It was empty except for a chair and a small table on which there were a candle, a bottle of tequila, a glass and a platter of fruit. The priest apologised for not taking him to his own dwelling, on the grounds that even the glimpse his people had caught of Adam would have made them tremendously excited, and he was anxious to avoid a demonstration in the village which might arouse from their sleep a few untrustworthy people who lived there. He then said that he must despatch a messenger to let Adam’s friends know that he had been rescued, but would return as soon as was possible, with a file, so that Adam could be freed from his handcuffs.
Left on his own, Adam clasped the bottle of tequila with both hands and awkwardly poured some into the glass. He did not much care for its flavour, but he badly needed a drink. Taken neat it was fiery stuff and, as it went down, he gasped and spluttered; but it warmed his stomach and soon afterwards he felt the better for it.
Sitting down, he began to speculate on what was likely to happen as a result of the new turn events had taken. Wryly he recalled his nickname of ‘Lucky’ Gordon, and supposed that he was lucky to be sitting there a free man, instead of being still on his way to a cell in a police station. But for how long could he count on his luck holding?
It seemed obvious that his rescue could have been ordered only by Don Alberuque or Father Lopéz, so either or both of them must have escaped arrest; although how they had managed to arrange so quickly for the ambush was puzzling. Anyway, it could be assumed that they would soon be on their way to pick him up.
What would they have planned to do with him? It was hardly likely that they would take him back to the Hacienda. There must still be police at Uxmal trying to find out all they could about the ceremony, and some of them might be questioning the staff at the hotel. The most likely alternative was a return to Mexico City, via Mérida. But that, too, could be dangerous. It might be hours before the policeman who had escaped into the jungle could reach a telephone or find some motor vehicle to take him in to Mérida; on the other hand, he might already have done so and be on his way there.
Once news of the ambush reached police headquarters, they would establish road blocks in the hope of recapturing the man who had played the part of Quetzalcoatl, and Adam’s height, features and hair would make him easily identifiable to anyone who had his description. To keep him where he was would be even more risky as, by morning, it was certain that the village and its neighbourhood would be swarming with police trying to find out where he had got to. At length he decided the most likely possibility was that they would spirit him away to some other hideout deep in the jungles of Yucatán.
The prospect was anything but pleasant, as he might have to remain there for weeks before it was safe for him to emerge. Almost it seemed better to give himself up and rely on Ramón to get him out of trouble. But to do that would also entail a nasty risk. The authorities might prove indifferent to anything Ramón had to say and, as a matter of policy, put Quetzalcoatl on trial, then award him a long prison sentence. In what better way could they knock the bottom out of the conspiracy? It was possible that if he turned ‘King’s Evidence’ they might let him off. But in that case what about Chela? If he gave her Monsignor away and utterly wrecked her hopes of bettering the lot of her beloved Indians, would she ever forgive him?.
It occurred to him then that perhaps her hopes were already wrecked. Ramón had said that the authorities would not pounce until they knew who the leaders of the conspiracy were; yet they had struck that night. Possibly Don Alberuque was only one of the leaders and there were bigger fish in Mexico City who were not prepared to show themselves until the revolt actually started. If the government was now on to them the whole project was already a busted flush.
Adam sincerely hoped it was. If so, and the police could pull in and put on trial a number, of prominent Mexican churchmen and Indian caciques, they might not greatly exert themselves to catch the unknown man who had been used to play Quetzalcoatl simply because he had the right figure and colouring. Then, if he lay low for a while, once Chela had recovered from her disappointment they might go again to her little villa at Acapulco and resume their wonderful honeymoon, with this nightmare business no longer looming over them.
By the time Father Suaréz returned Adam, although still greatly worried, was in a slightly happier frame of mind. The priest brought a file with him and he set to work on the handcuffs. While he filed away, Adam asked him how it had been possible to prepare the ambush so quickly, and learned that he owed his liberty to the Father.
Suaréz had been present at the ceremony. When the police had come on the scene he had not panicked but kept his wits about him. There had not been many police—only three car loads of them—although it was possible that others whom he had not seen had arrived simultaneously at the back of the pyramid. In any case, it had at once been obvious that the police were not sufficiently numerous to attempt anything against the congregation, but had come to arrest the principal participants in the ceremony. Having taken cover among the only group of stones in the immediate vicinity which, Adam recalled, were a dozen or so waist-high phalli, the Father had seen him come plunging down the pyramid and realised that his capture was inevitable. Without losing a moment, under cover of darkness he had run the quarter of a mile to the place where he had left his motor-cycle, jumped on it and sped, all out, back to his own village. There, feeling certain that if Adam survived his perilous descent the police would take him in to Mérida, he had aroused his congregation and, only just in time, prepared the ambush.
Having thanked him for the initiative and courage he had displayed, Adam said, ‘I am worried, though, Father, about you and your people. When the authorities learn what happened it is certain that the police will return to your village and make things most unpleasant for all concerned. It might lead to you and a number of your parishioners being thrown into prison.’
