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. 352Please respect copyright.PENANAYFaLRMThgd
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.352Please respect copyright.PENANAKH6Ppb9jU1
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.352Please respect copyright.PENANAr0dhxaR4Pc
"The High Priests are coming," she whispered.352Please respect copyright.PENANApAgppz0tbJ
Dr. Smith pointed his finger at Ann. "Consider yourself warned, young lady," he growled.352Please respect copyright.PENANAkUxECG3RsR
Penny was about to ask what was going on when the High Priests entered the antechamber. They bowed.352Please respect copyright.PENANAFtP3vevzrq
"The temple awaits your presence, O' Great Spirit of Nenetl," Tetzel addressed her.352Please respect copyright.PENANA7p3AdgHVYF
"My handmaiden remains here," Ann pointed at Penny.352Please respect copyright.PENANAWpwCXCJj0F
"As Nenetl decrees," Ollin replied.352Please respect copyright.PENANAcdpoiQOluI
"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.352Please respect copyright.PENANANZ6QbwOYXJ
"We shall be honored by his presence," said Tetzel.352Please respect copyright.PENANA7ngfPMY4SO
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.352Please respect copyright.PENANAGvFjn6KVQR
"Stay here, Penny," he warned.352Please respect copyright.PENANAm5iJJUhyZW
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.352Please respect copyright.PENANAJoTI9oKH1f
"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.352Please respect copyright.PENANAChY3Of4l2p
But Penny in the antechamber below heard, and, defying her Uncle Zachary's command, she went up the stairs and peeped through the curtain.352Please respect copyright.PENANAbcFor2UasS
Tetzel turned to Ann. "O' Great Spirit of Nenetl, step forth so that we may honor you."352Please respect copyright.PENANAAgo12uX1WX
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.352Please respect copyright.PENANA28b9iH6H9Y
"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.352Please respect copyright.PENANAjIo6grbENs
Ollin picked up the obsidian knife and the warrior lay down on the altar.352Please respect copyright.PENANA05l2vDvLnN
"Take his arms," Ollin ordered Yaotl, and then to Don, "Take his legs."352Please respect copyright.PENANA3i6w56FGiT
Before he obeyed, Don glanced at Dr. Smith, who looked away in distress.352Please respect copyright.PENANAYR9uj5sZtr
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!"352Please respect copyright.PENANA8sCkKFYtES
Penny screamed and ran into the temple as Ann stepped to her feet.352Please respect copyright.PENANAykrRBpDPzQ
"Stop, Ollin! I, Nenetl command you!"352Please respect copyright.PENANAVysJQtOmA6
The High Priest's hands were quivering with frustration as he spun around to face Ann.352Please respect copyright.PENANAuH8irwGotF
"Let no more blood be spilt!" She looked at Don and Yaotl. "Release him."352Please respect copyright.PENANAfhimVwsxOA
The warrior jumped to his feet as they obeyed and he went angrily to the throne. 352Please respect copyright.PENANA0alllhxSxe
"You have denied me honor," he accused her.352Please respect copyright.PENANAOssLD4Xy06
"Then honor Tlaloc with our death," Ollin said.352Please respect copyright.PENANAE9kh8sHizy
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.352Please respect copyright.PENANAu9eAJn7UTA
Ann sat down in shock, then there was a blinding flash of lightning, a clap of thunder and the rain came down in torrents.352Please respect copyright.PENANA40gfXk8jSG
Ollin leered victoriously at Ann. "With death came rain," he proclaimed.352Please respect copyright.PENANAEf7fqriBcT
"Without your sacrifice came rain," Ann replied as steadily as she could.352Please respect copyright.PENANAbi8fhGoHC8
Ollin glanced slyly at Penny as he limped over to the throne. "Does Nenetl speak as a God or the protector of a handmaiden?"352Please respect copyright.PENANASaQaN7Qvx3
