Amal since he took over the post of library leadership, had control over the studio that was used by Al-Hakam as a workroom. At first, he was embarrassed and thought he kept the room under his guard he did not occupy it. With time and when found that little by little had already obtained the conquest of the local leadership, despite the pockets of resistance that he considered normal as even Talib somehow had his islands of discontent among librarians, he began making it his workplace. At first cautiously, he stayed there just a few hours a day. Not perceiving any reactions, gradually he increased his presence, featuring the studio as his place of work, receiving the other staff on-site until be completely installed.

Then he realized that despite the enormous and constant pursuit of Al-Hakam for books and manuscripts, there were many documents stored by him that had never been released to the work of other librarians. Amal began to analyze them and realized that most of those documents were controversial. That's why they were stored out of the reach of other employees.

His studio measuring about 200 square meters and at the bottom gave access to a deposit of about 40 square meters, isolated by a heavy door with a pretty hefty padlock. Amal did not take long to find the key. It was clear that Hakam did not want those documents could be reviewed by anyone. He always assumed centrally all the service into new documents that came to the library and distributed specific services on the documents at his own discretion. That deposit meant work for many years.

In the same way that was pleasing to Hakam to launch himself over that task also was to Amal, and he took the mission enthusiastic and well unobtrusively. He had a huge amount of material to analyze. Most of those documents had no potential as dangerous as thought initially. They were mostly texts of Christian connotation and some Sufi character texts, Islamic mysticism or Islamic asceticism that began to take shape about a hundred and twenty years after Muhammad.

This Sufi stream, which came to be called dervish, quickly spread throughout the Islamic world and comes as a reaction to the excesses of some sectors of the Islamic society, which had already been evident in the early years of Islam, especially those who were considered apart from spirituality conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad. As it was not well seen by clerics because Islam condemns the monastic life, expressed literally in the Qur'an and Sunnah, the political and religious power found religious justification to start a chase. Hakam, for obvious caution, kept these documents in a place away from the public eye, was a faithful Muslim, but had a studious mind, very open.

Then, in one of those days of searching, summing up already several years as head of the library, Amal found the manuscripts.

It took him a few minutes to realize what he had in his hands and understand the existence of a robust lock on the door always kept closed and therefore the documents had been spared the scrutiny of invited clergy by Abi Amir, the documents were never exposed.

As explained the moment which Amal thought to reveal this problem for Jalila, according to the belief of Islam, the Quran is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It was memorized by Muhammad and then dictated to his companions and after was written by scribes which conferred continually the document during their lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters, or Suras, has been changed over the centuries so that the Quran is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad three centuries and a half ago.

That document, in all its parts, seemed to scream denying the fundamental belief of Islam. Amal in his time did not know this situation of parchment is today what modern scholars call palimpsest; A manuscript on parchment, after being scraped and polished, was again tapped for writing other texts. Without modern techniques that allow easily get the lower written by ultraviolet light, Amal only barely realized the lower writing truncated form, but that it was enough to account for some differences in the text. It was devastating! [6]

The set of scrolls was made up of about forty sheets grouped into a cover of the same material tied with made of catgut strings. Earlier he intended to perform the study alone, but then realized he needed to talk and exchange ideas with someone about the discovery. A name came quickly to his mind: could surely trust Nasr, because, from the Suleiman book episode and his ascension as his direct advisor, he had become a faithful companion. After all, Nasr was that kind of eunuch who had been emasculated even after his conversion dhimmi Christian to Muslim, a condition that should have prevented his castration and transformation into a slave, a fact that caused criticisms with allegations of illegality directed to the Caliph. A problem that occurred since the Al-Hakam I times. That detail did not put Nasr, in his heart, a very defender of constituted power in Cordoba and Amal knew it.

Determined to share that secret and get Nasr's contest the task of combing through those parts, Amal showed him the documents. The Nasr reaction was expected. It did so astonishedly. He agreed to work in secret on the scrolls aware of the risks that a revelation like that embraced.

They agreed to work only in the storage room where the scrolls were found and kept behind closed doors. For this, they rearranged the place to enable the placement of a table and chairs. They would work in separate shifts, joining its conclusions in night meetings when the working movement in the library was already closed. So could program the research according to the findings.

The idea was to decipher what they could of the lower text comparing it to the top layer.

The top layer was undoubtedly the Uthmanic text of the Koran, compiled under the direction of the third caliph, Uthman, and that serves as a canon of the Koran as the word of God to all Islam.

