The Devil Rides In!
Spain 1500 AD
The peaceful village of Santa Cruz in the heart of Spain. A small commercial town surrounded by productive farmland. Into this peaceful place came refugees, a young family. Juan De La Cosa, his wife Maria and Juanita their little daughter. They had good reason to be refugees, although outwardly they were good Catholics, they were clandestine Jews, practising the old religion of their ancestors in secret. They even had secret names, he was Isaac of Cordoba, his parents had been prominent members of the Jewish community there and had been burned at the stake in 1493!
In 1492 the Spanish Government had expelled all Jews from Spain, seeking religious and perhaps also racial purity. Those who converted of course could stay, those who refused to convert had to give up everything and leave the country immediatly. There were many pragmatic conversions, but among these 'conversos' many yearned for the old ways of their fathers. The church used the Holy Inquisition to investigate any lapsed believers, keeping the purity of the one true church through painful penance and if all else failed, gruesome execution. Fear was a powerful incentive to follow the rules.
The Inquisition could arrest people based on rumours or secret allegations, hold them without trial indefinitely, torture and ultimately arrange the death of the individual, usually through burning at the stake.
So this young family had good reason to be on the move, always fearful of being denounced as heretical Jews they kept themselves to themselves. But now they arrived at this new town and considered if it would be a safe refuge for them and a good place for their little Juanita to grow up in. Juan had a purse full of gold and a mind to become a merchant if he could.
They had travelled through various towns, but always received the same bad news. Pedro de Guzman, the Grand Inquisitor had been here! He had passed through, burning and torturing his victims. In one village they found only one old woman, cackling loudly to herself, her mind gone. All the others had fallen victim to the Inquisition! Guzman had been nicknamed 'El Diablo' or the devil by many people. But not even the devil inspried the terror that the Grand Inquisitor did! The news of his impending visit to a town or village was said to be enough to cause the infirm to expire through sheer terror!
So when Juan and his family reached the town of Santa Cruz, they hoped this would at last be their place of refuge!
Spain 1500 AD
The peaceful village of Santa Cruz in the heart of Spain. A small commercial town surrounded by productive farmland. Into this peaceful place came refugees, a young family. Juan De La Cosa, his wife Maria and Juanita their little daughter. They had good reason to be refugees, although outwardly they were good Catholics, they were clandestine Jews, practising the old religion of their ancestors in secret. They even had secret names, he was Isaac of Cordoba, his parents had been prominent members of the Jewish community there and had been burned at the stake in 1493!
In 1492 the Spanish Government had expelled all Jews from Spain, seeking religious and perhaps also racial purity. Those who converted of course could stay, those who refused to convert had to give up everything and leave the country immediatly. There were many pragmatic conversions, but among these 'conversos' many yearned for the old ways of their fathers. The church used the Holy Inquisition to investigate any lapsed believers, keeping the purity of the one true church through painful penance and if all else failed, gruesome execution. Fear was a powerful incentive to follow the rules.
The Inquisition could arrest people based on rumours or secret allegations, hold them without trial indefinitely, torture and ultimately arrange the death of the individual, usually through burning at the stake.
So this young family had good reason to be on the move, always fearful of being denounced as heretical Jews they kept themselves to themselves. But now they arrived at this new town and considered if it would be a safe refuge for them and a good place for their little Juanita to grow up in. Juan had a purse full of gold and a mind to become a merchant if he could.
They had travelled through various towns, but always received the same bad news. Pedro de Guzman, the Grand Inquisitor had been here! He had passed through, burning and torturing his victims. In one village they found only one old woman, cackling loudly to herself, her mind gone. All the others had fallen victim to the Inquisition! Guzman had been nicknamed 'El Diablo' or the devil by many people. But not even the devil inspried the terror that the Grand Inquisitor did! The news of his impending visit to a town or village was said to be enough to cause the infirm to expire through sheer terror!
So when Juan and his family reached the town of Santa Cruz, they hoped this would at last be their place of refuge!
The leading citizen of Santa Cruz was it's Alcalde or mayor, a jovial man called Carlos. Now in his later years, he was known as Carlos the corpulent because of his great appetite and fondness of port wine. Carlos had a huge bald head, once thought too large for his body, but not now years of good living had made him so fat that he could hardly walked unaided and his head fitted the size of his body better. But he could boast with all honesty that under his premiership no member of the trade guild and no skilled craftsman had been arrested by the Inquisition. In the marketplace the coin was still king!
