Many Mouths paused to point at a section of wall where the timbers were new, and of a larger diameter and length than their older neighbors. Some were nearly forty feet tall. These were giant conifers from the great forests, products of the logging they had seen earlier. The new fortifications were closing a gap across a wide, bumpy field of low-growing, unusual-looking shrubbery. An empty, freshly dug canal could be seen running under the wall beneath a stretch of horizontal boards. They were darn close to true, and Nate wondered how they had been cut. The new digging joined an older canal that had obviously dried up when the city's journey had interrupted its water supply.
"That part of the city didn't come along with the rest," the old man explained. "I am told that before they could build the new wall a very large chimera, like a cross between a running bird and a lizard, entered the city. It went on a rampage, crashing through the market, killing a number of people. The warriors were finally able to bring it down. It took over two hundred arrows. The beast's preserved head is on display at the Sun Temple."
"That must have been a surprise. I pity those who perished wondering what demon from hell had been unleashed upon them," Gonzalo said, crossing himself.
Many Mouths nodded solemnly, whispering a brief prayer of his own in the tongue of his people. He glanced up at Gonzalo and crossed himself as well, a habit acquired from trying to appease the conquistadors.
"That is why you are being afforded their respect. Three men say that you killed one of those monsters, just you two alone, and they brought the bones to prove it. The necklaces they gave you are powerful talismans. You would be wise to wear them always."
Gonzalo and Nate looked at each other, then both adjusted their necklaces so that they were displayed more prominently on their chests. Nate edged his horse closer to Gonzalo's, the two animals were thick as thieves now, and didn't mind the proximity.
"It sure is amazing, but I've got a bad feeling about this place," Nate told Gonzalo quietly in English so that Many Mouths wouldn't understand if he did manage to overhear him. "We are outnumbered in unknown territory."
"They seem peaceful enough, now that they have decided I mean them no harm."
"Look around you, Gonzalo. These people are scared, and scared people are dangerous."
"They find themselves in a land of monsters. Of course they are frightened! They seem to be adapting rather well, actually."
"Well, I figure we best get clear of here sooner than later. My grandaddy always told me to listen to your gut, and it's growling like an old yard dog who sees a coyote."
"In this I agree completely! Still, I would see as much as I can before we take our leave. I confess that I sometimes have a penchant for too much curiosity!" Gonzalo admitted, smiling brightly beneath his black, bushy beard.
"Well, you know what happened to the cat," Nate said gloomily.
"What happened to the cat?" Gonzalo asked.
"I'll tell you later."
Just ahead they saw a group of rather bereft-looking fellows milling around in a swampy mire of ferns and muck near the new canal. What must be the remains of one of the great mounds rose behind them, but just a corner, around forty-five feet high. Steep, grassy terraces rose in a giant's staircase on two sides. An altar of stone had been erected on the second level down from the top, where a man dressed in a beaded robe was chanting and shaking his fists at the sky. The third side was perfectly flat, a wall of soil, but instead of crumbling upon exposure to the air, it was glassy smooth, bits of mica glinting in the sunlight.
"Who are those people?" Gonzalo asked their guide.
"They are the priests of the rattlesnake," Many Mouths told them in a low tone. "The majority of their temple was left behind when the city was carried here. That is all that remains. They are very unhappy."
"Rattlesnake, huh? Not my favorite critter." Nate said.
"They sometimes make human sacrifices to Rattlesnake," Many Mouths said. "They urge a serpent to bite a person many times. A painful way to die, I have seen it happen in my travels. These unfortunates, however, are not volunteers . . ."
"As I feared, these must be kin to the Aztecs. Barbarians!" Gonzalo spat on the ground. "And yet, what was de Soto? And my own countrymen? No better." His face was dark with gloom even in the late-morning light.
"You are better than them, Gonzalo. You have repented and are doing your best to make amends," Nate told him. The truth was, Nate was a bit worried about his traveling companion, the man's mood swung like a grandfather clock's pendulum. He hoped the Spaniard would stabilize, and not lose his composure at a critical moment. As a career soldier, Nate knew it was vital that the man fighting beside you have his mind on the job.
