Talking Storm followed his gaze. “I know,” he said. “I’ll miss him, too. But we have our memories at least. And he is no longer dwarf or slave, but king in heaven.”
Sky Knife nodded. Right now, it seemed small consolation. “Come,” said Talking Storm. “You must finish the ceremony now.”
“What else is there?” asked Sky Knife.
“The new king must choose the name by which he shall rule,” said Talking Storm. “But before that, he must be presented formally to the people.”
Talking Storm stood and extended his hand. Sky Knife took it and let Talking Storm help him up. He dabbed tears from his eyes.
The dignitaries had filed outside to stand behind the king and his family. Whiskers-of-Rat bowed to Sky Knife, a mischievous grin on his face, then he and Rabbit followed the others out. No doubt the guide would tell every traveler he met the story of how he was present when the new king had ascended the mat.
Sky Knife walked out to the platform in front of the temple. The family stood aside to allow him room to pass.
Black Coyote turned to him. Amaranth stood just to the right of the king.
“He Who Sacrifices,” said Black Coyote in a voice much deeper than any child should have. “You have sent my soul to the heavens. Now send me to my mat on earth.”
Priests ran up the steps of the pyramid, a finely woven reed mat in their hands. They laid the mat down on the platform in front of Sky Knife. Lily-on-the-Water spread a white sheet on top of the mat.
“Take your mat,” said Sky Knife, unsure how much more ceremony the Teotihuacanos wanted. Full night was upon them now, and midnight would be at hand shortly. Then it would be Uayeb and any ceremony would be unlucky.
Black Coyote stepped onto the mat and sat down cross-legged on it. “I am king,” he said. “As a child, I was Black Coyote. As king, I shall have a new name.”
Talking Storm descended a few steps and knelt. “Lord, what shall your name be? It should be a name of strength like that of the jaguar.”
Lily-on-the-Water descended a few steps and knelt by Talking Storm. “Lord, what shall your name be? It should be a name of cunning like that of the fox.”
Grasping Fire went down to kneel by Lily-on-the-Water. “Lord, what shall your name be?” he asked. “It should be a name of stealth like that of the rattlesnake.”
Jaguar’s Daughter knelt by Grasping Fire. “My son, choose a name of power like that of the sun.”
Amaranth went down a few steps next to Jaguar’s Daughter. To kneel, she had to pick up the hem of her all-encompassing black and blue robe. Beneath it, she wore a green skirt fringed in blue feathers and jade beads.
Sky Knife jumped in surprise. The feathers matched the one he’d found on the battlefield where the feathered serpent had been. Now it was clear who had called the serpent.
Before Amaranth could speak, Sky Knife grabbed Black Coyote. “Inside,” he said as the boy turned to him. “Get inside the temple. Go!”
Black Coyote didn’t hesitate. He dashed back into the temple.
“What’s going on?” roared Talking Storm.
“The king must choose his name,” protested Jaguar’s Daughter.
Sky Knife stared into Amaranth’s green eyes. It had been her all along. Right from the start. She had played everything perfectly. But it was time to end it.
For all those people who had lost their lives and their homes, Amaranth would have to answer.
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“Murderer,” said Sky Knife. “You cannot be Wife to the king because it is long past the time for your soul to forsake your body for the underworlds.”
Amaranth stood. “What?”
Lily-on-the-Water stood and went to Amaranth. She looked up the steps to Sky Knife. “What are you saying? Amaranth is Wife. I chose her so she could bring us luck.”
“And I told you that your orphan of the Water Ceremony would be nothing but bad luck,” said Sky Knife. “You didn’t believe me then. You’ll believe me now.”
Talking Storm came back up the steps. “Sky Knife, speak sense. Very shortly the Unlucky Times will be upon us. It would be disastrous for the ascension not to be finished before then. Why do you suddenly object to Amaranth?”
Sky Knife pointed at Amaranth’s skirt. “It was she who called the Feathered Serpent yesterday during the battle. A feather from her skirt was the focus.”
Amaranth laughed, but the sound was harsh and cold. “You’re insane,” she said.
“Easy enough to find out,” said Grasping Fire slowly. “Why don’t you show us your skirt?”
