THE MERCHANT WHOSE LIFE I had saved on the road to Treille broke into a hearty smile. He held me by the shoulders, then hugged me, and hustled Emilie and me through the door. I took off my skullcap and shook out my red hair.

Geoffrey laughed. I said to myself, you look like no Jew I had ever seen before.

We are pork-eating Jews. I grinned.

We hugged each other again, like old friends. I laid down my staff and unfastened my robe. This is Emilie. She's a close friend. This is Geoffrey, who once helped save my life.

And I was only able to, Geoffrey said, because Hugh had once saved mine.Ours.

Isabel and Thomas came in from another room. As I live and breathe, she exclaimed, it is the jester with the lives of a cat.

We were l............