La Fortaleza digital-Dan Brown.-

Comenzaremos haciendo alusión a la nota del autor, quién textualmente afirma...


"Para Fortaleza Digital, mi primer novela, elegí como escenario mi ciudad europea preferida...la adorable Sevilla. Viví en ella un año entero, durante mi época de estudiante de la Universidad de Sevilla(...)Durante aquél año, me enamoré de la ciudad y sobre todo de su gente(...)He llevado a mis padres y a mi familia a conocer Sevilla y hasta he aprendido a bailar sevillanas. De igual modo que mi ciudad natal está en Estados Unidos, Sevilla tiene aspectos maravillosos y otros que no lo son tanto(...)"



Fortaleza Digital fue la primer novela de Dan Brown. Nació en Nueva Inglaterra-EEUU-.Es hijo de un matemático y una intérprete de música sacra y desde muy pequeño, ha sentido un natural interés por los códigos y las claves secretas.



Ya en el Cap.1 de la novela, nos encontramos con Susan Flecher, a quién el timbre del teléfono la arranca completamente de su sueño...era David Becker.


Pero a Susan la esperaba una nueva misión en Criptografía. Y quién era David Becker? Nada más ni nada menos que el profesor más joven de la Universidad de Georgetown, brillante especialista en idiomas extranjeros.Era el hombre a quién Susan amaba...era guapo e inteligente...



La división de Criptografía era un grupo de élite de matemáticos. El trabajo de los criptógrafos consistía en estudiar el código y extraer de él el mensaje original. LLamaron a Becker para traducir unos códigos.


Cuándo lograron decifrar el código, Becker no tenía ni idea que oscuros secretos había revelado, pero la NSA se tomaba muy en serio el deciframiento de códigos.


Todos quiénes estaban relacionados con la criptografía conocían la existencia de la NSA...era algo así como el hogar de las mejores mentes criptográficas del planeta. La NSA tenía como uno de sus objetivos proteger la comunicación del gobierno de Estados Unidos e interceptar las comunicaciones de potencias extranjeras.



Becker de pronto, es llevado ante Susan...eran dos mentes analíticas, inmunes en teoría a encaprichamientos irracionales, pero de alguna manera, mientras hablaban de morfología lingüística, se sentían como una pareja de adolescentes enamorados.




Tanto el FBI como la CIA y los consejeros en materia de política exterior de Estados Unidos, dependían del espionaje de la NSA para tomar decisiones.






En cierta ocasión, Susan le comenta a David que Julio César fue el primer escritor de códigos secretos de la historia.



La cima de la encriptación no informática se alcanzó durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial...fueron los nazis quiénes construyeron una asombrosa máquina de encriptación llamada Enigma.



Durante la década de 1980,La NSAfue testigo de una revolución en las telecomunicaciones que cambió el mundo del espionaje para siempre...el acceso público a Internet...la llegada del correo electrónico, más precisamente.





Los usuarios de informática del mundo, descubrieron que el gobierno de EEUU tenía libre acceso a sus comunicaciones por correo electrónico y esto lo enojó muchísimo.



Tanto programadores como emprendedores empezaron a buscar una forma para conseguir que el correo electrónico fuera más seguro.




Llegó la hora en que eso ocurrió y los usuarios podían enviar correos electrónicos con toda confianza.



Strathmore era el jefe de Susan...un hombre corpulento, de extremidades largas, ojos grises que reflejaban confianza...




El trabajo de Susan hasta ahora, había consistido en hacer rendir al máximo al ordenador más secreto del mundo....Transltr.Ahora el ordenador llevaba más de quince horas intentando descifrar un código.Existía realmente un código indescifrable?





Parecería que ese código era producto de un nuevo algoritmo de encriptación.




Tanto matemáticos como programadores creaban nuevos algoritmos cada día...había cientos de ellos!!


Para Transltr todos los códigos eran iguales, con independencia del algoritmo empleado para encriptarlos...


El sistema era más o menos así...el algoritmo genera una clave de acceso que considera segura y el ordenador continúa probando hasta que la descubre.




Susan estaba perpleja....estaba convencida de que existía otra explicación....una falla técnica...un virus....cualquier cosa era más probable que un código indescifrable....



Por otra parte, el creador de Transltr era Ensei Tankado y ahora su creación parecía obsoleta...


Tankado aún no había nacido durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, pero estudió todo sobre ella.


Nunca podría aceptar que la bomba le hubiese impedido conocer a su madre, quién había fallecido al dar a luz.




En 1945, antes que Ensei naciera, su madre y sus amigas, viajaron a Hiroshima para trabajar como voluntarias en los centros de quemados.