Juan attended Mass that first Sunday, keeping up the pretence of being a good catholic, but he sat at the back. The service was dominated not by the priest, but by the portly figure of Carlos, sitting in the front pew directly below the priest. The congregation watched Carlos as his eyes began to grow heavy, as his huge head sagged down onto his chest then as his loud snores filled the air and drowned out the priest's sermon. Sometimes his wife would elbow him in the ribs to wake him, but that could be worse. An irritated Carlos would wake and say in a loud voice 'Is that idiot priest not finished his prattling yet? Plague take the fellow!' Carlos would yawn and go back to sleep. The populous delighted in their mayor's antics.
For Juan, this seemed like the ideal town to settle in, the least pious town he had so far visited. He joined the merchant's guild, took a house and he and his wife and daughter lived happily there for several years. He soon earned a reputation for fair business dealings from friends and rivals alike, he was well respected and liked although he and his wife kept a low profile. They didn't usually go to public feasts, at such events the revellers would gorge on swine flesh, a dish those in his faith were not permitted. Indeed one way to trap a clandestine Jew was to offer the unsuspecting guest pork for dinner! A refusal to eat pig flesh was a good as a guilty verdict.
But otherwise life was good in Santa Cruz was good for the young family!
However one day a dark procession came into town. Accompanied by his assistants and by a retinue of guards came Pedro De Guzman, the Lord High Inquisitor for the district, the devil had ridden into town!
Juan attended Mass that first Sunday, keeping up the pretence of being a good catholic, but he sat at the back. The service was dominated not by the priest, but by the portly figure of Carlos, sitting in the front pew directly below the priest. The congregation watched Carlos as his eyes began to grow heavy, as his huge head sagged down onto his chest then as his loud snores filled the air and drowned out the priest's sermon. Sometimes his wife would elbow him in the ribs to wake him, but that could be worse. An irritated Carlos would wake and say in a loud voice 'Is that idiot priest not finished his prattling yet? Plague take the fellow!' Carlos would yawn and go back to sleep. The populous delighted in their mayor's antics.
For Juan, this seemed like the ideal town to settle in, the least pious town he had so far visited. He joined the merchant's guild, took a house and he and his wife and daughter lived happily there for several years. He soon earned a reputation for fair business dealings from friends and rivals alike, he was well respected and liked although he and his wife kept a low profile. They didn't usually go to public feasts, at such events the revellers would gorge on swine flesh, a dish those in his faith were not permitted. Indeed one way to trap a clandestine Jew was to offer the unsuspecting guest pork for dinner! A refusal to eat pig flesh was a good as a guilty verdict.
But otherwise life was good in Santa Cruz was good for the young family!
However one day a dark procession came into town. Accompanied by his assistants and by a retinue of guards came Pedro De Guzman, the Lord High Inquisitor for the district, the devil had ridden into town!
A tall, slightly stooping man with a monolithic stern face, all who looked on him experienced a spasm of terror. He brought an atmosphere of malevolence everywhere he went , neighbour would betray neighbour to save their own skins. The fire of burning and the rack of torture would appear in this little town. The Inquisitor himself saw a heretic in every house, a sorcerer behind every bush, only pain and suffering would bring purification to the town. His mantra was 'Better that 100 innocent souls perish than one heretic go free!'
With him came his 'interrogator', a gruesome dwarf called Tinto. Dressed all in black and with a pock marked face, Tinto looked absolutely hideous! He also delighted in showing off the tools of his trade, branding irons cast in all sorts of odd shapes, they could reach all the nooks and crannies in a human body. He was an expert in torture, when he applied a red hot iron to bare skin people would confess to anything!
As per custom the Inquisitor appeared in the centre of town and made an announcement of his presence. There was a period of grace in which lapsed Catholics or those indulging in the black arts could present themselves and beg for the inquisitor's mercy. They would be given penance instead of death! However the populous shuddered at his offer of mercy, during his last visit a woman had begged mercy for her sins and had been given the penance of solitary confinement on bread and water for three years. Upon release she was quite mad. However even this was more merciful than being dragged around town wearing sackcloth, tied to a post and set alight! Sometimes it took the victim half an hour to perish, in terrible agony! The Inquisitor revelled in his inhuman bonfires.
