Casca 10: The Conquistador (6 page)

At the end of the time set by Cortes, the chiefs of the Tabascans made their appearance before the gates of what once had been one of their cities to ask permission to enter and parley with the chief of the strangers from the sea. With them they brought food, turkeys, maize, fruits, and other edibles. They also had with them twenty female slaves to do the cooking and grinding of maize for the Spaniards. In addition, there were a few small items of gold and turquoise which the Spanish valued at not more than two or three hundred pesos. It was certainly not anything like the treasure they had come after. Cortes still believed that great wealth was to be found – if not here, then elsewhere. From the Tabascans he questioned, he learned of another, greater kingdom where they said there was gold and silver to fill rivers. The land was ruled by a great king with warriors at his command like the grains of sand on the beach. It was a nation of warriors who ruled over a hundred vassal tribes that paid them tribute. If they went to the land of the Aztecs ruled by the priest king Moctezuma, they would find what they sought.

From the directions they gave, Casca was certain of the prophecy, for the Tabascans had described the lakes and the valley near the city of Teotihuacan. He was returning!

Although the Tabascans were not on the best of terms with their neighbors, it was the scarcity of gold in Tabasco that convinced Cortes the Indians were telling him the truth, though the former would have been the more logical reason. For the Tabascans had to buy peace from the Aztecs by providing them with victims for Aztec altars.

The monks with Cortes went about their job of saving the souls of the heathen and bringing them to Jesus, whose power was greater than that of the Indians' multitude of gods. The victory of the Spaniards over the Tabascan army made the conversions easy, and the idols of Tabasco were cast down and replaced with the symbol of the cross. Cortes was being very careful to keep the Church on his side in this expedition. He knew that his enemies in Cuba would move against him one day, especially if he found that which he truly sought – the great wealth of an unknown world.

Cortes didn't delay; he gave the orders to set sail for the river named after its discoverer, the Alvarado, which the Indians called the Papaloapan. Up the river, they would come to the first of the cities inhabited by the Aztecs. There they would find gold, silver, precious stones, and, what many of the Tabascans hoped for, death.

The Alvarado was wide and deep, the banks dripping with heavy foliage and wild with animal life. There were birds of many kinds: cormorants, gulls, black ducks with white wings valued by the natives for their feathers and white herons called god-birds, or Teoquechal. The waters held sea lions and shad the size of tuna. A strange large lizard with a spiked body and four toes could be found swimming or climbing trees. Its flesh tasted like that of a rabbit and was much favored by the Spaniards once they had a sample of it. Pigs, deer, monkeys, puma – all were seen on the banks of the river. There was one strange little beast that fascinated the Spaniards, for they had never seen anything even remotely resembling it in Spain or Cuba. The Indian slave women with them said it was called the ayotochli, meaning pumpkin rabbit. It was the size of a large cat, with the face of a duck, the feet of a porcupine, and a long tail. It was covered with hard plates that fit together like a suit of armor, which the beast would curl up in when threatened. The Spaniards named it the "armored one," el armadillo.

Moctezuma was again troubled by dreams. The year 13 Rabbit would soon end, and then it would be 1 Reed. He ordered his chamberlain, the petlacatl, to bring him all the wizards and men of magic he could find from the villages around Tenochtitlan. Once this was done, he asked them if they had not seen the signs in the skies or had dreams and visions of strange things to come. None of them admitted to those experiences. At this response, he commanded that they be locked up in the prison of Cuauhcalco, where they would remain until they gave him a more agreeable answer. In the morning, he ordered his chamberlain to question them again, demanding that they tell him if sickness, famine, or drought was to come upon the land. He also asked whether war or strange deaths would occur and whether they had heard the voice of Cihuacoatl, the weeping goddess who was often heard to cry out in the night when danger threatened.

His chamberlain returned. Bowing before his lord, he gave him the answer of the wizards, who had replied: "What can we say? The future has already been decreed in heaven. Moctezuma will see and suffer a great mystery, which must come to pass in the land of the Aztecs. If the great king wishes to know more, he will learn soon enough, for it comes swiftly.

“This is what we prophesy. Since the king demands that we speak, and since it must surely take place, we can only wait for it to come."

Moctezuma became extremely agitated, for their predictions were nearly the same as those he had received earlier from Nezahualpilli, king of Texcoco, who was widely famed as a man of great visions. He ordered his chamberlain, "Return to the prison once more and ask the wizards if the mystery is to come by land, sea, or air, and when it will happen."

When the petlacatl returned to the prison, he found that the wizards were all gone. The cells were empty, and the guards swore that they had heard and seen nothing. Terrified, he returned to Moctezuma. Throwing himself on his face before his master, he cried out: "My lord, command that I be cut to pieces, or do what you will with me, for you must know that when I arrived at the prison and opened the doors, no one was there. The guards are all good and loyal men who have served me for years, but none of them heard the wizards escape. I believe they flew away, using their magic to make
themselves invisible, which, as it is well known, is within the powers of such as they."