Más adelante, el ordenador le abriría mundos inexplorados a Ensei Tankado, quién sería reconocido como un genio.



Cuándo Ensei fue mayor, dio clases, ganó dinero y consiguió una beca en la Universidad de Doshisha.Leyó acerca de Pearl Harbor y los crímenes de guerra japoneses.



Es así como su odio por los norteamericanos se fue aplacando poco a poco...se convirtió en un budista devoto.




A la edad de 20 años, Ensei Tankado era una figura de culto clandestino entre los programadores...IBM le ofeció un visado con un permiso de trabajo y un puesto en Texas.





Tres años después, había abandonado IBM, vivía en New York y desarrollaba software por cuenta propia.




Y como mucho de los creadores importantes de algoritmos de encriptación, Tankado fue cortejado por la NSA...y decidió acudir a la entrevista....




TRabajó en el Departamento de Criptografía de la NSA, del cuál se alejaría más adelante...



Ensei Tankado, más tarde, crea una fórmula matemática capaz de generar códigos indescifrables...se llamaba fortaleza digital y estaba disponible en Internet....pero lamentablemente, Tankado sería encontrado muerto en Sevilla, España ...Es Becker quién intentará resolver el asesinato de Tankado...





La tecnología avanza exponencialmente, eso hay que reconocerlo...



Los algoritmos de encriptación podrían perder su seguridad y por lo tanto, se necesitarán más algoritmos para ir un paso hacia adelante de los ordenadores del futuro...



Cabe aclarar que Susan había creado un programa rastreador que se camuflaba en un correo electrónico y podía enviarlo a la dirección falsa del usuario y la empresa la enviaba a la dirección auténtica.





Hasta aquí, estimado lector, te presenté a los protagonistas de esta maravillosa novela e intenté describir un poco el argumento de la misma...





Espero haber sido clara y te invito a que sigas leyendo esta obra, con el fin de introducirte en el mundo de los códigos, ordenadores y programadores...



Creo que es una muy buena obra de Dan Brown, nos introduce en un mundo muy particular donde no faltan componentes como espías o crímenes no resueltos...Otra gran obra de este autor que merece ser leída...

The Great Seal-2-

Where Miles Hendon is concerned, he got of the pitched battle that had separated him from Edward, penilesses. He had been stolen all he got left.A few hours later, he was found prowling within the palace. He was asking about a beggar boy who said he was the King.

   



They took him at Edward'spresence. When he was before the boy. in the Royal hall, surrounded by the court, he exclaimed...






-well, The King of Dreams and Shadows on his throne!




Suddenly, he gathered a chair, planted it in front of the King and sat down on it. The guards ran to stop him but the King cried out...







-leave him, he ordered. I gave granted this right to him and his descendents, Remember it, he is my well-beloved savior, Miles Hendon. I orderer him knight because he saved my life in many opportunities.






Miles dropped upon his feet. Seconds after that, when he rose, he saw among the nobles the twisted face of Hugh Hendon, his heartless younger brother. When Edward discovererd it, he ordered to seize him and the Hendon's estates to be returned to Miles.



After, Tom Canty entered the hall, dressed with elegant robes and preceded by an usher.



-I am well pleased with you, Tom Canty, the King said.







-I have been told you have governed the realm with wisdom and justice. Your mother and sisters will be cared for and if you wish your father shall be hanged.And you, you will be from this day o, duirng life , governor of the shelter of the Poor.As long as my reign lasts, anybody going there will have food and a shelter.And Know you all that this Young boy has been King!He will be distinguished by the blue dress that now wears and will have the Little of king'sward.








EdwardVI lived not many years. During his reign, Miles Hendon and Tom Canty were his favorites and they both mourned bittterly his early death.




They sat there was not another reign more merciful tan that of the child King Edward, and maybe one has to reflect about the possibility that it was due to the extraordinary adventures that Edward lived, thanks to a nature fancy...That a prince and a beggar shared the same face.

the Great Seal.-

-These proofs are not satisfactory, said the Lord Protector.





-Let'see , I know...Tell me where the Great Seal is !







On so trivial a thing depends a throne and a dynasty!





For only he that is the true King can so answer.




And then in a sovereign gesture that left all the crowd of dignataries and nobles astonished, the ragged boy sent a lord to search the seal in a small box hidden in his cabinet.





And explained his location with all details. The Lord left towards the palace and the crowd remaind in silent.






But the Messenger came back empty-handed. Again the sympathy tides of the crowd left Tom ran aground in the throne and cast the other into the sea. When suddenly Tom cried...





