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

by Lew Wallace

  CHAPTER V.

  THE CELLS OF QUETZAL' AGAIN.

  "A victim! A victim!"

  "Hi, hi!"

  "Catch him!"

  "Stone him!"

  "Kill him!"

  So cried a mob, at the time in furious motion up the beautiful street.Numbering hundreds already, it increased momentarily, and howled as onlysuch a monster can. Scarce eighty yards in front ran itsgame,--Orteguilla, the page.

  The boy was in desperate strait. His bonnet, secured by a braid, dancedbehind him; his short cloak, of purple velvet, a little faded, flutteredas if struggling to burst the throat-loop; his hands were clenched; hisface pale with fear and labor. He ran with all his might, often lookingback; and as his course was up the street, the old palace of Axaya' musthave been the goal he sought,--a long, long way off for one unused tosuch exertion and so fiercely pressed. At every backward glance, hecried, in agony of terror, "Help me, O Mother of Christ! By God's love,help me!" The enemy was gaining upon him.

  The lad, as I think I have before remarked, had been detailed by Cortesto attend Montezuma, with whom, as he was handsome and witty, and hadsoon acquired the Aztecan tongue and uncommon skill at _totoloque_, hehad become an accepted favorite; so that, while useful to the monarch asa servant, he was no less useful to the Christian as a detective. In thecourse of his service, he had been frequently intrusted with his royalmaster's signet, the very highest mark of confidence. Every day heexecuted errands in the _tianguez_, and sometimes in even remoterquarters of the city. As a consequence he had come to be quite wellknown, and to this day nothing harmful or menacing had befallen him,although, as was not hard to discern, the people would have been bettersatisfied had Maxtla been charged with such duties.

  On this occasion,--the day after the interview between the 'tzin andMualox,--while executing some trifling commission in the market, hebecame conscious of a change in the demeanor of those whom he met; ofcourtesies, there were none; he was not once saluted; even the jewellerswith whom he dealt viewed him coldly, and asked not a word about theking; yet, unaware of danger, he went to the portico of the Chalcan, andsat awhile, enjoying the shade and the fountain, and listening to thenoisy commerce without.

  Presently, he heard a din of conchs and attabals, the martial music ofthe Aztecs. Somewhat startled, and half hidden by the curtains, helooked out, and beheld, coming from the direction of the king's palace,a procession bearing ensigns and banners of all shapes, designs, andcolors.

  At the first sound of the music, the people, of whom, as usual, therewere great numbers in the _tianguez_, quitted their occupations, and ranto meet the spectacle, which, without halting, came swiftly down to theChalcan's; so that there passed within a few feet of the adventurouspage a procession rarely beautiful,--a procession of warriors marchingin deep files, each one helmeted, and with a shield at his back, and abanner in his hand,--an army with banners.

  At the head, apart from the others, strode a chief whom all eyesfollowed. Even Orteguilla was impressed with his appearance. He wore atunic of very brilliant feather-work, the skirt of which fell almost tohis knees; from the skirt to the ankles his lower limbs were bare;around the ankles, over the thongs of the sandals, were rings offurbished silver; on his left arm he carried a shield of shining metal,probably brass, its rim fringed with locks of flowing hair, and in thecentre the device of an owl, snow-white, and wrought of the plumage ofthe bird; over his temples, fixed firmly in the golden head-band, therewere wings of a parrot, green as emerald, and half spread. He exceededhis followers in stature, which appeared the greater by reason of thelong Chinantlan spear in his right hand, used as a staff. To the wholewas added an air severely grand; for, as he marched, he looked neitherto the right nor left,--apparently too absorbed to notice the people,many of whom even knelt upon his approach. From the cries that salutedthe chief, together with the descriptions he had often heard of him,Orteguilla recognized Guatamozin.

  The procession wellnigh passed, and the young Spaniard was studying thedevices on the ensigns, when a hand was laid upon his shoulder; turningquickly to the intruder, he saw the prince Io', whom he was in the habitof meeting daily in the audience-chamber of the king. The prince met hissmile and pleasantry with a sombre face, and said, coldly,--

  "You have been kind to the king, my father; he loves you; on your hand Isee his signet; therefore I will serve you. Arise, and begone; stay nota moment. You were never nearer death than now."