"Your saying so means much to me, Nate, thank you." Gonzalo was genuinely grateful to be treated as a decent man once again. He hoped he would continue to earn such praise. As they continued on the foot-worn path, something caught his eye, and he frowned. "Look, in that pit, just over there. Something is moving."
"Rattlesnakes! Lovely," Nate said, his face drawn into a disgusted scowl.
"They have been collecting them, making ready for a great sacrifice. They will ask their gods to return their temple to them," Many Mouths said, a trace of distaste in his usually neutral tone.
"It is an abomination against God," Gonzalo said with contempt. "These blood-thirsty heathens should be stopped before more innocents are harmed."
"Alas, such is the tradition here. The sun priests, the city's rulers, for the present in any case, also practice human sacrifice when it suits them. Only the followers of the raven priestess do not. Her ways respect the sanctity of living things."
Nate heard a familiar sound, the gut-twisting staccato of a snake's rattle, and close by. He looked down to see a big diamondback had managed to crawl out of the pit. The serpent was considering striking at Gonzalo's horse, which had unknowingly trod too near. Instinctively, Nate's hand went to his bullwhip. With a flick of his arm, and a deafening snap, the creature was cut in two; another lightning-quick snap removed its head from the front half, just behind the eyes.
"I'm a bit rusty. Should'a had that head off on the first strike," Nate said.
Gonzalo's eyes were wide. "What? That was incredible! What skill! Thank you, Nate! You most certainly saved Flavio's life!"
"I had a lot of practice out in Texas when I was a young'un. Most of the time a snake will leave you alone, but every now and then you get an ornery one. That one was fixin' to strike. Only one thing to do then, the old snap-ola!"
Their silent sun warrior guards had seen what had happened. Smiles now split their stony faces. Nate tipped his head in their direction. "Just doing my duty."
"I fear you have made an enemy today, Nate." Many Mouths motioned with his jaw toward a group of the rattlesnake priests running toward them, shouting angrily. Nate and Gonzalo both drew their horses back, making ready to either fight or ride away. The guards decided that for them. They picked up the pieces of the dead viper, still twitching its snaky muscles as the last of its life drained away, and threw them at the priests while spitting in disgust.
"No love lost between these fellows," Nate observed.
Their guards had drawn stone axes, fearsome-looking weapons of keen craftsmanship, despite the primitive material. The rattlesnake priests were still shouting and gesturing angrily, but were in retreat, looking back over their shoulders with smoldering glares at the strangers who had destroyed their holy creature.
"I'm beginning to like this town. The folks sure are friendly!" Nate announced cheerfully.
Many Mouths laughed aloud at his jest, but Gonzalo frowned.
"I think I can do without seeing all the sights now, Nate. You were right. We had best leave this place as soon as we can. Many Mouths, how long are we expected to stay here?"
"Please, my friends, don't let those fools frighten you away! There is some good here, too, and I believe your very presence could be a boon to those who wish for a peaceful life. I must take you to
see the sun priests, and the raven priestess would meet you as well. You see, the sun now rises above the Temple of the Raven, instead of where it should in relation to the Sun Temple. This has made the raven priestesses strong, and weakened the sun priests. It is a time of change. Forces are in motion."
"The sun doesn't rise where they think it should. No wonder the people are fearful," Gonzalo mused.
"Lovely," Nate said, his voice bitter. "We're in a city undergoing a power struggle. That always makes for a good time."
"Indeed, there are dangers all around us. I pray that the Lord will have mercy on us all." Gonzalo looked to the sky for succor, praying silently that his god would let him live long enough to make amends for his past transgressions.
They were in the shadow of the Sun Temple now, a welcome relief from the baleful noon-day sun, which felt undeniably hotter than the friendly old Sol of their own times; this was a younger sun, ablaze with the freshly-kindled flames of youth. Looking up from the bottom, the structure's true enormity gained dizzy immediacy.