And so today the Inquisitor announced the customary period of grace, did anyone have any grevious sins to confess and receieve their due penance for?
Carlos the mayor, upon hearing of the arrival of these hated figures, came to the square on two walking sticks. Now he bellowed out in his loudest voice:
'YES! I have something to confess. The last time I went to confession I let out a great fart! And the priest ran from it!'
The young and the simple in the crowd began to laugh, but the Inquisitor's eyes flashed fire back at Carlos, cowing him completely. Everyone now understood, not even their Alcalde could stand up to these holy fiends, there would be blood! Many would be tortured, some would die. Neighbour would accuse neighbour, the Inquisitor's guards would arrest anyone leaving town, flight being a sure sign of guilt.
The people pressed forward their priest to intdercede for them, but he just flattered the Inquisitor on his good work! Carlos now incensed told the priest he was a snivelling little worm and that he would sleep at home from now on, rather than come to church to sleep! But not even Carlos the Mayor could stay the hand of the devil as the long shadow of the Inquisition covered the town in darkness!
After dark the Inquisitor's entourage dressed in stange hooded capes and walked through the town with burning torches in their hands, their appearance added to the feeling of terror that already gripped the town.
Also that evening horror of horrors happened! Juan was arrested in front of his wife and daughter and dragged off to the dungeon, 'the Inquisitor's cellar'. Even those found innocent, few that they were, always carried the scars from their interrogation in this place.
Juan sat in the damp, dank dungeon, but was cheered by one thing. From the room above he could hear the voice of The Inquisitor, a sharp voice like the sound of a file, also came Carlos' voice, the bellowing voice of the mayor. The mayor was demanding that no member of the trade guild be tortured! The Inquisitor listened. It was not wise to make any enemy of the secular powers, they would come in useful later when the executions came. Besides, even though Carlos had a huge belly he was a strong man, he could snap the Inquisitor's arm like a twig! Judging by his purple face and visible veins in the neck Carlos certainly wanted to throttle El Diablo!
The Inquisitor relented, he would allow the usual test, Juan could eat pork on the morrow in public and so prove himself free from the taint of Judaism.
It seemed reasonable enough. But the Inquisitor knew that a practising Jew would not touch pork. He was confident of finding Juan guilty. A first burning to begin his Holy work here. And then Juan's wife and daughter could be found guilty of heresy too!
With him came his 'interrogator', a gruesome dwarf called Tinto. Dressed all in black and with a pock marked face, Tinto looked absolutely hideous! He also delighted in showing off the tools of his trade, branding irons cast in all sorts of odd shapes, they could reach all the nooks and crannies in a human body. He was an expert in torture, when he applied a red hot iron to bare skin people would confess to anything!
As per custom the Inquisitor appeared in the centre of town and made an announcement of his presence. There was a period of grace in which lapsed Catholics or those indulging in the black arts could present themselves and beg for the inquisitor's mercy. They would be given penance instead of death! However the populous shuddered at his offer of mercy, during his last visit a woman had begged mercy for her sins and had been given the penance of solitary confinement on bread and water for three years. Upon release she was quite mad. However even this was more merciful than being dragged around town wearing sackcloth, tied to a post and set alight! Sometimes it took the victim half an hour to perish, in terrible agony! The Inquisitor revelled in his inhuman bonfires.
And so today the Inquisitor announced the customary period of grace, did anyone have any grevious sins to confess and receieve their due penance for?
Carlos the mayor, upon hearing of the arrival of these hated figures, came to the square on two walking sticks. Now he bellowed out in his loudest voice:
'YES! I have something to confess. The last time I went to confession I let out a great fart! And the priest ran from it!'
The young and the simple in the crowd began to laugh, but the Inquisitor's eyes flashed fire back at Carlos, cowing him completely. Everyone now understood, not even their Alcalde could stand up to these holy fiends, there would be blood! Many would be tortured, some would die. Neighbour would accuse neighbour, the Inquisitor's guards would arrest anyone leaving town, flight being a sure sign of guilt.
