CHAPTER XXI
THE KISS OF LOVE
Presently there was a sound of music, and, accompanied by certainartists, my pages entered, bearing with them apparel more gorgeous thanany that I had worn hitherto. First, these pages having stripped me ofmy robes, the artists painted all my body in hideous designs of red, andwhite, and blue, till I resembled a flag, not even sparing my face andlips, which they coloured with carmine hues. Over my heart also theydrew a scarlet ring with much care and measurement. Then they did up myhair that now hung upon my shoulders, after the fashion in which it wasworn by generals among the Indians, tying it on the top of my headwith an embroidered ribbon red in colour, and placed a plume of cock'sfeathers above it. Next, having arrayed my body in gorgeous vestmentsnot unlike those used by popish priests at the celebration of the mass,they set golden earrings in my ears, golden bracelets on my wrists andankles, and round my neck a collar of priceless emeralds. On my breastalso they hung a great gem that gleamed like moonlit water, and beneathmy chin a false beard made from pink sea shells. Then having twined meround with wreaths of flowers till I thought of the maypole on BungayCommon, they rested from their labours, filled with admiration at theirhandiwork.
Now the music sounded again and they gave me two lutes, one of whichI must hold in either hand, and conducted me to the great hall of thepalace. Here a number of people of rank were gathered, all dressed infestal attire, and here also on a dais to which I was led, stood my fourwives clad in the rich dresses of the four goddesses Xochi, Xilo, Atla,and Clixto, after whom they were named for the days of their wifehood,Atla being the princess Otomie. When I had taken my place upon the dais,my wives came forward one by one, and kissing me on the brow, offeredme sweetmeats and meal cakes in golden platters, and cocoa and mescalin golden cups. Of the mescal I drank, for it is a spirit and Ineeded inward comfort, but the other dainties I could not touch. Theseceremonies being finished, there was silence for a while, till presentlya band of filthy priests entered at the far end of the chamber, cladin their scarlet sacrificial robes. Blood was on them everywhere, theirlong locks were matted with it, their hands were red with it, even theirfierce eyes seemed full of it. They advanced up the chamber till theystood before the dais, then suddenly the head priest lifted up hishands, crying aloud:
'Adore the immortal god, ye people,' and all those gathered thereprostrated themselves shouting:
'We adore the god.'
Thrice the priest cried aloud, and thrice they answered him thus,prostrating themselves at every answer. Then they rose again, and thepriest addressed me, saying:
'Forgive us, O Tezcat, that we cannot honour you as it is meet, for oursovereign should have been here to worship you with us. But you know,O Tezcat, how sore is the strait of your servants, who must wage war intheir own city against those who blaspheme you and your brother gods.You know that our beloved emperor lies wounded, a prisoner in theirunholy hands. When we have gratified your longing to pass beyond theskies, O Tezcat, and when in your earthly person you have taught us thelesson that human prosperity is but a shadow which flees away; in memoryof our love for you intercede for us, we beseech you, that we may smitethese wicked ones and honour you and them by the rite of their ownsacrifice. O Tezcat, you have dwelt with us but a little while, and nowyou will not suffer that we hold you longer from your glory, for youreyes have longed to see this happy day, and it is come at last. We haveloved you, Tezcat, and ministered to you, grant in return that we maysee you in your splendour, we who are your little children, and till wecome, watch well over our earthly welfare, and that of the people amongwhom you have deigned to sojourn.'
Having spoken some such words as these, that at times could scarcelybe heard because of the sobbing of the people, and of my wives who weptloudly, except Otomie alone, this villainous priest made a sign and oncemore the music sounded. Then he and his band placed themselves about me,my wives the goddesses going before and after, and led me down the halland on to the gateways of the palace, which were thrown wide for us topass. Looking round me with a stony wonder, for in this my last hournothing seemed to escape my notice, I saw that a strange play was beingplayed about us. Some hundreds of paces away the attack on the palaceof Axa, where the Spaniards were entrenched, raged with fury. Bands ofwarriors were attempting to scale the walls and being driven back by thedeadly fire of the Spaniards and the pikes and clubs of their Tlascalanallies, while from the roofs of such of the neighbouring houses asremained unburned, and more especially from the platform of the greatteocalli, on which I must presently give up the ghost, arrows, javelins,and stones were poured by thousands into the courtyards and outer worksof the Spanish quarters.
Five hundred yards away or so, raged this struggle to the death, butabout me, around the gates of Montezuma's palace on the hither sideof the square, was a different scene. Here were gathered a vast crowd,among them many women and children, waiting to see me die. They camewith flowers in their hands, with the sound of music and joyous cries,and when they saw me they set up such a shout of welcome that it almostdrowned the thunder of the guns and the angry roar of battle. Now andagain an ill-aimed cannon ball would plough through them, killing someand wounding others, but the rest took no heed, only crying the more,'Welcome, Tezcat, and farewell. Blessings on you, our deliverer, welcomeand farewell!'
We went slowly through the press, treading on a path of flowers, till wecame across the courtyard to the base of the pyramid. Here at the outergate there was a halt because of the multitude of the people, and whilewe waited a warrior thrust his way through the crowd and bowed beforeme. Glancing up I saw that it was Guatemoc.