The bulky priest shook his head and displayed his broken teeth in a grin as he replied, ‘I thank the Exalted One for his concern, but it is needless. While the scrimmage was taking place, your servant kept under cover so cannot be connected with the ambush. As for my people, everything took place so quickly, and in semi-darkness. I feel sure that none of the police would be able to swear to the identity of any of the men who attacked them. They cannot even prove that it was the men of this village who laid the ambush. It might have been others summoned from their huts in the jungle by the mystic powers that many of our people still possess. At worst, too, the police have only been made fools of; and that they will keep to themselves. No harm was done to them. They have been taken by lorry and laid out on the roadside about fifteen miles away; when they get free of their bonds they will find their cars parked on the edge of the jungle quite near them.’
By this time Father Suaréz had filed through one of the links that held the handcuffs together, so Adam was able to separate his hands; but the file was not strong enough to cut through the wristlets and he had to reconcile himself to continuing to wear them until a hacksaw could be procured.
About ten minutes later their came a knock on the door of the little house. The priest opened it to disclose an Indian. Behind him were Chela, Father Lopéz and two other Indians, carrying suitcases. Entering the room, they all went down on their knees before Adam, and Father Lopéz said a prayer of thanksgiving in Latin for the Man-God’s restoration to them. When he had finished Chela looked up, her dark eyes swimming with tears of joy. As Adam stretched out his hands and raised her to her feet, he could sense that she was longing to throw her arms round his neck; but in the presence of others it would not have been seemly for her to do so.
When she and Father Lopéz had thanked Father Suaréz for the great service he had rendered their cause, the Indians retired and the two suitcases were opened. The smaller belonged to Adam and contained a set of his own clothes; the larger was empty and had been brought to hold his robes. Chela retired while the two priests reverently divested him of them and assisted him to change into
his well-tailored suit.
While they were doing so he learned that a second group of police had appeared in the rear of the pyramid. It was seeing them that had caused Father Lopéz to shout a warning to Adam. The small, plump priest had then made his escape by sliding perilously down the side of the pyramid, and had reached the bottom with nothing worse than some painful bruises. He had not since seen Don Alberuque or any of his confederates, but, as no sounds of strife had come from the Court of the Nuns in which they were then disrobing, it was as good as certain that they had got safely away.
Adam then asked somewhat testily why, since there were comparatively few police and such a large congregation, no attempt had been made either to prevent his arrest or rescue him.
Somewhat shamefacedly, Father Lopéz excused the congregation on the plea that it had been taken by surprise and could not know that many more police were not about to arrive on the scene. Moreover, they had been given strict orders that, in the event of police intervening in any secret gathering, they were to offer no resistance and at once disperse, so as to avoid a clash and bloodshed.
When Adam had changed, the bull-necked Father Suaréz led them back along the cart track to the road. A car with an Indian driver was waiting there. Having said good-bye to Father Suaréz, they got into it. As the engine started up, Adam asked:
‘Where are you taking me?’
‘Why, back to the Hacienda, of course,’ Chela replied.
‘But, surely, that would be dangerous?’ he protested. ‘The police are certain to have made enquiries there. If anyone has given them a description of me they will have tumbled to it that I am Quetzalcoatl. The odds are they wouldn’t expect me to be daft enough to go back there; but, all the same, it’s a good bet that they will have left a couple of men on the lookout to arrest me in case I was so rash as to attempt to collect my belongings.’
Chela shook her head. ‘If the police had meant to pay the Hacienda a visit they would have done so before Father Lopéz and I left it. But they didn’t, because they wouldn’t expect the sort of people who stay there to have any connection with ancient secret rites. That also applies to you. It would never enter their heads that Quetzalcoatl was a British visitor.’
‘The Señorita is right,’ Father Lopéz said. ‘Among the police we have a number of secret adherents from whom we receive information. Through them we know that the authorities believe that the Man-God who appeared at San Luis Caliente was a tall, pale-skinned Mestizo wearing a fair wig and false beard.’
That did not square with the fact that Adam had told Ramón about his having had to save his life at San Luis by announcing that he was Quetzalcoatl; but it was possible that, for the present, Ramón had kept that to himself in order to ensure that no overzealous Police Chief interfered with Adam’s movements and that among the force the belief just stated by Father Lopéz had become current.
Adam was still far from happy at the idea of returning to the Hacienda, but as no other plan had been thought of, there seemed no alternative; so he reluctantly allowed himself to be persuaded to agree.
Twenty minutes later the car set them down within a few hundred yards of the hotel. They walked down a slope that brought them to the bottom of the garden, then came up through it towards the hotel. It was then getting on for three o’clock in the morning and, except for a single light over the swimming pool, the hotel was in darkness. Chela went ahead to make certain that no-one was about and a few minutes later returned to report that the coast was clear. Tiptoeing past the pool, they exchanged whispered good-nights and went to their rooms.
Tired out from the strain he had been through, Adam threw his empty suitcase on the floor, pulled off his jacket and sat down heavily on the edge of his bed. He had hardly done so when Chela came in from the adjoining room, ran to him, flung herself into his arms, smothered his face with kisses and, between them, gasped:
‘Oh, my darling! My beloved! My treasure! What a ghastly night it has been. When Father Lopéz got back here and told me that you had been arrested I thought I’d die. I’ve never spent such a terrible hour in my life as I did from then until Father Suaréz’s messenger arrived to let us know that you had been rescued. I spent the whole of the time on my knees, beseeching the Blessed Virgin to restore you to me.’
