Amal had not been entirely honest with Jalila. He approved the idea which had been submitted to him and had not forgotten the family goals, although this was far from what his parents and grandparents had imagined and he had much time to think about everything, as a protagonist, living in the palace. It was still at the deep of his heart, dangerously Christian, a condition that he even doubted about Jalila. His doubts had nothing to do with any losses of the favors received during the nine years that was in the palace but were related to the situation that he was dealing with in the Library which had to do with a problem as or more bombastic and dangerous.

In those days it was difficult to search for new documents, but Amal owned several documents that had not received Hakam's analysis and were carefully stored in a reserved place, and eventually, he found a scroll that had been rewritten over the prior writing. Because of the difficulty and cost of the scrolls, it was common that scrolls be scraped, washed, and reused with a script that would replace the lower and oldest writing. Those parchments, whose collection was not complete, brought various parts of the Koran. Amal had a strong supposition that those pieces of documents could be scrolls contemporary of Muhammad. Luckily, only he and Nasr had access to the document.

As soon as he cast his eyes, Amal realized its enormous value and determined Nasr to keep it under wraps and with his only help began to secretly examine the texts. The lower texts could be read with some difficulty and its comparison with the upper writing soon showed Amal the huge problem that this discovery could bring.

To experts as Amal and many others who worked in the library, despite the difficulty of the identification and reading of the lower layer, it was not hard to find out that in many passages, in the same Surah, the texts showed differences.

Amal realized immediately that if a document like this, falls into the wrong hands could cause the beheading of those who must carry or disclose the document. And why Amal thought so? He thought so because according to Islam the Qur'an is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. Hethought so because according to Islam the Qur'an is a record of the exact wordsrevealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad who memorized thesacred text according to the Islamic faith and then dictated to his companions,and written down by scribes, who for centuries have verified its accuracy. No word of its 114 chapters, Suwar, has been changed over the centuries so that the Quran is in every detail the original text which was revealed to Muhammad by a miracle.

An Islamic expert of the Qur'an would try to explain what happened from the compilation that the third Caliph, Uthman made some masters after the death of Muhammad. He aimed to reduce the possibility of many types of readings caused by different existing dialects and thus maintain the sacredness of the text, but for a layperson and the general population, this would be a dangerous document, which denied the Islamic faith. The text of the bottom layer was, of course, pre-Uthman. The records of the Islamic tradition during the time of the Prophet indicated that there was a license to any variation in the readings of the Qur'an to facilitate and make the memorization by the Arabs of all the tribes easier. The reason for this is because not all Arab tribes speak the same dialect used by the Prophet's tribe, the Quraysh Arabs. The change would be resolved mostly by replacing words with synonyms. Muhammad, and only he authorized certain substitutions for selected variants. No one could simply replace any word which did not like or did not understand, the new wording was only implemented with the approval of the Prophet himself.

On the other hand, this discovery was a powerful weapon for the Christian fighting against Islamic heresies. It was on that side of the question that Amal was most interested in. He would work about the document, interpret it, and send it later to centers of the Christian faith to be disclosed. In any case, this would be an achievement of family revenge more on his style. He intended to send safely the scrolls to a place of Christian faith as the Monastery of San Salvador de Celanova. But first, he needed to work harder on them and sends them together with his conclusions so that it could be understood by laymen. To do so, would have to ensure that everything remains secret, preventing that eyes as specialized as his, however inappropriate and dangerous, can view the manuscripts. What he did not realize was that in a certain way he was already being monitored.

Amal had concerns about driving this issue considering the recent Jalila's request. Maintaining two secrets, one political and the other religious concomitantly would increase the risk. He distrusted Sultana. That issue went beyond the political world and entered the religious. The Subh fight was politics, her former ally, and warrantor of Abi Amir's current power. The circumstances of forced confinement of his son caliph had placed them in opposing camps. In this dispute, Amal believed she would accept to incorporate Jalila's vindictive motivations but to believe that she believes that took over the consequences of the kind that the manuscripts could bring, he doubted. He needed to respond immediately and was inclined to keep the tightness between the two plots.

***

Subh savored a glass of horchata while talking to Jalila in his quarters still without knowing about the hesitation of Amal. [5]

- I am thinking of starting our conversations in the library with Abu Umar ibn Abd al-Hamid and I am not sure if you are prepared for this situation. How long is it that you have no contact with him?

- For a long time, I never saw him again, said Jalila while showing surprise in her eyes. Isn't he now one of the Viziers of Abu Amir Muhammad? Is it safe to involve him?

- That is for you to answer me I think better than I, said Subh with a grin, but has put forward: Of course, it is. He is most faithful to me than to Abu Amir Muhammad. He is also bothered by the Caliph's situation. You might not know, but his origin is Christian, though has become a fervent Muslim.

