So anxious were the merchants to avoid arriving at any town of
importance, where there would be an Aztec commander and garrison,
until they received an answer from Tezcuco, that they traveled by
very slow stages, camping in small villages where they could obtain
water and supplies. Roger asked many questions of them as to the
country, and learned that the hot and arid soil they were now
crossing extended only about one-third of the distance to be
traversed. Then that they would pass over a range of lofty
mountains, offering great difficulties to travel, that the cold was
extreme, and that snow lay almost continuously upon the highest
summits. After crossing this range they would journey across a rich
country, and descend at last into a most lovely and fertile valley,
in which lay the lake, upon which the capitals of the two countries
were situated.
The country they were now traversing varied considerably. In some
places it consisted of parched and sandy plains, almost free of
vegetation. In others, where the rains were less able to drain
quickly away, were districts of extraordinary fertility. Here grew
the cocoa, vanilla, indigo and aromatic shrubs innumerable, forming
thick and tangled jungles, impervious to the foot of man. Flowers
of gorgeous colors bordered these groves, and lofty trees of
foliage, altogether strange to Roger, reared their heads above
them.
The lad was delighted with the extraordinary richness of color, and
the variety of the foliage, but he would have enjoyed it more had
it not been for the intense heat of the sun, and the closeness of
the air.
They crossed several large streams. They cut down the great rushes
which bordered them and, tying these together in bundles, formed
rafts, upon which four or five at a time were ferried over. Roger
learned that the principal road from the coast ran from Cempoalla,
a large town near the sea, but that this lay a long distance to the
north, and that the route they were traveling ran nearly due west
to Tepeaca, and thence northwest to Pueblo, after which the towns
lay thickly, all the way to the lake. As far as Roger could learn
the distance, from the coast which they had lately been following
to Mexico, was by this route about three hundred miles.
On the fifth day after the messenger had been dispatched, a courier
ran into the camp, just as the caravan was about to start, and
handed to the chief merchant what looked to Roger like a portfolio.
This, indeed, was something of its character. It consisted of two
thin boards, within which was a sheet of paper. It contained a
number of paintings and signs, of which Roger could make nothing,
but the merchants informed him that it expressed the satisfaction
of the King of Tezcuco, at the news that had been sent him of the
arrival of a strange white personage in the land; that the priests
would consult the auguries, and decide whether it boded well or ill
for the country; and in the meantime that they were to journey on
to Tepeaca, where they would be met by an envoy, charged to receive
the white stranger and to conduct him to Tezcuco.
The merchants themselves were only able to gather the general
contents of this picture dispatch, but the slave who had drawn the
one sent forward interpreted every sign and color; for Roger found
that colors, as well as signs, had their meaning. He learned from
the merchants that this picture writing was a science in itself,
and that it needed years of instruction and labor to acquire it. In
every town and village there were certain persons skilled in the
art, so that messages of all kinds could be sent to the capital,
and orders and instructions received. The national archives were
entirely written in this manner, and in the temples were immense
stores of these documents, affording information of every event of
interest, however minute, in the history of the people.
The caravan now pushed on rapidly. After traveling, as Roger
calculated, nearly a hundred miles from the sea, the ground began
to rise rapidly, and in a single day the change in temperature was
very marked. Roger felt the sense of listlessness and oppression,
which had weighed upon him while crossing the low country, pass
away as if by magic; and it seemed to him that he was again
breathing the air of Devonshire.
The vegetation had greatly changed. The vanilla, cocoa, and indigo
had disappeared, and trees totally different from those of the
plain met his eye.
Another day's march, and they were four thousand feet above the
sea. Here everything was green and bright, showing that rain
constantly fell. Groves of a tree of rich foliage, which was, the
merchant told him, the liquid amber tree, grew near the road; while
on both sides lofty mountains rose precipitously to a great height,
their summits being clothed in snow. Some of these, he heard, had
in times past burnt with terrible fires, and vast quantities of
melted rock flowed over the country, carrying destruction in its
course. In many cases the road was a mere track winding along the
side of these mountains, with precipices yawning below.
