Within the tunnel Chacuti felt a faint draught of air against her face. Resting frequently in her weakened state she managed to squirm further and further into the narrow space until it narrowed to such an extent that she found it difficult to move.
"There she is."
"Poor lassie, she looks done in."
"It's horrible in there Uncle Paddy."
"Aye lad but at least she's free. If the old man can get to her again he may be able to save her."
"I'll see what's happening to her dad."
Lord Axa was taken along a passageway, the temple guards who guided him were determined to soften him up, they kicked and punched him, knocked him to the ground then pulled him roughly to his feet dragging him half-conscious between them. The passageway wound its way underground for some time before it began to ascend by means of stone steps. At the top of the steps was a doorway that was flung open flooding the passage with light which blinded Axa and his guards.
More guards took hold of him and led him out into a small area, the area was to one side of the arena. As his eyes accustomed themselves to the light he could make out the crowd who were already watching a ball game in progress.
"So the murderers are arrived," he said as his eyes took in the Spaniards seated in tiers of seats overlooking the arena. The Spaniards were in seats of honour. They shouted and jeered as the costumed figures of Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc, Huitzilapochtli and other gods walked into the arena.
Some of the men were drunk, "Look at the face on that one!" jeered one of the men to uproarious laughter from the other soldiers. The game began, one group of the costumed gods had to try to knock a small leather ball through a stone hoop set high onto the wall of the arena, another group opposed them. At first the Spaniards split their sides laughing at the figures so hampered by their elaborate costumes that they could hardly move but they soon tired of the spectacle and began jeering and yelling at the boring display. They wanted something they could relate to, they had expected far more than this.
"These aren't games they are a joke," said Francesco to the commander who sat alongside him.
AThe losers will pay with their lives, up there,@ replied the commander pointing to the top of the temple.
Francesco insisted, AIt adds a certain interest to the proceedings but I think the men will run riot unless something more appropriate is offered."
"I feel you are right Francesco," said the commander, "but I do not think the good Father would approve of anything more interesting." They looked around, "But if the good Father is not here to deliver us from evil...Sergeant, take a squad of our best pikemen and offer combat to these Incas."
The gods had requested the combat, the Incas had no choice but to accept. Young Tizoc was to be one of the combatants. "How can we fight against gods?" he and the other young men asked, "If we fight we are committing sin, if we do not we shall be killed."
The combat began but it was clear that the Incas were in no mind to fight.
"What kind of a poor show is this?" exclaimed the commander. He stood up and yelled, "STOP! Tell these men to fight as they have never fought before, the gods cannot be killed, if the body is destroyed they will just take another form. FIGHT like men!" he roared.
The Incas grouped together, battle-axes were their weapons, shields their defence. They looked magnificent in their jaguar costumes and finely toned physiques compared to the Spaniards whose defence was the armour they wore and their long pikestaffs. Twenty men opposed twenty men.
The Spaniards adopted a military square, five men to each side, and edged towards the Incas who rapidly spread out and surrounded them. Then began a fantastic game of cat-and-mouse, with the lighter armed and more mobile Incas running around, darting in and trying to strike the gods. The crowd was normally perfectly silent while the ball game was in progress but the Spaniards yells and encouragements for their men were copied by the Incas who cheered and yelled for their side, the idea of these strangers being gods was forgotten in the heat of the combat.