He'd been home for a mere two days when a legate came demanding to see him. There was now a letter on the table before him. It had been sealed with the Archdeacon's official seal. It was 'an invitation' to come before the Archdeacon "in the matter of your father's estate". He'd thought the matter settled before he'd left. It was no longer his father's estate. It was his estate now, as the only surviving son of Luis Rodrigo de Lupo, who had died a heretic's death. His father was no heretic. They could make an eight year old child a heretic if they liked. But most eight year old children did not own estates such as this. There'd be nothing in it to do so. To accuse Luis de Lupo of being a heretic because of his Morisco wife who'd been dead for some twenty years now had been a complete sham. The young man watched the legate depart. The legate had said nothing - only delivered the letter and mentioned that 'the sooner the better' would be preferable. "What is (really) going on here?" Altayr wondered to himself. But Altayr was no one's fool. He had a feeling he knew, for he knew the laws. The property of a heretic was to be confiscated by the Church...rather conveniently. If you had property they wanted, they'd find a way to set you up and burn you. He was only one man, but he knew others and they called him 'brother'. Altayr called for his servants and those friends staying with him. He gave them all orders. Pack this and pack that. "We are leaving. They can have the house, but not what I told you to pack. When you are done with that, gather what you can of your own things. We are leaving, as soon as possible." ***** The tail-end of the Spanish Inquisition occurs in Altayr's life, when the Church turns their attention from the Jews to the 'Moriscos' - the Muslims or so-called 'Moors' in Spain. In spite of the fact that Luis de Lupo was a devout church-goer and his wife even accompanied him, they'd accused his dead mother post mortem and his father of secretly practising Muslim rituals and worship. It was becoming a common accusation, much the same as it had been with the Jews. Convert or leave. Altayr had nothing to convert from for he respected the freedom of an individual to believe whatever they wished, be it in Christ, Yahweh or Allah...no god or a hundred gods, for this was how he was raised. So...best to just leave. At least for now.... ***** So, I sneaked in another of the challenge expressions here :) Thanks for dropping by - for looking, and commenting dear friends! Have a beautiful weekend, wherever you are Rayvn