‘Then you throw away your lives. Bertrand du Guesclin will have two thousand and more men with him. Hugh Calveley another thousand. You will die a useless death. Bring your men with mine. Stand next to us. We need you and your archers. We’ll kill hundreds before they get across the bridge. They’ll fall back and when they come again, we will kill them again. By the time their swords meet ours they will be weary from the effort. That is the best chance we have, al-Hakam. We have won many battles like this against even greater odds.’

‘Sir Thomas, we know our fate. The treaty with the Emirate of Granada and this foul King is not of my doing. I am a soldier who follows orders. Don Pedro deserves to die in the gutter with his throat cut, but I am obliged to protect him because Allah is all-knowing and I am not. I cannot question why I die here. It is my destiny. As perhaps it is yours.’

Blackstone felt he had already lost the appeal. ‘A warrior’s duty is to kill the enemy and live so he may fight again and kill those who wish to kill him or those he serves. I beg you, stay on this side of the river. We are already heavily outnumbered.’

Sayyid al-Hakam looked around at the broad expanse of open ground between the cliffs and the river. ‘You have chosen well, my friend. You will hold here long enough for Don Pedro to escape far enough into Galicia so as not to be followed. Your service to your Prince does you honour. Do not let me dishonour myself.’

‘You would not.’

‘The enemy would expect the royal bodyguard to stand between the King and his enemies. If we are to buy him time and convince them he is here so they do not ride upstream and find a crossing and pursue him, then they must see we are in their way. Then they will believe that Don Pedro is here with you.’

Blackstone saw there was no chance in changing the Moor’s mind.

‘I am a Nasrid Moor, Sir Thomas. Our blood will soak into the same soil as our ancestors who conquered this land. We die with honour. I will strike at them five hundred yards beyond the bridge. By the time they fight through us they will have their bodies and ours to slow them down.’

‘I saw writing on the wall of the Alcázar: “Wa la ghaliba illa Allah” – “Here is no conqueror but God”.’

Al-Hakam extended his hand. Blackstone grasped it.

‘Peace be upon you, Sayyid al-Hakam.’

‘And on you, Sir Thomas Blackstone.’

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE