It was almost finished. The groove encircled the rim and Dr. Smith had bored a round hole through the middle of the wood, both sides of which he beveled on the corner of the stone bench. He put his forefinger through the hole to check the smoothness and then spun it with the other hand. It rotated freely and was well-balanced. He took it off his finger and looked at it with a certain pride. He had never made a pulley-wheel before.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI33A4tCBfd
He became aware of being watched and looked up. Zuma was standing a few yards away. He stood up and she came over to him.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALDHvbsEQN
"I have spoken to Tetzal and he went to see Nenetl," she said.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKOFgsIWv8
"Thank you, my dear," Dr. Smith replied.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuduiw3Waj
Zuma looked at the pulley-wheel. "Is it finished?" she asked.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JjWis3t2u
"Almost."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSnOrI4z94
"As is our time together, beloved." Tentatively she touched the pulley-wheel. "I do not understand its purpose but I have always known that it would take you away from me."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNavOcIB2Xu
Dr. Smith put it in his pocket and took her hands in his. "I am very sorry, my dear," was all he could say, and to ignore it would be to deny that which I was; the High Priest of Knowledge."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyyxOrlBiD
Zuma looked at him sharply. "You are no longer that?" she asked.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdZ3Fgj742
He shook his head. "I have lost faith in Huitzilopochtli and in our traditions."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdbsQeK3UP
"Then your tragedy is far greater than mind," Zuma said. "Your whole life has been devoted to the temple. Mine has encompassed but a few days." They walked along the path leading to the garden door.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKESfBeROp5
"We have known each other in trust for many years and I have sought your counsel frequently, Zuma," he admitted. "Maybe in another nation you would have been the High Priest of Knowledge and I, a seller of vegetables."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvh89MyPPl
She smiled at the concept.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodTI7eGUQd
"Now, I with you to do something for me to assist them," he continued and took a gold medallion and chain from around his neck. "Behold, the title to my dwelling-place and all I own therein." He put it in her hand. "Tomorrow, while Yaotl prepares the Perfect Victim for sacrifice, the handmaiden and the warrior, Don, will be brought together under guard before they are escorted to the temple for their punishment." 414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdK7BJj6BtN
He squeezed the medallion in her hand. "Give that to the guard so that he turns his head away while you conduct the girl, as if for punishment, to the temple.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAb6DjxVRp
"And Don, the warrior?" Zuma asked.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewokxtqRRW
Tetzal smiled. "I am sure he will accompany you," he said.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgpg59OYH4
"I shall do it," Zuma relied, and then asked Tetzal about himself.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dfPjgAf3W
"You have nothing. What will you do? Where will you go?"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVx1TvkZ5oD
"Into the wilderness, Zuma," he said. "There I will seek the truth of Quetzalcoatl."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XyLWvhd8t
"When?"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpnAHC2khc
"Now," he replied. "What better time?" He laid his posy of flowers on a bench and walked out of the garden.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8KQR1mfZ5
Zuma thought to return to Dr. Smith and tell him about the medallion but decided that had that been Tetzal's wish, he would have spoken to her in Dr. Smith's presence. So she picked up Tetzal's posy as a memento and went home.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFY7Iu1XHMf
With the dawn came tension as the Aztecs watched the sun begin the journey across the clear blue sky to its zenith, when all knew day would become night. In their minds was one question, would Huitzilopochtli accept the sacrifice of the Perfect Victim and give them back his light, which was their life, or would they be left to die in eternal darkness? Families stayed in their homes until the appointed hour when they would be summoned to the temple square to pay reverence to the Perfect Victim and, in fear and trembling, worship their sun god.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUbCVrb1xC
The door of Don's dark, cramped barracks cell was opened by an armed warrior and the daylight flooded in. Don blinked several times when went outside where a second warrior pointed with his cudgel towards the Chosen Warrior's courtyard. Don walked through the passageway and wondered if this would be his final encounter with Yaotl, if he would have a small red circle painted over his heart and have a javelin hurled at it as if he were a life-size clay model. To his shock he was directed to his old quarters where two warriors stood at either side of the entrance. He went inside and Penny, guarded by another warrior, threw herself into his arms.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLyWT7NCz9
"What's going to happen to us, Don?" she asked in desperation.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76gthY2ics
"They're going to take us to the temple,' Don replied, "and you know what that means, don't you?"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOth3CimkFc
"Horrible things!" She sounded terrified.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvadMmNgnwU
"No, the four of us will be together again," Don said reassuringly, "and thinking about it overnight I've come to the conclusion that Ollin and his friends are no match for Dr. Smith."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKhuVbCZ0j
Across the courtyard in Yaotl's quarters the Perfect Victim waited in impatient, drugged euphoria for his deification. His body had been washed and perfumed, his garments were radiantly white, his plumed helmet extravagantly colorful and in his hands he held an exotic posy of flowers and a fly-swatter.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOJWRm3DMr
Yaotl came from his bedroom wearing the Chosen Warrior's full ceremonial dress. "It will be my privilege as leader of our armies to escort you, O' Perfect Victim, to your glory," he intoned.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEznw4sCS5
The Perfect Victim smiled. "May victory always sit upon your shoulders," he replied.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzrjI04TAG
Tlaqui waddled in. "Let the procession begin," he said. "The avenues are lined."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6arR5w6QT
Yaotl looked at Tlaqui sharply. "And what of the girl and my challenger?" he asked.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ04qAZh9yO
