Levack, Simon - [SS] Four Hundred Rabbits [v1.0]_files/image001.jpgLevack, Simon - [SS] Four Hundred Rabbits [v1.0].htm

FOUR HUNDRED RABBITS

by SimonLevack

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Art byRon Bucalo

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SimonLevacks writing career was launched when he won the Crime Writers Associationof Britains Debut Dagger Award. The book introduced his series characterYaotl, an Aztec slave. Yaotl now appears in a fourth novel entitled Tributeof Death, published in 2007 by Lulu Enterprises UK. What a treat that thisseries, which the Guardian calls always gripping and surprising, nowincludes short stories.

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The Dance of the Four Hundred Rabbitswas a part of the midwinter Festival of the Raising of Banners, a time when weAztecs honoured our war god, Huitztilopochtli, the Hummingbird of the South.While warrior captives were having their hearts torn out in front of the wargods temple at the top of the Great Pyramid, a more genial ritual was beingenacted nearby, in honour of the gods of sacred wine.

The priest named TwoRabbit presided over the temple of the god whose name he bore. He calledtogether dancers, young men from the Houses of Tears, the priests trainingschools. Each dancer represented one of the four hundred lesser gods of sacredwine, the Four Hundred Rabbits.

The task oforganising the proceedings fell to Two Rabbits deputy, Patecatl. It was hisjob to set up the jars of sacred wine that were at the heart of the ceremonyand to lay out drinking straws ready for the dancers at the end of theirperformance. For the climax of the dance was the moment when their graceful,sinuous movements broke up and they fell greedily upon the jars and thedrinking straws, every man jabbing his neighbour with knee and elbow and fistin his eagerness to be first.

There were fourhundred dancers and fifty-two jars. But there were only two hundred and sixtystraws, and of those, only one was bored through. Among the four hundred youngmen who had been picked for this ceremony, one alone would stand with a hollowreed at a jar of sacred wine, happily drinking his fill.

It was a game ofchance, but also a ritual, watched closely by Two Rabbit and Patecatl for cluesto the will of the gods. Two hundred and sixty was the number of days in oursacred calendar, and fifty-two the number of years between the ceremonialkindling of one new fire and the next. To see which young man seized the rightstraw and which jar he drank from might give the priests a clue to what lay inthe future for our people.

Unless somebody triedto shorten the odds.

* * * *

Move yourself,slave!

I scrambled to myfeet, narrowly avoiding the kick my masters steward had casually aimed at mewhile I bolted what was left of my warm tortilla. The sweet girl from thepalace kitchen who had passed it to me fresh from the griddle backed away intoa corner, her eyes wide with sudden fear, but the big bully did not berate herfor wasting bread on me. Nor did he demand to know what I was doing or hurlsome witless insult at me, which was unusual. Instead, with a curt Come withme! he turned and stalked away.

Thanks a lot,Huitztic, I grumbled. I glanced over my shoulder but the girl had fled. Wewere getting along nicely there, too....

I hung back,preparing to dodge the kick that a remark like that would normally provoke, butall the response I got was, This is no time for jokes. His Lordship hassomething to show you.

That was restrainedby the stewards standards. Intrigued, I caught him up, and noticed that he wassweating. It was a cold, clear morning, when the frost lay late on the earthand the sky above the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan was a blue so bright it hurtthe eyes, yet his brow was beaded with moisture, glittering in the sunshine.

In here. He led meinto a courtyard. Your slave Yaotl, my Lord! he announced in a loud whisper.

The enclosure wasdark, surrounded by high walls the Sun had yet to clear, and the only warmthand light in it came from a squat brazier at its centre. I paused, squintinginto corners while my eyes adjusted and I tried to make out what it was I wasmeant to see.

The feeble glow ofthe coals set off my masters features perfectly, picking out every line andwrinkle in his gnarled old face, but making his bright, ferocious eyes shine.Lord Feathered in Black, the chief minister, chief justice, and chief priest ofthe Aztecs, the second most powerful man in Mexico-Tenochtitlan and perhaps themost dangerous, did not trouble to greet me. Instead he leaned forward in thehigh-backed wicker chair that was an emblem of his rank, clutching hisjaguar-skin mantle around him, and snarled: Look at the boythe rabbit, here.Tell me what happened to him.

I followed his gazeand saw for the first time that there was a young man sprawled against thecourtyard wall. His legs were splayed like an infants. In the poor light, hisskin looked sallow and unhealthy, and a trickle of saliva glittered like silverleaf on his chin. His eyes were open, but as I looked more closely I realizedhe saw nothing through them. Their pupils were huge black disks that stayedfixed on something far away when I passed a hand in front of them. His breathhad a sour reek that I knew well. He had been drinking sacred wine. Perhaps hehad been celebrating: I noticed that he was missing the single lock of hairthat boys grew at the napes of their necks, and this was a sign that he hadtaken his first captive in battle, and could call himself a warrior.

