Zulema the Astrologer

ʿAlī was, according to the Llibre dels fets, "a Saracen ... from La Palomera" who defected during the conquest of Majorca and swam out to the fleet of King James I of Aragon with intelligence about the island. The Llibre is an eyewitness account written by James himself. The story, however, is much more developed in the later account of Bernat Desclot. According to Desclot, ʿAlī was the majordomo of the "king of Majorca". He chose to defect when his mother, an astronomer, warned him that James would conquer the island. In reality, his choice was probably based on opposition to Abū Yaḥyā. He and his family would certainly have preserved their property by siding with the conquerors.