Doctor Who: The Aztecs (3 page)

Ian walked along the broad avenue with Tlotoxl limping at his side. The avenue was lined with windowless, one storey, box-like houses. Their entrances were elaborate wrought-iron gates, through which Ian could see the short passageway that led to the central, open-air courtyard with its lawn, flowerbed and tumbling bougainvillea. Around the courtyard were the rooms of the house.Ian thought that if ever he were to reach home again he would like to build a house like that. But then he remembered the considerable difference between the Mexican climate and the weather in England.

The Aztecs they passed on the way to the barracks bowed respectfully to Tlotoxl, but Ian sensed they were afraid of the High Priest.

‘Do you often leave the temple?’ he asked.

‘Autloc seeks wisdom in the garden from time to time,’ Tlotoxl replied. ‘I visit the barracks to select a victim when the Gods demand blood.’

Ian felt his run cold.

The barracks was similar to the houses in design, but infinitely larger, and the central courtyard was an area of hard-baked clay where the warriors trained in the martial arts. When Ian and Tlotoxl entered the courtyard some two hundred warriors were at drill. They wore leather loincloths, sandals and plumed head-dresses. They carried shields and lunged with short swords, parrying attacks from imaginary enemies. When the Aztec in charge saw Tlotoxl, he ordered the warriors to stop and they stood respectfully as the High Priest of Sacrifice limped across the courtyard followed by Ian, who quickly became aware that the word had been passed by the warriors in the temple and everyone knew who he was. Suddenly Tlotoxl stopped, glanced along the ranks and pointed to a young warrior. Then he limped on to the far side of the courtyard. As they approached it, a warrior broke from the ranks and ran to open the door for them. There was a short passageway which opened onto another clay courtyard, patterned with the eagle and coiled snake in colourful dyes. Ian noticed that the courtyard was about the same size as the ones he had seen in the houses. There was a door in each of the other three walls. The two doors which faced one another were ornate, and decorated, once again, with the eagle and snake motif. The third door was made of plain wood.

Tlotoxl went to the centre of the courtyard. ‘Ixta,’ he called.

One of the decorated doors opened and a well-built, handsome man, a few years younger than Ian, came into the courtyard. He was wearing a leather loincloth with rectangular shapes embroidered on it in gold and silver thread. He wore sandals and his hair was drawn back in a short pony-tail. He bowed to Tlotoxl.

‘I greet the High Priest of Sacrifice,’ he said, then eyed Ian up and down. ‘What manner of warrior is this?’ His tone was disdainful.

‘He is the servant of Yetaxa,’ Tlotoxl replied.

Ixta bowed. ‘I have heard that Yetaxa again guides us in wisdom and in strength. Does the High Priest wish me to demonstrate my skill to Yetaxa’s servant?’

Tlotoxl inclined his head and Ixta strode to the door which opened onto the large courtyard.

‘A warrior — one of the best,’ he commanded.

The Aztec in charge signalled to a warrior, who ran to the door and entered the small courtyard.

‘We shall fight with studded clubs and shields,’ Ixta announced and led the warrior over to the plain wooden door. They went inside.

‘To command one must prove courage, skill and intelligence.’ Tlotoxl’s voice was insinuating. Ixta had killed and taken many prisoners on the battlefield, he told Ian. ‘He has no fear of death.’

Ixta and the warrior reappeared. Each carried a shield and a wooden cudgel which had a circular head studded with pieces of obsidian stone. They approached Tlotoxl, bowed to him, then went to the centre of the courtyard and stood facing one another, about ten feet apart. Just out of reach, Ian thought.

Tlotoxl raised one hand. ‘Commence,’ he commanded.

The two men circled each other warily. Then Ixta suddenly lunged and aimed a blow at the warrior’s left-hand side. But as the warrior brought his shield across his body to fend off the cudgel, Ixta reversed his attack and hit out at the warrior’s unprotected right. The warrior was swift and leapt back. Ixta swung at empty air, almost throwing himself off balance. Instinctively, he raised his shield to protect his head as the warrior’s cudgel crashed down. As it struck the shield, Ixta gave a backhand chop just below the warrior’s rib-cage. Blood spurted from the wound. The contestants backed away and circled each other again. Ian had anticipated a friendly encounter, but now he wasn’t so sure. His mouth went dry and he gave a sideways glance at Tlotoxl beside him. The High Priest’s face was expressionless. I shouldn’t be surprised, Ian thought. He’s accustomed to the sight of blood. Then Ixta launched a ferocious attack, forcing the warrior to give ground as he tried to ward off the repeated blows. The warrior tried to counterattack, but Ixta’s shield was all around his body, protecting it until the last blow, which Ixta parried with his cudgel and with such force that the warrior’s weapon flew from his hand and he was driven back trying to defend himself. Eventually he fell to his knees in a corner of the courtyard, with the shield held above his head. Ixta smashed his cudgel down on the warrior’s shield and stepped back.

