All swung about. It was their jailer, a pleasant-faced fellow, who, like
all within the fortress, Prince Huaca had assured Mr. Hampton, was loyal
to his commander. He indicated by signs that the boys and the two older
men were to follow. Don Ernesto turned to Pedro and Carlos.
"Do not fear," said he. "I expect that Prince Huaca wants to see us. We
shall return."
"We would go with you," said Pedro.
When they started to do so, however, the jailer waved them back.
Pedro shrugged.
"It is fate," said he. "We shall sleep."
"Fear not," Don Ernesto reassured him. "I shall look after you."
As they moved along the corridor, it became apparent from the direction
that their destination was, as Don Ernesto had surmised, Prince Huaca's
apartment. But what could he want with them? Had anything untoward
occurred in the Inca's Council? Were his enemies on the move against
him? These questions occurred to all.
"It is unexpected, his sending for us," Mr. Hampton said. "He gave no
indication, when dismissing us the last time, that he would send for us
again so soon."
The jailer bore a torch which flickered and smoked as they passed
loopholes at turns in the corridor, making the silent passageways, with
their walls of stone, where none but themselves moved, seem even more
ghastly and far from civilization than otherwise would have been the
case. There was little conversation. Unlike their first trip over this
route, the boys kept silent. What they had been told of the Council
meeting had sobered their spirits. From these stone hallways within that
vast fortress, standing in the heart of the Enchanted City, for so they
still termed Cusco Hurrin among themselves, it was a far cry to New York
or even Santiago. To more than one it seemed as if the possibility that
they would ever return to the outside world was in the gravest doubt.
Instead of taking them through the anteroom into Prince Huaca's
apartment, the guide turned aside before the guards were reached,
pressed a stone in the wall of the corridor, which swung back, revealing
the entrance to a narrow secret passage and then stepped in and beckoned
the others reassuringly to follow. Once all had entered, he swung the
stone back into place. Then he led the way a short distance to another
stone which he also swung aside. They stepped through the doorway and
found themselves in the prince's inner chamber, alone.
With a nod, the guide bade them be seated, and disappeared the way he
had come. The stone swung back into place.
Before they had time for conjecture, Prince Huaca appeared from the
antechamber.
"Ah, Senores," said he, as they rose at this entrance, "I have sent for
you. Be seated."
He sat down by the table and was silent for a space, staring keenly from
one to the other.
"Tonight," said he suddenly, "affairs have come to a crisis in Cusco
Hurrin. The Inca is old. The High Priest, Cinto, who has his ear, fears
me. He has made capital of my appearance today with you before the
Council. To the Inca who, like an old man, clings with love to life and
finds it sweeter as it grows to an end, he has said that I am in league
with devils and that you are evil spirits, and not men from the outside
world, who spoke as you did in order to aid my plans to seize the
supreme power and slay the Inca.
"Tomorrow I am to be asked again to bring you before the Council, and
then we shall be seized and slain.
"But palaces have ears, and all that was said by this evil man, Cinto,
has reached me. And I would forestall him."
He paused. Mr. Hampton looked puzzled.
"But, Prince Huaca," he objected, "must you not obey the Inca's command
and appear with us, or place yourself in rebellion?"
"It is so," agreed the prince. "Nor do I wish to rebel. Yet if I am
slain, my people will be destroyed, for there will be only foolish men
to guide them."
"Then you will rebel?"
"The fortress troops are loyal to me," said Prince Huaca. "And I hold
the Tunnel Way, without which food from the country district cannot
reach the city. That is why they would seize me by stratagem and
treachery. Open attack upon me here by the palace guard which Cinto's
nephew Guascar commands would be folly. Long have my enemies plotted to
compass my downfall, but insidious though they were, the Inca had not
reached that stage of suspicion of me that he could be asked to cause my
death.
"Now, however," he added, "Cinto has taken my championship of the truth
of what reports you bring from the outside world to work upon the Inca's
credulous mind.
"No, I do not wish to rebel, and cause bloodshed among my people. I do
not desire power for itself alone, but in order that I may help my
people, not enslave them."
He was silent, thinking, and Mr. Hampton and the others respected his
silence.
"Too long," he resumed, "have we lived cut off from the world. These
marvels of which you have told me, these advantages shared by common
men, I want them for my people."
"And if you are killed," said Mr. Hampton, "what will happen?"