"As a god."352Please respect copyright.PENANAW0vGVXRV1j
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."352Please respect copyright.PENANAwCTZcaYg96
"She did not know it."352Please respect copyright.PENANALCFuXSBGGL
"Then let knowledge be beaten into her!"352Please respect copyright.PENANAXjHX5nxNkx
Ann stood up and went to Penny's side. "No one shall be punished for an offense committed in ignorance."352Please respect copyright.PENANASeRJIFl2HR
"I demand that she be punished," Ollin snarled.352Please respect copyright.PENANAUX6CDM4Oec
"No," Ann was adamant, but she knew a compromise had to be reached. "Let her instead be taught respect for your customs."352Please respect copyright.PENANA5fOcOgueqd
Tetzal stepped forward. "I shall take her to the seminary," he said.352Please respect copyright.PENANAImlBCqhfCS
Ann smiled at him. "So be it, Tetzal."352Please respect copyright.PENANA0kVAfmImZt
"The Great Spirit of Nenetl has spoken." He bowed and led Penny from the temple.352Please respect copyright.PENANAqCg04ykBkd
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.352Please respect copyright.PENANAOIKZkuMfdY
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.352Please respect copyright.PENANAe55kpOMVLP
Dr. Smith stared at her.352Please respect copyright.PENANA4e4E7ANHTM
"Well, young lady, are you satisfied, happy with your day's work?"352Please respect copyright.PENANAibBYpZtWma
Ann stared at the carpeted floor, fighting back the tears which welled up in her eyes.352Please respect copyright.PENANAIr9p57XoUX
"You wouldn't be advised, would you?" Dr. Smith persisted. "Dear me, no. You knew better."352Please respect copyright.PENANATvNcjUKwi5
"I couldn't sit there and watch that young man being slaughtered." Ann's voice was choked and she bit on her lower lip.352Please respect copyright.PENANAhhjtveG4CH
"Do you think we felt differently?" Dr. Smith snapped.352Please respect copyright.PENANAooBhKZgVAE
Ann shook her head in misery.352Please respect copyright.PENANAXzFhR1HLfR
"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."352Please respect copyright.PENANAkeoT5IxDL2
"I had to try." She was barely audible.352Please respect copyright.PENANAqFGc10132f
"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."352Please respect copyright.PENANAPEFyHXoAcu
"At least she's safe there." Ann swallowed hard.352Please respect copyright.PENANAiC3Da22mlc
"She was perfectly safe here until you started meddling."352Please respect copyright.PENANAuwIG5octYb
Ann clenched her fists. "I wanted it to rain without that young man being killed."352Please respect copyright.PENANAmPqNhVTZTZ
"Ann, he wanted to be offered to the Gods. It made him one as well."352Please respect copyright.PENANAYqa8BD7KxE
The tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "I didn't think about it in those terms."352Please respect copyright.PENANA8K6vCkXEns
"More likely, you simply didn't think," Dr. Smith retorted angrily.352Please respect copyright.PENANANu7ZIKCy7x
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.352Please respect copyright.PENANA3lw1y5WNH8
"Oh, please, please, just go away," she sobbed, "and leave me alone."352Please respect copyright.PENANA0CdaU37Yct
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."352Please respect copyright.PENANARygqjvmbhm
Ann looked at him through her tears and shook her head. "No, I'm crying because you were quite right."352Please respect copyright.PENANAxPrXNHNGWw
"Here, dry your eyes." Dr. Smith offered his handkerchief. She took it, dabbed her eyes, wiped her cheeks, and sniffed.352Please respect copyright.PENANA5u4H4r9M7K
"What have I done to us?" she asked, tugging at the handkerchief.352Please respect copyright.PENANAYMXdAz966y
"It's done now," Dr. Smith shrugged, "but what happens next is also up to you."352Please respect copyright.PENANAwsRQQQoWkK
