Sisimito II--Xibalba

by Henry W. Anderson

  “Hold him down,” shouted Kish. Teul, Choco, and Choc held down Chiac as he squirmed and as he screamed, trying to twist away, trying to get away from the burning oil being feathered into the wounds of his head, his back, his chest, his abdomen, his arms, his legs, and the soles of his feet. The three men held him down, trying not to hear his cries, trying not to feel his fight to escape; and they cried as they held him, until, finally, Chiac drifted painfully, near death, into a world of semi-consciousness.

  The women nodded to Kish. “Hold him,” he commanded as he reached for one of the knives.

  “I can’t do this,” screamed Teul, as Choc and Choco grimaced with foreboding at what was going to happen. “Then he will die,” said Kish. “Hold him!”

  I can’t” cried out Teul, tears flowing unheeded.

  “You will!” commanded Kish. “You are a Warrior. You follow orders. You do what you have to do to protect your fellow Warrior. Being a Warrior is not only to battle or to sit and drink iztāc-octli. This is being a Warrior. Now do as I say or your blood will stain this floor.”

  “Madafok!” cried out Teul, in desperation.

  The men gripped Chiac and with tears and their own howls of despair, shut out Chiac’s screams. But the smell of burning flesh entered their nostrils as Kish placed the fired knife on each wound. As one knife cooled, he reached for another. Then it was only the cries of the three men as Chiac passed into deep unconsciousness and Kish and the women continued their work. When it came to his feet, they had to cauterize the entire soles.

  “You can move away now,” said Kish. The men sat up, but did not move. One of the women took out two clay jars and a small mortar and pestle from the basket. From one jar, she took out a large dead black beetle with a tail, removed the head and legs then placed the torso in the mortar. She did that to three more beetles then used the pestle to crush and grind them. She added small pieces of pa-al365 root, broke the seal of the other jar which contained honey, and added some to the mortar after which she continued the crushing and mixing. She poured in a little of the hot oil and resumed stirring. When she was finished, she was joined by the other woman and together they started covering Chiac’s entire body with the salve; Chiac began moving a little.

  As soon as they were finished, another bowl was gotten and three more black beetles were placed in it, but this time the tails were removed. Honey, xcoch, and several pieces of different roots were added and ground with the pestle, making a thick liquid. A little water was added to liquefy the mixture.

  “Let’s sit him up,” said Kish. “He has to drink this.”

  “But he’s unconscious,” remarked Teul. “It’ll go down the wrong hole, into his lungs. He’ll die.”

  “If he doesn’t drink this he will die anyway. Get him up.” The three men held up Chiac. His head felt heavy and hot, and he slobbered at the mouth. Kish pulled back Chiac’s head and opened his mouth. One woman started pouring very small amounts of the honey mixture slowly into his mouth, a little at a time, while the other woman rubbed his neck in a downward motion. Chiac began feeble attempts to swallow the liquid, but, as time went on, he began swallowing a little more. Occasionally, there was very slight, almost unnoticeable, movement of his arms and legs.

  “At least he’s not choking,” sighed Teul. “Does he have to drink all?”

  “He has to drink all. We have to get the poison out before it completely destroys his heart,” advised Kish. “See. His breathing remains flat and still falters.”

  “How will the poison come out?” asked Teul.

  “If we’re lucky, you will soon see,” answered Kish. Finally, the woman put down the bowl and nodded at Kish. “Come. Teul, let’s turn him on his side, and I suggest we all move away.” They made Chiac as comfortable and secure on his side as they could, using the stools to brace him, then they moved to the wall and watched, the women standing across the room from them.

  “Nothing is happening, Kish. What is supposed to happen?” asked Choco.

  “You will see.”

  Suddenly, Chiac’s body began to shake. “What’s happening, Kish?” demanded Teul, looking deeply haunted.

  “It’s working,” he answered. The women nodded.

  Teul, Choco, and Choc could not believe what happened next. Sweat, vomit, shit, and piss flew out of Chiac’s shaking body, and continued to do so while the most fetid odors engulfed the room.

  “He’ll get dehydrated,” warned Teul, fearfully. “You have to stop it.”

  “It will stop on its own; then we will give him something else to help,” explained Kish.