A day's march through the mountains brought them into a lofty
plateau, some seven thousand feet above the sea. Here were
wide-spreading forests of trees, which Roger recognized as large
oaks and cypress. Around the villages were clearings, and whereas
in the plains below maize was chiefly cultivated, the largest
proportion of the fields, here, were devoted to plantations of the
aloe or maguey. Here, even at midday, the temperature was not too
hot to be pleasant; while at night the cold was great, and Roger
was glad to pile the thick quilted rugs over him.
After traversing this plateau for some distance, they came upon
another range of hills, far loftier than those they had before
crossed, and vastly higher than anything Roger had ever before
beheld in his travels. These mountains were, the merchant told him,
the Cordilleras; they extended from unknown regions in the north
through Anahuac to the south. The snow never melted upon the
summits, and several of the highest of these were terrible
volcanoes, whose eruptions were dreaded by the whole nation.
"Sometimes before these commenced," the merchant said, "the earth
trembled and shook, so that men could scarce stand upon it: Houses
were thrown down, and terrible destruction of life and property
took place. Fortunately, these are rare occurrences; but several of
them have taken place since the time when the Aztecs first
established themselves here."
The passage through this range was attended with real hardship.
Roger, accustomed to our English winter only in the mild climate of
South Devonshire, felt the cold to be severe; but the natives
suffered far more, and the merchants continued their march right
through one night, for the labor of carrying their burdens kept the
blood of the thinly clad slaves in motion; whereas, if they had
halted, many would have succumbed to the cold. At last the path
began to descend, and soon after daybreak, as the road crossed a
shoulder of the hill, they saw a plateau similar to that they had
left, stretching out below them as far as the eye could reach.
Even at the height at which they were standing, Roger could see
that it was densely populated. Villages were scattered thickly, and
the forest was restricted to patches, here and there, the greater
portion of the land being under cultivation.
Directly in front rose the lofty buildings and temples of a town of
considerable size. Seen through the clear mountain air it seemed
but three or four miles away, and Roger had difficulty in believing
the merchants, when they assured him that it was fully twenty. This
was Tepeaca.
The slaves, wearied as they were, quickened in their pace; and in
two hours they emerged from the mountain gorges onto the temperate
plateau. Here they halted for some hours near a post house, a
courier being sent on to Tepeaca, to inform the king's envoys that
they had arrived thus far; and to ask whether they should proceed
at noon, when the slaves had rested, or make their entry into the
town in the morning.
In a little over four hours the answer was received. The merchants
were directed to wait where they were until three hours after noon,
then to move forward until they arrived within eight miles of the
town, and then to halt for the night, and to start again at sunrise
next morning.
Roger was as glad as were the slaves that he had not another
fifteen miles' march before him, for the journey had been a most
fatiguing one. He thought that the absolute distance traversed did
not exceed thirty miles, but owing to the difficulties of the road,
and the care that had to be taken in traversing it at night, even
with the assistance of the torches carried by the soldiers of the
caravan, it had taken them twenty hours, including occasional
halts, to perform the journey. An abundance of food was brought in
by the neighboring villagers, and the merchants issued an extra
supply of cocoa to the slaves; and when the march was resumed, late
in the afternoon, the latter had completely recovered from their
fatigue.
After a march of little more than two hours' duration, the caravan
halted for the night, and resumed its journey at daybreak. The
merchants had presented Roger with a mantle, more highly decorated
than that which he had before worn, and with some rich plumes of
feathers for his head; and seeing that they wished him to make as
brave a show as possible, he put on some of the gold necklaces and
bracelets he had received, at Tabasco.
The caravan was formed up in military order, the standards of the
traders being displayed at the head of the column. The porters were
placed four abreast, and the soldiers who marched on either side
were ordered to see that they kept their ranks. The merchants had
put on their handsomest mantles, and everything was done to show
off the procession to the best.
As they approached Tepeaca the road was lined with people, the news
of the approach of the wonderful white man having spread rapidly.
