Cave Dogs (Pachacuta Book 1)

by Brian Falkner

  Poq-tuy, next to Felipillo, a squat, powerful, female warrior, commanded the city guard, which I found out included the sacred Kepa Warriors.

  Phausi, also female, also strong of arm and shoulder, but a head taller than Poq-tuy, commanded the tunnel patrols, which covered the Chinkana, as well as the great Nans and the outer passages.

  Chapat, the fourth Apu, a non-smiling man, the oldest of all the Apu and completely bald, had charge of the Mosoq, an attack force, which for some reason included intelligence and counter-intelligence. He was the Sapa’s spy-master. The bulk of his units, I learned, had never been used in combat, as all the wars that had been fought had been in defence of Ukhu Pacha. The Runa had never set out to attack anyone. None of us knew it, not even the Sapa, but that was about to change. In any case the warriors themselves were rotated around the other branches of the military, so they were for the most part experienced, battle-hardened troops.

  There was an undercurrent of tension in the room as we entered, and we found out later that a furious argument had been raging. Phausi and Chapat had accused Felipillo of incompetence over the intrusion into the palace of the recent assassins. Felipillo had offered to relinquish his position, but the Sapa had defended his friend.

  The Sapa bowed to us, and the Apu’s and their advisors followed suit. We all bowed back. I endeavoured to bow lower than the king. The bow was clearly a part of their ritual greeting, like shaking hands for us. I knew that in Japan, you bowed lower than a superior person, in deference to them, and I felt the same custom might apply here.

  After cordial greetings, all translated by Tukuyrikuq, we sat around a long, oval shaped table, and they got right to the point. The Sapa did very little speaking, that was up to the Apu, or the advisors, I learned, but he did not hesitate to speak up if he felt something needed saying.

  Felipillo began, ‘These are troubled times. Raids by the Maeroero increase, probing our defences. These raids in the past have heralded a major attack. By a strange coincidence,’ his eyes narrowed, ‘at this time six strangers appear, wearing strange clothes, speaking in strange tongues, wearing strange jewellery.’ His eyes flicked down to Phil’s watch, a large divers’ watch.

  ‘These strangers know nothing of our ways, yet one claims to be the founder of our society!’

  The king held up his hand, interrupting, ‘Our visitors have claimed nothing, as yet.’

  Felipillo nodded apologetically, ‘My error, Taytacha, it is our people who make this claim in the nans and caves of our city. Our guests have chosen not to speak their names. However in another strange coincidence, an attempt is made on the Sapa’s life just after their arrival.’

  There was an exchange of glances between Phausi and Felipillo at the mention of the assassination attempt, and it was obvious that there was little love lost between the two.

  Tukuyrikuq raised his hand to speak and waited patiently until the Sapa acknowledged him with a tiny nod of his head.

  ‘Taytacha-Contisuyo, Sapa Taytacha,’ he began, using the formal title, ‘May we request details of this terrible and cowardly attempt to deprive Ukhu Pacha of its great leader.’

  ‘Why does he want to know?’ snapped Chapat impetuously, without raising his hand, which brought a raised eyebrow from the Sapa.

  ‘My friends have been accused of being somehow involved in the attempt to kill the Sapa,’ Tukuyrikuq replied, raising his hand first. There was some subtle meaning in the use of the word friends, I thought. Somehow he was using some of his kudos with the tribe to try to protect us.

  ‘If my friends are in fact involved in this crime then they are friends of mine no longer, in fact I would be the first to take a taiaqha to their throats. But only after I have hammered stones under the nails of their fingers, and sliced open their…’

  The Sapa raised a finger, indicating ‘enough’.

  Some friend, I thought, but realised that it had been quite deliberate by Tukuyrikuq. By outlining the depths of his disgust with us, should we prove to be false, he had in fact strengthened his alliance with us should we prove to be true. Interesting, I thought.

  Tukuyrikuq continued, ‘I cannot judge these strangers I call my friends without knowing the details of the foul deed nearly committed.’

  The Sapa nodded, and glanced at Felipillo.