  Teul, Choco and Choc looked on, feeling useless, deeply afraid. “What the fokmi are we doing in this place?” groaned Choc, striking the wall with his fists, over and over again.

  “It’s slowing down,” blurted Choco.

  “It is,” confirmed Kish. One of the women went back to her basket and took out two jars and a large bowl. She poured a white liquid from one and a clear liquid from the other into the bowl and reaching into her basket, once more, took out fried pieces of meat which she added. She once again applied the pestle, grinding at the mixture.

  “What’s that?” asked Choco.

  “It’s iztāc-octli and pu-ja366 potions with pieces of fried bird gizzard. Let’s get him up again. He has to drink all of that too.”

  They knelt down beside Chiac, not caring that they were kneeling in vomit, piss, and shit. Kish once more held back Chiac’s head and the ritual of getting him to drink was done again. It took a long time as they had to stop intermittently, but Chiac eventually drank everything and they lay him back down. He was soon breathing more deeply and more regularly.

  “Come Choc and Choco. Let’s try to clean up this madafok mess, Teul suggested. “We can’t have him lying in that … and ourselves too. We stink no madafok.”367

  “Well, at least you’re cussing again,” grinned Choco.

  “Don’t touch him,” declared Kish. “He must not be awakened or disturbed. He must lie in a deep sleep. He must awaken on his own.” One of the women brought over a plate of meat to Kish and he handed it to Teul. “When he awakens, make him eat this. I have to take Emataly and Nikai back. I will return soon.” Teul took the meat, looking at it. “It is the meat of a ch’u’j-tz’i’,”368 explained Kish.

  “Ch’u’j-tz’i’? That will only put more poison in his body,” exclaimed Teul, loudly, disbelievingly. “I won’t give him rabid dog meat a madafok.”

  “A tz’i’ becomes ch’u’j when it is bitten by a ch’u’j chikoop. The tz’i’ body fights the chikoop’s poison and tries to protect itself. The meat of a ch’u’j-tz’i’ has that protection and will help Chiac to fight any poison of the chikoops or Camazotz that still lies in his body. Let him eat, if he awakens. If you don’t, he will die.”

  “If he awakens?’ barked Teul, angrily. “He has been burned alive, and after all the things you’ve done to him, is it still only, If he awakens?”

  “Me?” Kish chuckled. “All this is his decision. Don’t forget that he must leave Xibalba in order to rescue his woman, kill Mahanamatz, and take you, all of you, out of here. Maybe he should forget about that part.” Kish looked with some disgust at Teul. “We did what we had to do. Now, do what you have to do and pray to Ix Chel,” Kish ordered as he and the women walked out the door, leaving the one guard there.

  “I feel like throwing this madafok plate of rabid dog after them. I can’t believe I’m going to give Chiac rabid dog to eat,” fumed Teul.

  “Keep cool, Teul. Remember where we are,” cautioned Choco. “Everything’s different.”

  “They live here. We don’t,” added Choc. “They know what we don’t. We have no choice.”

  “Madafok!”

  Teul, Choco, and Choc tried their best to clean the area around Chiac without touching him, but without much success.

  “I give up,” said Choc, after gasping. “At least it’s Chiac’s shit, piss and vomit. L
et’s just forget it.” They threw the pieces of cloth they were using in the shit-pot, oiled their hands, then sat against the wall, looking at Chiac. The incense burners filled the room with its sacred odor, practically eliminating the smell of burnt flesh, shit, vomit, and piss. Chiac lay absolutely still, but breathing deeply and regularly.

  Kinich Ahau was already readying his chariot for his journey to U Wach Ulew when I awoke. I sat up with difficulty. I felt weak and hot. I couldn’t think clearly as my brains seemed dull. My head felt heavy and I had to forcibly keep it up. I looked around. I was in my quarters. I looked at my body. It was all bruises, cuts and scratches, and raw burns covered with some kind of foul oily mixture. My feet were black and stiff. I put my hand on the floor to steady myself. My hand slipped and that’s when I realized what I had placed my hand in. I didn’t care. I was in pain, but alive.

  I heard light snoring, turned, and looked to the back wall. Teul, Choco, and Choc were sleeping, their weapons on the floor beside them. I tried to get up, but couldn’t. “Teul,” I called out.