As Roger passed they bowed to the ground, with the same respect
that they paid to their own chiefs. He fully came up to their
expectations, for not only was the whiteness of his skin and the
color of his hair wonderful to them, but he stood many inches
higher than the merchants who walked by his side; for Roger had now
attained his full height--although but a few months past
seventeen--and stood six feet two in the thin sandals that he wore.
He was, as yet, far from the width that he would attain in another
five or six years, but looked broad and massive as compared with
the slight frames of the Mexicans.
When within a quarter of a mile of the gates of the town, a
procession was seen approaching from it. At its head were two
nobles, whose appearance far exceeded anything Roger had hitherto
seen. They wore cuirasses formed of thin plates of gold, and over
these mantles of gorgeous feather work. On the head of one was a
helmet of wood, fashioned to represent the head of the puma, or
Mexican lion. The other wore a helmet of silver, above which was a
cluster of variegated feathers, sprinkled with precious stones.
They wore heavy collars, bracelets, and earrings of gold and
precious stones. Beside them were borne their banners, richly
embroidered with gold and feather work, while behind them were a
body of soldiers, in close vests of quilted cotton, and a train of
slaves.
The merchants bowed low as the nobles approached. The latter paused
for a moment as they came near to Roger, and then saluted him by
touching the ground with their hands, and then carrying them to
their heads. Roger did the same. In the meantime several attendants
round the nobles were filling the air with incense, from censers
which they bore.
"The King of Tezcuco has sent us to welcome you," one of the nobles
said. "He longs to see the white stranger who has arrived in our
land."
"I have heard of the greatness of the king," Roger replied, "and
desire to look upon him. I have come from a great distance beyond
the sea, to see for myself the greatness of the Anahuac kingdoms,
and am glad to meet two of its great nobles."
The Mexicans were not surprised at Roger understanding their
language and replying in it, for the dispatches had already
acquainted the king with the fact that the white stranger could
converse in their language.
There had been an animated debate, at the royal council at Tezcuco,
when the news of his coming had arrived. Some were of opinion that
it was an evil omen, for there was a prophecy existing among them
that white strangers would come from beyond the seas, and overthrow
the Aztec power; but upon the other hand, it was pointed out that
this could only refer to a large body of men, and that as this
stranger came alone, it was far more probable that he was either
Quetzalcoatl himself, or one of his descendants, and that he came
in a spirit of goodwill. If he were a man, one man could do nothing
to shake the Aztec power. If he were a god, he could work evil to
the whole country, whether he remained on the seashore or advanced
to the capital; and it was far better to propitiate him with gifts,
than to anger him with opposition.
Some slaves next brought forward some delicately wrought mats, and
laid upon them the various articles they had brought. A shield,
helmet, and a cuirass, all with embossed plates and ornaments of
gold; a collar and bracelets of the same metal; sandals and fans;
crests of variegated feathers, intermingled with gold and silk
thread, sprinkled with pearls and precious stones; imitations of
birds and animals in cast and wrought gold and silver, of exquisite
workmanship; curtains, coverlets, and robes of cotton as fine as
silk, of rich and various colors, interwoven with feather work so
finely wrought that it resembled the delicacy of painting.
Roger was astonished at the richness and variety of these goods,
and as he viewed them muttered to himself:
"If I were but back in Plymouth with these, my Cousin Mercy and
Dorothy and Agnes would open their eyes, indeed. I wish to goodness
I had something to send back to the king. One of the cannon from
the Swan, with a supply of ammunition and bullets, would have
astonished him. However, as it is, I suppose that I must make the
best of it."
When the goods were all displayed, Roger addressed the ambassadors,
saying how great was the pleasure that the gifts afforded him. Not,
he said, because he desired gold or jewels or articles of luxury,
but because they were proofs of the goodwill of the king, and of
the mightiness of his power.
"Will you convey my earnest thanks to him for these presents, and
say that I regret deeply that I have come to his country empty
handed, and have naught to send him in return; but that there are
reasons why I could not bring aught with me, from the place far
across the seas from which I came? There are many strange and
wonderful things there. People move across the water in floating
castles as big as your temples. They ride on great animals, which
carry them with the speed of the wind. When they fight they use
weapons which twenty men could not lift, which make a noise like
thunder, and destroy their foes at two or three miles' distance.