Why had my mastercalled him the rabbit?

I felt a moment ofpanic as I struggled to answer His Lordships question. The old man was notrenowned for his patience.

It was the steward whosaved me, unwittingly. With a sudden nervous giggle he called out: Come on,Yaotl. Whats he taken? Youre the expert!

I stiffenedindignantly at the taunt. Huitztic knew my past: how I had sold myself intoLord Feathered in Blacks service, trading my freedom for the sum of twentylarge cloaks, enough to keep me in drink when I had nothing left but thebreechcloth wrapped around my loins. He knew also what had first driven me toseek refuge in a gourd of sacred wine: the despair and humiliation of beingexpelled from the priesthood, years before. As a priest I had learned andexperienced the use of every kind of leaf, herb, seed, and root, everything aman could put into his body to turn him into a slobbering imbecile. The stewardscomment was a deliberate jibe, and it stung, but even as I bit back my retort Irealized the oaf had given me the clue I needed.

My master respondedbefore I could. Be quiet, you idiot, he snapped. Youre in enough troubleover this already! Yaotl, I want your answer before I have both of youstrangled!

Hes been drinking,I said hastily. Thats obvious, I can smell it. But its not just that. Sacredwine wouldnt leave him like this. Hed just have been violently sick and thenfallen asleep, and by now hed have a sore head and a tongue like tree bark.Anyway, you didnt send for me to tell you hes got a hangover. Hes hadsomething elsemushrooms, perhaps: the Food of the Gods. But I dontunderstand... I hesitated before turning to look at the grim-faced old man inthe chair. Whats he to you, my Lord? Why do you need to know what happened?

Isnt it enough thatsome prankster chose to break up the Dance of the Four Hundred Rabbitsareligious ceremony, and me the chief priest? But it just so happens that thisyoung fool is my great-nephew. So I take what happened rather personally.

The Dance of the FourHundred Rabbits! In the years since I had left the priesthood I had all butforgotten about it, but it came back to me now. And the young man had reeked ofsacred wine, which could mean only one thing. Your great-nephew won thecontest?

The chief ministersdeathly features twisted into something resembling a smile. His prize turnedout to be more than he expectedas you have confirmed for me. Now youll find outthe resthow it happened, and who was responsible. He cast a sideways glanceat his steward, who squirmed grotesquely. You and Huitztic will look into thistogether.

I had to repress agroan. Being made to investigate what sounded like a childish trick would bebad enough without having that vicious buffoon of a steward for company.

I will not be made afool of. I noticed with a thrill of dread that my masters voice had droppedto a whisper, a sign of his rage. I will not have my family made fools of.Somebody did this to young Heron here to spite me. After youve brought me hisname, Ill have him cursing the gods for ever letting him be born!

* * * *

What are you introuble for?

We were barely out ofearshot of Lord Feathered in Black. The moment we were dismissed, Huitzticstrode on ahead as before with barely a backward glance. I hung back until Ijudged I was out of range of his fists before I dared mention the thing thathad most intrigued me about the interview we had just had: the stewardsobvious fear and our masters equally evident anger with him.

I had miscalculated.The man spun on his heel and his long, powerful legs brought him back to me intwo steps. Before I could react he had the knot of my cloak in his fist and wastwisting it, tightening the rough cloth around my neck until I could feel myskin burning under it and was struggling to breathe.

Lets get one thingclear, you little worm. Spittle flew into my face as he dragged it closer tohis. I am not the one in trouble. I only did what he told me to. It wasPatecatl who let him down, not me, and Im not going to let you talk the oldman into believing other-wise. Ill cut your tongue out if I catch you eventhinking about it!

Patecatl? I managedto gasp. You mean the priest?

Hes already inprison. Thats where were going nowto see if theyve sweated the truth out ofhim yet. Maybe you can think of some clever way of tricking him into giving itto us. If you cant, then youd better just keep your mouth shut. Old BlackFeathers may have told me I had to have you trailing around after me like alost dog, but I dont have to like it! He let go with a snarl, thrusting meaway from him so hard that I fell over backwards, my legs buckling under me.

The priests inprison? I repeated as I got up. I had to run to keep pace with him as he madeoff into the street outside our masters palace. What for, though? You may aswell tell me what you think he did.

