The Fair God; or, The Last of the 'Tzins: A Tale of the Conquest of Mexico

by Lew Wallace

  CHAPTER VII.

  MONTEZUMA GOES TO MEET CORTES.

  Came the eighth of November, which no Spaniard, himself a Conquistador,can ever forget; that day Cortes entered Tenochtitlan.

  The morning dawned over Anahuac as sometimes it dawns over the Bay ofNaples, bringing an azure haze in which the world seemed set afloat.

  "Look you, uncles," said Montezuma, yet at breakfast, and speaking tohis councillors: "they are to go before me, my heralds; and as Malincheis the servant of a king, and used to courtly styles, I would not havethem shame me. Admit them with the _nequen_ off. As they will appearbefore him, let them come to me."

  And thereupon four nobles were ushered in, full-armed, even to theshield. Their helms were of glittering silver; their _escaupiles_, ortunics of quilted mail, were stained vivid green, and at the neck andborders sparkled with pearls; over their shoulders hung graceful mantlesof _plumaje_, softer than cramoisy velvet; upon their breasts blazeddecorations and military insignia; from wrist to elbow, and from knee tosandal-strap, their arms and legs were sheathed in scales of gold. Andso, ready for peaceful show or mortal combat,--his heroes andambassadors,--they bided the monarch's careful review.

  "Health to you, my brothers! and to you, my children!" he said, withsatisfaction. "What of the morning? How looks the sun?"

  "Like the beginning of a great day, O king, which we pray may endhappily for you," replied Cuitlahua.

  "It is the work of Huitzil'; doubt not! I have called you, O mychildren, to see how well my fame will be maintained. I wish to showMalinche a power and beauty such as he has never seen, unless he comefrom the Sun itself. Earth has but one valley of Anahuac, one city ofTenochtitlan: so he shall acknowledge. Have you directed his march as Iordered?"

  And Cacama replied, "Through the towns and gardens, he is to follow theshore of the lake to the great causeway. By this time he is on theroad."

  Then Montezuma's face flushed; and, lifting his head as it were to lookat objects afar off, he said aloud, yet like one talking to himself,--

  "He is a lover of gold, and has been heard speak of cities and templesand armies; of his people numberless as the sands. O, if he be a man,with human weaknesses,--if he has hope, or folly of thought, to make himless than a god,--ere the night fall he shall give me reverence. Sign ofmy power shall he find at every step: cities built upon the waves;temples solid and high as the hills; the lake covered with canoes andgardens; people at his feet, like stalks in the meadow; my warriors; andTenochtitlan, city of empire! And then, if he greet me with hope orthought of conquest,--then--" He shuddered.

  "And then what?" said Cuitlahua, upon whom not a word had been lost.

  The thinker, startled, looked at him coldly, saying,--

  "I will take council of the gods."

  And for a while he returned to his _choclatl_. When next he looked up,and spoke, his face was bright and smiling.

  "With a train, my children, you are to go in advance of me, and meetMalinche at Xoloc. Embrace him, speak to him honorably, return with him,and I will be at the first bridge outside the city. Cuitlahua andCacama, be near when he steps forward to salute me. I will lean uponyour shoulders. Get you gone now. Remember Anahuac!"

  Shortly afterward a train of nobles, magnificently arrayed, issued fromthe palace, and marched down the great street leading to the Iztapalapancauseway. The house-tops, the porticos, even the roofs and towers oftemples, and the pavements and cross-streets, were already occupied byspectators. At the head of the procession strode the four heralds.Silently they marched, in silence the populace received them. Thespectacle reminded very old men of the day the great Axaya' was borne inmournful pomp to Chapultepec. Once only there was a cheer, or, rather, awar-cry from the warriors looking down from the terraces of a temple. Sothe cortege passed from the city; so, through a continuous lane of men,they moved along the causeway; so they reached the gates of Xoloc, atwhich the two dikes, one from Iztapalapan, the other from Cojohuaca,intersected each other. There they halted, waiting for Cortes.

  And while the train was on the road, out of one of the gates of theroyal garden passed a palanquin, borne by four slaves in the king'slivery. The occupants were the princesses Tula and Nenetzin, with Yetevein attendance. In any of the towns of old Spain there would have beenmuch remark upon the style of carriage, but no denial of their beauty,or that they were Spanish born. The elder sister was thoughtful andanxious; the younger kept constant lookout; the priestess, at theirfeet, wove the flowers with which they were profusely supplied into_ramilletes_, and threw them to the passers-by. The slaves, when in thegreat street, turned to the north.

  "Blessed Lady!" cried Yeteve. "Was the like ever seen?"

  "What is it?" asked Nenetzin.

  "Such a crowd of people!"

  Nenetzin looked out again, saying, "I wish I could see a noble or awarrior."

  "That may not be," said Tula. "The nobles are gone to receive Malinche,the warriors are shut up in the temples."