-The seal you are talking about, is it a square object, thick and with  big handle?I know where it is !And also his  Highness does!It was the last object you took before rushing from palace!Where did you keep this seal! Try to remember.








After a lot of efforts, Edward remembered. He had kept the seal in an arm of an armor hanged on the Wall.And he had done it before leaving, dressed in Tom'srags, to scold the guard.









Again, a Lord went to the palace and this time, he did return with the Great Seal. Tears welled up from the eyes of dignataries and many other important vassals.Edward prevented anybody laying a hand upon Tom. And addressing him, he asked....




-How was it that you knew the Seal was, when I could not remember it myself?



-I used it several times, Tom answered-




-What did you use it for ?Edward asked.



-To crack nuts with, Tom said.



An avalanche of Laughter greeted the answer.If a doubt remained in the presents, this scene had dispose of it. The royal robe of state flied from the beggars's shoulders to Edward's hiding the ragged robes.




And when the Crown was set upon the head of the genuine King, the bell towards seemed to explode with happiness and the cannons thundered, making the London foundations tremble.

The recovered throne.-

When they reached the Abbey, the Deep booming of artillery sounded as salute. Tom dismounted from his horse and went up the stairs with a somber seriosness. He walked through the nave, full of nobility and adorned with indescribable luxury.







He walked started with a triumphant music. All the steps of protocol were followed and the moment of the coronation drew nearer. And the Crown was at centimetres of the boy'head, when in the great central aisle, as coming from nowhere, appeared the small figure of a boy dressed with rags and foul smelling.







-I forbid you to set the crowd upon that head!I am the King! he shouted.






The soldiers seized him at once, but Tomy Canty, in his regal vestiments, jumped from his seat and step forward.








-loose him immediately!He is the King!he ordered.







The Lord Protector said...



-His ancient malady is upon him again!Take the intruder to the Tower!







But Tom went on addressing the soldiers.







-Release him or you are dead! he said-I The King, order it!






The guards then, set Edward  free and Tom fell on his Kness before him and said...



-My Lord let me be the first to offer you my life and swear fidelity to you. Put on your Crown and recover what is yours.






And when Tom raised again, a murmur of admiration went through the abbey. Except for the clothes, the two boys were identical.







But the Lord Protector was not convinced at all and begged permission, to the ragged boy, to ask him a few questions that only the true King could answer.






Edward accepted and answered in a absolute precisión many questions about his deceased father, about the princesses and about the location of the furniture in every room in the palace. But the Lord Protector was no satisfied. The tide for and against the ragged boy turned direction among the crowd at every minute, one momento in favor and in the next against.

The coronation.-

In the meantime, in palace Tom was being prepared for the ceremony. His memories about the true King, with whom he had exchanged his beggar clothes for those of a prince, had faded away. He now behaved as if destinity had made posible for him to reach the England throne,

 





Also the memories of his mother and sisters, who so long he wanted to see on the first days, had followed the same road out if his mind, giving way to enjoying the palace pleasures. And everybody at the court , when they observed Tom, thought his madness belonged to the past.







Dressed, scented and adorned with invaluable jewels, Tom was helped to mount his horse. He had to cross the city and go to W Abbey, He left escorted by hundreds of guards. The former beggar was delighted seeing that, when he appeared, everybody gave him affected bows.Waving one way and another, from time to time he scattered a handful off Golden coins to the delirious multitude.


Suddenly, among the thousands of persons that were fighting to get closer to him, he caught sight of the pale and astounded face of his mother,









Tom, consternated, covered his face with his hands, with its palms outwards.It was an unmistakable gesture of his. The mother, then to reach the boys horse. She embraced Tom'leeg and covering it with kisses, exclaimed...





-Ah, mi child, my Darling.



The same instant an officer of the King'sguard snatched the woman away and sent her reeling back to the crowd.




-I do not know you, woman...said Tom.







But when he turned back and saw his mother being pushed away by the guard, with such and infinite sad face, the splendor of the parade and the sweetens of the day withered for him and he was again Tom Canty, born a beggar.



Ashamed, his heart filled with dark clouds, he neither saw nor Heard the crowd. He stopped saluting them with his radiant gesture.









The lord Protector approached and encouraged him to shake off the fatal humor, as if he did not the people'sjoy would also fade.








Tom tried to smile and scattered a few more coins, but it was useless. That seemed sad and forced. The Lord Protector told him.











-It has been that beggar the one who provoked the sadness of your highness.








-She is my mother-Tom answered.




-Oh my god!He is gone mad again....the Lord Protector groaned.

Good Hendon story.-

When Miles and the Little King reached by horse the nearby village To Hendon's family house, the soldier was as excited as in holiday day. But in the old family house there was only a man.
 