Amaranth looked at Grasping Fire in surprise. “Surely you don’t believe him,” she said. “We’ve been together a long time. You know me.”
Grasping Fire nodded. “No,” he said in a strange strangled voice. “I don’t think I do.”
Amaranth crossed her arms and looked at each one of them on the platform. “Surely you don’t plan to do this inspection of my clothing here where the whole city can see?”
Sky Knife was about to say “Why not?” but Grasping Fire spoke first. “No,” he said. “I will not ask that of you. Go inside the temple.”
Sky Knife went into the temple before Amaranth and gestured for Black Coyote to stay in the far corner. “Don’t let her come near you, Lord,” he said.
Black Coyote nodded. He still seemed too old to be a mere boy. Someone different looked out of those eyes now. Someone ancient.
Talking Storm could perhaps explain that later. Right now, Amaranth had to be dealt with.
Amaranth stormed in, followed by the remainder of the family. Talking Storm stood in the door to prevent the dignitaries from entering behind him. Several of them stood on tiptoe to peer around Talking Storm’s headdress.
“Now,” said Amaranth, “just what makes you think you have the right to question me on anything, Sky Knife? I have been a friend to you this week and this is how you repay me.”
“I think you’ve pretended to be a friend to everyone,” said Sky Knife. “But you have plotted our deaths.”
“What do you mean?”
“The skirt,” insisted Grasping Fire. “Show us your skirt.”
Amaranth glared at him.
“Do it now or I’ll do it,” said Grasping Fire. He seemed to be struggling with a great deal of rage. Something more than just the possibility she had betrayed them all on the battlefield was bothering him, but Sky Knife didn’t know what.
Reluctantly, Amaranth lifted the hem of her Wife’s robe. Grasping Fire knelt and pulled up the hem of her skirt. Carefully, he went around the entire hem.
“All the feathers are here,” he said.
“Are there feathers elsewhere on the skirt?” asked Sky Knife.
Grasping Fire looked at Amaranth. “Take it off,” he said.
Amaranth slowly pulled the Wife’s robe off over her head. Tears filled her eyes, but she did not seem saddened. It was anger, not grief, that marred her face.
Grasping Fire went over the whole skirt with his hands. He stopped at the small of Amaranth’s back.
“A feather is missing from here,” he said. He looked at Sky Knife. “You’re sure the feather you found goes to this skirt? Where is the feather?”
Talking Storm stepped forward. “I have it in my palace,” he said. “It would take too long to fetch it. But I can see it is the same.”
“It couldn’t be,” said Amaranth through gritted teeth. “I am the Wife. You mustn’t doubt me.” She looked to Lily-on-the-Water.
Sky Knife waited to see what Lily-on-the-Water would do. The older woman looked indecisive. Finally, she shook her head. “You have no proof that Amaranth is the one who called the serpent,” she said. “There may be other dresses with feathers like this.”
Amaranth smiled in triumph.
“No, it’s not that easy,” said Sky Knife. “I know you’re the one. And I’d bet you were the one who promised Dancing Bear she could speak for the Masked One, and who promised Dark Lightning the mat if he wo
uld do as you say.”
Talking Storm grunted. “That’s quite an accusation. Prove it or let’s continue the ceremony.”
Sky Knife didn’t hesitate. He pulled out the Hand of God. “The blade knows the truth,” he said. “Take it and tell me you weren’t the one who called the serpent.”
Amaranth glanced around as if trapped. “What if I say no?” she said. “You can’t make me participate in any of your Mayan rituals.”
“He can’t,” said Grasping Fire. “But I will. I believe everything he says.”
“You can’t!” Amaranth’s voice rose in a despairing wail.
“I never wanted to see it,” said Grasping Fire. “I tried to put the whole episode out of my mind. When your husband came to me and accused me of stealing you from him, he came to find me at my brother’s house. He couldn’t have known I was there unless you told him. You told him, didn’t you? You told him we were lovers and you sent him to me. You wanted me to kill him. You bitch!”
Amaranth backed up. “No, I … well, yes, I told him, but I thought…”
“Take the knife, traitor,” said Grasping Fire.
“I couldn’t have done it—remember, I was with you when Leather Apron stole the child.”
Sky Knife blushed, remembering overhearing them.