But I was not permitted to bring, at present, any of these wonders
from the far-distant country. I wanted to come myself, and I have
come; but as I have said, I had to come alone and empty handed. In
time these wonderful things will be brought to your shores, but the
time has not come yet."
The nobles listened with respectful attention. It seemed to them
probable enough that a supernatural personage might convoy himself
vast distances through the air, but that he could not burden
himself with mortal appliances--if, indeed, such things were the
work of merely mortal men.
"I could bring with me," Roger went on, "but one small specimen of
the metal most used in that distant country."
Then the merchants advanced, and handed to Roger his knife, which
they had purchased of the cazique of Tabasco in exchange for two
accomplished slaves, and he presented it to the nobles.
"You see it is a metal of extraordinary hardness. Swords made of it
will cut through a man's head to the chin. No arrows or spears will
penetrate armor made of it. It can be beaten into all shapes, when
hot. The weapons of which I spoke to you are constructed of it, and
it is now used in the arts, in manufacture, and for domestic
purposes, as well as for armor and weapons. So common is it that,
as you see, the handle is made only of rough horn; which shows you
that it is such a one as is commonly used, and is prized but
little. It may be that such a metal is found in your country,
though as yet you know it not; for in its natural state it is but a
stone like others, although greater in weight; and if so, I may be
permitted, some day, to instruct you in the methods of working it."
The nobles were greatly impressed with this speech. Quetzalcoatl
had instructed the Mexicans in all the arts that they possessed,
and this hint that their visitor might bestow upon them the
knowledge of this new, and most valuable metal, seemed a fresh
proof of his relationship to the White God, whose return had been
so long expected and longed for.
They now begged him to enter the city, and a party of their slaves
took up the gifts, and ranged themselves behind him. The Mexican
troops fell in on either side, and prevented the crowd from
pressing in upon them; and then, accompanied by the two nobles, and
followed immediately by the merchants, Roger headed the procession
as it again set forward.
As he entered the town, Roger saw that it was vastly in advance of
Tabasco. The walls were of stone, strong and massive. The streets
were wide and straight, bordered by well-built houses with flat
roofs, upon which great numbers of people were assembled. These
uttered cries of welcome as he came along, and threw down wreaths
of flowers.
The Aztec governor, with a strong guard of soldiers, met them in a
large square in the center of the town; and in the name of the
Emperor Montezuma welcomed Roger, and presented him with gifts of
even greater value than those sent by the King of Tezcuco, saying
that his master hoped that he would pay a visit to his capital, as
well as to that of the neighboring sovereign.
Roger replied suitably, and the procession then took its way to a
large house that had been assigned to the visitor. Here a banquet
was served in grand style, the governor and the two ambassadors,
alone, taking their seats with him. The meal was served up on
golden dishes, and pulque was handed round, in goblets of the same
metal, by white-robed slaves.
Strains of music rose in the air, the performers being stationed in
an adjoining apartment. The music was unlike anything Roger had
ever before heard, and seemed to him to be of a plaintive nature.
With the exception of the fruits, the dishes served were all
strange to him, and he was unable even to guess at their nature.
Among them was a large bird, which Roger judged to be either a swan
or a peacock; but which he was informed was a turkey, a bird common
in the country, but of which he had never before heard.
There were other sorts of game, and all these were prepared with
delicate sauces and seasonings. There were a large number of
various confections and pastry, and a great variety of vegetables
and fruits. Under the dishes of meats, small fires of charcoal were
burning in order to keep them hot. The table was ornamented with
vases of silver and gold, of delicate workmanship, and the
confections were eaten with spoons made of gold or silver, or of
tortoise shell. Several varieties of pulque, flavored with sweets
and acids, were handed, as also chocolate flavored with vanilla and
other spices.