Huitztic ignored mysuggestion until he was brought up short by one of the citys countless canals.As he looked right and left for a boat that could take us to the prison, heapparently had second thoughts. Wrinkling his nose as though he had caught awhiff of the green water at his feet, he muttered: All right. I may as well,since weve got to see him together. But you remember what I said. I only didwhat I was told!

* * * *

So how do you thinkHeron managed to win the contest? the steward asked as he flopped angrily intothe stern of the boat.

It wasnt just luck,then? I had already guessed that if the gods had willed the outcome, they hadhad some human help to arrange it.

Only if having oneof the most powerful men in the world for your great-uncle counts as luck.Actually, old Black Feathers cant stand the young toad, but he dotes on hisniecethe boys motherand she wants to see her son get to the top.

And winning acontest like this wont do the lads career any harm. To be marked with thegods favour counted for almost as much as taking a captive in war. So ourmaster ordered you to give him a helping hand, is that it?

Huitztic gripped theboats sides so hard his knuckles turned white. Me and the priest both. YoungHeron had the only hollow drinking-tube sewn into the hem of his cloak, after Idbeen to get it from Patecatl. Only I reckon it had more than a hole in it. Howhard would it have been for him to prime it before he gave it to me?

I thought about it. Nothard. Mushrooms, you could dry them, grind them into powder, and as long as youdidnt pack them in too tight I suppose the young man could have sucked it upwith the sacred wine without noticingat least until it started to work. Didanyone look at the tube afterwards?

Sure. Heron wasstill clutching it when he was brought here. But the poison was all gone bythen, of course.

It would have been alot simpler to put the stuff in the jar, wouldnt it?

Huitztic sniggered. Yourenot so clever after all, are you? Which jar would you put it in, then?

I grasped hismeaning: How could the poisoner have known which of the fifty-two vessels todope? All of them?

No. Lord Featheredin Black let some of his serfs drink the rest of the jars dry. You missed anopportunity there! They could barely stand up afterwards, of course, but it wasnothing like what happened to Heron.

I frowned. The restof the jars?

Heron had polishedoff the jar he was drinking out of before the stuff started taking effect. Sowe cant tell what may have been in it.

I was still puzzled.Cheating the gods was a fearful thing to do, but at least their vengeance wasuncertain, and might be a long way off. I could not understand why a priest whohad agreed to do that would go on to risk the immediate and all-too-certainconsequences of angering Lord Feathered in Black.

Perhaps I was aboutto find out; for the long stone wall of the prison now loomed above us.

* * * *

I knew the prison. Ihad been confined here once, awaiting punishment after my arrest for drunkenness.I had to halt on the threshold for a moment, clutching the doorway and shuttingmy eyes as the sights, sounds, and smells came back to me in a rush: the linesof cramped wooden cages stretching away into the gloom, the stench of piss andfear and starvation, the shouting. At almost any time of the day or night, as Iremembered, somebody would be raving, protesting his innocence or hurling abuseat the guards or calling for his mother, and when he fell silent others wouldtake up the cry, screaming or crying and rattling the wooden bars of theircages hopelessly.

Somebody was shoutingnow. The words seemed to run into one another as they echoed through the longhall, so that I could not make them all out.

Huitztic shoved mefrom behind. Get a move on, before I have them lock you up too!

I stumbled forward,almost colliding with the guard who had come to find out what we wanted. Whenwe had told him he said: Good thing youre here. Maybe you can make him shutup.

My masters stewardlaughed harshly. Just bash him over the head! That ought to do it.

The guard, astolid-looking man in a veteran warriors long cloak and embroideredbreechcloth, hefted his cudgel and gave us a lopsided grin. I dont think so.I dont want to have to explain to my chief why I laid out Two Rabbit.

I frowned. I thoughtit was his deputy you had in here.

It is. But theprisoners chief came to pay him a visit. And hes the one shouting.

We hurried past therows of cages, ignored or tracked obsessively by the wretches who squatted inthem. At our approach, the shouting seemed to reach a crescendo, before dyingout abruptly as the tall, slender figure standing in front of one of the cagesswung his gaunt face towards us.

If he not been makingso much noise, I might have missed him altogether. As a priest, he was drapedin black, and had stained his face and limbs with pitch, so that in the gloomthere was little to see of him but his eyes, which were wide and startlinglypale.

The guard steppedforward. Now, Two Rabbit, he urged, theres no need for this. Youll startthem all off, and thatll bring my chief running, and Ill never hear the endof it.

The priest turnedback to the cage and kicked it hard enough to make the bars rattle. There was arustle of movement in response, but with Two Rabbit between us I could notclearly see the occupant.

Hey! the guardyelled. Be careful, thats government property!

