The Inquisitor’s Tale

The nun recounts the story of the children’s journey to Paris with the King, his retinue, and Michelangelo. None of the children have seen so many people in one place before, and they marvel at how incomprehensibly huge the city is.

The King, not knowing that Jacob is Jewish, begins discussing his hatred for his Jewish subjects, especially for their moneylending businesses. But when they see a Jewish man being attacked by a Lombard, the King halts the cart, stops the attack, and makes everyone involved pay a fine.

Jacob, confused, asks the King to account for his behavior. The King replies that, while he does not like his Jewish subjects, they are still his subjects, and he will protect them. Asked further about the attack on Jacob’s village, the King says that he’s deeply disgusted and upset by it, and that it’s a stain on France. Jacob marvels: people, he thinks, are just too complicated to understand.

Here, the nun interrupts herself to ask for a refill and gets one.

The cart continues through Paris, passing Notre Dame and ending up at the King’s own palace. The King welcomes the children in as his guests, to the surprise of all his people.