Moctezuma had no desire to punish one loyal to him. He said, "Let them go. Call the chiefs together and give them my order to go to the villages of the magicians. They are to kill their wives and all their children and then destroy their houses." The chiefs did as they were
bade, killing the women by hanging them with ropes and the children by smashing them against the walls of their homes. Then the houses were torn down and the foundations uprooted.

Three days later a macehual (a common man) came from Mictla near the coast. He had seen something that he had to tell the king of. He went directly to Moctezuma's palace and was lucky enough to be able to speak to the chamberlain, who quickly showed him into the presence of the king of the Aztecs. Moctezuma gave the man, who had no ears or toes – they had been cut off as punishment for some minor offense –permission to speak.

"Oh my lord and king, forgive me for daring to come to you. I am from Mictla. When I went to the shores by the sea, there was a small mountain floating in the midst of the water, moving here and there without touching the shore. My lord, we have never seen the likes of this before, although we guard the coast and are always on watch."

Moctezuma thanked him for his message and then told his chamberlain to take the man to the prison and hold him under careful guard till his story could be confirmed. After they had gone, he called for a tuectlama-
cazqui, a priest of his order called Tez-cuzcli, and appointed him his emissary, charging him: "Go to Cuetlaxtlan. Tell the official in charge of the village that it is true that strange things have appeared on the sea. He is to investigate these things himself. Tell him to make all haste in this matter so that I may determine what it is they signify. And take with you the ambassador, Cuitlapitoc, to assist you and add weight to your words."

When the priest and Cuitlapitoc arrived in Cuetlaxtlan, they were taken to a man named Pinotl, who was the magistrate for the region. He listened to the words with great care, for they came from the lips of his king who had power over all things. Then he replied: "My lords, rest here with me and send your servants out to the shore."

The attendants did as they were ordered and returned in great haste to report that the story told by the macehual was true. They had seen two great towers or small mountains floating on the waves of the sea.

Cuitlapitoc told Pinotl: "I wish to see these things myself in order to learn what they are, for I must testify to our lord as an eyewitness. I will be satisfied with this and will report to him exactly that which I see."

The priest Tez-cuzcli accompanied Cuitlapitoc, for he could do no less than the other in this mission. When they reached the shore, they hid in the branches of a tree and looked out over the ocean. They saw that seven of the strangers had left the floating mountains and were fishing from a small boat with lines and hooks. They watched the fishermen until they returned to their mother ship and set sail, heading back to the open sea. They made careful note of all they witnessed. When they returned to the village, they made a hasty departure to return to Tenochtitlan to report what they had seen to their lord.

Moctezuma had not slept two hours in a row since they had left. His eyes were hollow-looking, even under the black eye paint he wore.

"Our lord and king, it is true," began Tez-cuzcli "There are strange men who have come to our shores from the great sea. They were fishing from a small boat, some with rods, others with nets. They fished until late, then returned to what I am sure is not a mountain or tower but a monster boat such as has never been dreamed of. There were many others like those who were fishing. Some wore jackets of blue, green, and red; others wore a drab, soiled-looking garment like our ictilmatli (the peasant's cloak of woven maguey fibers). On their heads they wore scarves of red or hats of fine scarlet color. They are very light in color. Many have hair that is the color of grain, though some have black. Most seem to have long beards. These too are of the color of ripe grain. However, lord, they have gone away, back to the seas whence they came. This is all that we have seen, lord, this and no more."

Moctezuma was silent. His fears were coming true. Strangers from the sea had come to Mexico. They would be back, for it was not yet 1 Reed.

The king of the Aztecs was silent for a long moment. The servants kneeling before him were anxious, not knowing whether their words had pleased their lord. Moctezuma's face trembled; the muscles rippled along the side of his jaw as he tried to regain control of his emotions.

"You are the chiefs of my own house and palace. I place more trust and faith in you than anyone else, because you have always told me the truth. Go with the petlacatl. Bring me the man who is locked up in the prison, the macehual who came as a messenger from the coast."

They bowed away from his presence to do his bidding, going to the prison, where they found that the common man too somehow had escaped with no trace.

When they related this event to their king, Moctezuma became very agitated. The tic along his jaw beat as if it had a thrice-fast pulse of its own. It was difficult for him to control the fear in his voice at this new wonder. He told his terrified chiefs, "It is a natural thing, for I am certain that he too was a wizard. But hear now what I say, and if you reveal anything of what I am about to command, I will bury you under my halls. Your wives and children will be killed and your property seized; your homes will be destroyed to the bottom of their foundations. Your parents and all your kin will be put to death. I believe that what you have witnessed
are the advance guard of the Quetza. He will return, but not for some months. In this time we must prepare for his arrival. Send messages to all our cities and those of our vassals that when the strangers return, they are to be treated as honored guests. Let no harm be done them or any threats made to them. Give them gifts and slaves in my name."

