Nasr has found Amal absorbed in a text but looked up at his entrance into the room when after shutting the door said with a worried tone.

- We need really to talk.

- You and your concerns dear Nasr, what is about now?

- I cannot understand your calmness as nothing could happen to you. Even against your will I have kept my monitoring and did find out interesting and dangerous things.

Amal put aside the text he was working on and gave all his attention to what Nasr said.

- I've been talking to you very often about some people and the personal records and you never gave importance. Now in the middle of two conspiracies, I think you'll have to listen to me. I noticed strange movements of Bahadur's staff!

Of which staff you are talking about Nasr? Here you again with your fears.

- Do not cover your eyes and ears Amal. He as always is monitoring us and knew of his meetings with the assistant of Sayyda Al-Kubra. I'm sure he knows that we are working for months until the wee hours in the storage room. OK, he may not know that we were in the storage room, but at least he knows that we are staying till late in the night in your studio.

- And how do you know that?

- I told you, to do my monitoring processes and have an eye on people in it. People relate to people of his flock without belonging to the group.

- Maybe you're right, we are now involved in a lot of potential big troubles. I agree to be careful, but that's not what we're doing? Consider all the precautions we took, including the storage room. Only you and I know about it.

- Yes, but now we need more than that. During these years there was not much to worry about. We were just focused on the Library, in the texts, but now it is different. We cannot give rise to bad luck. Bahadur had no materials to reach us. However, I was informed that two days ago he and his crew are busy, and I do not know what it is, but there is an assumption that has to do with you.

- What do you mean with respect to me?

- I do not know, a crazy story of a drunk in taverns talking things about the selections to the palace, especially for the library, about 10 years ago. A nonsensical family revenge plan. But according to what I understood they think you may be at the center of this story and they want to investigate. They have with them a piece of paper related to the episode of the tavern, with something written in Latin that I still didn't achieve, I do not know if it's important, but I'm also making efforts to get it.

About this revelation, Amal shuddered and first felt the same fear that always he criticized in Nasr. He did not want to betray any shock because Nasr was unaware of his history with Jalila, he did even not know they were distant relatives. He preferred to conceal.

- As you said, a history of drunkenness, why should we care?

- I just intend that we are not caught by surprise and I want to let you be alerted. All care is not enough. When you will start the meetings with Subh?

-- Still, do not know. After our last contact, I did not know anything new.

-- All right, I came also to warn you that I need to go now to Cordoba, I received information from one of these private libraries that citizen think you have an important document and needs someone to analyze. You know the old vanity. Surely, he wants to boast to friends about his culture and possession of an important document.

- You may go, we will inform you about any new meetings. You know that I will include you in that. By the way, tomorrow I cannot be here in the morning. Maybe I will go visit tonight my parents and they always ask me to spend the night. He said this as a precaution, due to ideas that passed through his head in order to clarify the issue brought by Nasr.

Nasr went out and Amal stayed absorbed by his thoughts. Never in these nine years of his presence in the palace and eleven by Jalila appeared any threat to the initial purpose of their entry into the court. It would be so long after and when the revenge was not anymore, a matter of their agendas that past ghosts would haunt them? Did any frustrated relative have opened the mouth? Who could be talking secrets like this at a tavern table?

He was assailed by doubts about whether to talk to Jalila or take care of the situation by himself because she had also a lot to worry about. He needed to contact his family, after months without getting together.

***

Bahadur had been pleased with the conversation with the police officer Abbas and with Aziz.

Earlier Abbas had created some resistance to what was requested; investigate a drunk who did not even know who he was, where he lived, and about a conversation in which he reported an alleged family revenge plan involving selections to the court for more than ten years ago. It seemed more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. Moreover, it would be nonofficial work and he could not afford the expenses.

Bahadur beyond saying that there seemed so difficult because one could always count on the return of the drunk at the local again and argued under two ways; first would be an unofficial work only at the beginning. If obtaining any solid evidence would be possible to turn immediately to search for an official investigation because it involved serious treason against the government, possibly against Islam, and could mean they could still be accommodated enemies inside the palace. Moreover, would supply Abbas with aides for him to begin forming his particular team. He puts to work the ambitious mind of Abbas explaining the prestige that this would bring. Second, he would be rewarded not only in money but with young sex objects to unload their libidinous verve. That was a currency that had already been used with him before. About this matter, Bahadur is a master and manipulates very well.

Abbas gave in to arguments and made himself available. He agreed that would come back in touch with the progress of his investigation if he needed anything or obtained any information.