  "Why so?"

  "They may be needed."

  "Ah! was it thought there is such danger? But look, see!" And Nenetzindrew back alarmed, yet laughing.

  There was a crash outside, and a loud shout, and the palanquin stopped.Tula drew the curtain quickly, not knowing but that the peril requiringthe soldiery was at hand. A vendor of little stone images,--_teotls_, orhousehold gods,--unable to get out of the way, had been run upon by theslaves, and the pavement sprinkled with the broken heads and legs of theluckless _lares_. Aside, surveying the wreck, stood the pedler, clad asusual with his class. In his girdle he carried a mallet, significant ofhis trade. He was uncommonly tall, and of a complexion darker than thelowest slaves. While the commiserate princess observed him, he raisedhis eyes; a moment he stood uncertain what to do; then he stepped to thepalanquin, and from the folds of his tunic drew an image elaboratelycarved upon the face of an agate.

  "The good princess," he said, bending so low as to hide his face, "didnot laugh at the misfortune of her poor slave. She has a friendly heart,and is loved by every artisan in Tenochtitlan. This carving is of asacred god, who will watch over and bless her, as I now do. If she willtake it, I shall be glad."

  "It is very valuable, and maybe you are not rich," she replied.

  "Rich! When it is told that the princess Tula was pleased with a _teotl_of my carving, I shall have patrons without end. And if it were not so,the recollection will make me rich enough. Will she please me so much?"

  She took from her finger a ring set with a jewel that, in any city ofEurope, would have bought fifty such cameos, and handed it to him.

  "Certainly; but take this from me. I warrant you are a gentle artist."

  The pedler took the gift, and kissed the pavement, and, after thepalanquin was gone, picked up such of his wares as were uninjured, andwent his way well pleased.

  At the gate of the temple of Huitzil' the three alighted, and made theirway to the _azoteas_. The lofty place was occupied by pabas andcitizens, yet a sun-shade of gaudy feather-work was pitched for themclose by the eastern verge, overlooking the palace of Axaya', andcommanding the street up which the array was to come. In the area below,encompassed by the _Coatapantli_, or Wall of Serpents, ten thousandwarriors were closely ranked, ready to march at beat of the great drumhanging in the tower. Thus, comfortably situated, the daughters of theking awaited the strangers.

  When Montezuma started to meet his guests, the morning was far advanced.A vast audience, in front of his palace, waited to catch a view of hisperson. Of his policy the mass knew but the little gleaned from athousand rumors,--enough to fill them with forebodings of evil. Was hegoing out as king or slave? At last he came, looking their ideal of achild of the Sun, and ready for the scrutiny. Standing in the portal, hereceived their homage; not one but kissed the ground before him.

  He stepped out, and the sun, as if acknowledging his presence, seemed topour a double glory about him. In the time of despair and overthrow thatcame
, alas! too soon, those who saw him, in that moment of pride, spreadhis arms in general benediction, remembered his princeliness, and spokeof him ever after in the language of poetry. The _tilmatli_, looped atthe throat, and falling gracefully from his shoulders, was beaded withjewels and precious stones; the long, dark-green plumes in his _panache_drooped with pearls; his sash was in keeping with the mantle; the thongsof his sandals were edged with gold, and the soles were entirely ofgold. Upon his breast, relieved against the rich embroidery of histunic, symbols of the military orders of the realm literally blazed withgems.

  About the royal palanquin, in front of the portal, bareheaded andbarefooted, stood its complement of bearers, lords of the first rank,proud of the service. Between the carriage and the doorway a carpet ofwhite cloth was stretched: common dust might not soil his feet. As hestepped out, he was saluted by a roar of attabals and conch-shells. Themusic warmed his blood; the homage was agreeable to him,--was to hissoul what incense is to the gods. He gazed proudly around, and it waseasy to see how much he was in love with his own royalty.

  Taking his place in the palanquin, the cortege moved slowly down thestreet. In advance walked stately caciques with wands, clearing the way.The carriers of the canopy, which was separate from the carriage,followed next; and behind them, reverently, and with downcast faces,marched an escort of armed lords indescribably splendid.

  The street traversed was the same Malinche was to traverse. Often andagain did the subtle monarch look to paves and house-tops, and to thecanals and temples. Well he knew the cunning guest would sweep them all,searching for evidences of his power; that nothing would escapeexamination; that the myriads of spectators, the extent of the city, itsposition in the lake, and thousands of things not to be written wouldfind places in the calculation inevitable if the visit were with otherthan peaceful intent.

  At a palace near the edge of the city the escort halted to abide thecoming.

  Soon, from the lake, a sound of music was heard, more plaintive thanthat of the conchs.

  "They are coming, they are coming! The _teules_ are coming!" shouted thepeople; and every heart, even the king's, beat quicker. Up the streetthe cry passed, like a hurly gust of wind.