In full regalia Don and Yaotl left the barracks with the warrior Ollin had chosen as his sacrifice. He wore only a loin-cloth, 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 Don wondered if he could slow down their pace so that, with any luck, it might start before they reached the altar. 414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzd2jnSgTL
But Yaotl and the warrior maintained an Aztec's pace and Don had no choice but to keep step with them. To his shock 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. Don 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 Yaotl, and after him, Don, who realized that the palms of his hands were soaked with sweat.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnyZPTGAst
Penny was standing with a temple guard outside the antechamber when she heard footsteps. She looked up the stairs that led to the temple. Both High Priests were descending. Penny opened the antechamber door and went inside. Dr. Smith and Ann were facing each other in stony silence.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMU0YfjxQA
"The High Priests are coming," she whispered.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM82obuR2bV
Dr. Smith pointed his finger at Ann. "Consider yourself warned, young lady," he growled.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TA1Lxo5iL
Penny was about to ask what was going on when the High Priests entered the antechamber. They bowed.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsggpdHP8dK
"The temple awaits your presence, O' Great Spirit of Nenetl," Tetzel addressed her.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVshFQW9y8
"My handmaiden remains here," Ann pointed at Penny.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDzBHoQ86K
"As Nenetl decrees," Ollin replied.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXsz8cOTMX
"However, Tetzel's aged servant will accompany the Great Spirit to the temple," Dr. Smith said, and Ann did not fail to note the hint of menace in his voice.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPcmVQphms
"We shall be honored by his presence," said Tetzel.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDoOf0eQwA
Steeling herself for what she intended to do, Ann walked regally from the room, followed by the two High Priests and then Dr. Smith, who turned to Penny just before he left.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmH7hcztEQp
"Stay here, Penny," he warned.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgAH3NUip8
A guard drew back the brocade curtain and let Ann and the others into the temple. The walls and the terrace were lined with Aztec warriors. As Ann approached the throne she looked furtively about her for Don. There was no sign of him. She lay down and gazed before her. Ollin's obsidian knife lay glinting on the sacrificial altar. The two High Priests moved onto the terrace and Tetzel raised his harms.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDHa5pLR8O
"A vision has come to us, my people," he intoned, "the High Priest Nenetl has returned so that you may look again upon the sign of the coiled serpent." Dr. Smith thought that the whole ceremony would be absurd if it were not so gruesome, as no one two hundred and fifty feet below in the square could possibly hear a word Tetzel said.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp27wrwu7MG
But Penny in the antechamber below heard, and, defying her Uncle Zachary's command, she went up the stairs and peeped through the curtain.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3hjn19Dbr
Tetzel turned to Ann. "O' Great Spirit of Nenetl, step forth so that we may honor you."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfwkEsl9Nu
Ann stood and walked slowly out onto the terrace wiht Tetzel at her side. She stood on the edge of the parapet, spread out her arms and looked down at the sea of faces staring up at her. There was not a sound, and the sky was dark and heavy with clouds. She returned to the throne and sat down. Dr. Smith, with a slight inclination of his head, signaled his approval.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBB1b7KM8DR
"Bring forth the sacrifice to Tlaloc," Ollin commanded. Ann's hands gripped the arms of the throne. Two Aztecs pulled back the second brocade curtain behind which Don, Yaotl, and the warrior stood. As the warrior came into the temple, he bowed to Ann. Don and Yaotl, following him, did the same, but Don and Ann's eyes met in an expression of sheer horror.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTgc9rYfLU
Ollin picked up the obsidian knife and the warrior lay down on the altar.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlYGDNNqDS
"Take his arms," Ollin ordered Yaotl, and then to Don, "Take his legs."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOcelVwllP
Before he obeyed, Don glanced at Dr. Smith, who looked away in distress.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo8EpBUbAQ
Ollin raised the knife above his head to the cloud-laden sky. "Great Tlaloc, God of Water, I, Ollin, High Priest of Sacrifice, call upon you to look down upon our land with favor. Give us the water that is our life," his voice rose to a screeching crescendo, "and we shall honor you with blood!"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXB66Ykn6e
Penny screamed and ran into the temple as Ann stepped to her feet.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKTT01HkV8
"Stop, Ollin! I, Nenetl command you!"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlqrC9fJhl
The High Priest's hands were quivering with frustration as he spun around to face Ann.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZJ6l3728t
"Let no more blood be spilt!" She looked at Don and Yaotl. "Release him."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSf4DAfGGk
The warrior jumped to his feet as they obeyed and he went angrily to the throne. 414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9McKqs0AT