Do you know whatthis creature did? the priest rasped. The words burst between his tightlycompressed lips like steam from a green log thrown on a fire.

Huitztic pushedhimself forward. We know exactly what he did! he cried eagerly. And mymasters going to see him punished for it!

Your master? Thepale eyes narrowed. But youre Lord Feathered in Blacks steward, arent you?

Thats right, andthe chief minister will...

We never found outwhat the chief minister was going to do, because his stewards words weredrowned by the other mans outraged howl. Lord Feathered in Black! Hes asguilty as this vermin here. He ought to be in that cage with him!

Now, steady on, theguard said anxiously. Thats dangerous talk.

As dangerous asmocking the gods? As dangerous as making a laughingstock of their priests?With a last, baleful glance at the cage, he moved, pushing past us beforestalking out of the hall. He wont get away with it! Tell him that from me!

Huitztic saidnothing. It was the man in the cage who spoke next.

Yaotl? Is that you?

* * * *

Everybody appeared tobe staring at me: Huitztic, the prison guard, even the desperate, hollow-eyedprisoners in the shadows around us. They all seemed to be saying: You know thisperson? And the tone in which they seemed to be saying it was not friendly.

You must rememberme, Yaotl. We trained together. With Two Rabbit gone, I could see his formerdeputy clearly now. Patecatl had pushed his hand between the bars of the cagein an imploring gesture.

At first I could onlygaze at him while I tried to work out where he might have seen me before. Whenthe answer came to me I could only whisper: Fire Snake?

Yes! the man criedeagerly, straining against the wooden bars until they creaked. Fire Snake,thats right! Your old pal. Listen, youve got to get me out of here.

Fire Snake: a namefrom my childhood, from the House of Tears, the harsh school for boys who wouldbe priests. We had not known each other well or liked each other much, but if Ihad been where he was, I too might have looked upon any familiar face as along-lost friends.

Huitztic interruptedbefore I had a chance to reply. Get you out of here? He took a step towardsthe cage and swung his foot at it, making the prisoner leap backwards as thewooden bars rattled for a second time.

Will you leave mybloody cage alone? the guard yelled.

Ignoring him, thesteward went on ranting at the prisoner. This slave isnt going to get you outof anything! All hes here for is to listen to you tell us how you poisonedHeron. Go on, how did you do it? How did those mushrooms get into that tube?

I dont know whatyoure talking about! the man in the cage protested. Anyway, Im not tellingyou anything. Its your fault Im in here. You set me up!

Youll talk, or Ill... Ill... Huitztic lunged at the cage, grasping the bars and shaking themimpotently. Let me at him! Its time we got him out of there and knocked thetruth out of him!

You keep away, theguard warned. Nobody touches my prisoners without orders.

This is ridiculous!Huitztic spluttered. Dont you know I work for the chief minister?

So do I, the guardpointed out.

Just then Fire Snakespoke up. Ill talk to Yaotl. No one else.

Who asked you? thesteward snapped. Well make you talk!

How are you going todo that? I inquired. The guard wont let you torture him.

The steward turned onthe guard resentfully. What kind of a prison are you running here, anyway?

We usually juststarve them, the other man offered. A few days without food loosens theirtongues, and its much less messy than mutilation.

We havent got a fewdays!

Ill talk to Yaotl,the man in the cage offered quietly.

Why dont you leavehim to me? I suggested. Lord Feathered in Black told me to investigate thisbusiness, didnt he? So let me do it.

This mans a friendof yours! the steward objected. You just want to get him off and put me inthat cage instead!

It was a temptingthought, but all I said was: Then leave the guard here. Hell tell you if westart hatching any conspiracies.

* * * *

This had better begood, I told the man crouching on the other side of the bars, otherwiseHuitztics likely to talk the old man into having me move in there with you.

The steward hadstormed off, declaring that he was going to see what the chief minister had tosay about this, and that he would be back.

Fire Snake peered upat me miserably. But hes the man who set this thing up! Youve got to helpme, Yaotl!

I glanced uneasily atthe guard, who was pacing about the hall, snarling at his other charges as ifit would help him keep them in order. I suspected he was wondering whether itwould not after all have been wiser to have looked the other way while Huitzticbeat a confession out of his prisoner.

Old Black Featherssent me here for a reason, I replied, speaking half to myself. If he wantedyou roasted over a slow fire for what happened to his great-nephew, then youdbe cooking already. I think Im here because he doesnt know what happenedhimself and he doesnt believe what hes been told about it.

So you think Ivegot a chance? he demanded eagerly, his hands gripping the bars.

Only if you tell methe truth. I cant convince the old man otherwise. Did you put the poison inthat straw?