'Teule,' he whispered to me, 'I leave my charge yonder,' and he noddedtowards the force who strove to break a way into the palace of Axa, 'tobid you farewell. Doubtless we shall meet again ere long. Believe me,Teule, I would have helped you if I could, but it cannot be. I wishthat I might change places with you. My friend, farewell. Twice you havesaved my life, but yours I cannot save.'
'Farewell, Guatemoc,' I answered 'heaven prosper you, for you are a trueman.'
Then we passed on.
At the foot of the pyramid the procession was formed, and here one of mywives bade me adieu after weeping on my neck, though I did not weep onhers. Now the road to the summit of the teocalli winds round and roundthe pyramid, ever mounting higher as it winds, and along this road wewent in solemn state. At each turn we halted and another wife bade me alast good-bye, or one of my instruments of music, which I did not grieveto see the last of, or some article of my strange attire, was takenfrom me. At length after an hour's march, for our progress was slow, wereached the flat top of the pyramid that is approached by a great stair,a space larger than the area of the churchyard here at Ditchingham, andunfenced at its lofty edge. Here on this dizzy place stood the templesof Huitzel and of Tezcat, soaring structures of stone and wood, withinwhich were placed the horrid effigies of the gods, and dreadful chambersstained with sacrifice. Here, too, were the holy fires that burnedeternally, the sacrificial stones, the implements of torment, and thehuge drum of snakes' skin, but for the rest the spot was bare. It wasbare but not empty, for on that side of it which looked towards theSpanish quarters were stationed some hundreds of men who hurled missilesinto their camp without ceasing. On the other side also were gathered aconcourse of priests awaiting the ceremony of my death. Below the greatsquare, fringed round with burnt-out houses, was crowded with thousandsof people, some of them engaged in combat with the Spaniards, but thelarger part collected there to witness my murder.
Now we reached the top of the pyramid, two hours before midday,for there were still many rites to be carried out ere the moment ofsacrifice. First I was led into the sanctuary of Tezcat, the god whosename I bore. Here was his statue or idol, fashioned in black marble andcovered with golden ornaments. In the hand of this idol was a shield ofburnished gold on which its jewelled eyes were fixed, reading there,as his priests fabled, all that passed upon the earth he had created.Before him also was a pla
te of gold, which with muttered invocations thehead priest cleansed as I watched, rubbing it with his long and mattedlocks. This done he held it to my lips that I might breathe on it, andI turned faint and sick, for I knew that it was being made ready toreceive the heart which I felt beating in my breast.
Now what further ceremonies were to be carried out in this unholy placeI do not know, for at that moment a great tumult arose in the squarebeneath, and I was hurried from the sanctuary by the priests. Then Iperceived this: galled to madness by the storm of missiles rained uponthem from its crest, the Spaniards were attacking the teocalli. Alreadythey were pouring across the courtyard in large companies, led byCortes himself, and with them came many hundreds of their allies theTlascalans. On the other hand some thousands of the Aztecs were rushingto the foot of the first stairway to give the white men battle there.Five minutes passed and the fight grew fierce. Again and again, coveredby the fire of the arquebusiers, the Spaniards charged the Aztecs, buttheir horses slipping upon the stone pavement, at length they dismountedand continued the fray on foot. Slowly and with great slaughter theIndians were pushed back and the Spaniards gained a footing on the firststairway. But hundreds of warriors still crowded the lofty winding road,and hundreds more held the top, and it was plain that if the Spaniardswon through at all, the task would be a hard one. Still a fierce hopesmote me like a blow when I saw what was toward. If the Spaniards tookthe temple there would be no sacrifice. No sacrifice could be offeredtill midday, so Otomie had told me, and that was not for hard upon twohours. It came to this then, if the Spaniards were victorious within twohours, there was a chance of life for me, if not I must die.
Now when I was led out of the sanctuary of Tezcat, I wondered becausethe princess Otomie, or rather the goddess Atla as she was then called,was standing among the chief priests and disputing with them, for I hadseen her bow her head at the door of the holy place, and thought that itwas in token of farewell, seeing that she was the last of the four womento leave me. Of what she disputed I could not hear because of the din ofbattle, but the argument was keen and it seemed to me that the priestswere somewhat dismayed at her words, and yet had a fierce joy in them.It appeared also that she won her cause, for presently they bowedin obeisance to her, and turning slowly she swept to my side with apeculiar majesty of gait that even then I noted. Glancing up at her facealso, I saw that it was alight as though with a great and holy purpose,and moreover that she looked like some happy bride passing to herhusband's arms.
'Why are you not gone, Otomie?' I said. 'Now it is too late. TheSpaniards surround the teocalli and you will be killed or takenprisoner.'
