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  Part I Csimenae Prologue

  Text of a letter from Bishop Luitegild of Toletum to Gardingio Theudis of Aqua Alba in Iberus and Exarch of Aeso.

  To the most esteemed Gardingio Theudis, the blessing and ave of Episcus Luitegild of Toletum on this most sacred occasion of Advent, when all good Christians pray for the redemption of sin and the coming of Grace, for surely it will not be long before the Son of God comes again to raise up the righteous and cast down the mighty as Holy Scripture promises us.

  This is to inform you that the bearer of this tomus is a man worthy of your good consideration, for he is of high rank and reputation, esteemed by noble, merchant, and clergy alike. Nothing ill is said of him by any who have dealt with him. All praise his conduct. He enjoys the highest positions available to foreigners in Toletum, and we view his departure as a misfortune that will give us cause to lament his absence for many years to come.

  It is his departure that prompts me to write to you, for you have immediate contact with Caesaraugusta, which is across the river from you. As the Gardingio of the eastern side of the river, it is in your power to speed or hinder the departure of this man and his servant when they present themselves at your fortress. You would be doing a Christian service to ease this man's passage through your territory; I would remember your kindness in my prayers for a full year, and I would intercede with the local authorities here in Toletum to the benefit of those in your region who remain obdurate in the Aryan heresy or in clinging to the pagan ways of the past. Surely such concessions will move you from your usual adamantine posture in these matters.

  The man of whom I speak is one it would behoove you to receive well, with the courtesy due one who has been a companion to those of highest positions in the world. He has traveled much and can instruct you in many things that will prove useful to you as well as entertaining. He is educated and erudite, with the comprehension of one who has journeyed widely. Let me encourage you to listen to him and benefit from his wisdom. He is also skilled at healing and may be induced to treat any suffering from injury or disease at your fortress. You would do your dependents a disservice not to avail yourself of his talents in this regard.

  To facilitate this introduction, I will include a description of the man, so you will not be abused by an imposter: his name is Franciscus Sanct' Germain. He is of high birth and carries the winged eclipse as a badge of degree. He is somewhat above middle height, sturdily built, his actions are decisive and energetic, his features are pleasing but a bit irregular, his hands and feet are small and well-made. You will be taken by his eyes, which are of a blue so very dark they appear black. His hair is fashionably cut in the Byzantine manner, has some curl to it, and is a dark-brown color shot with ruddiness when struck by light, and he is clean-shaven. His voice is mellifluous and he speaks eloquently, but with an accent that I have not heard in anyone but him. His manservant is a thin man of middle years with sand-colored hair and pale-blue eyes; he answers to the name of Rogerian.

  While he has lived here in Toletum, he has gained high regard for his skill as a jeweler and goldsmith, and his devotion to civic works. He also has some skill with medicaments. In these capacities various he has earned the good opinion of the city's Jews, who have praised his abilities and integrity in terms they usually reserve for their own; that does not mean he dealt only with Jews, for it is not so-he has been useful to everyone in Toletum, I would have to say. However, being a man given to study instead of contemplation, it is to the Jews that Sanct' Germain is entrusting much of his property, including his house and a small villa outside the city walls, as he is bestowing his household goods upon the poor of our faith, along with a donation to Sancta Virgine and the monastery Sacramentum.

  I know that those Gardingi living away from Toletum, as you do, are not often minded to extend yourselves for those of us here, but I ask that in this instance you do as I have asked you to do. It will redound to your benefit in this life as well as in the life that is to come when God returns to judge all mankind; you will not want it said of you that you failed in your duty as a Gardingio and a Christian, as must surely be the case if you pay no heed to my bidding. You will not be the only Gardingio to whom I write, and if you decide to give no regard to my request, your peers will learn of it, and of the disgrace you have brought upon them.

  Weather permitting, Sanct' Germain should present himself to you before the Paschal Feast. He will be traveling with a small escort whose maintenance he will vouchsafe. It is my hope that you will extend your duty to providing him further introduction to those of your fellow-Gardingi who control the roads to the east of you, so that Sanct' Germain may continue his journey unimpeded. To that end, I am sending with this tomus my seal impressed on a writ of passage in the certainty that you and all other Gardingi will honor it in accordance with your vows of fealty.

  May God give you good health, good fortune, and good fame. May you deserve and receive the confidence of your peers. May your children all live to hardy old age. May you never face a foe you cannot best. May your loins always be fruitful. May your fields and herds be bountiful. May you be spared the catastrophes of famine, flood, and war. May your women be faithful, chaste, and devoted. May your heirs be worthy of your accomplishments and uphold your dignity. May your name be remembered with awe. May your family be held in high honor from this time until God summons us to Judgment. Amen.

  Episcus Luitegild

  of Toletum and

  the Seat of Sanctissimus Resurrexionem

  Written and sealed on the first day of Advent in the 621st year of man's Salvation, in the calendar of Sanct' Iago's reckoning.