No!

How did it get therethen?

Huitztic must havedone it!

Youre going to haveto do better than that, I said a little testily. Its just your word againsthis. Whos the chief minister going to believe, you or his own steward? Andmore to the point, I thought, what would the steward do to me if I accused himwithout evidence?

Fire Snake looked atthe floor. I dont know what happened, he admitted. That straw was cleanwhen I gave it to the steward. I remember holding it up to the light, to checkit had been bored right through. There was nothing there.

Why did you agree tohelp Heron cheat? Two Rabbit was rightyou were making a mockery of theceremony. Did you expect the gods to be happy about that?

Lord Feathered inBlack isnt afraid of the gods, he muttered. His steward made it pretty clearwhat would happen to me and my family if I didnt cooperate. He even had thecheek to suggest I make whatever sacrifices were needed to assuage the godsanger afterwards! The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable, and for thefirst time I felt a pang of sympathy for him.

I know what it lookslike, he added wretchedly. I was there when they tested all those jars, rightup until the last slave started snoring and they took me away. If any of thesacred wine was poisoned, it was only the jar Heron drank out of, and how couldanyone have known which one that would be? It has to have been the tube, but Iwasnt the one who put the stuff in it.

Theres no way hecould have taken the stuff before the dance? Or during it?

No chance. Someonewould have noticed him munching on mushrooms between dance movements, and if hedhad them before it started he wouldnt have been standing up by the end.

Then somebody musthave poisoned the sacred wine, I said. I had been stooping over the cage. NowI stood up briskly. It has to have been one or the other, doesnt it? Thestraw or the pot. Did you see anybody else doing anything to the pot Herondrank from?

No, but there wereso any of them clambering over each other and pushing each other out of the wayit was hard to see anything clearly.

I imagined the climaxof the ceremony: fifty-two clay pots in the middle of a violent, heaving massof eager young men. Even if one of them had been able to guess which jar Heronwould drink out of, how had he managed to slip the poison into it withoutanyone noticing?

Out of the corner ofmy eye I saw the guard moving purposefully towards us. Our conversation wasalmost over. As I turned to leave, however, one last thought struck me. CouldHeron have told anyone about the edge you and Huitztic had given him? Someonewith a motive to interfere?

Fire Snake uttered agasp of laughter. I can think of three hundred and ninety-nine men who had amotive! he said. Four hundred if you count Two Rabbit.

Why him?

You heard him justnow. He thinks the gods have been mocked and hes been made a fool of. And heblames me. Hes never liked me, says Im too ambitious.

Herons hardlylikely to have told Two Rabbit what he was planning, though, is he?

Fire Snake scowledfor a moment, as if in disappointment. I suppose not. He could have boastedabout it to someone else, though.

Who would thatbeone of the other young men? One of his rivals in the competition? I dontthink so. Is there anyone else?

I dont know ... Ithink he has a girl. But I dont know where youd find her.

A cough at myshoulder told me it was time to move on.

* * * *

I crept furtivelyabout my masters palace, peering cautiously in before I would look into aroom, keeping to the shadows as I skirted the edges of courtyards, taking coverwhen I needed to behind acacia bushes, yucca plants from the lowlands, andother greenery. I did not want the steward to see me until I had reported tothe chief minister, and I would not be ready to do that until after I hadspoken to Heron. I assumed he was still at the palace, since I suspected thateven if he had recovered consciousness, he was unlikely to be in fit state togo wandering off for a while yet. I wondered whether he would cooperate if Iasked him whom he had told about the trick. If he did not, then I had no ideawhat I would do. I did not seem to have learned anything useful from FireSnake.

I wondered about thegirl the priest had mentioned. A young man like Heron, with his nobleconnections and fresh from his first triumph on the battlefield, might have hispick of the girls from the pleasure houses. From what I had heard, though, itsounded as though he had a more settled arrangement than that. If she knewabout the young mans attempt to cheat the gods, I had to find out; and then Iwould need to know whom she might have told the secret to.

I was padding assilently as I could along a dark colonnade when a sudden sound stopped me in mytracks: a loud groan, a cry of pain.

The noise appeared tobe coming from a nearby courtyard. As I crept towards it, I heard it again, butthis time it was shut off abruptly, and replaced by something quite different:a womans voice, hissing furiously: Its no use moaning and expecting me to feelsorry for you. What happened was your own fault!

How do you make thatout? I didnt put mushroom powder in that jar myself, did I?

I grinned. It seemedas though I need look no further for Heron or his girl.

If you hadnt triedto cheat, it wouldnt have happened!

How was I supposedto win if I didnt cheat? And please dont shout, Precious Flower.