  Felipillo, somewhat reluctantly I thought, began, ‘Six Runa-Huri entered Contisuyo one sleep ago, in the guise of a returning party of warriors. Three of them appeared to be wounded, although this was only feigned, and they carried with them the bodies of two more warriors.

  They wore the battle-dress of the tunnel-rats,’ this with a quick glance at Phausi, and I gathered that the tunnel-rats spoken of were the soldiers of her tunnel patrols.

  ‘The guise was effective as the two dead soldiers were well-known and recognised immediately by the uku-uku (city defenders, literally: Cave Bears). The party was admitted without proper checking,’ this with a glance at Poq-tuy, who winced imperceptibly, ‘and the Runa-Huri were allowed to rush their comrades to the healers.

  Four of the dog-lovers attacked the Kuimata at the palace entrance, and while they were no match for the well-trained Kuimata,’ he puffed his chest out a little self-importantly, ‘the attack created enough of a diversion for the other two infiltrators to make their way to the Sapa’s sleeping chamber and attack him in his sleep, like the cowardly eel-spawn that they are.’

  All of our eyes must have been on the living, and unharmed person of the king, and Tukuyrikuq said, ‘I suspect the dog-lovers had forgotten that our beloved ruler was a warrior before he was a Taytacha.

  Felipillo said, with obvious pride in his friend, ‘Taytacha-Contisuyo was alone, asleep and unarmed. The Runa-Huri had taiaqha. Their heads now hang on the wall of Actun. He bears not a scratch.’

  I wasn’t sure if he was telling the entire truth, but I thought that the story would become part of the legends that surround the king, in life, and later, in history. There was a break in the proceedings as waiters brought bowls of a hard-looking fruit, cut into pieces and presented in a bowl of water, as well as small plates of what looked like nuts, but could have been dried animal glands for all I knew.

  Tukuyrikuq said, ‘Felipillo, you are a loyal defender of your Sapa, and I am sure there was nothing remiss in the protection you offered him. But you have answered your own question. These guests, my friends, are strangers, as you said. They know nothing of our society or even its language. They have come here after wandering other lands.’

  Wandering, clever, I thought, remembering the legend.

  ‘The infiltration was carried out by dog-lovers, by Runa-Huri. People from our own culture, not by strangers.’

  The king interrupted again, with the slight raise of his finger. ‘You are right, all-seeing-one, and I do not mean to interrupt but time is growing short.’

  Chapat looked steadily at Jason, ‘If this is Pachacuteq then he must reveal himself to us. If not then I myself will puncture his heart.’

  Taytacha said, ‘If this is indeed Pachacuteq, returned to us at last, then he would expect a warm and respectful welcome.’

  Translation: You are being rude to my guests. Meanings behind the words, I thought, listen for what is unsaid as much as what is said.

  Taytacha continued, ‘The signs exist for the great return. My brother and I are Waskar and Atawalpa.The war with the Maeroero is looming. These are signs that my people point to and watch out for strangers who may be the returning. They watch and hope and pray for Pachacuteq.’

  He stared piercingly at me, but softened the expression with a trace of a warm smile. ‘In Ukhu Pacha we have just three laws. Do not be a liar, a thief, neither lazy. There is very little crime here, because my people believe in these sacred laws, just as they believe in Pachacuteq. Most of my people believe that Pachacuteq will return. Many believe that you are Pachacuteq. The belief makes them strong, it gives them hope and strength to fight against the invaders. Many people who would now be fleeing to t
he strength of Contisuyo now remain in their homes, believing that Pachacuteq has come. With this belief we are undefeatable.’

  He stopped and all kept silent, waiting for him to continue.

  ‘Will you speak to me your name?’ He asked.

  Tukuyrikuq glanced at me, there was deeper-meaning to the king’s words and he was looking to see if I had ‘got’ it. I ran the words back in my own mind. I had no idea who his brother was, nor Waskar and Atawalpa. That part was lost on me. But the rest made sense.

  My people believe…

  What he had not said was ‘I believe…’ He was letting us know that he, himself, did not subscribe to the myth of Pachacuteq. But his people did, and many believe that I was the legendary figure, but again, the Sapa himself did not. All this was there behind his words, I realised, but there was more.