It was Hugh, the wicked younger brother, who denied completely knowing Miles. He said his brother had died in a battle, as a letter, all the ones in the house had read, affirmed. The old father and Arthur, the eldest brother, had also died. So, Hugh was the landorf of all that land. His wife was Edith, Miles Young love.




The servants and the same Edith said they knew him not. Miles, then, infuriated and his stea hand closed on Hugh'neck.





Damned fox-hearted! he said. I see the trap. You yourself forged the letter that informed of my supposed death. And you have stolen my bride and my domains.




Hugh managed to relieve himself of such a grip and hurried to the village in search of the guards. Edith approached Miles then, begging him to the hence. But the soldier was ready to face whatever it took. He cold not do much against the guards eho led to prison not only Miles, but also the King of England. Miles was put in a snare and he discovered, in his own flesh,what it meant to be someone and nobody recognizing you.





Finally they were released under the ocndition of coming back no more to those lands. Miles rode off with the Little King completely humiliated and sad. Edward encoureged his friend to gallop hastily. He wanted to rwach London before the ceremony of the coronation of the false King took place. Miles, in the meantime, had decided to beg for justice to the new monarch and started stirring his horse more cheefully.





When they stepped into the city the found it full of peoplewho had arrived there to see, even from a distance, the coronation




The eyes of the people were gleaming, hlped by beer.




A free fright among two groups of howling people, separated Miles and Edward from each other.

Danger.-

Foo-Foo the First was left in charge of an experimented thief that wanted to teach him his trade. The thief took him along the streets of London. The plan was he was going along the streets of London.






The plan was he was going to act as he was crippled and Edward, pretending to be his Little brother, would beg. Those who fould fall in the trap would besides losing the pennies generously given loose their bags, too.






But as son as the farce started, Edward accused the thief who escaped through the crowd. Once free, the boy fled taking a road until he reached a small village.





His irrepressible pride made him proclaim again he was the King to the farmers. A woman and her two Little daughters saved him from receiving more blows.






Touched by the kindness of that poor people he promised them to reward the good woman.A few moments later after saying these Words, he saw John Canty accompanied by another rascal appearing in the path.





The boy sped towards a Wood, and when night came on the sheltered in an abandoned shack, where he slept profoundly.






In the middle of the night he awoke, startled by a warm, harsh and wet rubbing.




He was brave and moved his hand trough the sadows until he found the ghost that was the next to him...it was a calf that had also taken refuge in the shack.





Happy to have Company and warmth, the King of England hugged the animal and slept better tan any other night of his life.





Feeling hungry he wandered next day in the forest until he discovered a por hut, where a hermit with snowy White wiskers lived.






He covered himself with sheepskins. The man accepted immediately Edward was a King, but he himself seemed a bit mad, as he kept saying he was an archangel.








The Little King decided to accept that aged man's hospitality, eat something and sleep there.







But that night he discovered that his host was not only mad,  his madness was also criminal. No soon he had fallen sleep that he awoke and found his feet and hands had been tied up.





The old man had a Sharp knife and was saying he was going to kill the Little King.






He really believed Edward was the new The new King.






He loathed his father and antecesor, Henry VIII because he had divested the priests of all their possesions.








Edward cries alerted John Canty and his friend who were looking for him around the place. For the first time in his life, Canty did something for the boy, he freed him from death helped by his follower.








Later on, when Edward was roving in London with one of those thieves, he was so lucky to run across his friend and savior, Miles Handon. When they met, Edward was in a difficult situation, as he had fallen in the grips of a constable and Miles rescued him.






Finally, as they had planned, they could part towards Hendon'sland.

The New King.-

In palace, in the meantime, Tom Canty had woken up in his second kingship and captivity day, because he was starting to look like that at his stay in the palace, as an intolerable prison. At night he dreamt a dwarf was showing him a place in the Wood where each week would appear twelve pennies.


In the dream, with these coins Tom made his mother and sisters happy and they all lived well.



But when he woke up, he found himself in the huge apartment, where a long servants line were getting ready for the ceremony of dressing him up. In spite of his dislike for ceremonias and protocol, his firsts acts as sovereign were impeccably just.



For example, his intelligence allowed him to save two sorcerers to be burnt at the stake.



The evidences, Tom showed were not enough and they all praised his wisdom.



Lukily, he could also avoid the hanging of a beggar he knew and who was a good man.






In such way the hours of the false King dragged along...he worked as asovereign for a while and after that he was pampered and looked after as any other child on earth.

Edward finds a friends-2-

They decided to leave on the next day, after geting more convenient clothes for the boy. At night, Edward requested to be undressed and be tucked in bed, as they normally did in the palace, and again he took the unique bed in the room. Miles slept on the floor.