‘Go and have your wound healed; he said, and then walked over to Tlotoxl.

‘Thus shall other tribes fear even more the Aztecs,’ the High Priest said.

Ixta inclined his head and turned to Ian. ‘Tell Yetaxa that I shall serve well.’

‘I shall carry that salutation for you,’ Tlotoxl replied. ‘Yetaxa’s servant remains here.’

Ixta looked puzzled. ‘But here dwell only those chosen to command,’ he said.

‘I know it.’ Tlotoxl looked from one to the other.

Ixta turned to Ian and there was fierce pride in his face. ‘What name did your mother give you?’ he asked.

‘Then I tell you, Ian, that six other warriors have dwelt in there,’ he pointed to the other decorated door, ‘but I alone remain. Yet I welcome you. There is no fear of you in me. And one day all men will fear Ixta, the Aztec commander who defeated the chosen servant of Yetaxa.’

Ian did not reply, but met Ixta’s arrogant gaze with a look he hoped was steadfast.

‘Let him be clothed according to his rank,’ Tlotoxl said.

‘It shall he done,’ Ixta replied and asked if Ian would assist at the Rain God’s ceremony.

‘He is now as you are, Ixta, a chosen warrior,’ the High Priest replied and limped out of the courtyard. ‘What am I supposed to do at this ceremony?’ Ian asked.

‘All honour rests with us,’ Ixta’s voice rang with pride, ‘we deliver the human sacrifice to the High Priest Tlotoxl,’ and then in a matter-of-fact voice added that it was time to obtain Ian’s uniform.

Ian stood dumbfounded.

Cameca had gone home, leaving a contemplative Doctor in the garden. She returned later with a tray, on which were cornflower pancakes, ajar of honey, a knife, two goblets and a jug of water. Cameca put the tray on the bench where the Doctor was sitting, and then sat down herself. The Doctor had eaten two pancakes with honey and drunk a goblet of water when he saw a cloaked, plumed Aztec warrior with an embroidered loincloth and sandals striding purposefully towards him. It took the Doctor a full fifteen seconds to recognise Ian.

‘Ah, Chesterton,’ he called, his eyes sparkling with amusement at Ian’s clothes, ‘have a pancake and honey.’ Ian declined and the Doctor introduced him to Cameca whom, he added, had promised to arrange a meeting between himself and the grandson of the man who built the temple.

‘That is most kind of you, madam,’ Ian smiled at Cameca. Who returned his smile though her eyes looked momentarily troubled. She glanced down at the tray and then at the Doctor.

He gently patted his stomach. ‘Delicious and plenteous, dear lady.’

Cameca stood and picked up the tray. The Doctor also rose to his feet.

‘Pray excuse me,’ Cameca said, ‘then you may talk more freely’ She walked away.

‘Nice person, Chesterton, gentle and..’

‘Doctor,’ Ian’s voice rang with urgency, ‘today there’s to be a human sacrifice at the Rain God ceremony and I’m supposed to assist. I can’t possibly do it.’

The Doctor put his hand on Ian’s shoulder. ‘Just a minute, Chesterton; he said, ‘what exactly must you do?’

‘Escort the victim to the altar.’

‘Then do it.’ The Doctor spoke brusquely.

Ian was appalled. ‘You can’t expect me to participate in murder.’

‘Intervene and we’ll be dead within the minute.’

‘But,’ Ian began in desperation.

‘No buts about it,’ the Doctor cut in, ‘if human sacrifice is their tradition, then let them get on with it.’ He removed his arm from Ian’s shoulder and pointed a forefinger at Ian’s chest. ‘For your own sake, for Barbara’s, for Susan’s and for mine, do not interfere.’ These last words were spoken in a measured tone. ‘Promise me, Ian,’ the Doctor insisted.

Ian looked down at the ground. ‘All right, you have my word,’ he murmured.

The Doctor patted him on the arm, ‘I’ll go and tell Barbara,’ he said, and hurried away. It was only when he entered the pyramid that he remembered all the stairs he had to climb.

Susan and Barbara were in the antechamber below the temple. Barbara had taken off her sandals and lay on a couch wriggling her toes while munching a banana. ‘Hardly god-like behaviour,’ she remarked between bites to Susan who was trying on Barbara’s plumed crown.