Adam returned her kisses only half-heartedly and gave a rueful grin. ‘Well, maybe your prayers helped, my sweet. Anyhow, my luck was in again. I had some pretty nasty moments, though, and I’m feeling dead beat.’
‘Of course, my precious. You must be,’ she soothed him. ‘Let me help you get your clothes off, then you can flop into bed and get right off to sleep.’
Wearily he stood up and began to unbutton his trousers while she knelt down and untied his shoe-laces. With a sigh he said, ‘Well, thank God this awful business is finished now, and in future we’ll be able to lead a normal life.’
Looking up, she asked in a surprised voice, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Why, that there’ll be no more of this dangerous tomfoolery. The police appearing on the scene tonight made it as clear as crystal that they’ve got the lowdown on your friends. By this time they will have pinched the Bishops and all the other high-ups who were to lead the rebellion and have thrown them into jug.’
Chela’s eyes widened and she shook her head. ‘Darling, you are quite mistaken about that. The Bishops are playing no part in this. They don’t even know of it. Neither do all but a very few of the white clergy. They wouldn’t approve. We wouldn’t dare trust them. Our strength lies in the Mestizo and Indian priests, who form the great majority and are the true leaders of the people. In them, and a handful of white Fathers who are devoted to our wonderful chief, Don Alberuque. No-one in Mexico City will have been arrested tonight, because all our regional leaders were gathered here for the ceremony of “Recognition”. Now they have actually seen you, they will return to their people and redouble their faith in our cause.’
‘Don’t you believe it,’ Adam retorted. ‘Some of them must have seen me arrested and lugged off by the police. The news of that will spread like wildfire and soon put a damper on their enthusiasm. Real Men-Gods aren’t taken into custody like common felons. They’ll realise that I’m a phoney.’
‘But you are not, darling! You’re not! You really were Quetzalcoatl and you are Quetzalcoatl returned to us today. If the police had got you in prison that might have made a difference. It might even have been disastrous if they were able to bring you to trial and sentence you, and it appeared in all the papers. But that can’t happen now. The police won’t dare admit to the Press about how they were ambushed and you were rescued. Our position now is stronger than ever. Tomorrow our grapevine will spread it all over the country that you were arrested, but the police were incapable of holding you and you made a miraculous escape. We have only to wait now for another ten days or a fortnight and …’
Suddenly Adam lost his temper. Scowling at her, he cried, ‘If that’s what you think, you can think again! I’m through with this mumbo-jumbo—through with it for good and all. At San Luis I near as damn it lost my life, and to save it was forced to the revolting act of tearing out the heart of a pig. Tonight I’m lucky not to be locked up in a cell and awaiting a trial that could land me in prison for the best years of my life. God knows I love you as a woman; but to hell with your scheming priests and barbarous, bloody-minded Indians. The lot of them may rot as far as I am concerned.’
Slowly she came to her feet. The blood had drained from beneath her coffee-coloured skin. For a moment she could not find words, then she gasped:
‘I can’t believe it! You promised! You can’t go back on your word.’
‘I can,’ he retorted harshly. ‘And I mean to. I’ve never approved of this business. It can bring only death and misery to thousands of people. You are crazy to believe otherwise. I’m through, I tell you. Through! Now leave me to get some rest.’
Large tears began to seep from her eyes. Without another word she turned on her heel
and, with faltering steps, stumbled away to her room.
In the morning he woke, to find her standing beside his bed. She looked thoroughly washed out and very sad. In a low voice, she said, ‘Darling, I want to talk to you.’
He sighed and replied, ‘Yes, I suppose you do.’ Then he raised one of his hands that still had a handcuff encircling the wrist. ‘But first I’d like you to find some way of getting these things off me.’
She nodded. ‘Yes; but to do that I’ll need a hacksaw. I doubt if they would have a tool like that here. If not, I’ll have to get a car to drive me into Mérida and buy one. That will take me the best part of three hours.’
‘Thanks, my sweet.’ He took her hand and kissed it. ‘I’m afraid that’s the only thing for it. But I can do with another nap.’
She kissed him on the forehead and said, ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can.’ Then, with a pale smile, she turned and left him.
He dozed for about an hour, then he was roused by a sharp knock on the door. Thinking it was probably Father Lopéz, he called ‘Entrada’. The door opened and three policemen marched in.
Adam’s brain instantly began to seethe with apprehension. Had the police got on to him, or was this only a routine enquiry to find out whether the guests at the hotel could furnish any information about the doings of the previous night?
The officer who led the party asked abruptly, ‘You are Señor Gordon?’
Raising himself on one elbow, Adam replied, ‘Yes; yes, I am.’
‘I have authority to question you. Please answer promptly. Are you of British nationality?’
‘Yes.’
‘How long have you been staying at the hotel?’
‘Two nights.’
‘From where did you come?’
Unholy Crusade Page 25