  Orteguilla, scarce comprehending, would have questioned him, but theprince spoke on.

  "The chiefs who inhabit here are in the procession. Had they found you,Huitzil' would have had a victim before sunset. Stay not; begone!"

  While speaking, Io' moved to the curtained doorway from which he hadjust come. "Beware of the people in the square; trust not to the signet.My father is still the king; but the lords and pabas have given hispower to another,--him whom you saw pass just now before the banners. Inall Anahuac Guatamozin's word is the law, and that word is--War." Andwith that he passed into the house.

  The page was a soldier, not so much in strength as experience, and bravefrom habit; now, however, his heart stood still, and a deadly coldnesscame over him; his life was in peril. What was to be done?

  The procession passed by, with the multitude in a fever of enthusiasm;then the lad ventured to leave the portico, and start for his quarters,to gain which he had first to traverse the side of the square he was on;that done, he would be in the beautiful street, going directly to thedesired place. He strove to carry his ordinary air of confidence; butthe quick step, pale face, and furtive glance would have been tell-talesto the shopkeepers and slaves whom he passed, if they had been the leastobservant. As it was, he had almost reached the street, and wasfelicitating himself, when he heard a yell behind him. He looked back,and beheld a party of warriors coming at full speed. Their cries andgestures left no room to doubt that he was their object. He started atonce for life.

  The noise drew everybody to the doors, and forthwith everybody joinedthe chase. After passing several bridges, the leading pursuers wereabout seventy yards behind him, followed by a stream of supportersextending to the _tianguez_ and beyond. So we have the scene with whichthe chapter opens.

  The page's situation was indeed desperate. He had not yet reached theking's palace, on the other side of which, as he knew, lay a stretch ofstreet frightful to think of in such a strait. The mob was comingrapidly. To add to his horror, in front appeared a body of men armed andmarching toward him; at the sight, they halted; then they formed a lineof interception. His steps flagged; fainter, but more agonizing, arosehis prayer to Christ and the Mother. Into the recesses on either hand,and into the doors and windows, and up to the roofs, and down into thecanals, he cast despairing glances; but chance there was not; capturewas certain, and then the--SACRIFICE!

  That moment he reached a temple of the ancient construction,--properlyspeaking, a Cu,--low, broad, massive, in architecture not unlike theEgyptian, and with steps along the whole front. He took no thought ofits appearance, nor of what it might contain; he saw no place of refugewithin; his terror had become a blind, unreasoning madness. To escapethe sacrifice was his sole impulse; and I am not sure but that he wouldhave regarded death in any form other than at the hands of the pabas asan escape. So he turned, and darted up the steps; before his foremostpursuer was at the bottom, he was at the top.

  With a glance he swept the _azoteas_. Through the wide, doorlessentrance of a turret, he saw an altar of stainless white marble,decorated profusely with flowers; imagining there might be pabaspresent, and possibly devotees, he ran around the holy place, and cameto a flight of steps, down which he passed to a court-yard bounded onevery side by a colonnade. A narrow doorway at his right hand, full ofdarkness, offered him a hiding-place.

  In calmer mood, I doubt if the young Spaniard could have been inducedalone to try the interior of the Cu. He would at least have studied thebuilding with reference to the cardi
nal points of direction; now,however, driven by the terrible fear, without thought or question,without precaution of any kind, taking no more note of distance thancourse, into the doorway, into the unknown, headlong he plunged. Thedarkness swallowed him instantly; yet he did not abate his speed, forbehind him he heard--at least he fancied so--the swift feet of pursuers.Either the dear Mother of his prayers, or some ministering angel, hadhim in keeping during the blind flight; but at last he struck obliquelyagainst a wall; in the effort to recover himself, he reeled againstanother; then he measured his length upon the floor, and remainedexhausted and fainting.