'I await the end whatever it may be,' she answered briefly, and we spokeno more for a while, but watched the progress of the fray, which wasfierce indeed. Grimly the Aztec warriors fought before the symbols oftheir gods, and in the sight of the vast concourse of the people whocrowded the square beneath and stared at the struggle in silence. Theyhurled themselves upon the Spanish swords, they gripped the Spaniardswith their hands and screaming with rage dragged them to the steep sidesof the roadway, purposing to cast them over. Sometimes they succeeded,and a ball of men clinging together would roll down the slope and bedashed to pieces on the stone flooring of the courtyard, a Spaniardbeing in the centre of the ball. But do what they would, like somevast and writhing snake, still the long array of Teules clad in theirglittering mail ploughed its way upward through the storm of spears andarrows. Minute by minute and step by step they crept on, fighting asmen fight who know the fate that awaits the desecrators of the gods ofAnahuac, fighting for life, and honour, and safety from the stone ofsacrifice. Thus an hour went by, and the Spaniards were half way upthe pyramid. Louder and louder grew the fearful sounds of battle, theSpaniards cheered and called on their patron saints to aid them, theAztecs yelled like wild beasts, the priests screamed invocations totheir gods and cries of encouragement to the warriors, while above allrose the rattle of the arquebusses, the roar of the cannon, and thefearful note of the great drum of snake's skin on which a half-nakedpriest beat madly. Only the multitudes below never moved, nor shouted.They stood silent gazing upward, and I could see the sunlight flash onthe thousands of their staring eyes.
Now all this while I was standing near the stone of sacrifice withOtomie at my side. Round me were a ring of priests, and over the stonewas fixed a square of black cloth supported upon four poles, which wereset in sockets in the pavement. In the centre of this black cloth wassewn a golden funnel measuring six inches or so across at its mouth,and the sunbeams passing through this funnel fell in a bright patch,the size of an apple, upon the space of pavement that was shaded by thecloth. As the sun moved in the heavens, so did this ring of light creepacross the shadow till at length it climbed the stone of sacrifice andlay upon its edge.
Then at a sign from the head priest, his ministers laid hold of me andplucked what were left of my fine clothes from me as cruel boys pluck aliving bird, till I stood naked except for the paint upon my body and acloth about my loins. Now I knew that my hour had come, and strangeto tell, for the first time this day courage entered into me, and Irejoiced to think that soon I should have done with my tormentors.Turning to Otomie I began to bid her farewell in a clear voice, when tomy amaze I saw that as I had been served so she was being served, forher splendid robes were torn off her and she stood before me arrayedin nothing except her beauty, her flowing hair, and a broidered cottonsmock.
'Do not wonder, Teule,' she said in a low voice, answering the questionmy tongue refused to frame, 'I am your wife and yonder is our marriagebed, the first and last. Though you do not love me, to-day I die yourdeath and at your side, as I have the right to do. I could not save you,Teule, but at least I can die with you.'
At the moment I made no answer, for I was stricken silent by my wonder,and before I could find my tongue the priests had cast me down, and forthe second time I lay upon the stone of doom. As they held me a yellfiercer and longer than any which had gone before, told that theSpaniards had got foot upon the last stair of the ascent. Scarcely hadmy body been set upon the centre of the great stone, when that of Otomiewas laid beside it, so close that our sides touched, for I must lie inthe middle of the stone and there was no great place for her. Then themoment of sacrifice not being come, the priests made us fast with cordswhich they knotted to copper rings in the pavement, and turned to watchthe progress of the fray.
For some minutes we lay thus side by side, and as we lay a great wonderand gratitude grew in my heart, wonder that a woman could be so brave,gratitude for the love she gave me, sealing it with her life-blood.Because Otomie loved me she had chosen this fearful death, because sheloved me so well that she desired to die thus at my side rather thanto live on in greatness and honour without me. Of a sudden, in a momentwhile I thought of this marvel, a new light shone upon my heart and itwas changed towards her. I felt that no woman could ever be so dear tome as this glorious woman, no, not even my betrothed. I felt--nay, whocan say what I did feel? But I know this, that the tears rushed to myeyes and ran down my painted face, and I turned my head to look at her.She was lying as much upon her left side as her hands would allow, herlong hair fell from the stone to the paving where it lay in masses, andher face was towards me. So close was it indeed that there was not aninch between our lips.
'Otomie,' I whispered, 'listen to me. I love you, Otomie.' Now I saw herbreast heave beneath the bands and the colour come upon her brow.
'Then I am repaid,' she answered, and our lips clung together in a kiss,the first, and as we thought the last. Yes, there we kissed, on thestone of sacrifice, beneath the knife of the priest and the shadow ofdeath, and if there has been a stranger love scene in the world, I havenever heard its story.
'Oh! I am repaid,' she said again; 'I would gladly die a score of deathsto win this moment, indeed I pray that I may die before you take backyour words. For, Teule, I know well that there is one who is dearer toyou than I am, but now your heart is softened by the faithfulness of anIndian girl
, and you think that you love her. Let me die then believingthat the dream is true.'
'Talk not so,' I answered heavily, for even at that moment the memoryof Lily came into my mind. 'You give your life for me and I love you forit.'
'My life is nothing and your love is much,' she answered smiling. 'Ah!Teule, what magic have you that you can bring me, Montezuma's daughter,to the altar of the gods and of my own free will? Well, I desire nosofter bed, and for the why and wherefore it will soon be known by bothof us, and with it many other things.'