The people pressed forward their priest to intdercede for them, but he just flattered the Inquisitor on his good work! Carlos now incensed told the priest he was a snivelling little worm and that he would sleep at home from now on, rather than come to church to sleep! But not even Carlos the Mayor could stay the hand of the devil as the long shadow of the Inquisition covered the town in darkness!
After dark the Inquisitor's entourage dressed in stange hooded capes and walked through the town with burning torches in their hands, their appearance added to the feeling of terror that already gripped the town.
Also that evening horror of horrors happened! Juan was arrested in front of his wife and daughter and dragged off to the dungeon, 'the Inquisitor's cellar'. Even those found innocent, few that they were, always carried the scars from their interrogation in this place.
Juan sat in the damp, dank dungeon, but was cheered by one thing. From the room above he could hear the voice of The Inquisitor, a sharp voice like the sound of a file, also came Carlos' voice, the bellowing voice of the mayor. The mayor was demanding that no member of the trade guild be tortured! The Inquisitor listened. It was not wise to make any enemy of the secular powers, they would come in useful later when the executions came. Besides, even though Carlos had a huge belly he was a strong man, he could snap the Inquisitor's arm like a twig! Judging by his purple face and visible veins in the neck Carlos certainly wanted to throttle El Diablo!
The Inquisitor relented, he would allow the usual test, Juan could eat pork on the morrow in public and so prove himself free from the taint of Judaism.
It seemed reasonable enough. But the Inquisitor knew that a practising Jew would not touch pork. He was confident of finding Juan guilty. A first burning to begin his Holy work here. And then Juan's wife and daughter could be found guilty of heresy too!
As Carlos left to go home he snapped a parting remark to the Inquisitor: 'What have you got against Jews anyway? Jesus Christ was a Jew! Are you not his follower?'
The Inquisitor piously made the sign of the cross to Carlos, hoping one day to see his fat insolent carcass roasting over a slow fire.
Later that night Juan's wife Maria came to visit him. She had a plan. And she also came to encourage him to stand firm.
Maria reminded Juan of the old story found in the Jewish scriptures.
The ancient prophet Daniel was summoned before the King of Babylon and shown a dragon! The King had resented Daniel's thoughts that idols were not real gods, just carved stone blocks, but now the King had a mighty living beast to show off! The King had said 'Can you say that this beast is not a god. Lo, he eateth and drinketh!'. The story continued that Daniel showed the king that the dragon was not a god, he made a concoction of goat hair, bitumen and other ingredients, forming it into lumps, giving them to the dragon as food. The dragon greedily ate these and choked, during the night its carcass burst asunder and was found in the morning, dead!
Maria said there was only one swine farm near town, if all the pigs were found in the morning all burst asunder, they could not give him pig flesh to eat? Pigs would eat anything including this toxic concoction. No pork meant no test, which meant no guilty verdict!
Juan was unsure, if she was caught poisoning the swine her fate would be sealed. But his loyal wife insisted.
She left him with some encouraging words. Their people the Jews had been persecuted by the enemy for centuries, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and now Catholics! But through all these times they had been preserved and one day they would return to their ancient homeland! God would save them through the persecution.
That was not very encouraging to Juan, sitting here in the dungeon. If he was convicted of heresey his family would be too! They would all die!
~~~~~~~
Morning came and the Inquisitor had called a convocation in the hall of the great church. Today it was thronged with people. The populous were all terrified of the Inquisitor, but wanted to be near the hub. They wanted to defend themselves and their kinfolk if denounced by an enemy to the Inquisitor, not much good it would do! To question the work of the Inquisition in rooting out heretics was in itself heresy! A few bloodthirsty elements came because they wanted to see blood and gore, delighting in human misery they wanted to see suffering. The Inquisition did not usually disappoint, the result of its proceedings was usually horrific for many.
During the night the noose had tightened round the town and several people had been detained. The town prostitute had been arrested and was going to be punished with red hot pincers later for her aberrant sexual behaviour. She had confessed and had received this more merciful punishment. Through fear she had named several other local women who were believed to have engaged in carnal acts outside the accepted parameters, they too faced the pincers!
But first on the agenda was Juan De La Cosa the merchant, he would eat some pork to disprove allegations of Judaism. His wife and daughter had been detained this morning, if he refused to eat the pork their fate was sealed too!
