There among the huddle of women was Agnes. Geoffrey was surprised she could walk at all. She carried her candle in one hand, for her other arm hung limp. The shoulder looked dislocated; the pain of it, weeks after her first punishment, must have been agonising.

He couldn’t help but call, ‘Agnes!’

She looked around dimly. Her eyes seemed unfocused.

He didn’t know what to say. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I’ll pray for you. I can’t help you—’

‘I can, though.’

The voice in his ear was startling. It was Abdul Ibn Ibrahim, and he was grinning. He held a bundle of documents.

‘Abdul? What are you doing here?’

‘Being my deceitful, conniving, conspiratorial self.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘The Inquisition,’ he said, ‘is the logic of our times - of your times, of this age of Christendom. The Reconquest and all your crusading has militarised Christianity, which was once a faith of love. Frightened and ignorant, terrified by the march of infidels, stirred up by holy fools and greedy monarchs, you fall willingly into the thrall of these perverted prelates. Well, there’s nothing I can do about the flaws in Christian souls. But perhaps I can save one helpless woman. Come.’ And he strode forward, boldly approaching Ferron.

Geoffrey, confused, could only follow.

Abdul stood right in front of Ferron, forcing the whole procession to stop. The situation couldn’t have been more public, with the inquisitors, the brothers, the crowd, even the condemned looking on.

Ferron glared at Abdul and asked him why he was here.

‘It’s a matter of grave concern,’ Abdul said. He tapped his sheaf of documents. ‘I must discuss it with you.’

‘What, here? Now?’

‘There is no time to delay. Please, brother. It is a matter of death, or life.’

‘Whose life? Whose death?’

‘Yours,’ said Abdul.

Ferron stared. Then he allowed Abdul to draw him aside, but he waved the procession forward. As the brothers made the condemned kneel before the posts, he snapped, ‘Make it quick, mudejar.’

Abdul indicated the sheaf of papers. ‘A witness has come forward. To testify against you, brother. He has the testimonies of others to back him up.’

Ferron stiffened. ‘And what is his allegation?’

For answer, Abdul held out his hand. It contained a round sliver of bread, a communion wafer. ‘This was found in your office.’

And Geoffrey immediately understood.