Hendon left early in the morning to get some new clothes while Edward kept sleeping. When he returned the boy was gone. He asked the innkeeper and he found out a rude man had taken the boy, saying he had been sent by Hendon himself.






Miles left immediately in his pursuit. Foully tricked, Edward had been taken by John Canty to a thieves hidding place in an abandoned barn nearby Southwark, an inadvisable área at the other side of the Tames.







Escaping from his crime, John Canty had taken refuge among thieves, false blinds and nasty ruffians.






In spite of Canty'swarnings, the King kept on bahaving as such, so all of them mocked him and they started calling him King Foo-Foo, the First.-

Edward finds a friend.-

Hendon thought that boy was completely crazy and he did not want to contradict him. In the morning, as i corresponded to a King, he remained standig while Edward was having his breakfast.

       


He took the opportunity to tell him who he was. It was a long and complicated story we shall resume as follows...Hendon came from a rich family, from the low nobility.He was the second of three brothers.





The youngest had plotted against him, to make his father believ Miles had wanted to steal his eldest brothers' woman. The father believed such a lie and Miles abandoned his house, to go to fight as a soldier in the Continent.







After many hard knocks he had come back to London penniless.And when he was going to star his trip to his land, he met that peculiar and arrogant litlle boy who thought he was the Prince of Wales.






When he ehard that story, the Little King was infuriated by Miles youngest brothers'treachery.







And he told the soldier he could name whatever he wanted, that would grant it to him. Miles Hendon, who wasalready feeling his legs wearied asked him,then, for him and his heirs to be able to sit in the presence of the King.







Edward not only granted him this right, he also knighted him. Hendon, at last. could drop heavily into a chair.








Edward, too, told him his story...Miles took it as part of the boy's deliirum. Feeling sorry for him, he proposed him to travel to the Hendon's land where he could be safe from the brutal Canty, whose existence he did not doubt. Edward's conditions showed he was the son of an underworld man.                    

The King is dead, long live the King.-

The furious battle was interrupted by a troop of horsemen. One of them dismounted and entered the building.




A multitude of noble men stood up.Ton Canty was inside, with his prince getups, surrrounded by nobles and accompanied by the Lord Mayor, the princesses Jane and Elizabeth and the main authorities of he city.





All of them were eating and drinking from tables crammed with food placed in front of them. The rider placed himself in the middle of the room, commuicating solemnly the recent death of the King Henry and exclaimed...






The King is dead! there was a profund silence and the presents bent their heads. Then another shout burst, destined to welcome the Prince in his new function...Long live the King.







From his table, placed in a high platform, Tom looked for a few seconds the spectacle of nobles and notables proclaiming his kingdom, took Lord Herford by the sleeve and said at his ear...






Any order I utter here at this momento will be immediately obeyed?





-Any, no doubt, the Lord answered.







-From this day, said Tom, then addressing the crowd...the law of blood is ended and the law of mercy is established, Free lord Nortfolk!








From a small Woods his savior had taken him, Edward, the true new King, Heard the shouts that followed the words of Tom, cries that were carried from lip to lip to all the crowd gathered in the streets-






-The King is dead! Long live the King!




Edward depressed and divested of his Crown, learnt that way he was no longer a Prince but a King.







He cried and shuddered learning on a tree. When all is said and done, his heartless predeccessor, King Henry had been a gentle father.






A bit later he cheered up. His new companion, seeing his recovery, introduced himself as Miles Hendon and took him to a humble inn, near London Bidge.







Once on safe grounds, the Young Kind wanted to sleep. And as there were no blankets around, Hendon covered him with his own doublet and he remained exposed to cold, as any true knight would have done for his King, or for a helpless child.

The Prince troubles.-

Jonh Canty was trying to drag up to the den he was living in the one he though was his son. But the boy sruggled. They were surrounded by a mob of curious people who laughed loudly and  enjoyed every blow.





Only a man  tried to stop the arm of brutal Canty, but he received a crash that left him laying on the floor.





Finally Canty managed to introduce brave Edward into the house. By the light of a candle the Prince saw thee women covered against tha Wall like animals, waiting for a blow and in another corner a kind of withered hag with streaming gray hair and malignant eyes.





John Canty told the hag her grandson had went totally crazy as he though was the Prince of Wales. Edward understood that hag was Tom´s grandmother. However, he insisted...





-I told you and I tell  you now, I am the  Prince of Wales.





The grandmother was amazed and the mother hugged him crying.





-My poor boy!She exclaimed. At last so many Reading wrought madness to you.






