Chapter Five: THE LEADER

Chapter Five: THE LEADER

The leader of the strangers stood underneath the big ceiba tree he had slashed with his sword. He addressed the sub-chiefs assembled in front of him through the stranger who spoke Maya.

“I come to you from the greatest king in the world, His Majesty Don Carlos of Spain. The mighty country of Spain lies on the other side of the Great Ocean, and we have crossed it to trade peacefully with you and to instruct you in the religion of the One True God.

“His Majesty Dos Carlos commands us to come in peace, yet you attacked us and tried to kill us for no reason. We do not understand why you attacked us, but you must understand that if you try to attack us again we will kill you. You saw yesterday the power of our lightning-bearers. The lightning-bearers are still angry with you, and it is hard for us to control the death-fire they carry in their bellies…”

Without warning, one of the huge metal tubes lined up on the edge of the square went off with an enormous explosion and belch of fire. No one was hurt, but just the same, Malinali fell to the ground terrified like all the sub-chiefs, who proceeded to call out to the strangers’ leader asking his forgiveness for their aggression and disobedience.

The leader accepted their pleas. “His Majesty Don Carlos forgives you. He commands you now to return to your villages, to return to your homes in this town, to work without fear. Go, therefore, to your people and tell them this, and tell them to be ready to trade with us when we come among them.”

The sub-chiefs were amazed at the leniency of the strangers. They had fully expected that a number of them would have been tortured, killed, and eaten – the normal way captured enemies are dealt with by their victors. To show their appreciation, they presented the leader and other strangers with gifts of golden ornaments – a lizard, a duck, two dogs, earrings, and other objects. The leader asked where the golden artifacts came from.

“They come from Mesheeka, the land of the Aztecs” he was told, “the richest land in the world and far to the west, whose armies shake the ground when they move.”

The leader looked closely at the sub-chief who said this, but Malinali noticed it was a look of interest and without fear.

Before they left, a sub-chief asked the stranger who spoke Mayan, “May we ask your leader his name?”

For the first time the leader smiled. He answered, “I am Captain Hernando Cortez.”

* * * * *

By the afternoon, the King of Pontochan, followed by his retinue and a horde of townspeople, entered the town. The King showed no fear, but he and all the rest expected a trap. There was none. The strangers were camped in the square or were back in their giant canoes. He could not believe they had not taken over his palace – indeed the strangers had not even ransacked it and stolen what they could.

“What kind of people are these ‘Spaniards,’ as they call themselves?” Malinali overheard the King ask one of his attendants. “What kind of gods do they believe in that they would act this way?”

The King ordered that food and presents be delivered to the Spaniards, several of whom went through the town and traded for jewelry, feathers, and ornaments with small transparent stones of different colors. Their leader, Captain Cortez, was not to be seen. Malinali thought he was back on his giant canoe.

The following morning, the Captain appeared at the palace and requested the King to accompany him to the battle-site at Centla. Assembling a large retinue which included Malinali, the King walked in a long procession with the Captain and the Spaniard soldiers to the Plains of Centla. There they found another group of soldiers had placed a large cross of wood in the ground. The cross was painted white.

The Captain spoke to his men, and the man who spoke Mayan interpreted for the King.

“This Cross commemorates our great victory at this spot. To be victorious against such impossible odds means that Heaven fought on our side. Our own strength alone could never have prevailed over such a multitude of enemies. Let us give thanks to the One True God for this victory and know that His purpose for us is to bring the word of Him to the people of this land.”

With that, the Captain and all his men without exception, went down on one knee and bowed their heads for some moments.

Arising, the Captain addressed the King. “You are now the vassal of His Majesty Don Carlos of Spain. This Cross is the symbol of our religion and of the One True God. You are to make sure it stays here forever. Our King commands us to continue our journey, so we depart from you in peace. When we return, we expect it shall be in peace also. If you dare to attack us again, you will die.”

The King could not believe his good fortune. He had tried to kill these strangers, they had fought back and conquered him instead, and now they were leaving! His cacao and maize fields weren’t destroyed, his palace and capital were not burned down, his wives were not raped, and his men in the hundreds or thousands weren’t killed and sacrificed to the strangers’ gods!

Overwhelmed by relief and gratitude, the King ordered that twenty slave girls be presented to the Captain. “You will need women to cook and clean and care for you on your journey,” he told the Captain. “Please accept these twenty slaves as a gift from the Pontochans who are now your friends and vassals.”

The Captain received the offer graciously from the King and expressed his appreciation. With that, the procession returned to the town, where the Spaniards collected their belongings and camp-gear, boarded the small canoes and rowed across the river to the giant canoes at the river island. The twenty slave girls went with the Spaniards.

Malinali was one of them.

On July 29, 2005, we initiated the serialization of a novel I am writing entitled The Jade Steps.

The Jade Steps has a two-fold purpose. The first is to tell Malinali’s story, as fascinating as it is unknown. The second is to bring peace to the civil war raging in the soul of Mexico. I hope you all enjoy it. Your feedback is welcome! — JW