The court was assembled, the Inquisitor and his lackeys sitting on exalted thrones looking down on the people. Carlos the Mayor sat in the front row facing them, determined to make life as difficult as possible for the Inquisitors. He was nearing the end of his life and had the courage that could bring, what had he to loose by speaking up?
Juan de La Cosa was brought in for his test. However instead of a dish of pork the local pig farmer rushed into the court distraught. His pigs had died during the night of a terrible disease! They had choked and burst open. The test could not be done! Not even the inquisition could make someone eat diseased meat!
Later that night Juan's wife Maria came to visit him. She had a plan. And she also came to encourage him to stand firm.
Maria reminded Juan of the old story found in the Jewish scriptures.
The ancient prophet Daniel was summoned before the King of Babylon and shown a dragon! The King had resented Daniel's thoughts that idols were not real gods, just carved stone blocks, but now the King had a mighty living beast to show off! The King had said 'Can you say that this beast is not a god. Lo, he eateth and drinketh!'. The story continued that Daniel showed the king that the dragon was not a god, he made a concoction of goat hair, bitumen and other ingredients, forming it into lumps, giving them to the dragon as food. The dragon greedily ate these and choked, during the night its carcass burst asunder and was found in the morning, dead!
Maria said there was only one swine farm near town, if all the pigs were found in the morning all burst asunder, they could not give him pig flesh to eat? Pigs would eat anything including this toxic concoction. No pork meant no test, which meant no guilty verdict!
Juan was unsure, if she was caught poisoning the swine her fate would be sealed. But his loyal wife insisted.
She left him with some encouraging words. Their people the Jews had been persecuted by the enemy for centuries, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and now Catholics! But through all these times they had been preserved and one day they would return to their ancient homeland! God would save them through the persecution.
That was not very encouraging to Juan, sitting here in the dungeon. If he was convicted of heresey his family would be too! They would all die!
~~~~~~~
Morning came and the Inquisitor had called a convocation in the hall of the great church. Today it was thronged with people. The populous were all terrified of the Inquisitor, but wanted to be near the hub. They wanted to defend themselves and their kinfolk if denounced by an enemy to the Inquisitor, not much good it would do! To question the work of the Inquisition in rooting out heretics was in itself heresy! A few bloodthirsty elements came because they wanted to see blood and gore, delighting in human misery they wanted to see suffering. The Inquisition did not usually disappoint, the result of its proceedings was usually horrific for many.
During the night the noose had tightened round the town and several people had been detained. The town prostitute had been arrested and was going to be punished with red hot pincers later for her aberrant sexual behaviour. She had confessed and had received this more merciful punishment. Through fear she had named several other local women who were believed to have engaged in carnal acts outside the accepted parameters, they too faced the pincers!
But first on the agenda was Juan De La Cosa the merchant, he would eat some pork to disprove allegations of Judaism. His wife and daughter had been detained this morning, if he refused to eat the pork their fate was sealed too!
The court was assembled, the Inquisitor and his lackeys sitting on exalted thrones looking down on the people. Carlos the Mayor sat in the front row facing them, determined to make life as difficult as possible for the Inquisitors. He was nearing the end of his life and had the courage that could bring, what had he to loose by speaking up?
Juan de La Cosa was brought in for his test. However instead of a dish of pork the local pig farmer rushed into the court distraught. His pigs had died during the night of a terrible disease! They had choked and burst open. The test could not be done! Not even the inquisition could make someone eat diseased meat!
The Inquisitor stood up and glowered at the people, 'I smell sorcery!' he said
Carlos retorted merrily 'I smell bacon!'
The Inquisitor was not to be thwarted so easily. He now ordered that Juan's wife and daughter be interrogated forcefully to reveal any trace of Judaistic influences! There was a murmur of dissent from the people, Carlos bellowed out that this was not acceptable, he also called the Grand Inquisitor a 'religious Ape!' . The walls of the church echoed with the sound of dissenting voices!
In the midst of the throng a voice said 'Send for the Duke!. The people soon picked up the cry 'The Duke, the Duke!'. Carlos too echoed their call!