“How did you know who stole him?” asked Grasping Fire. “You condemn yourself with your own words!”
Amaranth looked back to Lily-on-the-Water, but the older woman shook her head and put her face in her hands.
Sky Knife stepped up to Amaranth. “Take the knife and prove to me I’m wrong,” he said. He held out the blade to her.
Amaranth screamed and pushed him away. She ran toward the door, but Talking Storm barred the way. Amaranth pulled out a prismatic obsidian blade and ran to Black Coyote.
Jaguar’s Daughter tried to get in the way, but Amaranth elbowed her aside.
Sky Knife regained his feet and followed Amaranth. Black Coyote darted out of the woman’s reach and ran behind Sky Knife.
Amaranth turned, back to the corner, and faced Sky Knife. “You ruined everything,” she said.
“It would all have been yours,” said Sky Knife. “If Dark Lightning were successful, he undoubtedly would have given you whatever you wished. Grasping Fire’s position as Chief Minister of Construction, perhaps. And if he wasn’t successful, you could arrange to be Wife. Either way, you’d be the wealthiest, most powerful woman in the city.”
“Of course I would have been,” said Amaranth. “I tried long ago to get Grasping Fire to take his brother’s life and make himself king, but he had some old-fashioned notion of brotherly loyalty. He left me for a time. It took a lot of planning to get him back.”
“And so you pushed Grasping Fire and your husband to have a quarrel,” said Sky Knife. “Either way, again, you would win. Your husband could live to vindicate your honor, or die and his death could be used against Grasping Fire forever. You were the one who told Cacao, then.”
Grasping Fire moaned and dropped to his knees, sobbing.
“Dark Lightning was easier to manage,” said Amaranth. “He didn’t know what he wanted. It was simple to suggest things to him. He was very biddable.”
“But Dancing Bear moved too quickly,” said Sky Knife. “She didn’t leave enough time for Dark Lightning to have the revolt prepared before Uayeb.”
Amaranth shrugged. “Too bad for Dark Lightning. It just meant I would be Wife. A few years of boredom while the boy grew and then I’d have everything when he chose another to marry.”
“You killed my father,” said Black Coyote in his too-old voice. “You didn’t do it yourself, but you ordered it done.”
Amaranth tossed her head. “Of course I did,” she said. “There’s no point in denying that now.”
“Then you must die,” said Black Coyote.
“Oh, no,” said Amaranth. “Whoever comes for me dies.” She hefted the thin blade she held.
Sky Knife stepped forward. “Then kill me,” he said.
Amaranth licked her lips and glanced around, but there was nowhere to go. She rushed at Sky Knife.
Sky Knife stepped aside, avoiding her thrust, and stabbed at her. But she was quick.
Sky Knife turned around. Amaranth leaped onto the table where Deer had lain and dropped her blade. She jumped for the hole in the ceiling and caught her fingers over the edge. She began to pull herself up.
“No you don’t,” said Lily-on-the-Water. She stepped forward and grabbed Amaranth around the knees and pulled her down.
Amaranth fell to the floor with a grunt. Lily-on-the-Water rolled free of her and stood up.
Sky Knife went to Amaranth. She lay on the floor, panting. Slowly, she sat up. She held one arm awkwardly. It seemed to be broken.
“Then kill me,” she said. “My soul will wander the underworlds forever, and when I see you, I shall eat your soul and you will die forever.”
“No,” said Grasping Fire. “It is you who will die forever.” He picked up the blade Amaranth had dropped and thrust it into her neck.
Amaranth’s eyes got wide, but she couldn’t scream. Blood poured out of her neck and mouth. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream.
Sky Knife stepped forward and cut Amaranth’s neck with his own blade. Amaranth slumped to the floor.
Sky Knife replaced the Hand of God in its bag and looked at the others. Grasping Fire and Jaguar’s Daughter held each other. Talking Storm stood in the doorway, frowning. Lily-on-the-Water still had her face covered.
Black Coyote walked to the center of the room slowly and with great dignity. He bowed to Sky Knife. “Thank you, my friend,” he said. “But we have one small problem now.”
“What’s that?” asked Sky Knife.
“I can’t be king unless I am a man, and I cannot be a man and be unmarried,” said Black Coyote. “Justice has been done and my father’s soul avenged and at peace. But it looks like I’m going to need another Wife. Whom would you suggest?”