The sisters were also distressed and Canty that so much pity could only infuriate him more, gave a slap after another o the boy.







The hag assisted his son  the beating and finally Edward was left laying in a corner bruised and fourious.






When Canty put the candle out, mother and sisters hugged him. And there, in the dark, while she was stroking the prince hair canty wife felt that about that boy there was something undefined something that was lacking in Tom..








She could not tell just what it was and yet her Sharp mother instinct perceived it. Maybe, after all, he was not her son.







A few hours later the family was awoken by sharps raps. A voice said at the othe side of the door...








-John Canty do you know who was the man you cudgeled tonigh with our stick?





-Neither know I, nor care, Canty answered.








I would care if I were you because you killed him. And the dead is Father Andrew!







Canty, then, jumped out of bed and roused his tribe.







He commanded the women that in case they were separated from each other, they would meet in a certain point, near London Bridge. After that, he held the Prince by the wrist and left running with him.








John Canty tried to get lost in the darker alleys, but suddenly he was swalowed by a hive of humanity that was watching and enyoing the sight of the lights on the river.








There were bonfires and dances al over the place.







A few moments later, John Canthy started a quarrel with some neighbors that wanted him to drink.







Edward took the opportunity to escape.





Mingled with the crowd, free from Canty, he quickly realized that all the people were feasting a spurious Prince of Wales.






He thought  about going direcly to the Guildhall, where the usurper Prince would be accompanied by the Lord mayor and the nobles.








But  the crowd was occupying  entirely the steps of the building and as soon as the boy started denouncing he was the real Price of Wales, he received, as an answer, lauhgs and a few blows.






A sort of decadent skilled swordsman appeared defending him.






He was a man dressed in gentleman robes, but faded and theadbare like the plume in his hat.







This charácter produced his rusty sword and he laid about so many cuts and pricks that, soon, the wounded fell on top of each other.

The proclamation of the heir.-

And the momento arrived. Along the Thames, hundreds of illuminated boats led to the ceremony the most great nobles of the kingdom and the ambassadors of foreing countries.










Inside the palace, shining with lights, the music received the guests.







And at the steps of the palace, over the river glowing with the boats and torches,

surrrounded by officers, pages, members of the court and knights,appeared Tom Canty, son of the mud, dressed with a robe powedered with diamonds and edged with ermine, a mantle of White cloth, his chest covered with decorations and valuable jewels that glittered each time a beam of light reached them.

A Prince Life -2-

Helped by the signs made by Lord Hertford, Tom managed to behave quite well. He had a doubt at the end of the meal when his nose started itching.Had he ask them to scratch it for him or he could do it himself'?








In the meantime, The King and his assistants were having a serious problema. They could not find anywhere the Great Seal.







It was essential to give course to the execution warrant of Lord Norflok. The King remembered he had given it to his son,a few days ago, to star familiarizing him with royal duties.





Lord Hertford was commanded to ask the Prince for the Great Seal. But considering the Young boy was mad and that he would say he did not recall to mind anything, it seemed a useless move.









So, the King decided to use the smaller seal he used to carry when he went abroad, but with the same value.








Norfolk executed, the path would be free to carry out the ceremony of the proclamation of the heir.

A Prince life.-

In the remaining of that day and in the following one, before being proclaimed officially as the heir of the throne, por Tim had to learn a lot many things.









Lord Hertford in charge of his education, gave precise instructions to him about talking as less as posible and to be attentive to his sign. He had forgotten how to be one.










What is most difficult for Tom to learn, was to let the others help him each time hetook a step.







I t was so difficult and uncomfortable for him that finally, he said he wanted to rest for an hour or two.









Imediately, seven servitors introduced him into his room, as each one of them had, as a duty, the delicate task of removing some of the garments that covered his body.









Others servitors put the sleeping robed on him.







It was the first time in his life that Tom slept in a real bed, and moreover in the bed of a Prince!







When he awoke, before opening his eyes, he thought he had dreamt everything.








But when he did open them, his assistants saw to bring him back to reality.







When the pages dressed him up for first meal, something hey did with the same state as when they undressed him, it was already one o clock.








On the table it was set  the pure gold cutlery for one.








However, the apartment was filled with people.









There was a chaplain, to sa grace to the dishes, a royal diaper, who fastened a napkin around his eck, a cupbearer, a tater, the cook, his assistants, waiters and the majority of the three hundred and eighty four servants at the service of the Prince of Wales.

Tom before King Henry.-

-How are you, My lord? Edward, my Prince?the King greeted him.






-Are you going to go on with your jest with me ?




Tom dropped to the floor saying...





-My Lord, have mercy







The servants lifted him while the King was asking...