"Me?" Ann looked surprised.352Please respect copyright.PENANAzsCZFHnfQh
Dr. Smith tapped the palm of one hand with his other fist. "Hold off Ollin," he said.352Please respect copyright.PENANAencnSXz7qM
"How can I? As you've just said, he has no faith in me."352Please respect copyright.PENANAnD6XznDqd3
"But Tetzal does." Dr. Smith had a glint in his eyes which Ann had seen before.352Please respect copyright.PENANAfqcSFTfHcI
"You want me to play them off against each other," she ventured.352Please respect copyright.PENANAa7BjN5qmNr
Dr. Smith nodded. "I do, Ann. The more Ollin doubts you, the more you must convince Tetzal that you are Nenetl."352Please respect copyright.PENANACzPg9bEOxx
"You believe Sacrifice won't dare defy Knowledge."352Please respect copyright.PENANAffcxGUQfz2
"You saw for yourself, my dear. Ollin wanted Penny beaten, but when Tetzal suggested taking her to the seminary he gave way."352Please respect copyright.PENANAWRrKdJYkAg
"What about you and Don?"352Please respect copyright.PENANAAJByzwUKfx
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."352Please respect copyright.PENANAS4tQf2pz0d
"Dr. Smith, you're an old rogue," Ann rebuked him with a smile.352Please respect copyright.PENANAg9hmOK8XeH
"But really, Ann, it's up to you. As long as you are here, and they trust you, we are reasonably safe."352Please respect copyright.PENANAaRIrZwWE8S
"I understand," she replied.352Please respect copyright.PENANAZtNm53Zssv
The antechamber door opened and Ollin limped into the room. Ann and Dr. Smith remained seated.352Please respect copyright.PENANAG1ktmMBNg9
"You enter unannounced," Ann said haughtily.352Please respect copyright.PENANA3Tk15LLsEA
"I proclaim myself only to my gods," Ollin relied and looked at Dr. Smith. "Let the old man go down to the garden."352Please respect copyright.PENANAV82jHmbNr3
Dr. Smith noted that he had been relegated from the aged servant of Nenetl to an old man.352Please respect copyright.PENANAlitB5zz353
"Enjoy the company of your newfound friend," Ann said as Dr. Smith stood up, bowed, and muttered his obedience to Nenetl's commands.352Please respect copyright.PENANAFPJkC1LBrA
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?"352Please respect copyright.PENANAVAnw7MbWGo
Ann held out her wrist with the bracelet on it. "By the signs of their divinity," she replied.352Please respect copyright.PENANApLOq2fDUkL
"And if thieves walk among the gods?"352Please respect copyright.PENANAh4ojhiHEb2
"Then, indeed, how shall a man know," she conceded.352Please respect copyright.PENANALeTXNEgjpG
"By the secrets of the gods' minds," Ollin stabbed a finger repeatedly at the side of his head.352Please respect copyright.PENANA7wKJR32Hcv
"It is true," Ann agreed that their knowledge would reveal them.352Please respect copyright.PENANAUDBUC8Rx71
"How many heavens are there?" Ollin snapped.352Please respect copyright.PENANA8glkLSioZQ
Ann laughed. "Does the High Priest of Sacrifice covet the mantle of the High Priest of Knowledge?" Her voice was light.352Please respect copyright.PENANARYhkeqNd40
"How many heavens?" he snarled.352Please respect copyright.PENANAgC8vgYLW2W
"Thirteen." Ann was grateful for her interest in Aztec culture.352Please respect copyright.PENANAUd6k8qvYrJ
"Name them."352Please respect copyright.PENANAsoqSXyn8WY
"If the truth of my divinity lies hidden in my mind, let Tetzel seek it," she replied.352Please respect copyright.PENANAQIOk7X5oMB
"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."352Please respect copyright.PENANA0wRjufDJ3D
"To what purpose?" Ann asked.352Please respect copyright.PENANAS3EE6ChyaY
Ollin stared into her eyes. "To determine which of them will survive to command the Aztec armies."352Please respect copyright.PENANAYp8hYBdM6v
Ann was shaken. She knew the shock had shown in her eyes, and she also knew that Ollin has seen it.352Please respect copyright.PENANAsSwBntusZO