"Ruin," said the prince. He arose. "But it shall not be," he added, with
energy. "I shall not be slain. And, on the contrary, I shall lead my
people out of ignorance, aye, out from the ignorance of bondage." He
strode up and down. "And you," he added, halting suddenly before the
others, "you shall help me."
"Willingly, Prince Huaca," said Mr. Hampton. "But in what way?"
"You say the peoples surrounding us are peace-loving?"
"Yes."
"If their leaders knew of Cusco Hurrin, they would not seek to conquer
and enslave us as did the Conquerors to ancient Cusco and Inca
Atahualpa?"
Mr. Hampton looked at Don Ernesto and bowed.
"Prince Huaca," said the latter, "I have not told you. But I am the
brother-in-law of the President of Chile. That is the nation within
whose boundaries lies Cusco Hurrin. The President is the ruler. He rules
not by force of arms, not by divine right, but because the people have
selected him to administer affairs of State for them. I can assure you
that no conquest of Cusco Hurrin will be attempted, if you seek in peace
to break from your isolation."
"But, Father," objected Ferdinand, quickly, "it would take a long time
to send a message to Uncle, and meanwhile there would be civil war
here."
Ferdinand spoke so rapidly that Prince Huaca was unable to follow him.
"What says the young man?" he asked.
Don Ernesto repeated. Prince Huaca pointed to the radio outfit, still on
his table.
"But, cannot the voice-through-the-air carry your message?"
So it was something like this which Prince Huaca had in mind? This,
then, was the reason for his interest in the subject of radio? This was
why he had asked them not to speak of radio before the Council? Mr.
Hampton looked dubious.
"It cannot carry the message far enough," said he, slowly.
Over Prince Huaca's face came a shadow of despair. He sat down suddenly,
leaned his elbows on the table, and buried his face in his hands. He was
like a man famished for water, to whose lips a cup had been held, only
to be withdrawn as he was about to drink. Jack felt immensely sorry. He
wanted to be of help. At the same time, his brain was revolving an idea.
"But, Father," he began.
Ere he could complete his sentence, however, Prince Huaca interrupted.
He jumped to his feet and stood with his hands firmly gripping the
table.
"I will not let myself be overcome," he said. "If the
voice-through-the-air cannot carry the message, then you, Senor de
Avilar, must go to your brother-in-law and tell him what I desire, that
he shall come in peace but with an army sufficient to overawe Cinto.
"Ah," he cried, "I can trust you? They will not come to loot Cusco
Hurrin and slay my people, but to make friends and teach them?"
"Only so will they come," said Don Ernesto, deeply moved at the other's
sincerity and earnestness. "I promise."
"It will be long," said Prince Huaca. "But," he added, resolutely, "I
shall defend the fortress and, if there be bloodshed, yet will it be
less than if Cinto had his way."
As he ceased speaking, Jack found his opportunity.
"But, Prince Huaca," he said excitedly, "the voice-through-the-air can
be made to carry your message."
"What?"
Prince Huaca whirled to face this new speaker. It was a habit of his to
stare steadily and searchingly into the eyes of whomever he conversed
with.
"Yes, it can be done," said Jack.
"But how?"
It was Don Ernesto who asked.
"Very simply," said Jack. "Let me explain so that Prince Huaca can
comprehend. This outfit, sir"--and, rising and walking to the table, Jack
indicated the radio outfit reposing there--"can receive messages sent
from very far away, but it cannot send messages except for a
comparatively short distance, 150 miles at most. It was that which my
father had in mind.
"However, at the Andine Monastery of the Cross of the Snows, Don
Ernesto, you will remember that we built a sending station by utilizing
the water power in the falls and the turbines of the power plant. I
cannot explain more clearly to you, Prince Huaca," he added, addressing
the latter, "without going into too great detail. But this will make it
clearer to you. We can send the voice-through-the-air to another
station, which in turn, will send it farther, just as one runner carries
a message which he transfers to another."
Prince Huaca nodded, his eyes bright and expectant.
"And from the monastery, Jack?" suggested his father.
"Why, Father, you yourself told me that _La Prensa_, the great newspaper
of Buenos Ayres, doubtless had established a radio station at its branch
office in Santiago, the Chilian capital. Although when we were in
Santiago," added Jack, "we were so busy with other matters I did not
hear of it, or go to investigate."
"True, Jack," said Mr. Hampton. "Don Ernesto has told me _La Prensa_ had
installed a radio station at Santiago. Of course, too, there is a
commercial station at Valparaiso."
"But the one at Santiago can reach the President more quickly," said
Jack.