Young Jaguar, The (7 page)

Mecatl’s face lost any trace of its usual
cheerfulness. “Atolli, tell me you are not serious! To break into the Palace’s
grounds after the temple incident? You will make matters so much worse by doing
that. They may actually execute you. No one climbs the Palace’s walls, no one!”

“We did it once, remember?”

“But we were children! Now we are grownups with all
this trouble on our hands for doing just that – climbing walls we should not be
climbing. Get it out of your head!”

But he wouldn’t listen. And now, sneaking behind the
trees of the artificial grove at the deepening dusk, he began thinking that his
friend might have been right. What would he tell them if questioned? How had he
gotten here and for what purpose?

The muffled voices reached him, causing him to stop
dead in his tracks. A man was talking, calmly, reassuringly.

Afraid to breathe, Atolli froze behind the thick
trunk of a
kapoc
tree.

“There is no need to hurry,” said a deep, slightly
familiar voice.

A grunt was the man’s answer. Atolli peeked
carefully.

By the same pond he had remembered the slender form
of a girl, sat yet another cloaked figure, rigid and stiff, his back to the
talker, facing the water but not tossing any flowers into it. The second man
stood behind, relatively at ease, but with a certain amount of deference.

“It all will be ready in good time,” repeated the
standing man. “There is no need to hurry such events.”

The cloaked man grunted. “It’s good for you not to
hurry, staying in Azcapotzalco.” The hooded head turned sharply. “How can I be
sure of anyone, even you?”

“You can be sure of me and my people, Oh Revered
One. Azcapotzalco will see you back in a very short time.”

“How short?”

“Two moons at the most.”

“It is a long time to be away.”

“Not with your faithful people working diligently to
have you back.”

The cloaked man turned away once again. “How many
will be siding with us?”

“Many.”

“Then why not now?”

“Such a move has to be prepared. The sudden death of
your Revered Father caught us unprepared.”

“You are sloppy.” Irritably, the cloaked man picked
up a pebble and tossed it into the water. “How could my father leave me with
such a forsaken province? Me, the First Son!”

“He was very ill in the end. He would never do this
otherwise.”

In the middle of the pond another pebble landed with
a splash.

“How many of the advisers will side with me?”

“More than half.”

“What about the warriors’ leaders?”

“We’ll make sure they do not object.”

“And the Chief Warlord? He may prove difficult. He
seems to be pleased with our new Emperor.” The voice of the sitting man shook
with disdain at these last words.

“He will not be a problem.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“He is my nephew, he will obey.”

Sweat coated Atolli’s back, making him cold in the
heat of the late afternoon.

“Make sure of him, the sooner the better.” The man
turned away once again. “When do I leave?”

“I would stall for a market interval or two.”

“Why?”

“So as not to make our new Emperor suspicious. He
should know you have resigned yourself to the wishes of your Revered Father,
but not too readily. He knows you are not happy.”

“You are a devious man, you know?” The cloaked man
rose, and Atolli sank deeper into the shadows. “I warn you not to play any of
your tricks with me.”

As the threatening voice began melting away, he
dared to breathe once again. Grateful for the deepening darkness, he closed his
eyes.

What was that all about?
he asked himself
helplessly, knowing that whatever it was, it could be no good. And it had
something to do with his father.

He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. The
trees loomed around him, dark and threatening.

Absently, he began making his way back toward the
high walls. Father had to know about this conversation. What would his father’s
Great Uncle force the Chief Warlord to agree to? The conversation made it clear
it would be something Atolli’s father would not approve of. What? What did the
first emperor’s son want? And would he still go out to rule Coatepec?

Oh, mighty gods, please let Xicohtli go to
Coatepec as planned. He is my way out of this mess. I need it so!

He stopped in his tracks. Chictli! He had to see
her. He had come here to see her, to tell her he wanted to join, whatever his
father’s answer would be. Listening to
her
father’s schemes, he’d
forgotten all about it.

He looked around. How would he find any of her
slaves in the thickening darkness?

Careful as a warrior closing in on the enemy, he
slunk past the pond, searching the trail he had walked yesterday, following her
slave.

Chapter 7

Sakuna knelt before the straw mat, eyeing the child
who had laid there - a pitiful mess of matted hair, sticky with sweat, the
blankets wet and smelly from the medicine he had vomited up, along with the
remnants of his food.