Bahadur remembered God only when he wanted to get graces of the heavenly heights, He had the conceited belief that this fact had been provided by Allah. Much fit between the time that happened the plot and the epoch of Amal entering the Palace. Who was the woman? Amal had a hunch but needed further investigations and this would be done by him, very carefully. He could walk on the rocky ground.

Once Abbas left his house he continued his talks with Al-Aziz to devise strategies to meet again their staff and try to rescue the seriousness of the investigations that he thought it had been lost over time. He needed to know who could really count on because they were entering a new phase where heads could roll. He wanted a detailed assessment of all the people who joined him during the past few years, those times could only be classified as a rebellious period. Now it was for real.

Unlike his accomplices, he did not consider this investigation as if they search for a needle in a haystack. After all, the drunk in question was certainly a Christian, against whose rights could confront without fear. He would return to that tavern and under a "good cop treatment" would give the whole story. If they reached the family was sure that they would reach Amal, such was his assurance that was behind the right track and his determination to dethrone the chief librarian. Now, more than remove him from office his intentions were to take his head off, literally. Moreover, had determined research on families and close friends of Amal and the Subh's auxiliary, Jalila which he advised an approach with maximum reserve and care, in both cases the questions should be made carefully as to characterize the interest of a friend of the family.

Once Al-Aziz also retired he lay down and slept a peaceful sleep.

***

Amal decided to talk to his family. The timing was delicate and could not let go long. We saw serious danger signs on the observations of Nasr.

He left the palace situated in the suburbs west and headed to the south of Cordoba where was located his parent's home. It would then need to get into the city that was surrounded by N-E and from S-W by strong walls that divided it into two unequal parts. Also, there were other interior walls dividing the city into four to five different neighborhoods. On these walls and fortifications, there were doors with guards (Al-darabún) in charge of watching over them and closing them in the evening after alathemah or Evening Prayer The closing of these doors prevented communication between neighborhoods. Some doors were more monitored than others, so a night traveler needed to know well the less controlled passages.

Amal was apprehensive. He did not know how it would be received. Since the plans for revenge had been forgotten his relationship with his parents had deteriorated and she had no idea what their reaction would be, even more coming unannounced. He knew well how to manage the situation with his mother, but his father could be problematic.

He followed the main street, an artery that divided the city from north to south from the gate of the Jews till the South door. There was a lot of movement in the narrow side streets especially in the famous street of perfumes that was filled with slaves, girls, and women who came looking for essences. He arrived at the South Gate before the evening time and the passage was quiet, then he headed towards the great bend of the River Guadalquivir.

He walked for over two hours to get to the farm of his parents. Took a deep breath at the door, regained his strength, and hit. I knew the family routine and knew they were in the traditional tea before the preparations to collect. He had chosen to arrive at this time and find his father calm down after a day always laborious. He expected that doing so would avoid an improper discussion at that moment.

Knocked on the door. There were a few seconds, almost a minute of anxious waiting until his mother opened the office door of the modest farm. At first, she showed surprise then opened his arms to her son enveloping him in a hug.

- Has something happened, my son? She said after hugging him.

- No, a son cannot make a surprise to his parents? I just need to talk to both of you.

- Come in, your father is at the table of tea.

He took two steps in and then saw his father at the table without raising her eyes still with his cup of tea in cupped hands. He came and sat in the chair arranged in front of his father regardless of his indifference.

- Father, he began saying. You never understood our strategy around this problem and always thought that we would reach the palace and everything would be solved. Things are not like that. I come here today because the time finally came. We are ready and we can unleash that for which we hope for years.

Amani, his father, for the first time, looked up from his cup.

- Bullshit, you've been telling me that for years.

- No my father I never said or promised that I was ready and always I asked you for patience, but now the time has come and something was done that I still do not quite understand and that may have been committed by someone in our family, that can cost my life or Jalila's life and throw everything into the ground.

This time he got the attention of his father.

- As well, something is done by our family? Now we are guilty of your lukewarmness?

Amal told him what she knew about the conversation she'd had with Nasr and as he spoke grew a startled expression on the face of his father.

- This was never said. I never commented neither I nor your mother with anyone on the subject.

- Mom, you obviously confirm this?

- Of course, my son, this nonsense never left from here.

- You can say the same about Adil and Amina?

Amani seemed to ponder the question with an expression that Amal felt as worried

- I do not know, he said. We do not have much contact. We never had, even before you leave us.

