Why choose the name Sonja? As a restless Dutch historian, she counterbalances her travelling partner, Jason, a sceptical Afrikaans archaeologist. Their search for the truth, for the historical facts surrounding Almeida’s murder, leads each to an individual conclusion. It’s a journey of self-discovery wherein Sonja finds herself challenged by new beliefs and ideas while Jason, instead, seeks confirmation in a scientific world. Their entangeld relationship is revealed by the simple anagram: S O N J A = J A S O N

As Patric also knows, I’ve tracked this saga for over thirty years, ever since I first heard about an alternative narrative in the early 1980s, and gradually managed to trace it back to an intimate circle of friends in Cape Town around 1960. Strangely, many of them were also Dutch educators and given your comments, significantly, drew their inspiration from Walter Johannes Stein. This is all in Knot of Stone, including discussions with individuals still alive today or, at least, with those able to remember things with a measure of clarity and consistency. Most now have so-called senior moments when I speak to them. So it’s a slow step-by-step process, as you can well imagine.

I hope to post an interview soon. For now, at least, there’s a comment by one of the original Dutch members, Eva Picard. See under Reviews. Thank you, again!

I am impressed by your discussion of Almeida’s fate and how you each highlight contradictory aspects to his character—and in the historical record. I note that you’re not alone in this as other authors have addressed the matter recently too. It clearly is time to rethink this saga and, if possible, to integrate some differing points of view—including the old versions. As a Dutch researcher-educator with a background in European cultural history, I’d like to contribute to your discussion.

For me the most important ‘new’ commentator has been Walter Johannes Stein (1891–1957), a historian and economist, who spent his latter years researching Almeida’s unusual dual nature. On the one hand he saw Almeida as a mercurial Grail knight following a spiritual impulse and, on the other, as a fierce Mars-like warrior pusuing a crusade. Stein came to the conclusion that Almeida had, after an inner crisis in 1492, transformed from a soldier defending his own faith to one ushering in a new world order. Almeida realised, Stein says, that an era of world wide commerce had begun and that his successors, particularly the British, would use Portugal’s foundations for a modern global economy. Walter Johannes Stein published these ideas in his magazine The Present Age, now available online.