The girl had notraised her voice above a whisper, but clearly the sacred wine and the mushroomshad not quite worn off, so it probably sounded to Heron as though a Master ofYouths were shouting orders into his ear. I peeped around the corner to watchthem. He lay stretched out on a stone bench with a cloth over his head. Thegirl, a tall, slim beauty in a fine cotton blouse and skirt, stood over him withher arms folded. Her hair was loose, like a pleasure girls, but there was nored stain around her mouth and no sign of the yellow ochre that pleasure girlswore to lighten their skins.

Heron raised his heada little, thought better of it, and let it drop again. Hastily Precious Flowerstooped to put her hand under it to stop it striking the bare stone.

Anyway, he mumbledungratefully, how did they find out what I was going to do? You must have toldthem!

She stepped away fromhim, probably wishing she had let the hard limestone knock some sense into hisskull after all. It would serve you right if I did! she cried indignantly. Youwould keep boasting about having an edge over the others!

Heron squirmed,either in pain or anger, but did not get up. Instead he turned his head toglare at the girl. I knew it! he snapped. Who did you tell, you bitch? Wasit Firstborn Son or Owl?

I watched shock andhurt cross the girls features, making her blink in time to the young manswords. No, I...

I decided I had heardenough. Strolling into the courtyard I said, deliberately loudly: Youreabsolutely sure it wasnt the steward who poisoned you, then?

The girl squealed anddarted to one side. Heron gasped, squirmed again, and fell onto the floor in atangle of limbs and soiled cloth.

I smiled at the girl.Im Yaotl. His great-uncle told me to find out what had happened.

She stared at methrough big, moist eyes. I dont understand.

Did you tell anyoneabout the trick with the tube?

She must have done!the young man protested, heaving himself back onto his seat. How else did theyknow to put the mushrooms in that jar?

Oh, shut up, I toldhim. I looked at the girl.

She did not lower hereyes. No, she replied firmly. I didnt, and I will eat earth. She boweddown and touched the ground with a fingertip, then put it to her mouth, in thegesture that was an Aztecs most sacred oath.

The young man wassitting up now, with his knees slightly apart, and seemed to be watchingsomething fascinating on the ground between them. It cant have been Huitztic,he said indistinctly. Hes my pal. Keeps my great-uncle off my backcovers upfor me when Im out late. When the old mans gone and I get my share of hislands, therell be something in it for old Huitztiche knows that.

So he expects toprofit from your advancement?

Thats it, theyoungster said eagerly. He looked up. The old man told me you were a priest,so you know what winning that contest would mean, especially now that Ivetaken my first captive. I wondered whether that had been arranged for him too.Why would Huitztic want to screw it up for both of us?

It made sense, Irealized. I realized something else, too: My master was too shrewd not to knowwhat was going on between his steward and his great-nephew. That was why I hadbeen told to look into it with Huitztic. Old Black Feathers had not been ableto think of any explanation for what had happened that did not implicate thesteward, but he had not been able to work out what Huitztics motive forhumiliating his great-nephew might have been either.

So who else did youtell, apart from Precious Flower here?

I didnt! And Illeat earth too, if you want!

Dont bother. Justtell me about those two you mentionedOwl and Firstborn Son. Who are they,young toughs like you?

Thats right.Thought they were my friends, too, but Owl in particular... He shot a venomouslook at the girl.

What was I supposedto do? she cried out, colouring. He asked for me. Im a pleasure girl, Heron,Im not allowed to save myself for you, you know that! And then, suddenly, sheburst into tears. It wasnt me, really it wasnt. I wouldnt tell anyone, eventhough I was angry with you. And I was only angry because you kept boastingabout what you were going to do!

As she went toembrace him, and he allowed her to, I decided it was time to withdraw. I hadlearned all I was going to here, and I had seen enough of Herons smirking,winking face.

I decided it was timeI paid a visit to the temple of the god of sacred wine.

* * * *

To my surprise, thetemple was deserted. As I approached its precinct I had to shoulder my waythrough the citys usual evening crowdtraders taking unsold goods back fromthe marketplaces, youngsters going home from the Houses of Youth, labourersreturning from the fieldsbut as soon as I was within the walls, all the bustleand noise was gone, replaced by a strange, echoing silence. The sudden changegave the place a forlorn air, added to by the way it had been left. Normallythe flagstones would have been carefully swept, but not today. It did notappear to have been touched since the chaotic events of the previous afternoon.The large pottery jars stood where they had been put out for the dancers,mostly empty now but still filling the air around them with a stale, soursmell. On the ground around them were scattered the reeds, apparently lyingwhere they had been dropped. Some were slightly flattened, probably squashed bythe young men as they squabbled over them. Here and there a scrap of torn clothor a severed sandal strap showed where a fight had broken out.