When the viands were removed, slaves brought round, as they had
done before the meal began, basins of water and soft cotton towels;
and each of those present washed his hands and face. Then a
surprise even greater than those which had preceded it awaited
Roger. Two attendants brought round waiters, upon one of which was
placed a pile of a substance which looked to Roger as if it were
the leaves of some vegetable, broken into small pieces, and also a
gold box containing a brown dust. On the other tray were placed a
variety of instruments, of whose use Roger was ignorant. They were
small tubes, inserted into bowls of gold or silver; and in addition
to these were some things that looked like yellowish-brown sticks,
of two or three inches in length, with tubes into which they
fitted.
These trays were first handed to Roger, who, after examining their
contents, turned to the noble next to him and said:
"I know not what these may be, or how they are used. They are not
in use in the country from which I come."
The noble looked surprised.
"It is yetl," he said, "and is good for soothing the nerves and
preparing for the siesta, besides being very pleasant. All these
are made from the same leaf," and he touched the short sticks, the
heap of broken leaves, and the powder.
"This powder we apply to the nose," and he and his companions took
a pinch from the box, and thrust it into their nostrils.
Roger followed their example, but a pungent odor brought the tears
into his eyes, and in another moment he was seized with a violent
fit of sneezing, from which he was some time before he recovered.
"You will get over this, in time," the noble said gravely, but with
a slight smile. "This effect is only experienced when the herb is
first used."
Much as Roger had been astonished by the effect of the powder, he
was still more surprised at the use to which the broken leaf and
the little sticks were put. Two of the Mexicans filled the small
bowls with the leaf, while the other took one of the tubes holding
a small stick. An attendant then approached with a small piece of
wood, on fire. This was applied first to the stick, and then to the
small bowls; and, to Roger's stupefaction, great clouds of smoke at
once issued from the mouths of the three Mexicans. Had it not been
that, from the tranquil expression of their faces, he saw that this
was the regular course of events, he would have thought that some
accident had occurred, and that the Mexicans had, in some
mysterious way, taken fire in the interior.
He remained silent for a minute or two, and then asked:
"Do you like it? Is it really pleasant to you?"
"It is, indeed," the governor said. "This herb is largely used. Its
effect is to produce a feeling of repose and contentment. You will
get to like it, in time."
"Possibly I may," Roger replied; "although at present, that hardly
seems probable."
The music now struck up a more lively air. Presently a number of
young men and women, who had been feasting in another apartment,
came in and performed several graceful dances, to the accompaniment
of the music; singing, as they did so, a sort of chant, which
reminded Roger of those he had so often heard in the churches at
home.
When all was over the ambassadors withdrew, saying that, doubtless,
their guests would wish to enjoy a siesta during the heat of the
day. Some slaves led the way into another apartment, in which was a
couch heaped with soft rugs, and here Roger threw himself down.
"Was there ever an English boy in so strange a strait as mine?" he
said to himself. "What an extraordinary people! Gold seems as
plentiful with them as common pottery with us; and as to the
magnificence of their dresses, I verily believe that the court of
King Harry would make but a poor show beside them. If I could land
at Plymouth tomorrow, with all the presents I have received today,
I should be a rich man. Here they are valueless.
"I received presents at first at Tabasco, and yet, had I remained
there a month longer, I should have been sacrificed to those cruel
gods of theirs. These presents mean really nothing to me. They seem
magnificent, but gold is so common, here, that it is no more than
if, at home, one presented a man with necklaces of glass, and some
woolen cloths. It is a mark of civility, but that is all.
"When I get there, the priest will be inquiring into my religion,
and when they see that I pay no honor to their gods, they will be
sure to raise a cry against me.
"Malinche was telling me that, every year, some special prisoner is
chosen for sacrifice, and is treated with great honor, and has
every luxury until the time comes, and then they put him to death.
Brutes! I have no doubt they will consider that, from my very
rarity, I shall make a specially acceptable sacrifice.
"I wish I was back on the Hoe again. Cousin Diggory, and Mistress
Mercy, and the girls little think into what a horrible fix I have
fallen--alone among a strange people, who breathe smoke out of
their mouths, and load me with rich presents one day, and may kill
me on the next. Well, when the day comes I shall try not to
disgrace my country, and religion, and color; but it is very hard,
being all alone here. If I had but two or three of my companions of
the Swan with me, I should feel that I could face whatever came;
but it is hard to stand quite alone, and I am only a boy.