  Teul’s eyes flicked open, immediately. “He’s awake,” he shouted, jumping up and rushing to me, followed by Choco and Choc. They stood around me. “All I’ve been through, I’ve never been so frightened in my life,” grumbled Teul.

  “I want to get up. Help me.”

  “Not yet,” said Teul. “You have to eat.”

  “Eat?”

  “Yes, Kish’s orders. It’s part of your treatment and don’t ask me what it is.”

  Choco handed me the plate of meat after cleaning my hands with oil and I immediately began to eat, not worrying what it was. I couldn’t believe that I felt so hungry. They looked at me as if they wanted to tell me something, but said nothing. As I was finishing the plate of meat, Kish and the two women came in, the women with their baskets, one much larger than the other, followed by three unarmed guards carrying large pots.

  “I see you’re up,” said Kish. “And you’re eating.” He gazed at Teul and nodded.

  “I’m very hungry.” The women looked at each other and smiled.

  “Then you’re cured,” concluded Kish. “Waach. These women who look after you are Emataly and Nikai. I think it’s time you know their names.”

  I nodded to the women. “Cured?’ I asked. “Please tell me what happened, Kish. Every muscle in me pains and I am burning all over. I feel scalded and broken. I certainly don’t feel cured.”

  “We’ll talk about that another time. We have to get you ready for your fifth trial. It begins in a few hours.”

  “He can’t do any madafok trial tonight. He’s barely alive. He can’t even stand,” stormed Teul. “You just tell those madafok Death Gods that.”

  I raised my hand. “What do I have to do, Kish?”

  “Didn’t you’ll hear what I said?” cried out Teul.

  “Stand down, Teul. That’s an order,” I warned. He watched me, hopelessness in his eyes. I turned away.

  “Sarge!” he bellowed, angrily.

  “Waach!” I corrected him.

  “Madafok to that,” he stormed.

  Kish looked at Teul then towards the guards. “Let’s clean up this place; you also, Chiac … and perhaps those three as well, but only if there’s any water left.” Choco and Choc just stared at him. Teul’s eyes could not have been more hostile.

  “So, Choc, you’re here with us,” I said, trying to smile.

  “Yes, Fuck. I’m here. I don’t know how, but I’m here.”

  “Later,” ordered Kish. “And call him Waach. Now let’s do what has to be done.”

  Emataly and Nikai gave the guards pieces of cloth. They oiled their hands then began cleaning the blood, shit, piss, and vomit. They did not look at me and showed no reaction to what they were doing. The women brought water and, slowly, the floor was cleaned after which the dirty cloths and my mat were dumped in a corner for later removal. The guards held me up and began cleaning me, while the women handed Teul, Choco, and Choc three pieces of cloth, one bowl with water and another with oil and they began cleaning themselves. Emataly took a clean mat from her basket and when the guards were finished with me, I sat again. Emataly and Nikai went to their baskets, Emataly taking out a jar. She broke the seal and handed it to me.

  “Drink,” ordered Kish. I didn’t bother asking what it was, I drank it down. It had a bitter-sweet taste and stunk, reminding me of the stink-flower of my jungle. “That will help with clearing the effect of the poison from your mind. It will also help to replace your lost strength. You will drink another when we leave. “Can you stand?” Teul and Choco moved to help me. “No! Let him do it on his own. He won’t have you in Baläm Ja.”

  As Teul was close to me, I handed him the jar. He wrinkled his nose, then brought the jar up, smelling it. “This madafok stinks man.” He looked at me and grinned. “Even more than your shit, Chi … Waach.” He shook his head and gave Emataly the jar then looked back at me. “I just can’t see you going through this anymore. I just can’t.” He smiled, sickly. “Not anymore.”

  Standing was more difficult that I thought it would be. I got to all-fours then slowly straightened up, went unto one knee and slowly lifted my body until I stood straight up. My head was spinning. Every part of me was in pain. The burnt wounds felt tight and aflame, and when I started getting up they felt as if they would rip open. They didn’t, but they burned intensely. I began to sweat and nausea was overcoming me.

  “The sweating is good. Now I want you to walk around the room, increasing your speed until you are running. Do not stop until you fall to the floor,” directed Kish.