I had been hoping tofind the head priest, Two Rabbit, here, but he was clearly not coming backtoday. I noticed that the brazier in front of the temple, which ought to havebeen permanently lit, had gone out. I wondered whether after what had happened,the priest was afraid that the gods might have withdrawn their favour. Maybe hethought the place was now unlucky. I remembered that Lord Feathered in Blackhad sent his serfs to taste the sacred wine that had been left in the pots, butpresumably he did not care what curses he might bring down on their heads.

I shivered. I feltsuddenly sick, not with fear but from the smell of all that sacred wine. Someof the old craving had returned, and I was glad the pots were empty, because mybody had started telling me that what I needed at that moment was a drink.

Im wasting my time,I muttered, kicking at the straws scattered at my feet. I got nothing out ofHeron and his girl, and theres nothing here either. I still dont even knowhow they managed to get the poison into that jar, never mind who did it. For afew moments I pretended to look for clues, although I had no idea what I hopedto find: something that looked like powdered mushrooms, perhaps. I soon gave upin disgust.

Nothing here, Irepeated. Just fifty-two empty pots and two hundred and sixty straws no onecould drink out of. I thought about that. No, two hundred and fifty-nine, ofcourse.

Then I thought aboutit again.

I looked at thestraws scattered around me, now looking pale as bones in the gathering dusk. Iwhispered a curse, and then set to gathering them, scooping them up in handfulsand carrying them to a corner.

After I had taken alast look around to ensure that none had rolled away unnoticed, I began tocount them.

* * * *

By the time I hadfinished my task, sorting the reeds into thirteen neat piles, the light in theplaza was too poor to see by, and I was working by touch, stooping to put thelast few straws in place. I finished the job in haste. Night and the thingsthat haunted it frightened me less than they did most Aztecsmy prieststraining helped with thatbut there was something about this place that unnervedme, making me feel as though I were being watched. I wanted to be done as soonas I could.

By the time I hadfinished, however, I knew how the chief ministers great-nephew had beenpoisoned, and I could make a good guess at who might have done it. I had tosmile as I thought about the trick: It was clever and somehow fitting.

I could feel my smilefading as I contemplated the report I would have to give my master. Iremembered the vain young man I had seen arguing with the pleasure girl,Precious Flower, and wondered whether the person who had decided to teach him alesson truly deserved whatever brutal punishment Lord Feathered in Black had inmind. But I could not see what I could do to prevent it without bringing theold mans wrath down on my own head.

There was no sound inthe courtyard that I could hear. Nonetheless the sensation that I was not alonewould not go away. I could feel it as a tingling at the nape of my neck and acoldness beyond the chill of the evening air.

I turned to go,expecting to feel my way out of the plaza. However, I had not taken three stepsbefore I bumped into something large and hard.

Hey...!

The thing moved.Suddenly I was lifted off my feet, the breath squeezed out of me in a bear hug.I heared a mans voice, very low but clear: So the priest told you, did he?

I struggled, lashingout with my feet but kicking only empty air. I wanted to shout but had nobreath to do it with.

Where is it? theman holding me hissed. You found it, didnt you? What have you done with it?

All I could manage byway of reply was a strangled gasp. My assailants grip slackened a little whenhe realised that I could not answer his questions unless he stopped trying tosuffocate me.

I thought quickly. Itsall right, I croaked, using up the little air he allowed me. I know whathappened. It was Huitztic, the steward! He put the poison inIve got theproof!

It did not work. Thepowerful arms gripped me tighter than ever. I felt dizzy. Coloured lights beganto dance before my eyes.

Then another manspoke, from somewhere in the shadows. I knew the voice instantly.

Whos that? Yaotl?Whats going on?

The man holding medropped me on the ground.

As I fell, crashingbackwards onto the flagstones, my lungs filled up and I was able to yell: Huitztic,stop him!

The steward did notunderstand. There you are! he bellowed triumphantly. I know your game. Youthought youd hide from me until youd made up a pack of lies to tell to LordFeathered in Black. Ill see you dead before you pin this thing on me!

I groaned aloud. Noyouidiot!quick, stop that bastard before he runs away!

A foot flew out ofthe night and slammed into my shoulder. I gasped in pain. I drew breath to callout again but then I heard the sound of running feet, moving away.

Huitztic yelled: Gotyou, you miserable slavewait, who are you?

His words turned intoa cry of pain as the young man who had assaulted me hit him.

After that there wasa long silence, broken only by the stewards painful whimpering.