"Still, they shall find that I can strike a rough blow or two,
before I die. They shall not find that it is a lamb that they are
going to sacrifice, but a Devonshire lad, with such bone and muscle
as one gets from a life on the sea.
"It is strange that these people should be so cruel. They seem so
mild and so gentle, and yet Malinche says they sacrifice tens of
thousands of captives, every year, to their gods. They never kill
in battle if they can avoid it, striving only to take their enemies
prisoners, for this horrible service.
"I must try, if I can, to make friends among them. The old cazique
of Tabasco stood by me well, and it may be that here I may find
some like him; but it will need a powerful protector, indeed, to
stand against the priests, who, Malinche says, are far more
powerful here than in Tabasco."
Three hours later an attendant came in, and said that the governor
invited his guest to walk with him through the town, and survey the
temples and other edifices.
"Now for it," Roger said, clenching his fist. "Now, Roger Hawkshaw,
you have got to show yourself a true man, whatever comes of it."
He fastened the sword, which was one of the weapons with which he
had been presented, to his girdle; and then went out into the great
hall, from which all the other apartments opened. The governor and
the two nobles from Tezcuco were awaiting him.
Upon sallying out, Roger found that the streets were as crowded as
when he entered. He was received with a long quavering cry of
welcome by the women, and by a deeper hum of applause by the men.
All bent to the ground before him and his companions, before whom a
party of soldiers moved to clear the way.
"Now, we will go first to the Great Temple," the governor said. "It
is but small in comparison with those of the great cities of the
valley, but it is a very holy shrine; and numbers come, from all
the cities round, to pay their devotion there on the days of
festival. There are forty temples in the town, on all of which fire
burns night and day; but this is the largest and holiest of them."
After passing through several streets, Roger saw a great hill
rising in front of him. Whether it was the work of man, or had a
natural hill for its foundation, he knew not. It was four sided and
pyramidal in form. There were terraces rising, one above the other,
supported by stone walls. Steps at the angles led from one terrace
to another, but these were so placed that anyone mounting had to
pass right along the terrace round the pyramid, before he arrived
at the steps leading to that above. The top of the pyramid seemed
to be cut off, leaving an area of, as far as he could judge, some
fifty feet square. Smoke ascended from the summit, where, as
Malinche had told him, fire always burns before the altar in its
center.
Just before reaching the foot of the pyramid, the governor pointed
to a building of considerable size.
"Here you will see," he said, leading Roger towards a great
gateway, "how well the god has been honored."
As he neared the gateway, Roger saw that the building was well-nigh
filled with an immense pile, carefully built up, of what at first
appeared to him cannon balls, only of larger size than any he had
seen piled in the batteries of Plymouth, and of a white color. Then
the thought struck him they were great turnips, or some such root,
which might be held sacred to the god. But as he entered the
building the truth flashed across him--the great pile was composed
entirely of human skulls.
Roger had made up his mind that, although he would not give way in
the slightest in the matter of his faith, he would yet abstain from
shocking the religious feeling of the natives. After the first
involuntary start at the discovery, he silenced his feelings, and
asked how many skulls there were in the heap. He could not,
however, understand the reply, as he had not yet mastered the Aztec
method of enumeration, which was a very complicated one.
Roger walked along one side of the pile, counted the number of
skulls in a line, and the number of rows, and then tried to reckon
how many skulls there were. Roger was not quick at figures,
although his father had tried hard to teach him to calculate
rapidly, as it was necessary for one who traded, and bought and
sold goods of all descriptions, to be able to keep his own figures;
or he would otherwise be forced always to carry a supercargo, as
was indeed the custom in almost all trading ships, for there were
few masters who could read and write, far less keep accounts.
However, as he found there were a hundred skulls in each line, and
ten rows, and as the heap was nearly square, it was not a difficult
task to arrive at the conclusion that there must be a hundred
thousand skulls in the pile.