"They shall follow at a distance and by another way so that the Perfect Victim's path to the temple is not defiled before the sacrifice," Tlaqui replied.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EufRI7PHx
"They should go first," Yaotl argued.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkZSRFPmSL
"The High Priest of Sacrifice does not wish it," Tlaqui said. "They follow the Perfect Victim, but will be punished first. I shall instruct the guard," he added and made his way across the courtyard to give explicit instructions to the warrior accompanying Penny and Don about the route he should take to the temple. Then Tlaqui hurried away so as not to miss his moment of reflected glory.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJa2w28CK6
The Aztecs watched in awed silence as the Perfect Victim walked slowly along the broad, warrior-lined avenue towards the pyramid and the temple. On one side of him was Tlaqui, supposedly gazing intently at his posy but his eyes flicked from side to side at the crowd as he tried to gauge the impression that he was making. On the other side of the Perfect Victim was Yaotl, proudly carrying a gold-studded cudgel, the insignia of the commander of the Aztec armies. But despite the solemnity of the moment, every few seconds someone in the crowd would shield their eyes and look up apprehensively at the sun blazing down on them.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4O66PbpV0
Zuma hurried across the deserted barracks courtyard and went through the passageway. The two warriors outside Don's quarters saluted her as she passed them as did the third one inside.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXz3gGHaaQU
"What brings you here, Zuma?" he asked.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjuxJi8WGO
"I have been instructed by the High Priests to escort Nenetl's handmaiden to the temple," she answered.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHr1eBjGzP
The warrior glanced at Don. "What of him?"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5t2QRzgrKd
"You, alone, will escort him. So dismiss the others," she replied.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSClCBOeQe
"That I cannot do," the warrior said warily. "It would exceed my authority."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSODl0wG7y
Zuma explained that on the day of a perfect sacrifice the High Priests wanted as little attention as possible drawn to them on the streets. The warrior conceded that 414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TJ6n7r6of
Tlaqui had ordered him to take a different route to the temple. Zuma held up the medallion.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ484E7VfbPk
"Tetzal himself told me to give you this proof that I express his wishes."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJ9fZpWrtr
The warrior took it from her and studied both sides.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScyUv2V68j
"It is the title to his dwelling and all his possessions," he exclaimed.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9RF5BfaCd
"Who holds it, owns them," Zuma hesitated and then pointed at Don. "Well, until you deliver him to the temple."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvFMK1jTYj
The warrior chuckled, went outside and sent the other two warriors off to watch the sacrifice. Don gave Zuma a thumbs-up sign and had the impression that she understood.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2kjO1vl1m
"Mine until we reach the temple," the warrior repeated, shaking his head in amusement as he came back inside. It was the final coherent thought he was to have for some considerable time, as Don laid him out cold with a devastating chop on the base of his neck.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQSH62ZZuw
"I shall escort you to the temple," Don said. He went into the bedroom, took a warrior's half-masks and put it on his head. "We overheard the route to take, didn't we, Penny?" he added as he came back to them.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJNjY5Iz0B
Penny picked up the medallion. "We must take this back to Tetzal."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPczXDIHlf
"Leave it," said Zuma. "Tetzal has gone."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlV0hy3IWZY
Dr. Smith had placed his pulley-wheel beside the strip of silk behind the curtain and made Ann stand on the throne, her arms stretched up above her head with the coiled snake bracelet held between her hands. He made a few mental calculations.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ442YcoEnXd
"Exemplary, my dear," he said. "You may come down now."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrG3KzAk28
Ann, with less than godlike grace, clambered off the throne, though in the final stages Dr. Smith did offer her his hand. "As soon as Don and Penny are here," he said, "you must insist that Tetzal has them released."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWQ9fErtN9
"Dr. Smith, this temple will soon be lined with warriors and Ollin will be present," Ann replied. "Do you believe Tetzal will be on our side?"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKN8tSD05d
"I'm not a bad judge of character," Dr. Smith said haughtily, "and Tetzal will do all he can to help us. I will do the rest."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzC7Db6CUsP
"But your plan can't work," Ann protested. "We won't escape. They'll stop us."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JRl8ztHbE
Dr. Smith was aggrieved. "My dear Miss MacGregor, the Aztecs will be preoccupied with their God, their human sacrifice, and an eclipse," he said. "What we do will be of no consequence to them."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4waySQsgDO
"I'll keep my fingers crossed," Ann replied without conviction.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9Mlyi0L3j
They heard footsteps coming up the stairs.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhw7ZA30un
"Hide!" said Ann and Dr. Smith ducked behind the brocade curtain of the alcove.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jVrGKu4Yr
Ollin limped into the temple, a razor-sharp obsidian knife in his hand. Behind him came twenty warriors armed with javelins. Ann watched them from the throne as they took up their positions along the walls. Olln sidled over to her.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLW9XIUaWL8
"The procession has started," he snarled. "The sacrifice awaits you."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqbCyrXgW1
"Where is the High Priest of Knowledge," Ann asked.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTe4mdd7hSg
"He is gone." Ollin spat out the sentence.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbczb17oE4
"Where to?" Ann snapped back.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vEjXfYuyP
"Who can say?" Ollin waved his arms. "Into the wilderness, perhaps."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlAVwGcEci
"You've killed him." Ann's voice was cold and accusing.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfejDuVyp0
Olln shok his head. "I did no such thing," he hissed. "You destroyed his faith in Huitzilopochtli. Tetzal will never return."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqA9k0Q9PBh
414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44AmitLqcW