- But you seemed to be worried.

- Is not that, is that if you think I was frustrated myself with no realization of our plan over the years cannot imagine how much they were disappointed. They never had reconciled themselves. They did much more to the preparation for Jalila to enter the Palace than we did with your entry in the library. In the little I had contact with them I noticed a huge revolt. Taken by emotion they may have slipped some wordsto someone not realizing the danger involved in leaking this information My Godalready ten years and now this. That's what I can think about.

- Father, we need to find out and then know to whom they spoke, since it was not you who spoke. Dangerous people are investigating this, and we need to uncover the leak before they reach the author. Implementation of the plan, not to mention our lives, mine and Jalila and their own, depends on it.

Amani did put aside all years of coldness with the son stood up and hugged him.

- I think I got carried away by the influence of Adil and his revolt after you left, and the plan was not executed. It wasn't fair. You were in control and I should know that would do what had to be done at the right time. I apologize.

Amani's words had a tranquilizer effect on Amal, he never felt well with the situation between them. He returned to embrace the father who invited him to also take tea.

- I'll find Adil tomorrow even said Amani.

Amal's mother, Atifa, entered the discussion for the first time.

- I do not think Adil has spoken anything. I find it more likely that Amina has. As his father said, she worked hard, dedicated his life to preparing Jalila. I must also go to talk to her while Amani is dealing with the matter with Adil.

- It's what we must do, we cannot wait to act - said, Amal. You need to keep me informed. Thus, step by step I can see what kind of resources we can provide to help. Whoever is the person who told this story in the tavern, must be withdrawn from circulation. We must take him out of Cordoba and its surroundings, and we need to know if he talked to someone else. This can be complicated enough. I found a few times ago that I have active opponents within the Library. I've been overlooked some alerts about it and now I must recover.

Amal and his family talk a little while they were trying to rescue a little time lost in their lives and he decided to sleep in the parents' home and only return to the Palace by the morning. He prayed with parents in the Christian creed, during which avoided revealing that he no longer made it frequently. Inside the palace was already too much added to the Islamic routine.

He woke up early and headed to Al-Zahara. During the trip, he had the opportunity to reflect on all that had happened. He thought as God writes straight with crooked lines; he had reconciled himself with his parents starting from an unusual danger.

He had arranged with his father that one of the trusted collaborators on the farm would serve as a messenger between them. The messenger would not know about the information that would be transported and the communications would follow an encrypted form. One way that had been used at the time of preparation for access to the Palace.

Still, he conjectured whether to speak to Jalila. She did not communicate frequently with her parents and therefore she would not how to know before he told her. He had serious doubts about her involvement, especially with the possibility suggested by his mother, of being her mother Amina the likely responsible for the leak. He concluded after much thought, almost reaching Cordoba, which would have to reveal it.

Another problem that hammered his head was the fact that there was also not revealed to Nasr that the story of the drunk was real and he was in danger. He could help a lot but does not know how he would react. Would his recent friendship survive that hidden lie? He decided to leave this issue to be resolved later. He would decide on this by noting how things would unfold. Who knows, he could neutralize the threat without revealing anything to Nasr?

He reached Al-Zahara an hour and a half before the Dhuhr (Midday Prayer). He went straight to find Jalila, without even knowing to find her available, and decided to settle this matter at once. He was lucky, he found her in the courtyard where had met a few times. She, as he did regularly, was reading poetry and enjoying the freshness of the late morning.

Jalila listened attentively throughout the report of Amal, from the conversation with Nasr to your trip to her parents without interrupting. It was her style. In the end, she had an unexpected reaction by Amal. Recognized the possibility of the leak has come from her mother. It was the biggest gamble for her. She said her mother had been sick even with the fact that the plan did not materialize. With time the bad feeling turned into revolt. And yes, it was quite possible that in one of these moments she had been indiscreet without thinking of the consequences. She informed Amal, who regretted not having gone to meet Jalila before going to his parents, the names of some close friends of his mother who could have been the interlocutors in indiscreet conversation.

They agreed that Amal would oversee trying to neutralize this threat. She was as Amal imagined very committed to Subh's conspiracy and could not deviate. He would keep her informed of everything. Jalila was quite happy with Amal's reconciliation with family and excused herself because she had an appointment with Subh before Dhuhr.

Amal returned to the library and thought he was so lucky to have Nasr to help him anticipate these situations. If not for him, he would not know where would come to the blow to hit him.