She examined the small chest and watched it rising
and falling, less rapid than before. The blanket under the disheveled head was
now darker, soaked with sweat. Good! The child’s face shone with perspiration.

She brushed damp strands of hair off the small
forehead, her palm lingering, feeling it. Yes, he was definitely cooler now.
Still hot, but not burning with fever as badly as before. What a relief! The
root of
chichipilli
, left in a boiled water for a while, was of a great
help, as usual.

The women in the room held their breath. There were
four of them present – three slaves and the Mistress of the House.

“Is he any better?” Nopalli’s voice shook as she
moved a pace, hesitating, as though afraid to come nearer.

“Yes. He is sweating, and it’s a good sign. Some of
the heat has gone.” Sakuna got up. “Clean this mess and put him on another
mat,” she said, addressing the servants. “Wrap him in a clean blanket.
Actually, I would move him to another room or even out into the gardens for a
while,” she added as an afterthought. “Let him get some fresh air.”

Nopalli looked appalled. “He will catch a cold!”

“In summer?”

“No, no. He will stay here until he gets better,”
said the Mistress of the House decisively. “He will be safer here.” She glanced
at the women. “What are you waiting for? Do what Sakuna says! Clean up this
mess and bring a new blanket and another mat.” She took Sakuna’s arm and led
her out of the small room, rolling her eyes as she walked. “You wouldn’t
believe how stupid, inept, inefficient those slaves are! Are your slaves any
good?”

“Some of them,” muttered Sakuna.

She didn’t like talking about slaves. She could have
been one of them, had things turned out differently. She knew there was more to
life than the noblewomen of Azcapotzalco would ever dream. “I’m so glad he did
drink the potion after all!”

“Oh, he is a stubborn one, even when sick.” Nopalli
sighed. “But I really feared for him this time. With the outbreak of the summer
disease, one can never be sure, can one? I hate this season. It’s so hot and
humid, and so many people get sick and die.” The young woman shook her head as
if trying to banish the gloom. “He did get me worried, this child. I can’t
believe he would not swallow the medicine!” She laughed and led the way toward
the spaciousness of her inner rooms. 

“It’s really very bitter. I can’t blame him.”

Nopalli giggled. “I am prepared to bet ten cocoa
beans it was not as bitter as the drinks I was made to swallow while birthing
him.”

“No!”

They laughed, and the stocky, talkative hostess
clapped her hands. “Tell the cook to send us chocolate drinks and
refreshments,” she said to the servant. “We deserve a snack even if it’s not
the best time of the day to eat, don’t we?”

Sakuna shifted uncomfortably. “I should go home
soon. It’s getting dark.”

“Oh, what nonsense! I’ll get an army of slaves to
take you home safely, sister. And the Warlord would know you are here, so if he
is back, he’ll send for you.” The large, oval eyes sparkled. “But it’ll be a
while before he comes home.”

“Why?”

“The delegations from all over the Great Lake arrived
to pay their respects to the new Emperor. Even the representatives from the distant
Texcoco showed up this morning, surprising everyone. They’ll be talking and
scheming and planning, keeping your husband busy for most of the night.”
Nopalli was famous for her gossiping skills. There was no Palace story that she
didn’t know about.

“It’s all quiet in Texcoco now, isn’t it? No new
wars or anything?” That refined Acolhua
altepetl
was so distant, placed
on the other side of the Great Lake. She hoped Tecpatl would not have to go out
there.

“No. Since we took their
altepetl
from the
savage Chichimec, it’s all quiet and peaceful around there.” Nopalli inhaled
loudly. “What a war it was! So many slaves, so many spoils. The markets were
bursting with exotic jewelry and clothing, remember?”

“I was not yet in Azcapotzalco when it happened,”
admitted Sakuna, uncomfortable once again.

“Ah, I keep forgetting.” The large eyes measured her
guest mischievously. “But there were wars in your lands too. I remember our
esteemed Chief-Warlord-to-be coming back all bruised and limping, his leg
almost rotting away. I was just a girl, but I remember. He looked magnificent.
All of the girls wished their fathers would give them to him. Who would think
he would bring you back and would never take another?” The large eyes twinkled,
throwing Sakuna further off balance. “Do you know why he’d been sent away in
the first place?”