The ironic reference of Subh against Abd-al Hamid was because Jalila and Abd-al Hamid had been engaged in the past. They have not reached a definitive relationship by circumstances whose memories were not pleasant to Jalila. Her boyfriend had been almost, in the end, a puerile behavior. The relationship was never approved by Al-Hamid's family, who was influential and very traditional, coming from Niebla, west of Cordoba, an important center of the Caliphate. Abd Al-Hamid did not get due to his youth and inexperience, impose to his family his understanding that Jalila was an important woman in court, cultured and highly regarded for Sultana and despite of the difference regarding the proportions relative to the honors directed to the mother of the Caliph she would deserve the same quality of honors offered to Subh.

Despite efforts, Abd Al-Hamid failed to pass the idea that she was a prestigious woman in court and sharer in sponsoring arts and architecture exercised together Subh which was considered an acceptable means of women of the court show virtue, generosity, and piety. For his family, Jalila was a free woman but a servant without Arab lineage and thus they exerted influence to stop the romance arranging for his removal from Cordoba through a transfer to a diplomatic post in North Africa. From the top of a huge personal embarrassment, Abd Al-Hamid made things worse with Jalila, preferring not even to be present to a farewell and leaving her completely desolate with behavior that she never thought he could commit.

It was exactly during patronages of art that when escorting Subh that Jalila had her first contact with Abd Al-Hamid when he was serving as the assistant of the Vizier responsible for the policy against the North African Fatimids in the government of Al-Hakam II.

At the first contact, their presence caused a huge impression on Jalila. He was handsome, tall, with black eyes, black hair. Beard neatly trimmed, without mustaches, broad-shouldered and athletic waist. He wore a green tunic over white pants at the waist a wide black band that held a golden dagger in its sheath. Timidly they began talks about the event and soon changed the conversation for personal amenities and from this, it came the call for walks during the afternoons on the banks of the Guadalquivir, which eventually became frequent. With almost a month of walks by the afternoon, the call came to go take her to a boat of his property moored along the river. Jalila knew what that could mean.

In conversations with Subh Jalila did mention the invitation. She was her confidant and friend, much more than expected when this goal was aimed. They loved each other like sisters. Subh did not discourage Jalila but suggested that she should feel the heart and his body; an answer would come from them.

It was not any boat. Access to the deck was made through a green carpet lying on the pier. Besides the bridge, there were at least three more cabins on the lower deck. Abd Al-Hamid took Jalila carefully to the main cabin where there was a large curved sofa that took up the entire right side of the cabin, supplied with huge colorful cushions. On the other side an alcove with soft satin and white pillows. On a central table, there were trays with slices of bread, spreads, fruit, and savory prepared for consumption.

At the first moment, Jalila seems surprised at the meeting of premeditation, looked vulgar. Abd Al-Hamid realizing that held her hands and for the first time looked directly into his eyes at a distance that their faces almost touched. Jalila wore a light silk dress with silvery wisps of azure. Pearls bunch of earrings dangled from her ears. Her long black hair was tied with a network of tiny chains adorned with pink pearls. In her fingers several rings of platinum and gold. Abd Al-Hamid was as if glued to the floor and speechless. Jalila felt different energy going through her entire body.

They remained as statues for a few seconds.

Almost delirious he squeezed her hands and she left herself to be hugged and carried gently to the couch where the soft kisses and initial delicate exploratory touches made light up and flowing into the desire contained soon turned into an exciting and passionate movement which integrated their bodies which Hamid skillful and gently had freed of their clothing. The body and the passion of Hamid did pass to Jalila transcendental energy which she had never experienced. They embraced, caressed up and they kissed again and again, repeatedly returning to the passion's movements for nearly two hours until they remained quiet and lying side by side for more than an hour while they perpetuated in their minds and hearts a unique moment.

Jalila was the first to get out of torpor. She timidly gathered her clothes and composed herself. Abd Al-Hamid, already beside her, whispered in his ear that he had found his first true love and recited a verse:

Whoever looks in your eyes is captured

Like wine that intoxicates the reason who sips it

Contemplating her waist and her breasts I tremble with love

Like swallows cooing in fine branches

Jalila kissed his cheek lightly saying it was time to go, did not want to enter the palace after dark. For six months these meetings were repeated, sometimes in the boat, sometimes in Jalila's quarters, which became frequented assiduously by Hamid. Suddenly, one morning, Abd Al-Hamid went to North Africa without saying goodbye and after nearly six years away from Cordoba returned about three months to occupy an important position in the Caliphate's structure. Jalila considered that she was the price of his success.

- I do not see any problem. I do not misbehave; I owe nothing to Hamid. He is the one that must explain. Let us see what will be if he would care to give. I do not mind...