  I stared at Kish. I could feel the men’s resentment and distrust building even more. I looked towards them. “Kish knows what he is doing.” They didn’t look appeased.

  I began walking, enduring the fire in the soles of my feet. I increased my speed slowly, my chest burning, my muscles crying out, my sweat pouring, lap after lap. At first, each step had to be deliberate or my legs wouldn’t move; as I continued, however, they began to move on their own. Soon I was running faster and faster around the small room until the faces of Kish, my men, the women, and the guards were becoming one. Then I couldn’t go any more and I let myself down onto the floor. I controlled my breathing with difficulty, taking deep and spaced breaths. My men came beside me.

  “Leave him to the women,” barked Kish.

  Teul looked up angrily. “I ignored this before, but why are you giving us orders?”

  Just do as I command,” responded Kish, equally angry. “And if you don’t start behaving like a Warrior, I’ll have you thrown back into your cell.”

  I raised my hand, indicating to the men that they should move away. They hesitated, but then did as I instructed, looking very angry and ready to take out anyone who got in their way.

  Emataly and Nikai came to me and they helped me to stand. They each got a jar and began to rub me down with clear unscented oil, cleaning my body, even my hair, of all sweat and anything that may have remained from my expulsions.

  “Waach! You will sit and rest until just before we leave. We do not have much time,” disclosed Kish.

  I felt clean as I sat looking around me. Three guards stood against one wall while Teul, Choco, and Choc squatted against another, sulking. A fourth guard was at the door, his back to us. Kish stood while Emataly and Nikai seated themselves at the other wall. I was somewhere in the middle of the room, near the table, and it was almost amusing as we were all there, in close proximity to each other, yet no one spoke. Finally, Kish approached me.

  It is time to prepare,” he said.

  “Can I have some water?”

  “No. It will lessen the effects of the medicine,” he answered.

  Teul got up and walked over to me. “Can you do this? You lost a lot of blood. You don’t look like you can do it. Right now, you’re the palest Ke’kchi I’ve ever seen.” He wasn’t grinning.”

  “I will,” I said. “I have to. The
medicines will help … and I’m getting help from somewhere … someone … else.” He shook his head, looked at me furiously, then returned to sit beside Choco and Choc.

  Emataly took two large bowls, one black and the other white, from the larger of the two baskets and came over to me. Nikai handed me another jar and I drank the same foul bitter-sweet liquid as before, except that it was gritty. They both put their hands into the black bowl, squeezing the black paste that was in there. An intensely foul odor invaded my nose. They each took a handful and came up to me, starting to paste the grainy balm on me.

  “What the fok is that, Kish?” I asked. “I thought the others were bad enough, but that! I’ve never smelled something so fokin awful in my life.”

  “It’s baläm kis369 in an unscented oil, with tok’370 that will both help to heal you and dry the paste quickly. The paste will confuse the baläms. They may think you are one of them.”

  “Baläm kis?”

  “Yes.”

  “And, they may? I won’t ask what happens if they don’t.”

  Kish shrugged his shoulders. “Yes. May. Nothing is certain in Xibalba. When the women are finished, you will keep standing for the paste to dry.”

  “What does the tok’ do?”

  “As I said,” he answered, almost irritably, “it dries the paste and will help you to heal. It goes through the skin and keeps the functions of your body going, gets your blood flowing properly. It helps your body to return to normal, helps you to regain your energy. It will also help the burns and wounds on your skin as it promotes healing and lessens swellings and bruises.”

  “Does it work so quickly?”

  “I told you that you are being helped. It will work quickly.”

  I said nothing more, knowing that if it were not for the help Kish and whoever else was giving me, I would already be dead. It was difficult to accept, however, that I was standing quietly while being covered with baläm kis … jaguar shit. I am sure Tóolok was not very happy.

  The women finished and I remained standing. They then went over to my weapons and applied the same paste. I was facing my men, watching them look at me with incredulity. Then Teul started grinning. “With all due respect, I always knew you were full of shit,” he said. “We had to come all the way to Xibalba for you to prove it.” Choco and Choc looked at Teul as if wondering how he could tease me at that time. I started to laugh and then all four of us were laughing and I began to feel much lighter. Kish looked at us, puzzled.