On the other side what appeared in the top layer and could be barely identified was a different version, with a choice of different words in some cases giving a diverse meaning to the text of the Surah.

Amal Nasr and began producing diagrams with these differences obtaining images in which each table on the top shows the text Uthmanic and the lower frames the Pre-Uthamic text. It can be easily seen that; some words are in excess or some words are missing or are different when comparing the two texts.

The work was not easy. They could not do anything to improve the condition of the lower layer. Any attempt could damage the document. They decided they had to settle for what luck has offered them, i.e. take advantage of the passages in which the material had not been washed or shaved properly. With every new discovery, the excitement and the fear increased. Sometimes the differences were perceived but could not specify them. But even so, after a few months of work and many sleepless nights, the two librarians have managed to catalog a lot of differences that showed clearly noticeable and several others that though noticeable, could not be translated.

They had in hand a set of diagrams that stated that the word of God had been changed, a heresy which was not accepted by the Koran. The big question was: what to do now with this discovery?

Amal knew what to do from the start of work. He needed to send their results to reliable Christian centers, perhaps Compostela or even outside the Iberian Peninsula, in the region of the Franks. Well worked, the document could cause a huge disruption in Islamic belief helping the Christian fight against the growth of Islam.

It began then to Amal the second phase of his plan, more dangerous and of more complicated planning. Not only depending on him and Nasr. After reasoning about the proposal of her cousin, she considered that Subh's conspiracy might come in handy, bringing him the resources they needed.

***

After the disputes that occurred in the wake of political events generated by the death of Al-Hakam II which spattered decisively in the library, it was not expected that the surprising rise of Amal could be regarded with confidence by all officers especially those who thought capable of replacing Talib when he plunged into disgrace by its links with Jaudhar.

Among the candidates stood Bahadur, a Slavic eunuch converted to Islam and had come to prominence condition in all the librarians, less for their expertise and more by his scoundrel way, shrewd and his total lack of scruples. Besides, it was lustful to the extreme, always being surrounded by one or two young slaves to which distributed caresses without any embarrassment at being in the presence of others.

Bahadur hated Sayyda Al-Kubra (Gran Senora) as Subh became known after Al-Hakam II gave her this title to honor the birth of her second child. This hatred was the influence she had on the Caliph and as a result she not being too complacent with the body of eunuchs creating embarrassment for many projects involving them as beneficiaries. This hatred was transferred by the main eunuchs of the court, the same who had been dethroned in the events of 976, Fayik and Jaudhar.

When the dispute for library's leadership occurred and Bahadur realized that Amal, the beginner, had benefited from his links with Subh, by ties which were until then unknown to him, his hatred turned to Amal. He never had given importance to that Basque boy even after he saw him win the favor of Al-Hakam and now had suffered the loss of a unique opportunity. He thought that would win the graces of Al-Hakam by other means using his own licentiousness. He did not forgive his own error of judgment which allowed Amal's concept to grow up among their own peers and the more he thought about it the more grew his hatred for him, now his boss.

But he decided not to show it clearly. He would be in the shadows. Like a snake waiting for the final blow. The library was still too big. The staff was always been bloated by literary chimeras of Hakam. Amal would not notice his machinations, because he would not stand for any job or internal discussion. He would work in the shadows but would search for information. He had not yet given up, so he would prepare to amass weapons to fight at the right time. Honor the Turkish meaning of his name as brave, warrior, and hero. Who was this newcomer who progressed from nothing?

However, almost five years passed, and Bahadur had not found anything that could use against Amal. Kept close monitoring and so far, nothing he could use. It looked like the bastard was devoted exclusively to the service. But he still was lurking. He saw him on several occasions making use of the connection with Subh, which still he did not understand well, to be able to administer the library properly, even without a Caliph giving full support.

Like every bad character, Bahadur usually attracts types of his kind. He was living orbited by half a dozen employees of the same strain, most of them were not very smart only faithful followers, on top of which exerted an undeniable leadership and feared. When in the library they gather in a hidden room well away from Amal studio and do not cross with him frequently.

There was not an accurate record of employees with their duties and job sectors in the library, something that at the suggestion of Nasr, Amal was trying to create, since he had assumed, but had not yet a complete and reliable document, one of the reasons was because many librarians including Bahadur, wanted to remain in the shadows. Since Al-Hakam and by his own guilt that everyone knew that the library had librarian's ghosts working little and only do politicking.