40
Sky Knife shook his head in relief. “If that’s the worst of our problems, Lord, we should all count ourselves blessed.”
“It is a problem nonetheless,” said Talking Storm. “We have no one else who can serve.”
“I think I can suggest someone,” said Sky Knife. He went to the doorway. Talking Storm stood aside.
“Rabbit?” called Sky Knife.
The prostitute stood beside Whiskers-of-Rat. “Yes?” she asked.
“Would you agree to be Wife to the new king?” asked Sky Knife quickly. “I mean, we, uh…”
“Amaranth?” asked one of the dignitaries.
“Dead,” said Talking Storm from behind Sky Knife. “It seems she was the one responsible for Tattooed Serpent’s death and for the revolt. Choosing her as Wife was a mistake.”
Sky Knife took Rabbit’s hand. “The time is short—after midnight Uayeb will be upon us. We can’t delay. Will you be Wife to the king until he grows up?”
Rabbit looked confused a moment. She glanced up at her cousin. Whiskers-of-Rat pushed her forward.
A slow smile slid across Rabbit’s face. “Yes,” she said. “I will.” She laughed. “My mother is never going to believe this.”
“Come on, then,” said Sky Knife. He led Rabbit into the temple.
Whiskers-of-Rat cleared his throat. Sky Knife looked back at him.
“You wouldn’t leave out the Wife’s cousin, would you?” he asked, eyes wide and innocent.
Sky Knife smiled. “Of course not. Come on in. It seems you’ll be more closely related to the king than I am from now on.”
Sky Knife led Rabbit and Whiskers-of-Rat into the temple and brought Rabbit to Black Coyote.
“Here is a woman to be your Wife,” said Sky Knife. “She is not well-born, perhaps, but she has been a true friend to me and to your cause these past few days. In fact, without her help, I would never have been able to rescue you from under the pyramid.”
Rabbit looked at Sky Knife. “What
did I do?”
“I’ll explain later,” said Sky Knife.
“Sky Knife wouldn’t lie,” said Whiskers-of-Rat, “though I sure don’t remember what it is you did, either.”
Grasping Fire brought the Wife’s robe to Rabbit. “Wear this in honor, then,” he said. “Any friend of Sky Knife’s is wellborn enough to be Wife.”
“I agree,” said Talking Storm. “I know the young lady well myself. She is as brave and selfless as any warrior of the king.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” asked Jaguar’s Daughter. “Lily-on-the-Water—wed my son to this … to, ah, what’s her name?”
“Rabbit,” said Sky Knife.
“Rabbit-in-the-Snow,” said Rabbit. “That’s what it really is.”
Black Coyote stepped forward and reached up to lay his hands on Rabbit’s shoulders. “Rabbit-in-the-Snow, be Wife to me until the day of my manhood. And in years ahead, be friend and counselor, if you will.”
Rabbit bowed. “It is my honor to serve you, Lord.”
Lily-on-the-Water laid a hand on Rabbit’s head, and the other on Black Coyote’s head. “This vessel is yours until the day of your manhood.”
Black Coyote cocked his head and looked up to Rabbit. “I hope you will find a puppy an acceptable wedding gift.”
Rabbit laughed and nodded. “I think that is acceptable, husband and Lord,” she said.
Black Coyote stepped back. “Now that I am wed, I must have a name,” he said. “It is past time.”
Black Coyote strode out to the mat and sat down on it. “I have been petitioned to reveal the name by which I shall rule,” he shouted to those below. “In honor of my true friend Sky Knife, who has been loyal through every test, even though this is not his city, nor I his king, I shall choose a name as bright as the one he wears. From this moment, I shall be Glowing Knife.”
Sky Knife bowed to the king, honored to be thought of so highly by the king of Teotihuacan, the Jewel of the North.
“And I present to you my Wife, Rabbit-in-the-Snow.”
Rabbit stumbled forward, elbowed into her new place just to the right of Glowing Knife by Talking Storm.
Glowing Knife got up, took Rabbit’s hand, and went back into the temple. The crowd roared its approval. The men with the conch shells below lifted them to their lips and blew. The deep-sounding notes of the shells filled the air.
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