Sakuna shook her head, not sure she wanted to know.

“He had done something shameful. Made a mistake,
something to do with some battle, something wrong and disgraceful. They said he
might have been captured, Imagine that! Such a promising warrior getting
himself almost captured alive. I don’t know exactly what it was. There were
plenty of rumors. So, his father asked my father, who was by then already one
of the Emperor’s advisers, to smooth the matter. And my father made sure
Tecpatl got sent away. To live it down, you know. To let the matters calm.” The
young woman’s eyes sparkled, their excitement spilling. “But do you think he
was grateful for such a perfect solution? Do you think he wanted to go? He had
the gall to argue, imagine that! To argue with his Revered Uncle, no more, no
less. Your elder, Atolli, reminds me of him, you know? As proud, as promising,
as stubborn. Although his trouble is more serious than his father’s was.”

“What would you do if he was your son?”

“Me? Oh, I would go to my father and beg him to fix
the matter. My blood and my connections are infinitely better than yours.” The
wink of the stocky woman was an innocent one. “But then, I’m not the wife of
the Chief Warlord. Your husband should be able to solve this problem.”

“I know that,” said Sakuna, more impatiently than
she’d intended. “But what if Atolli doesn’t want to involve his father? If you
are right and he is like Tecpatl, you should understand his pride wouldn’t let
him accept any help.”

“He cannot decide on such matters. Tecpatl had the
gall to argue when my father wished to send him away, but away he went. Your
son is only a youth of fifteen summers; he cannot decide on his fate. Tecpatl
is such a stern leader, but he is stern neither with you, nor with his
children.”

“That is a slur!” began Sakuna hotly, but the laugh
of the young woman trilled with such radiant playfulness, her anger died before
being born. “This is not true, you know?”

She could feel the reassuring touch of the well-kept
palm. “You get angry so easily, sister.” Nopalli’s wide smile displayed a row
of large beautiful teeth. “Don’t. In Azcapotzalco a woman best survives by
keeping her head cool. It is such a gossipy place. Always assume there is
nothing you do that will remain unknown. The nobles know everything about each
other. And the commoners know even more. But there is nothing wrong with that
either. Not even with making love to your husband in all kinds of places.” The
young woman winked, her eyes glittering, playful but friendly. “Servants
gossip, and the word gets around. But you shouldn’t feel bad about it. This is
your life, and you could do no better, anyway, could you?”

“I’m not sure about that. I didn’t come from a
forsaken village. I grew up in a civilized city, you know. And…”

The rising volume of voices startled them both.
Servants were running and many people talked outside, loud and sure of themselves.

“My husband came back, bringing along some company,”
stated Nopalli, rising to her feet. “I’ll make sure they are comfortable.”

“I should go.”

“Of course, not!” The gentle palm rose, stopping
Sakuna in the process of getting up. “They won’t need me. They are sure to
invade the gardens and make themselves comfortable there, drinking
octli
and cracking nuts. Wait for me here.”

“Then I’ll check on your youngest, while you are
away.”

This suggestion was greeted eagerly. “Will he need
to drink another potion?”

“I’ll prepare it, just in case. Tell the servants to
bring me a pot of boiled water.”

A maid appeared in the doorway. “Mistress, your
Revered Father is here.”

 Nopalli gasped. “Did he come with the Master?”

“Yes.”

“Then go and make sure everything is in order, and…”
The young woman’s palms ran through her wonderful mass of hair, tearing some
pins on their way. “Oh, what a mess! Why didn’t anyone warn me beforehand?” She
glanced at Sakuna, then turned to the maid once again. “Before you go, take
Sakuna to the kitchens and make sure she gets a pot of boiling water and
whatever she needs. Make one of the kitchen slaves carry it for her. Then come
and fix my hair.” She rolled her eyes at Sakuna. “What a mess. I’ll be with you
shortly. I will just make an appearance and leave. They won’t need me for more
than that, anyway.”

***

The child was still asleep, breathing rapidly.
Sakuna watched the small limbs jerking from time to time. He was hot again, and
she felt a twinge of anxiety. Her herbs should influence the patient for longer
than that.