  As long as they had the belief that Pachacuteq had come, they had a belief in themselves. There was no panic. The number of refugees was reduced. It was suddenly all very clear. The great Sapa-Taytacha did not think for a single second that I was the legendary Pachacuteq, he was too wise for such a simple belief. But it was to his advantage to have the people believe it. It made them strong. Yet one of the sacred laws of Ukhu Pacha was do be a liar. He had ensured I knew that before he had told me the rest.

  Tukuyrikuq was right. What was unsaid was more important that what was said. And the king had deliberately left me with only one choice.

  ‘I will speak to you my name,’ I said carefully, my eyes never leaving the face of the king, ‘but not until the time is right. The time is not yet right.’

  There was a glint of admiration, or was it just relief, in the eye of Tukuyrikuq as he translated my words to the king.

  The king was expressionless. He conferred for a moment quietly with a couple of advisers, seated behind him, but I felt that was for show.

  ‘It is your right,’ he said eventually, ‘Not to speak your name. And it is agreed that Pachacuteq would not speak his name until the time was right.’

  Felipillo reached for a bowl of nut things and said quietly, almost to himself, ‘You may not be so fortunate with the Amatuas.’

  The king nodded, ‘Your companions?’

  ‘To speak their names is to speak my name.’ I don’t know where this stuff came from but it sounded good.

  Poq-tuy spoke for the first time then, revealing a sweet, singsong voice that was at odds with her squat appearance. ‘How can we know that you are not hairy-faces? How can we know that you were not spawned in the burning caverns of hell?’

  I avoided her question with a question directed to the king. Perhaps conscious of the sacred laws of this place. Do not lie.

  I asked, ‘Why do you fear… the place you call hell… so much?’

  ‘Kay-Pacha,’ he used the Runa word, ‘is a place more terrible that you can possibly imagine.’ He paused for a moment, thoughtfully and turned to Tukuyrikuq. ‘Your friend is surprisingly… un-wise… in these matters.’ The implication was obvious. I caught my breath and waited to see how Tukuyrikuq would deal with it. He was silent, so I jumped in again quickly.

  ‘Please do not think me unwise to seek the counsel of the Sapa Taytacha on any matter of significance. My question was for the benefit of my companions, who would be enlightened by your knowledge.’

  The Taytacha nodded, glancing significantly around the room, ‘Some could benefit from my counsel that have no time for any wisdom but their own.’ There were a few guilty expressions. He turned back to me. ‘Kay-Pacha. Hell. The Above World. It is a vile and evil place, where the rumi above is so high that it cannot be seen.’ He paused and waited for the enormity of that statement to sink in. ‘Where everywhere is seared with a light that burns your skin and eyes. Where the air itself is alive, and huge,’ he struggled for a word, ‘currents, like the breaths of a huge and angry god, sweep across the ground destroying all in their path. This is a place where water falls out of nowhere, and sheets of fire burn in the air, with a sound like the crash of great rocks together.’

  Flea looked at me and gave a tiny shrug. I caught his meaning and saw from Jenny’s face that she did too. Terrifying or not, it wasn’t a bad description of the place we all called home.

  The Taytacha looked gravely around the assembly, and took a deep breath. ‘There are demons there. Demons with hairy faces, gwei-teri. They carry spears made of fire. Just the touch of the gwei-teri, or the touch of their breath, will make your body begin to rot. You are then as dead, your body decaying as you breathe. And your touch, your breath, will be as the gwei-teri.’ He looked piercingly around our group. ‘You ask why we fear Kay-Pacha. Young people say it is merely superstition; tales the elders speak to keep them in line. But I have seen Kay-Pacha and it is worse than you could possibly imagine.’

  ‘You’ve seen the above-world?’ Phil interjected excitedly, and totally out of place.

  The Taytacha nodded. ‘I have seen it through the eyes of my father, and he through the eyes of his father. Kay-Pacha is not a superstition; it is real, and any who tunnel too high risk breaking through into it. Then we are lost, for if the demons find passage into Ukhu-Pacha, then the coming war with the cave-dogs will seem like a mere squabble among friends in comparison.’