-My son, do not you know your father? Say you do, break not my heart.






-Noble sir, I am speaking the truth. I am the meanest among your subjects, being a beggar born.And I am here by mischance. Do not kill me!







-Oh I pray heaven to let me live until I see my son healed!No, calm down, you shall not die! the King said.






Henry tried to speak for a while with the beggar, humorning him, bt it seemed to him that the way of talking and reasoning of Tom was totally similar to his son.And he reached the conclusión that the child had only forgotten temporarily his identity.






-Mad? Who says he is mad? exclaimed then addressing in the present people of the court.








-I think he is not mad and taht illness is temporary not incurable.To ease the rumors, tomorrow, at the latest, the ceremony of his proclaim as heir to the throne will take place.









When the King finished talking. Lord Hertford knelt down in front of him.







And wih great caution and cumlocution he reminded him that the ceremony had to be carried out byte Great Marshal of England, the Duke of Norfolk, who was incoveniently attainted as prisoer in the Tower following the King´s orders.









-Have his head cut so that we can name another Marshal-was the answer of the King.








He immediately sent Tom away and ordered everybody to help him, without him noticing to recover all he had forgotten. I t was essential The Prince should recover his health promptly.

THE FALSE PRINCE.-

Meanwhile, in palace, Tom'sfate ran thruogh different paths, although no less complicated. Once Tom was left alone, turned himself this way and that before the mirror, admiring its delicate smell.






He drew the sword and bowed, kissing the blade as knights did.





He tried each  of the sumptouos chairs and ate all we wanted.






Finally, it ocurred to him that the Prince was long gone.





He began to fear he would be discovered and punish and resolved to fly.






But when he opened the door, he ran across six gorgeous gentlemen servants and two Young pages that started bowing.







Tom steppped back and closed the door frightened.






After a Little while, a page announced him the visit of Lady Jane Grey. When the girl came in she was greatly surprised, as Tom knelt down and said:







- Have mercy, milady! I am not Prince Edward.I am only Tom Canty, from London Bridge.I beg you to take me where the Prince is, he will restore me my rags.







Lady Jane fled away in fright, opened the door and escaped. In very few minutes the news from menial.







From lord to lord and in the palace they all thought the Prince had gone mad.



.He knelt down! was the comment.






He knelt down in front of her, When the rumors spread trought the hig civil servants of the court, a Chamberlain commnicated in the name of the King that, was the false and that nobody should carry it abroad or repeat it.









Finally, Tom came out on a corridor. He could not stay locked in his apartments. Two doctors and some servants were following him in silence.







The nobles he encountered on his way bowed courteusly to him.He soon found himself in a noble apartment.







There, reclined on a diván there dressed with luxurious and rather frayed clothes.




One of his legs,completely bandaged was resting on a pillow. That invalid was the dread King Henry VIII,

The false beggar-

After a while, Edward coul get ride of the persecution and mockey of the rabble that thought he was mad.






He looked around the fround himself in an unknown locality.All he knew was he was within the city of London.





He whashes his feet in a brokwhich flowed then, where far rington Street now is and and started moving on aimlessly.







He walked for a long time and in order to rest, he went into a church that gave shelther to children from the Street.







But he behave with such arrongant manners, that was takenout from there among gilbes and biting, thinking again the was mad.







Dogs pursued him, he walked along dark in wich human beings were piled up as garbage bags.







Until night fell and it started raining.









-Out to this time of night again and surely you have not a single penny in your pocket to bring home.!








The one speaking like this was John Canty Tom,s father.








-Oh, Edward said, so you are his father, then...








-His father? I am your father wretched swine and Iam going to break your bones! move on!





And witthout letting him utter a single Word more, he pulled him up, kicked him, and forced him to walk in front.






- I am the Prince! I am indeed the Prince of Wales! cried Edward.







-Take me to the palace and I assure you, you will be no poor more.Yor son is there.







You have gone stark mad, you are completely crazy.









But made or no mad, you will son find some good biting will help you to recover your wits-Tom fathers answered.








And dragged the Frantic Prince along an alley followed by a swarm of human vermin.

A Prince in the streets.-

When he reached the gate he ordered the guard that had malttreated Tom.


-Open, open the gates right now.


The guard obeyed promply, but as son as Edward Tudor put his foot outside, the soldier gave him a sounding boxon the face that sent him whirling to the roadway.



That is for what you did to me in front of the Prince-the guard said scornfully. The crowd surrounding the palace gates started roaring heartedly.



Edward picked himself out of the mud and said fiercely.

is
-I am the Prince of Wales and my person is sacred. You shall the handed for what you have just done.



