her. I can find no soul in this land who is able to perform the operation she desperately needs. I need you to save her life.”

Aviasar chuckled darkly.

“Have you not heard, Duke? I am no longer in practice. I am a farmer now. The hands that once held the sharp, delicate tools of my trade, now are calloused and dirty. Can you not see my clothing? My sunburned skin? I am a farmer now, slaving away underneath the sun. The physician you seek no longer exists, Duke.”