She busied herself, stirring the now tepid water in
which a root of tomato was softening, giving away its magical qualities.
What
took Nopalli so long?

She could hear distant voices of the men outside,
loitering by the pond, lightened by many torches, probably, surrounded by
clouds of incense to keep the mosquitoes away.

“This way, please, Revered Master.” It was the
maid’s voice.

Sakuna shifted uneasily. Was that the father of the
boy, wishing to visit his ailing son?

She wished she was anywhere but here now, squatting
on the mat, stirring some strange smelling liquid like a common healer. Or
maybe a witch. Tecpatl was right; she should not have come. She sprang to her
feet.

The figure shadowing the doorway was shorter than
Nopalli’s husband, whom she had seen several times. The wide shoulders blocked
the entrance almost completely, so broad they hardly fit between the plastered
walls. His thick arms folded upon the square chest, the man regarded Sakuna
calmly and coldly, his squinted eyes flickering with amusement.

“Go away,” he said to the maid and paused to let the
frightened woman disappear down the hall. “Well, is this not my Esteemed
Nephew’s barbarian woman, stirring a brew of herbs like a common witch from the
forest?”

She stared at him speechless, her skin crawling.

The thin lips stretched into a smile. “Greetings,
little barbarian.”  

She licked her lips. “Greetings, Revered Uncle.” Her
mouth was so dry she found it difficult to move her lips.

“So, you have been serving my Second Daughter, while
your husband is busy seeking favor with our new Emperor.”

She fought her rising wave of panic. “I… Nopalli’s
child was sick… is sick. I wanted to help.”

“You would do better waiting for my Nephew to come
home, you know?” said the man conversationally, but his gaze remained heavy,
clinging to her. “He will want to talk to you, to tell you what transpired. He
does it from time to time, doesn't he? His day was not an easy one.” The bulky
figure did not move, standing there like a statue, blocking her way of escape.
“The new Emperor trusts your husband. He wants him to continue destroying
Culhuacan. But your husband would rather go back to the Mayan forests. Would he
not?” Another pause. “It can be arranged, you know? Not by the new Emperor, but
by a different one.”

She stared at the square, broad face speechless,
unable to breathe. Her heart seemed to shift upwards, tumbling into her ears,
interrupting her ability to think.

“He likes to talk to you about these matters, doesn’t
he? He even seems to value your opinions. Such an uncivilized practice, to talk
to a woman. Just like the refusal to take an additional wife. A civilized man
of my Nephew’s status should have been breeding with many women of exalted
birth. A barbarian like you he should have kept as his concubine. But my Nephew
is not as smart as he is stubborn. He would not listen to the advice of his
superiors, to the advice of people of superior knowledge. He would rather
listen to you. So I would have to talk to you, I suppose.”

She swallowed to make her throat work. “He always
listens to you, Revered Uncle. He values your advice greatly.”

The thin lips stretched into a wider smile, showing
surprisingly large white teeth. The teeth of a predator. 

“Oh, you are loyal, aren’t you? Or is it about your
status? You are a smart woman. You know you are safe as long as he lives, but
not a moment longer. Uncivilized women are smart, or they do not make it into
the most exalted ranks of Azcapotzalco’s nobility. I wonder how you kept him
from taking more women into his household.” The gaze measuring her suddenly
flickered with so much desire she took an involuntary step back. “I would love
to find out how you’ve been holding him in thrall for so many summers.”

Hurried footsteps echoed outside the room. “Revered
Father?”

The man turned his head. “Go away, Second Daughter.
I wish to talk to your friend.”

She could hear Nopalli hesitating just outside the
door.
Please, don’t go
, she thought fervently.
Please, find an excuse
to stay. Please!

The echo of Nopalli’s footsteps died away.

“We don’t have much time, do we?” said the man, not
moving from the doorway. “So, I will be brief. My Nephew is about to make a
wrong decision. He is about to throw his fate in with our new Emperor, not
realizing that this particular reign will not last. The First Son of the
deceased Emperor much better fitted to be our new ruler. He’ll rule more
successfully, expanding our lands and our influence. The wise man I’ve served
so faithfully for more than twenty summers made a mistake. A mistake that is up
to us, his most faithful advisers, to rectify. Do you understand me, woman?”