Nasr always was warning Amal to put more priority and his authority in finalizing this list, but Amal had neglected it and preferred to take more noble tasks, which were directly linked to the cultural aspects of the collections of books and documents. Nasr had also called his attention on Bahadur whom longtime knew and was finding his stay in the shadows very suspicious. He did not believe he had given up his ambitions. But Amal did not seem to want to know this type of problem. He was very confident in his links with the Palace.

One morning Bahadur and his rascal's group were discussing the strange two meetings they had realized that Amal had with the main auxiliary of Subh. Through his contacts, they knew that Sayyda Al-Kubra was not present, but the meeting seemed to be of some importance because Amal had remained locked with Nasr all day after the meeting and returned the next day for a second meeting.

It was then that one of his pawns came bubbling inside the room and bragged that he had the impression that he had obtained an indication of something important if it were not absolutely crazy, but the matter could even be related to Amal.

It was a young boy of Bahadur group, called Sajjad, a great frequenter of nights and taverns of Cordoba.

- My friends, I heard an interesting story yesterday. I was in a tavern located in the Mozarabic district in the esplanade Fahs Al-Suradiq which concentrates the troops before leaving for campaigns and so it is always lively. The place is frequented by all sorts of people. There was a drunk man who felt among Christians and under his loose tongue of alcohol spoke what he had heard a story of a family project that aimed to put two relatives actually two cousins, a woman, and a man, in the court of Al-Zahara Palace aiming to avenge beheaded ancestors at the time of the martyrs of Cordoba, over one hundred and twenty years ago. Sure, a very crazy story. He said that the family was frustrated because had planned through generations this action and it seems that the two after entering the palace have not yet implemented the revenge project, perhaps because they like to enjoy the blessings and luxuries of life in the palace court.

- What a crazy, but when this would have been? Bahadur said.

- Yeah, I asked the same question, the drunkard did not say precisely but said it seems to have occurred ten years ago, but the most important was what he said afterward of getting repeating nonsense in Latin which I did not understand anything, but it should be important.

- Said what? - asked Bahadur getting interested in the remark.

- That man intended to go to the al-Hakam library and saying this he burst open in a histrionic laugh.

- No, this is not to laugh, may have something there. And the woman where did she tried a place in the Palace?

- He did not say, but a woman goes where Bahadur? As far as I know for the Harem or to the service of the Harem. To my knowledge, there are no women elsewhere, maybe in the kitchen? Who knows?

- Well, I hope you might find this guy again. I want to talk to him. Go deep in this story.

- Are you serious?

- Of course, stupid or you, for a change, it was also drunk?

- No, No, I can find him. Just give me a few days. But I was not an idiot I asked another idiot on the table to copy what he said in Latin and I have it with me. I do not read Latin, but I know mentions tavern sometimes. And saying it withdrew from a pocket in his clothing a paper with a text in Latin: [7]

Haereticus est sacerdos et docuit me:

In tavern when sumus non curamus

quid sit humus, sed ad ludum properamus,

cui always insudamus. Quid AGATUR in tavern

ubi est nummus pincerna, hoc est ut opus queratur,

si quid loquar, audiatur.

Meum est propositum in tavern mori,

sint ut vina next morientis ori.

tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:

"Sit God propitius Huic potatori.

God Pater Misericordiarum,

qui per mortem et resurrectionem filii sui

mundum sibi reconciliavit

et Spiritum Sanctum effudit

in remissionem peccatorum,

Et ego te absolve the peccatis Tuis

in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

- For what this will serve us? I want to know is all history. You have one day. Tomorrow I want more information, or I'll get you a good caning a good beating in your delicious buttock and arrange for you to stay a long time without frequenting these taverns. I think the luck began to smile at me, by Allah, this is not just a drunken story, you do not see it?

Bahadur pulled close to him one of their group and for a few seconds he talked to him in the ear, then under the surprise of others rose and hurried out of the room without saying a word. He was annoyed by the finding of the possibility that Sajjad might have missed an important clue. Many years without getting anything brought a loosening in monitoring and perhaps even loss of their credibility. He did not want to be there among those brainless. He had to think. He walked briskly toward his quarters. The member of his gang to whom he had directed was Al-Aziz. Among all his companions was whom he considered smarter and whom he relied more upon. He had asked to meet him in an hour in his chambers taking with him the police officer Abbas.