The next months were an agony of anticipation. It was a relief when at last a messenger dropped before him bearing a scroll from Tuedilli, the governor of Cotstala, near where the first ships had been sighted. His message read: "My lord, I have done as you ordered. The strangers have been made welcome in your name and gifts and slaves given them to make their stay more pleasant.
On this scroll see that I have shown the number of their monstrous canoes and the strangeness of their countenance. I will show them all honor pending your further instructions."

Moctezuma was in a sweaty lather as he summoned his chamberlain and Tez-cuzcli to his presence, telling them of the letter from Tuedilli: "I told you they would return. Now bring me two of the finest artists among the silversmiths and two from those who are skillful at the working of emeralds and turquoise."

This was done, and Moctezuma gave the artists his commands, ordering them to make haste, for he had much to do, and the dark gods were restless.

The king didn't sleep for the next three days. His eyes were dark hollows; worry lines etched their marks across his brow. He looked much older than he had in the past week. He was afraid to sleep; too many dark, troubled things came to haunt his mind when his eyes closed even for a moment. It was a great relief when he was informed by one of his palace hunchbacks that the artisans had finished their assignments. Not waiting for them to be brought to him, he hurried to the work place that had been given them in the palace. The senior of the craftsmen bowed to his lord, the large silver bars in his ears swaying with the bobbing of his head. He said, "Our lord, the work is finished. Please inspect it."

He indicated a large table on which the articles Moctezuma had ordered to be made were laid out for his approval: throat bands of gold with links four fingers wide, each link set with emeralds from the south, matching earrings beside it, gold bracelets with chains of gold hanging from them; double bracelets for both ankles and wrists, each set with emeralds; two fans of rich feathers, in the center of one side, a half-moon of gold, on the other, a golden sun; and many, many other fine rich works from the hands of the Aztec craftsmen.

Moctezuma was pleased, saying to his chamberlain and the petlacatl, "My grandfathers, give each of these men a portion of rich cloths and quills filled with gold dust and seed of every kind. Give them cloth for their women, the same amount to each." The artisans left, feeling very well rewarded for their labors, knowing that the favor of the king could have easily turned to disfavor, costing them their lives if they had not pleased him.

Moctezuma was certain that the legend was coming true; there was no doubt in his mind. There had been too many signs and portents. He had to make the gods welcome to avoid their displeasure and the disasters that would surely follow if he didn't. The articles he had ordered were only to be a part of the gifts he would send by special emissaries to the strangers from the sea. If he was wrong and they were only mortal men, the mistake could be remedied by the sacrifice of their beating hearts to the god of war. In the meantime, he had to be careful not to offend them. The gifts he sent must be of the finest to show how he honored them.

Five messengers were to escort the treasure and see it safely to the strangers. They were led by the senior priest of the sanctuary of Yohualican and nobles from Teportlan, Mictlan, Huehuetlan, and Tizatlan. They were all members of
his own clans and knights of the Jaguar Order.

To these loyal men he said, "Come closer, my nobles of the Jaguar, come closer. It is said that the god has returned from the sea to our land. Go to him, hear him. Listen well to what he says to you; listen and remember all.

"You will have charge of the gifts I am sending." He showed them what had been prepared so that they would know the importance he placed on their mission. "First is the treasure of the god Quetzalcoatl." There was a serpent mask inlaid with turquoise, a collar of rare quetzal feathers with a gold sun in the center, a shield inlaid with mother-of-pearl and gold bordered with the matching feathers, and a pendant of the same pattern and make. He touched the serpent mask reverently with one jeweled finger. There was another mask of the god Quetzalcoatl kept in the pyramid temple dedicated to him by the lake's edge. That mask did not bear any likeness to the serpent but to the strange man with a scar running from the corner of his eye to his mouth. It was said to be the exact likeness of the god, made for him when he walked the earth giving his law. Of course, that did not mean that the god would have to look the same when he returned. A god obviously could take on any aspect he wished.

The rest of the finery dedicated to the serpent god consisted of a diadem of jaguar skin and pheasant feathers, earrings of turquoise, and jade cloaks bordered with small gold bells. There was also a golden shield and the crooked staff of Ehecatl, who was the Quetzalcoatl in his aspect as the god of winds; for the winds came from the seas as came the god who rode upon them.

Moctezuma showed his emissaries the remaining gifts that had been handcrafted, and these, together with many other gifts of gold and precious stones, he gave into their charge, saying to them with great seriousness, "Go now and do not tarry. Go with the noble Tuedilli and pay reverence to our lord Quetzalcoatl. Say to him, Moctezuma, your deputy, has sent us to you. Here are the presents with which he welcomes you home to Mexico."