  He stopped, staring at Felipillo. We were all staring at Felipillo. His eyes were bulging and his hands were at his neck. A sickening gagging noise was coming from his throat. At first I thought he had been stabbed, but there was no blood. Then I thought of poison, but I was wrong about that too.

  ‘He’s choking,’ Jenny said.

  Felipillo clawed at his throat and the crushed remains of the shell of one of the nuts slipped through his clenching fingers.

  ‘Somebody help him,’ Jenny said, a little more urgently than before.

  ‘He is fighting with a bad spirit,’ Tukuyrikuq said. ‘A qayqa, a knot of psychic energy.’

  Phausi spoke quickly, but nobody moved as Felipillo staggered to his feet, a coughing, gurgling sound replacing the gagging. There was the slight whistle of obstructed breath, and his face was gradually acquiring a bluish tinge.

  ‘She believes it is divine punishment for his failure to properly protect the king,’ Tukuyrikuq said. I felt that he believed it too. I wondered if he had spent too long with these people.

  ‘I can’t watch this,’ Jenny cried. She stood, to the astonished stares of the room, and ran to where Felipillo was standing, wheezing, choking.

  She moved behind his back, balled her fist, and rammed it into his stomach in a flawless execution of the Heimlich Manoeuvre. Nothing happened, so she did it again.

  A small nut fragment the size of a pea shot from Felipillo’s mouth and skidded the length of the low table, stopping just in front of the startled Taytacha.

  Felipillo sucked in huge breaths, his hand resting on Jenny’s shoulder, who had moved in front of him to support him.

  ‘Bugger psychic energy,’ Jenny said, ‘he had food caught in his throat.’

  To Jenny it was nothing, a small application of a basic first aid technique. To the Runa it was a small miracle. But from whichever point of view you saw it; it was an act that was to have far-reaching consequences that nobody could have foreseen.

  Snakes and panthers. Two creatures known to the Runa people, yet unknown in New Zealand. If, in ancient times, the upper and lower worlds were connected as I suspect, then there would have to be some evidence of snakes and or panthers, their habitats or remains. But there are none in New Zealand. New Zealand has had never had snakes, nor big cats of any kind.

  That can mean only one thing. The Runa people are not from this part of the world. That in itself opens up the mind-blowing possibility of a series of connected caves or tunnels, deep within the earth, stretching from country to country, continent to continent. An underground network we have never even remotely suspected.

  Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am surmising too much from one simple fact. But there is some supporting evidence, if we are right about the li
nks between the Maeroero, Sasquatch, Yeti, and the Trolls of Scandinavia. Maybe these creatures are all one and the same, and if so, then the underground network seems more and more likely.

  - from the Journals of Jenny Kreisler

  11. Escape

  By Daniel Scott

  We planned our escape for that night. Strangely we still thought in terms of night and day, although there plainly were none, and the Runa had no concept of time as we knew it. We were to visit the temple of the Amatuas the following day (by our standards) and while there were many, many things we did not understand about this place, the fact that we had to be gone from here before that meeting was not one of them.

  Jason had had an idea. Privately, I think we had all had pretty much the same idea in one form or another, but he was the first to express it.

  ‘Do you think you could work the Rock-Eater?’ he asked Phil, who was generally pretty good with cars and engines and all things mechanical.

  Phil nodded, ‘I understand the basics; fire the boilers, engage the drive, the rest should be just a matter of trial and error.’

  Jason nodded. I think the meeting with the Amatuas was weighing heavily on his mind. I know it was on mine. These learned Priests, who seemed to have power over and above even the great Sapa Taytacha, would ask Jason to speak his name. When he refused they would consult the stones, or the crystals, or whatever it was they consulted in this place, and if they decided he was not Pachacuteq then we would be put to death as demons.

  That is how Tukuyrikuq had explained it to us and it seemed fairly cut and dried.

  We were in the western wing of the palace, and the rise in our fortunes was as startling as it was obvious. The ceilings here were at least two metres tall, a luxury! There was just a single row of three sleeping chambers spaced sparingly along the wall. We had been given two such rooms, with a communal lounge.