This seemed to him beyond belief, and yet he could arrive at no
other conclusion. If a hundred thousand victims had been offered
up, in one temple of this comparatively small city, what must be
the total of men killed throughout the country? The pile had, no
doubt, been a long time in growing, perhaps a hundred years; but
even then it would give a thousand victims, yearly, in this one
temple.
Although it seemed well-nigh impossible to Roger, it was yet by no
means excessive, for according to the accounts of all historians,
Mexican and Spanish, the number of victims slain, annually, on the
altars of Mexico amounted to from twenty-five to fifty thousand.
"The god has good reason to be pleased?" the Aztec ambassador, who
was watching Roger's face closely, remarked.
"If he is fond of blood and sacrifices, he should indeed be
pleased," Roger said quietly; "but all gods do not love slaughter.
Quetzalcoatl, your god of the air, he who loved men and taught them
what they know--such a god would abhor sacrifices of blood.
Offerings of fruit and flowers, which he taught men to grow, of the
arts in which he instructed them, would be vastly more pleasing to
him than human victims."
Roger spoke in a tone of authority, as if he were sure of what he
stated.
"When the white god left your shores, there were no human
sacrifices offered to the gods"--this fact Roger had learned from
Malinche, who had told him that the custom had been introduced in
comparatively late years. She said ten generations, which he
supposed would mean about two hundred years--"and such a custom
would be abhorrent to him."
The Aztec governor looked very grave. It was to the god of war that
these sacrifices were offered, but the idea that the kindly white
god, who stood next to him in public estimation, might not only
object to be so worshiped himself, but might object altogether to
human sacrifices being offered, was unpleasant to him; and yet this
white stranger clearly spoke as if he were acquainted with the mind
of Quetzalcoatl.
The Tezcucan envoys, on the other hand, looked pleased. Tezcuco had
maintained for a long time a milder form of worship. Her people
were more gentle than the Aztecs, and had only reluctantly, and in
part, adopted the terrible rites of their formidable neighbors.
"Will you ascend the temple?" the governor asked.
"No," Roger said firmly. "I say not aught against the god of
battles. Let those who will make offerings to him. The God of the
Air," and Roger raised his hand towards the sky, "loves flowers and
fruit and peace and goodwill. When He came down to earth He
preached peace, and would have had all men as brothers; and I, who
follow Him, will not bow down at altars where human beings have
been sacrificed."
The Mexican naturally thought that Roger was speaking of
Quetzalcoatl, and this strange knowledge he possessed of the god,
and his ways and wishes, struck him with deep awe. Without making
any further attempt to induce him to ascend the teocalli, which was
the name they gave to their pyramidal temples, the governor led the
way back to the palace.
The next morning Roger started with the Tezcucan envoys on his
journey. They informed him on the way that the Aztec governor had,
on the previous evening, dispatched an officer of high rank to
Mexico, to give the emperor the full details of the conversation
and sayings of the strange visitor; for the dispatches were
available only for sending news of facts and occurrences, but could
not be used as mediums for conveying thought.
"Montezuma is mild and gentle in his disposition, and quite unlike
his two predecessors, who were mighty warriors; and doubtless, in
his heart, he will welcome the words you said yesterday concerning
Quetzalcoatl. But he is swayed wholly by the priests, and such
sentiments will not be agreeable to them, for sacrifices are
forever going on at the teocalli. At the dedication of the great
temple for Huitzilopotchli, just thirty years ago, seventy thousand
captives were put to death."
"They must have been miserable creatures," Roger said indignantly,
"to have submitted tamely to such a fate. They might, at least,
have rushed upon their guards, however numerous, and died
fighting."
Roger said little more during that day's journey. The admiration he
had at first felt, for the arts and civilization of these people,
had been succeeded by a feeling of abhorrence. He had heard, from
Malinche, that all victims sacrificed to the gods were afterwards
cooked and eaten; and although he had scarcely believed the girl,
in spite of her solemn assurances, he could now, after seeing the
vast pile of human skulls, quite believe that it was true.