- Do not be presumptuous Jalila. You are entirely crazy to find him and fall into his arms and then forgiving him whatever his explanations are. You did not set with anyone after him

- Subh, let it go. Let us focus. Has anyone else in sight?

- Yes, but your cousin has not yet returned about the arrangements in the library. I am thinking of a meeting with some people and I need you to send warnings. When an answer will be given to us?

- Today he will bring the arrangements, Jalila answered, not without worrying about the given answer.

***

Amal came to the room where the first meeting was held and as on the previous occasion, he found out that Jalila was alone again. Subh was not present.

- So, did you managed to complete your arrangements? Do we count on the full support of the Library? She said taking a step forward.

- Yes cousin, but I need to say something that should be just between us.

- I cannot commit to it Amal; I am loyal to Subh and I would not know how to handle a secret between us. Is that something that interferes with our purposes?

- Not directly, it is just something that affects me. All right, I understand, you do not need to know, and it will not change anything.

- That's better, but I am sorry you mentioned because this can get insistently pounding in my head.

- Do not worry take it out of your head, pretend that I did not say anything. It is not important, just bones of my craft, but then I do not need always be present at meetings isn't it? Amal was aware that he was hiding because he knew that the matter was of the utmost importance, and yes, it could impact his participation in these conversations.

- Great. What about the place of the meetings? I guess that you chose a special room.

- I analyzed the rooms and concluded that the former Al-Hakam studio is the best place to keep these meetings. It is well protected from prying away from the hustle of the Library workers and is quite wide, is located at the end of a corridor, which helps to maintain privacy and security, and for now, I am the only one that has access.

- Wonder Amal. For all external effects, such meetings will aim to organize a cultural contest that Subh will launch. I'll have to organize our conversations concurrently with this contest because it needs to happen at some point in order not to raise suspicions about these meetings. In short, we will conspire and have fun.

- I still do not understand what Subh can expect of these meetings.

- She still has a lot of power in political articulation Amal. Do not forget that Ibn Abi Amir is occupying the position that he is today due to the Subh's joints. Circumstances that she now blames herself. The idea is to anticipate the movements of Ibn Abi Amir and try to interfere in any way, moving the facts in our favor which means in favor of Hisham rescue from his claws. Subh aims to undermine its strength before he becomes indestructible.

- I got it, but I did not comprehend it. You stayed long beside the political articulations and I stayed with books and manuscripts. You are better able to absorb this than I, hope you do not misunderstand what I said at our last meeting about keeping what I got in those nine years. I am still somehow connected to our initial goals, only in a different way and for that, I need my post in the Library. You would understand if we could share the secret that I proposed, but okay, I will help without entering this mystery.

- And this mystery cannot be shared with Subh?

- Not at all, extremely dangerous for many people.

- So, we stay like that. One day maybe you can tell me what it is. We will invite people to the first meeting. We have a squire that works in Subh's entourage, his name is Rashid. We use it as a messenger to warn about dates, people, etc., to help you manage all in the library. Do not forget to provide some refreshments at such meetings and ensure pads or whatever with which this room is supplied. In some of the meetings with Subh's presence, we will need, you know, a kind of an ornamental wooden lattice structure in which she stays behind it. We have some samples, and we'll send one to you have there when needed. On these occasions, she will reach the site before the guests.

- Oops, the Library does not have the perks of the favorite entourage. These foods and drinks you will have to help me. I only have dealt with books and scrolls and I don't have the habit of dealing with the central palace kitchen. I do not even have contacts there.

- It is all right. Rashid will take care of that too. See, you began to profit from these meetings.

- What a thing Jalila, you became a real noble. No one better than you took advantage of coming to the palace, I suspect that this was your idea from the start.

- Ihh, I was discovered; she said exploding in a hot laugh. Now we need to speed up. Subh wants to start as soon as possible these meetings and need to invite people she already charged me to take care of everything. Thank you, Amal, everything will be OK. Oh, one more thing, will someone else be involved in this management on your part?

- Not for now. With the floor of the things, I will consider whether I can include someone else.

- Well, great care is. Once Jalila said that she dismissed Amal who returned to the library, but not without some concerns in mind. He had already decided to include Nasr in the discussion of his decision.

___________

Notes:

5.Horchata (/ɔːrˈtʃɑːtə/; Spanish: [orˈtʃata] or orxata (Catalan pronunciation: [oɾˈʃata]), is the name of several kinds of traditional beverages, made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, tiger nuts (chufas), or melon seeds. The name derives from Valencian orxata, probably from ordiata, made from ordi (barley) (Latin *hordeata < hordeum). The Italian orzata, the French and English 'orgeat' and the Surinamese Dutch orgeade have the same origin, though the beverages themselves have diverged, and are generally no longer made from barley.