"You have denied me honor," he accused her.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiW0SCixDnl
"Then honor Tlaloc with our death," Ollin said.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqh3y9QRB5
The young warrior looked at the High Priest, then to the edge of the parapet, threw himself off and hurtled to his death two hundred and fifty feet below.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirKWG8ylTV
Ann sat down in shock, then there was a blinding flash of lightning, a clap of thunder and the rain came down in torrents.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjStsMgxYAB
Ollin leered victoriously at Ann. "With death came rain," he proclaimed.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwDIovR1JH
"Without your sacrifice came rain," Ann replied as steadily as she could.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiuSb5350c
Ollin glanced slyly at Penny as he limped over to the throne. "Does Nenetl speak as a God or the protector of a handmaiden?"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXWAG6RcTU
"As a god."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXySU6C9WJc
Ollin's hand, still clutching the obsidian knife, shot out and pointed to Penny. "Then your handmaiden must be punished. She cried out and desecrated the temple. She transgressed the law."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMR0BqFc47
"She did not know it."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTTknFJCiK
"Then let knowledge be beaten into her!"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKG9F3TeQrE
Ann stood up and went to Penny's side. "No one shall be punished for an offense committed in ignorance."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoG5MTnbLX
"I demand that she be punished," Ollin snarled.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0FgWvIsMb
"No," Ann was adamant, but she knew a compromise had to be reached. "Let her instead be taught respect for your customs."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSZk05iS9S
Tetzal stepped forward. "I shall take her to the seminary," he said.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXTyos8Z94
Ann smiled at him. "So be it, Tetzal."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTwXVTJhJ7
"The Great Spirit of Nenetl has spoken." He bowed and led Penny from the temple.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3aldTiMaZ
Ollin turned away and went out onto the terrace, where he stood in the pouring rain. He held the obsidian knife in both hands and placed the tip on the altar. "No, no, this is not Nenetl who speaks," he murmured, the rain streaming down his face. "This is a false god whom I must destroy." He stabbed at the altar with the knife and the blade broke.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFscLbMwVqx
As soon as she was back in the antechamber, Ann took off her head-dress, threw it to one side, slumped onto a couch and toyed with the coiled snake on her wrist.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fda9tbE1z
Dr. Smith stared at her.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuSQ5aPNGy
"Well, young lady, are you satisfied, happy with your day's work?"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1KoLlCINo
Ann stared at the carpeted floor, fighting back the tears which welled up in her eyes.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ962F8ExGUq
"You wouldn't be advised, would you?" Dr. Smith persisted. "Dear me, no. You knew better."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPzKHTfF6E
"I couldn't sit there and watch that young man being slaughtered." Ann's voice was choked and she bit on her lower lip.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nopKJBavV
"Do you think we felt differently?" Dr. Smith snapped.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQioGu47D5
Ann shook her head in misery.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQR1v7cf3x
"Then why didn't you leave well enough alone? Human sacrifice is part of their religion and there is nothing that we can do about it."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIXXrn6hTI
"I had to try." She was barely audible.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MXRaAx7Ij
"And look at the result. Ollin has certainly lost faith in your, which puts all our lives in danger and Penny is locked up in some sort of school."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiNWjtMKVB
"At least she's safe there." Ann swallowed hard.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZbrk6KIgG
"She was perfectly safe here until you started meddling."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMgFsUDbuG
Ann clenched her fists. "I wanted it to rain without that young man being killed."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFjTnyMxb5
"Ann, he wanted to be offered to the Gods. It made him one as well."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNoAJIO9mf
The tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "I didn't think about it in those terms."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0ro7qMBVH
"More likely, you simply didn't think," Dr. Smith retorted angrily.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52HesKidGy
Ann buried her face in her hands, her body wracked with sobs. Dr. Smith stood by uncomfortably and his anger turned in on himself. He had been unreasonable and he knew it. Ann's experience of traveling through time and space was extremely limited, his was considerable to say the least. He could become a Babylonian deity at the drop of his hat, but for Ann to have the role of an Aztec god thrust upon her must be very difficult indeed. He went to the couch and sat down beside her.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OHNHUEdix
"Oh, please, please, just go away," she sobbed, "and leave me alone."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLWhZtOUDb
Instead, Dr. Smith put his arm around her shoulder and with his other hand took a large handkerchief from his pocket. "Oh, my dear, dear sweet Ann," he said gently. "Please forgive me. I shouldn't have been so hard on you."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kdzzvlxiE
Ann looked at him through her tears and shook her head. "No, I'm crying because you were quite right."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YoqEwAMHA
"Here, dry your eyes." Dr. Smith offered his handkerchief. She took it, dabbed her eyes, wiped her cheeks, and sniffed.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfPh2niyCs
"What have I done to us?" she asked, tugging at the handkerchief.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYbu0vVMpM
"It's done now," Dr. Smith shrugged, "but what happens next is also up to you."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjhx4JF1Yz
"Me?" Ann looked surprised.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHTFopLTnU
Dr. Smith tapped the palm of one hand with his other fist. "Hold off Ollin," he said.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNURhJvSXs
"How can I? As you've just said, he has no faith in me."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsCQSlPPc6
"But Tetzal does." Dr. Smith had a glint in his eyes which Ann had seen before.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQF50TZGtKn
"You want me to play them off against each other," she ventured.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuvO6UZnD8
Dr. Smith nodded. "I do, Ann. The more Ollin doubts you, the more you must convince Tetzal that you are Nenetl."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmK92VUo5H
"You believe Sacrifice won't dare defy Knowledge."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2ujDrI8HC
"You saw for yourself, my dear. Ollin wanted Penny beaten, but when Tetzal suggested taking her to the seminary he gave way."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwp8ybgS1c
"What about you and Don?"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2ofIGXBo9
Dr. Smith waved a hand in the air. "Don can take care of himself," he assured her. He then told her that, in the garden, he had chanced upon an Aztec lady who knew indirectly how the temple was constructed. He straightened his tie and winked at her. "I'll soon find out about the entrance to the tomb."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UJSrhNPYn
"Dr. Smith, you're an old rogue," Ann rebuked him with a smile.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqk05fvoF1
"But really, Ann, it's up to you. As long as you are here, and they trust you, we are reasonably safe."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmOtQpDyJQ
"I understand," she replied.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaY4LFGBYTJ
The antechamber door opened and Ollin limped into the room. Ann and Dr. Smith remained seated.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vhdNJmV6H
"You enter unannounced," Ann said haughtily.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7RO1VjsRP
"I proclaim myself only to my gods," Ollin relied and looked at Dr. Smith. "Let the old man go down to the garden."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInQ2xwIIg4
Dr. Smith noted that he had been relegated from the aged servant of Nenetl to an old man.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqp6AS7qVQc
"Enjoy the company of your newfound friend," Ann said as Dr. Smith stood up, bowed, and muttered his obedience to Nenetl's commands.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYBb3SJjLU
Ollin waited until Dr. Smith and left the room, then looked at Ann with naked hatred in his eyes. "I would ask you"---he spat out the words---"how shall a man know his gods?"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD16hjDuna5
Ann held out her wrist with the bracelet on it. "By the signs of their divinity," she replied.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0HghmfaxY
"And if thieves walk among the gods?"414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LRLrt3sf9
"Then, indeed, how shall a man know," she conceded.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKsuQRCqUs
"By the secrets of the gods' minds," Ollin stabbed a finger repeatedly at the side of his head.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qJQMPAahX
"It is true," Ann agreed that their knowledge would reveal them.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNA1mmf512O
"How many heavens are there?" Ollin snapped.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0JcpGHyDP
Ann laughed. "Does the High Priest of Sacrifice covet the mantle of the High Priest of Knowledge?" Her voice was light.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE3yWE5VSM
"How many heavens?" he snarled.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAKnhTB0A0
"Thirteen." Ann was grateful for her interest in Aztec culture.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmIBKx0wul
"Name them."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1zDdPSsHy
"If the truth of my divinity lies hidden in my mind, let Tetzel seek it," she replied.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8egELhiqFb
"And so he shall." Ollin's voice was full of malevolence. "Just as the chosen warrior, whose grandfather built this temple, shall challenge your servant."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmM6iSv89IC
"To what purpose?" Ann asked.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOvu9pNlSM
Ollin stared into her eyes. "To determine which of them will survive to command the Aztec armies."414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqj5hYf0oa
Ann was shaken. She knew the shock had shown in her eyes, and she also knew that Ollin has seen it.414Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojH6sdyty3