‘What do you think?’ Susan asked as she struck a fashion-photo pose.

‘It’s just the thing for the Royal Enclosure at Ascot,’ Barbara replied and they both laughed. ‘I enjoy being the handmaiden of a god,’ Susan said. ‘This end isn’t too hard to take, either,’ Barbara admitted.

Susan took off the head-dress and put it down on a legless side-table beside a highly polished jade statuette of an Aztec god. Susan picked it up. ‘Look at this’ she said, ‘it’s exquisite.’

‘That is the type of thing which hooked me on the Aztec civilisation in the first place,’ Barbara replied, placing the banana skin on the plate at her side. ‘On the one hand, there’s Autloc who is charming, intelligent and cultured. But, on the other hand..

‘There’s Tlotoxl,’ Susan interjected. ‘Strange, isn’t it? Such beauty and such horror existing side by side’ As she replaced the statuette, they heard the Doctor’s breathless voice outside the antechamber.

‘Let me pass,’ he was saying, gasping for air, ‘go on, out of my way, I must talk to Yetaxa.’

Barbara stood up as Susan went to the door and opened it.

The Doctor stumbled in. ‘Wait outside, Susan,’ he gasped, ‘and don’t let anyone in’

‘Yes, grandfather.’ Susan left, closing the door behind her.

‘Sit down, Doctor, and catch your breath.’ Barbara motioned to a couch.

The Doctor collapsed onto it. ‘All those stairs, all those stairs.’ He took a deep breath and Barbara poured him a goblet of water which he gulped down.

Barbara waited until he had recovered. ‘What is it, Doctor? What’s happened?’

The Doctor stood up. ‘There’s to be a human sacrifice during the Rain God ceremony at sunset’ He kept all emotion out of his voice.

‘Oh. No’ Barbara was horrified. ‘No!’

‘You must not interfere, do you understand me?’ Barbara buried her face in her hands. ‘I can’t stand by’

‘You must’ The Doctor barked out the two words. then his voice softened. ‘Ian agrees with me,’ he paused before continuing, ‘and he is required to escort the victim to the altar’

Barbara’s hands flew from her face. ‘He has to do what?’ she exploded.

‘He’s been designated a Chosen Warrior’ — the Doctor shrugged —’and for all our sakes, he has agreed, given me his word, to do nothing to prevent the sacrifice.’

‘Well, I have been made a god,’ Barbara paced out her words, ‘and I forbid it.’

‘Barbara,’ the Doctor began to protest, but Barbara cut him off.

‘No, Doctor. There will be no sacrifice at sunset, nor ever again. The reincarnation of Yetaxa will prove to the Aztec people that you don’t need to cut out a pulsating human heart to make the rain come’

‘Don’t be foolish, woman. The High Priests will turn on you and denounce you.’

‘They won’t dare to defy me,’ Barbara replied with great determination. ‘No, this is the beginning of the end of Huitzilipochtli’s reign.’

‘What on earth are you talking about?’ the Doctor demanded.

‘Rewriting history,’ Barbara said calmly. If I can start the destruction of all that is evil here, then all that is good will survive when Cortez lands’

The Doctor shook his head in bewilderment and spread out his arms. ‘You can’t change history, Barbara. Not one line of it.’

Barbara turned her back on him, went to the side-table, picked up her plumed crown and set it on her head.

‘I appeal to you, Barbara. Be reasonable. What you’re trying is impossible; the Doctor implored, ‘believe me, I know, really I do, I know’

She turned to face him and was quite serene. ‘Not Barbara,’ she said calmly, ‘Yetaxa.’

In full regalia Ian and Ixta left the barracks with the warrior Tlotoxl had chosen as his sacrifice. He wore only a loincloth, sandals and a plumed head-dress. He had been fed an adequate amount of a drug which dulled his senses to reality and enlivened his desire to join the gods. Storm clouds gathered in the sky. Rain would fall with or without the brutal death of this young man and Ian wondered if he could slow down their pace so that, with any luck, it might start before they reached the altar. But Ixta and the warrior maintained an Aztec’s pace and Ian had no choice but to keep step with them. To his surprise the streets were deserted, the city silent. He discovered the reason when they turned into the broad avenue that led to the pyramid. The square in front of it was packed. Ian estimated that there must have been between ten and fifteen thousand people — men, women and children. As the three of them approached, the crowd parted, opening up a path for them to the entrance of the pyramid. All eyes were on them and there was absolute silence apart from the sound of their sandals as they marched to the open door and went inside, the warrior first, then Ixta, and after him, Ian, who realised that the palms of his hands were soaked with sweat.