"The Pyramid of Ra," Nate breathed in wonderment.
"Gods of the sun can be found in many lands," Gonzalo said, his voice low with disapproval. "They often thirst for men's blood."
"This just keeps getting better and better," Nate said.
They came to a precarious-looking stairway of timbers leading up to the temple at the summit.
"Our destination," Many Mouths announced, gazing up at the towering heights. "I must ask my friends here to help me. The climb is too much for my old bones to make on my own." Two of their three guides came to his side, smiling and laughing as they gently took his arms in support.
"It's too steep for the horses," Gonzalo observed.
"I am highly disinclined to leave Poppy behind," Nate said. "Do we really have to go up there?" he asked in Spanish.
"The sun priests request it," Many Mouths replied, as if the necessity should be obvious. "Our friend here can mind your horses. No ill will come to them." He turned away from them, and began to climb.
The third tribesman came to Gonzalo, smiling reassuringly, and speaking softly in the tongue they shared. Gonzalo spoke to him for a few minutes, gesturing toward the animals, while their guide nodded emphatically, clucking what must be understanding. Reassured, Gonzalo drove his lance deep into the soft, grass-covered ground, and tied a long lead to it, which he connected to Flavio's halter. Heaving a heavy sigh, Nate dismounted and did the same. Many Mouths was more spry than he had been letting on. The old fellow was already a good twenty feet above them.
Muscles groaning after a long morning in the saddle, they began the arduous climb. Halfway up, they paused for a breather, using the break to reconnoiter the city spread out below them.
From their elevated vantage point they could see beyond the timber walls enclosing the main city. There were hundreds of men digging a new canal toward a wide river about two miles distant, across fields of low-growing ferns. The swift-moving, green waters sparkled in the powerful sunlight like gleaming emeralds. The diggers were close to their goal, within a day the new canal would be ready to open, once again providing water to that part of the city. It was a daunting task, and they couldn't help but be impressed with the city folk's skill and ingenuity.
"These here are a real different type of injun," Nate commented, scratching his stubbled chin.
"They remind me of the Aztecs more and more. Let us be very careful."
"You're preaching to the choir, brother."
They were nearing the top, where a line of men in turquoise and agate bead necklaces draped over saffron-tinted robes awaited them, staring solemnly down at their progress.
"Maybe we'll be in time for tea," Nate mumbled. Climbing was thirsty work.
Reaching the top, Many Mouths spoke to the waiting priests, then motioned for Nate and Gonzalo to follow before he disappeared over the lip of the hill.
Nate and Gonzalo smiled politely to those gathered. The priest's faces remained impassive. Apparently, smiling was not in fashion.
They followed Many Mouths along a path of polished river stones across the flat, grassy top toward the temple proper. It was one of the biggest buildings either of them had ever seen, rivaling any Christian cathedral. The front door was big enough for an elephant to pass through. Before they were allowed in, a group of priests surrounded them with smoking smudge sticks.
"It's quite all right," Many Mouths told them. "They will cleanse us with the smoke before we enter their sacred place."
"I would have preferred a hot bath," Nate grumbled, the cloying smell of sweet and bitter herbs threatening to make him sneeze.
"In the Holy Catholic Church our priests use incense in much the same way, to purify us in the presence of God," Gonzalo told him, not at all bothered by the thick reek.
Inside, it took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the dimness. The room was filled with over a hundred people. Many were sun priests and their warriors, but there were also what seemed to be other affiliations represented, as well. One fellow was wearing a mask made of deerskin, antlers sprouting from the top of his head to macabre effect. Nate felt like he was back in New Orleans at Mardi Gras. Across the room he noticed a group of very tough-looking men with black feather designs painted on their faces. They were dressed in tunics, axes hanging heavily from braided leather belts. Raven warriors, perhaps? The variety of dress and ornamentation was startling, driving home to both men that these city folk were quite sophisticated, maintaining a complex society here in their city of mounds.