The soldier presented arms and answered mockingly



-I salute you gracious Highness, and he added angrily.-Be off, you crazy rubbish!





The crowd surrounded the Prince and hustled him pitiless down the road, shouting and hooting him.



The crowd surrounded the Prince and hstled him pitiless down the road, shouting and hooting him.




-Way for his Royal Highness!Way for his Majesty!

The Prince and the Pauper.-C.1.

In the ancient London, on a certain autumn day a boy was born to a poor family named Canty, who did not want to have any, On the same day, another child was born to the rich Tudor family, who want the birth of that child. And it had so longed for him and so prayed God for him, that people went nearly mad with joy.



London became a sight to see with gay colored banners waving from balconies and housetops, with no less colorful parades along the streets and great night bonfires.



Allof that was taking place while the new born, Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, was sleeping in his crib lapped in silk sheets. Nobody was talking about the other child, Tom Canty, lapped in poor rags.




London was fifteen hundred years old and it had a hundred thousand inhabitants-some think doublé as many.


Its streets were crooked and dirty, especially in the part where Tom Canty lived, not far from London Bridge. The houses were built with Wood. The second story proyecting over the first and the third sticking its elbows out beyond the second, one would say.





The buildings had a structure like a huge skeleton, formed by strong crisscross beams.





Between then it was laid a solid material and the whole thing was coated with plaster.The beams used to be painted with colors, giving the house a very picturesque  look, something that the small Windows glazed with Little diamond shaped panes contributed, too.









A FAMILY OF BEGGARS.



The Canthy tribe lived in Offal Court, a foul that was a true hovel. Tom's fathers, the brutal John Canty and his grandmother were a couple of fiends. They were constantly drunk and they fought each other or anybody else who came in the way. Always, drunk or sober, cursed and swore.






John Canty was a thief and his mother a beggar. Tom'smother and his two sisters, the twins Bet and Nan completely sweet and submissive, were beggars, too.




They begged because the father had not managed to convince them to steal.






This fanily lived packed full in a rickery room on the third floor, in a house that seemed to fall down at any moment.The adults had a total of two beds, while the Young ones slept on some bundles of Straw and covered themselves with remains of blankets.




In the whole neighborhood, these kind of human hives inhabited by dozens of people were very common.






TOM'S FANTASIES.-





As soon as Tom had enough energy to walk, his father sent him to the streets to beg.And when he came home empty-handed, he used to receive a stream of blows.






His mother, then, comforted him and even risking to get beaten herself, would slip to Tom a crust of bread. She had been able to sabe, avolding the father's look.







Even though he was having a hard time, Tom was not conscious of it all, he did not notice it, as that was the only life he knew.





Each morning he went out begging and spent all day long going from one place to another.






In that miserable life, one of the things he liked were the visits to a priest, Father Andrew. That man lived in the same house as Tom and taught him how to read and write and some Latin.



All of that accompanied by readings of kings, fairies and princes tales. Inhis own way, Tom enjoyed the priests books and in his imagination he started picturing a wonderful Word.



A world in wich he was a prince and his life was full of confort and pleasures. As he could not share with anyone his fantasies, because they would have called him mad, he used to stay long hours daydreaming.







Those readings wrought a mark in the beggars manners.His speech was more delicate and complex than his Friends and neigghborhood he became a hero. But this appreciation was not share by his family, always too busy fighting and drinking.




A certain Winter night, cold and rainy as many others, Tom spent long time looking in at cook shop Windows, where greasy fritters and other indelicate and indigestible dishes were displayed. For him these were dainities, as he had never tried them once.





He returned home with a more forlom and sad condition as ever, and even his father was moved-so to speak, and the only gave him a brisk cutting that night before sending him to bed.




That night, as many others, Tom dreamt with a magnificent and charming royal court, where a sweet music was being played and the smells were so delicious, tan the wretchedness of his room, when he awoke, seemed to him so horrible taht he cried bitterly.








THE MEETING.






Tom got up hungry and sauntered away, wandering along the streets with his thoughts busy with the splendors of his night's dreams.



By the farthest from home he had ever traveled up to that moment. The constructions before his eyes were very beatifu.





Those mansions were surrounded by exquisite parks and gardens stretching to the river grounds.






Tom walked among them, staring them in wonder and he finally arrived at the most majestic of all of them. W Palace, crowned with small turrrets and big Golden gate showing the royal symbol.









Tom's pulse accelerated. Who knows if the desire of his dreams was going to be satisfied at last and he would see a real prince.




He approached the gilded gate, guarded by two motionless sentinels.





Many poor people crowded together at a respectul distance, looking at the splandid carriages that were arriving and departing from the magnificent gateways.