For the first time the Inquisitor looked a little shaken. The Duke of Santa Fe was the most important noble in the district, cousin to the King, a man of impeccable credentials! He would have the authority to put an end to this madness, this sanctioned pestilence! Already swift feet were on their way to fetch the Duke. He was known for his good character and wisdom, not even the Inquisitor could go against the cousin of the King! The Inquisitor shuddered, he hated the Duke. Twice before he had interfered in the work of the Inquisition and it was rumoured that the Duke and even the King himself had Jewish blood! The Inquisitor had tried to denounce the Duke as a heretic once before, the only mistake of his career so far!
Unexpectedly the Inquisitor's assistant, a shrew faced wizened man spoke up. He had been consulting his books: 'Your eminence I may have a solution. According to the writings of the blessed Saint Dominic, the laws of the Jewish Torah list many unclean animals that Jews are not permitted to eat, these include owls and carrion birds!'
The Inquisitor had found a solution, he ordered one of his assistants to go outside with a crossbow, find an owl, shoot it and bring it back here for Juan to eat. Carlos at once began to mock and hoot 'Where are you going to find an owl an noon time!?'
The crossbowman was duly sent to shoot any carrion bird, he returned soon with a hawk he had shot just outside the town gates. A piece could be roughly cooked and given to Juan to prove his non-Jewishness.
But Juan looked at the bird in horror 'I cannot eat yonder bird, it is the prize falcon of the Duke of Santa Fe!' . Juan knew that the scrawny hawk was a carrion bird, not the Duke's prize bird, but he was playing for time! A murmur went up from the crowd. The Duke dearly loved his falcons, it was said that he loved them more than his wife!
The Inquisitor grew impatient and began to snarl at the people 'I hold the Pope's holy commission to root heresy from this land. You will obey me!'
Carlos began to sneer at the Inquisitor 'Rome is a den of lecherous vipers. Take your commission back with you!'. The people, at last scenting a way to strike back against their tormentors took up the cry, a tumult filled the hall. Fists and voices were raised in anger. A piece of over-ripe fruit sailed through the air and landed somewhere near the Grand Inquisitor. Someone shouted that they should burn him and his commission! His guards looked nervous, they would not be able to hold back all this mob if they became bent on violence!
But suddenly a cry went up from outside 'The Duke, the Duke!' They were not shouting for him to come, they were announcing that he had arrived!. The Inquisitor looked uneasy as a score of armed men walked into the hall, they were the Duke's retainers, all armed and with shining armour, finally he came himself and received the adoration of the people. He was a tall man, with greying hair and a commanding presence. His appearance alone reassured many anxious hearts and sent a shiver down the Inquisitor's spine.
The Duke fixed his eyes on the Grand Inquisitor ' Is it thus that you hold court in my Town?'
The Inquisitor replied 'My duty is to root out the seed of heresy in this place!'
The Duke retorted 'And my duty is to report this tumult to my cousin the King. You have created a veritable riot in this place!'
The Inquisitor's assistant turned to his boss and whispered 'Better to move to another town Sire, where the populous are less hostile to our holy work!'. The Inquisitor nodded, but he would be back. Fat Carlos and Juan would be in his sights. He piously made the sign of the cross over the gathering, then left swiftly out the back door.
The tumult subsided, although some villagers followed the Inquisitor to pelt him with vegetables as he fled the town. They were foolhardy, if ever he returned in power the Inquisitor would have their hides!
The Duke smiled at Juan de la Cosa. He had been spared this time, but next time it would take more than a dead hawk and a swine disease to save him!
But the Duke added with a twinkle in his eye 'The road to the next town is long and dangerous. Let us hope the Inquisitor does not meet with some mishap on the way! You know, he even once tried to denounce me as a heretic!
~~~~
An hour after dark a dozen armed men rode out after the Inquisitor's entourage, Juan led them. They passed through other towns and villages, swelling their number to over fifty men with swords in their hands and vengeance in their minds. They caught up with the Inquisitor and cut him and his attendants to pieces, then mounted his head a top a pike and carried it from town to town. The head of El Diablo! This time the devil would ride into town, but no-one would be afraid!
The severed head was finally brought to the house of Carlos the Mayor where he was enjoying a dinner of Pheasant, Goose and Wild Duck, due to the shortage of pig in the district. Carlos looked with delight on the severed head and raised his glass in salute to it 'My Lord Grand Inquisitor, your very good health Sir!'
In the morning the Duke of Santa Fe heard the news..........he wrote to his cousin the King informing him of a tragic accident on the road from Santa Cruz to Granada.
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