Many Mouths began talking, going on for what felt like a very long time, while Nate and Gonzalo stood near the doorway, bearing the scrutiny of hundreds of eyes. Eventually Many Mouths fell silent. Then, an elderly sun priest spoke for yet another long time. Nate was sure he must be the number one chief at this powwow. There would be no rushing that one. He saw Gonzalo was shifting his weight from foot to foot. They were both dog tired, and just hanging on until it was over.
Eventually, the formalities were finished, and the meeting broke up into casual chatter. For the most part, expressions softened around the room, and several people actually smiled, and made signs of welcome to their foreign guests, which Nate and Gonzalo responded to with gratitude, and more than just a little relief.
One of the sun warriors—young, but obviously of high rank—was laughing and pointing rudely at Nate. His companions laughed along, all staring openly at their Texan visitor.
"What did he just say about me?" Nate asked Many Mouths.
The old man gave him a funny little smile, but just shook his head without answering. Whatever it was, he didn't want to interpret it.
"Come on, what did he say? I know he was talking about me!" Nate pressed the issue, feeling annoyed at what he was sure were mocking looks.
Many Mouths told him then, in reluctant tones. "He says that the little bushy-faced dark one at least looks nearly like a real person, but the tall pale one with the wolf eyes must be a giant maggot grown in some enormous beast's turd, that has learned to walk like a man."
"Son of a . . ." Nate growled under his breath.
"Nate, please do not get angry," Gonzalo hissed in his ear. "Remember that these people are still savages, despite all their trappings of civilization. They cannot even read and write! They are ignorant, and have never before seen a person such as you. You must forgive them, they are like children."
Nate scowled deeply, but made himself look away. And here, he had been worried about Gonzalo losing his cool, when it was he himself that had just about flown off the handle at a very inopportune time.
"Yeah, you're right, but I'd sure like to take a willow switch to that boy's ass and teach him some damn manners," Nate hissed, still annoyed but hiding it from their hosts. He made himself take a deep breath. This kind of tired had a way of making him irritable. "You are the voice of reason, Gonzalo. We had best get along. There's a lot more of them than us." He forced his expression to brighten up, and favored the rest of
the gathering with a courtly smile.
More people, who looked like they must be high-ranking citizens, were entering the room, come to get a look at the strangers now that they had been deemed suitable for continued hospitality. Nate scanned the crowd, just taking it all in, while Gonzalo tried out some of the city language, much to the delight of those crowded around them. Nate was a head taller than nearly everyone else, and used his advantage to peer about. Off in a shadowy corner, just visible under the dim light filtering down from smoke holes in the vaulting ceiling, Nate saw a woman. She was standing among the dark-painted warriors he had seen earlier. Trying to look casual, he sauntered through the crowd, smiling and nodding to all he passed, trying to get a better view. The woman was dressed in robes to match the men's tunics, and her face was painted with a complex blue and black design; the wings of a raven sweeping down from her forehead to spread across her cheeks.
"You must be the raven priestess," Nate whispered.
Despite the poor light, and the odd decorations, Nate could see that she was a true beauty, her features finely sculpted with high cheekbones and a proud, pointed chin; a picture of noble bearing. He couldn't help but stare, and soon realized she was returning his gaze. Her eyes seemed made of smoky amber, flashing points of light in the dimness. Nate was utterly mesmerized. He felt those sorcerous eyes were drawing him into a secret realm lying beyond their dusky-gold gates.
"She is lovely, isn't she?" Gonzalo's voice near his ear broke him from the spell.
A confused "Huh?" was all Nate could manage.
"Yes, I noticed her, too, but it is you she watches. We have perhaps found a Cleopatra here in this Land of Pharaohs. Seldom have I seen such beauty!"
"Oh. That woman over there? I hardly noticed," Nate told him nonchalantly.
Gonzalo was sure that Nate was an accomplished liar when he wished to be, but the words rang false; he was obviously not himself. The woman had an effect on him, indeed!
"You are not fooling me, my friend, It is plain to see that you fancy her. I think perhaps she fancies, you, too. She is still watching," Gonzalo said, teasing.