Otto Beess gestured an instruction. A moment later, a seminarian led in Hiram ben Eliezer. The Jew bowed low, sweeping the floor with his fox-fur cap. The canon scrutinised him attentively.

“What can the representative of the Brzeg Qahal want from me?” he grated. “What brings him here?”

“You ask what brings him here, Reverend Father?” Rabbi Hiram lifted his bushy eyebrows. “And I answer: the truth. The evangelical truth.”

“The evangelical truth?”

“And no other.”

“Speak, Rabbi Hiram. Don’t make me wait.”

“When the Reverend Father commands, why then would I not speak? I say: various noble gentlemen walk around Brzeg, Oława, Grodków and the neighbouring villages, calling for the reprehensible murderers of Jesus Christ to be beaten, in order to plunder their homes and outrage their wives and daughters. Those ruffians quote prelates to prove that the beatings, pillage and rape are the will of God and the bishops.”

“Go on, friend Hiram. I am a patient man.”

“What else can I say? I, Rabbi Hiram ben Eliezer from the Brzeg Qahal, entreat you, Reverend Father, to observe evangelical truths. If you must beat and pillage the murderers of Jesus Christ, please do so! But, by Father Moses, beat the ones who actually crucified him—by which I mean the Romans!”

Otto Beess said nothing for a long time, scrutinising the rabbi through half-closed eyes.

“Yeees,” he finally said. “And do you know, friend Hiram, that you can be locked up for talk like that? I speak, naturally, of the secular authorities. The Church is forbearing, but the brachium saeculare can be harsh when it comes to blasphemy. No, no, don’t say anything, friend Hiram. I shall speak now.”

The Jew bowed. The canon didn’t change his position on his chair, didn’t move a muscle.

“Holy Father Martin, the fifth of that name, following his enlightened predecessors, has deigned to declare that Jews, in spite of appearances, were created in God’s image and some of them, albeit a small number, will attain salvation. In that case, persecution, discrimination, victimization, oppression and all other mistreatment, including forced baptism, are improper. You surely cannot doubt, friend Hiram, that the Pope’s wishes are considered commands for every priest. Or perhaps you do?”

“How can I doubt it? Why, he’s probably the tenth pope in a row to say the same thing… Thus it doubtless is the truth—”

“If you don’t doubt,” interrupted the canon, pretending not to hear the mockery, “you must understand that accusing clergymen of inciting attacks on Israelites is calumny. Unforgivable calumny.”

The Jew bowed in silence.

“Of course,” Otto Beess narrowed his eyes slightly, “the laity knows little or absolutely nothing about papal directives. And they’re pretty ignorant about the Bible, too, since they are, as somebody quite recently said, pro maiori parte illiterati et idiote.”

Rabbi Hiram didn’t even budge.