So which one wasthat? I wondered out loud, while I nursed my bruised throat. Was it Owl orFirstborn Son, do you think?

There was no answer.

I think wed bettergo and see old Black Feathers now, I continued, and if you dont say anythingabout how both you and that young fool tried to silence me, then I wont.

* * * *

My master received mealone, seated in his favourite place, under the magnolia on the roof of hispalace. We left the steward in the courtyard below to fret and pace aboutnervously. He still thought I was going to accuse him, but I knew that wouldnot do for the old man. He wanted proof.

I showed him what Ihad brought from the temple. It was, I had guessed, the thing the young man whohad attacked me had been after: the one reed out of the two hundred and sixty Ihad found that had seemed lighter than the rest. As he held it up to peer atthe Moon through it, I told him what had happened.

There were fourhundred dancers, two hundred and sixty straws, and fifty-two jars, I began.

Yes, yes, I know,he replied absently, still squinting through the tube.

What I said next gothis full attention, however. Wrong! There were two hundred and sixty-onestrawsand two of them were bored through. The one your great-nephew had, andthis one.

No, that doesntmake sense. If two of them had cheated, one of the others would have becomeintoxicatedor worse, if hed drunk from the same jar as Heron.

He was at the samejar as Heron, my Lord. He didnt drink, though. He must have smuggled that tubein just as Heron did, but he never intended to suck through it. He blew.

My masters sharpeyes glittered as he stared at me.

That ceremony alwaysturns into a riot. Theres no time for anyone to check whether the tube theyvegot is hollow or not, if theyre lucky enough to be able to lay hands on one atall. So youll always get several young men sucking away at each jar, most ofthem due to be disappointed. The one who poisoned your great nephew knew thatand took advantage of it. He stuck close to Heron with a hollow reed full ofpowdered mushrooms, knowing nobody would think anything of it if he dipped hisreed in the same jar. He blew the poison in just as Heron was slurping thestuff up.

Lord Feathered inBlack looked at the tube with distaste. Clever, he conceded. But if what yousay is right, then how do we know which of them it was?

I dont think weever will, I replied carefully. I was sure it had been either Owl or FirstbornSon who had attacked me, but I did not blame him. He must have been terrifiedwhen he found out how hard the chief minister had taken his prank.

Well, at least weknow where he got the straw from, the chief minister said.

We do?

Two Rabbit. Hevanished yesterday, just after you saw him at the prison. Collected a fewthings from his lodging at the temple and hasnt been seen since. I dontsuppose he ever will be again, at least not in Mexico.

* * * *

I found Fire Snakelooking none the worse for his brief stay in the prison.

You did it! Welldone, Yaotlthank you, old friend, thank you! I shant forget this....

I wish you would, Isaid shortly.

If theres everanything I can do...

I looked at his eagerface, the grin white against the pitch he used to stain it, and felt disgusted.The gods had been affronted, but all that mattered to Fire Snake was that hehad got away with it. Just tell me something, I said quietly. How did TwoRabbit know what you and Heron had done?

The effusion of wordsabruptly halted. He hesitated before saying: But we talked about that. Didnthe learn it from someone Heron had been bragging to? What about that girl?

Precious Flower didnttalk. Ive met them both. She didnt like what Heron had done but theres noway shed betray him. That young fool doesnt deserve her.

Well, then...

In fact, I went on,it seems to me theres only one person who could or would have told him,expecting him to do exactly what he did. His assistant, the one he thought wastoo ambitious. You knew how this was likely to turn out, didnt you? When thatyoung man attacked meI still dont know who it was, by the way, and I dontwant tohe said he thought the priest had told me what happened. At first Ithought he meant you, but he was talking about Two Rabbit. Your chief gave oneof Herons rivals a tube full of sacred mushrooms, but he only did it becausehe knew what Heron was going to do. And he can only have learned of that fromyou.

Thats absurd! FireSnake protested, but I could hear the tremor in his voice.

No, I think itsquite clever. You didnt actually poison young Heron but you found a way tobring it about. The possibility of implicating poor old Two Rabbit must havemade it even sweeter for you. Of course, it went a bit wrong when you were arrestedyoudidnt expect that, Id guessbut it all turned out well in the end, didnt it?Will they make you chief priest now, I wonder?

He clutched anxiouslyat the hem of my cloak as I turned away from him, but I did not want to hearany more claims on an old friendship that had never existed.

As I walked out,though, I called over my shoulder: But dont worry. I wont tell old BlackFeathers. I dont really care who made a fool of his great-nephew, or why. Itprobably served him right.

From EQMM March-April 2008 .txtA N.E.R.D's Release

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