the virgin of the sun-第51章

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it　is　needful　that　you　should　swear　by　the　Sun　that　you　will　return
thence　to　Cuzco。　Will　you　do　this？〃

Now　as　there　was　nothing　I　desired　more　than　to　return　to　Cuzco　where
Quilla　was；　I　answered　that　I　would　swear　by　my　own　god；　by　the　Sun；
and　by　my　sword；　unless　the　Chancas　detained　me　by　force。　Further；　I
prayed　him　to　set　out　his　business。

He　did　so　in　these　words：

〃Lord；　we　have　come　to　know；　it　matters　not　how；　that　the　man　who
appeared　with　you　in　this　land　is　no　other　than　Kari；　the　elder　son　of
the　Inca；　whom　we　thought　dead。　Now　it　is　in　the　Inca's　mind；　and　in
the　minds　of　us；　his　councillors；　to　proclaim　the　Prince　Kari　as　heir
to　the　throne　which　soon　he　would　be　called　upon　to　fill。　But　the
matter　is　very　dangerous；　seeing　that　Urco　still　commands　the　army　and
many　of　the　great　lords　who　are　of　his　mother's　House　cling　to　him；
hoping　to　receive　advancement　from　him　when　he　becomes　Inca。〃

〃But；　Priest　Larico；　Urco；　they　say；　is　like　to　die；　and　if　so　all
this　trouble　will　melt　like　a　cloud。〃

〃Your　sword　bit　deep；　Lord；　but　I　have　it　from　his　physicians　that　as
the　brain　is　uncut　he　will　not　die；　although　he　will　be　sick　for　a
long　while。　Therefore　we　must　act　while　he　is　sick；　since　it　is　not
lawful　to　bring　about　his　end；　even　if　he　could　be　come　at。　Time
presses；　Lord；　for　as　you　have　seen；　the　Inca　is　old　and　feeble　and
his　mind　is　weak。　Indeed　at　times　he　has　no　mind；　though　at　others　his
strength　returns　to　him。〃

〃Which　means　that　I　deal　with　you　who　are　the　chief　priest；　and　those
behind　you；〃　I　said；　looking　him　in　the　eyes。

〃That　is　what　it　means；　Lord。　Now　hearken　while　I　tell　you　the　truth。
After　the　Inca　I　am　the　most　powerful　man　in　Tavantinsuyu；　indeed　for
the　most　part　the　Inca　speaks　with　my　voice　although　I　seem　to　speak
with　his。　Yet　I　am　in　a　snare。　Heretofore　I　have　supported　Urco
because　there　was　no　other　who　could　become　Inca；　although　he　is　a
brutal　and　an　evil　man。　Of　late；　however；　since　my　return　from　the
City　of　the　Chancas；　I　have　quarrelled　with　Urco　because　he　has　lost
that　witch；　the　lady　Quilla；　whom　he　desires　madly　and　lays　the　blame
on　me；　and　it　has　come　to　my　knowledge　that　when　he　succeeds　to　the
throne　it　is　his　purpose　to　kill　me；　which　doubtless　he　will　do　if　he
can；　or　at　the　least　to　cast　me　from　my　place　and　power；　which　is　as
bad　as　death。　Therefore；　I　desire　to　make　my　peace　with　Kari；　if　he
will　swear　to　continue　me　in　my　office；　and　this　I　can　only　do　through
you。　Bring　this　peace　about；　Lord；　and　I　will　promise　you　anything　you
may　wish；　even　perchance　to　the　Incaship　itself；　should　aught　happen
to　Kari　or　should　he　refuse　my　offers。　I　think　that　the　Quichuas　might
welcome　a　white　god　from　the　Sea　who　has　shown　himself　so　great　a
general　and　so　brave　in　battle；　and　who　has　knowledge　and　wisdom　more
than　theirs；　to　rule　over　them；〃　he　added　reflectively。　〃Only　then；
Lord；　it　would　be　needful　to　be　rid　of　Kari　as　well　as　of　Urco。〃

〃To　which　I　would　never　consent；〃　I　replied；　〃seeing　that　he　is　my
friend　with　whom　I　have　shared　many　dangers。　Moreover；　I　do　not　wish
to　be　Inca。〃

〃Is　there　then　anything　else　that　you　wish　very　much；　Lord？　A　thought
came　to　me；　yonder　at　the　City　of　the　Chancas。　By　the　way；　how　lovely
is　that　lady　Quilla　and　how　royal　a　woman。　It　is　most　strange　that　she
should　have　turned　her　mind　towards　an　aged　man　like　Upanqui。〃

We　looked　at　each　other。

〃Very　strange；〃　I　said。　〃It　seems　to　me　sad　also　that　this　beauteous
Quilla　should　be　immured　in　a　nunnery　for　life。　To　tell　you　the　truth；
High…priest；　since　it　is　not　good　for　man　to　live　alone；　rather　than
that　such　a　thing　should　have　happened　I　would　have　married　her
myself；　to　which　perchance　she　might　have　consented。〃

Again　we　looked　at　each　other　and　I　went　on：

〃I　hinted　as　much　to　Kari　after　we　heard　she　was　numbered　amongst　the
Virgins；　and　asked　him　whether；　should　he　become　Inca；　he　would　take
her　thence　and　give　her　to　me。〃

〃What　did　he　answer；　Lord？〃

〃He　said　that　though　he　loved　me　like　a　brother；　first　he　would　kill
me　with　his　own　hand；　since　such　a　deed　would　be　sacrilege　against　the
Sun。　Last　night　also　the　Inca　himself　said　much　the　same。〃

〃Is　it　so；　Lord？　Well；　we　priests　bring　up　our　Incas　to　think　thus。　If
we　did　not；　where　would　our　power　be；　seeing　that　we　are　the　Voice　of
the　Sun　upon　earth　and　issue　his　decrees？〃

〃But　do　you　always　think　thus　yourselves；　O　High…priest？〃

〃Not　quite　always。　There　are　loopholes　in　every　law　of　gods　and　men。
For　example；　I　believe　I　see　one　in　the　instance　of　this　lady　Quilla。
But　before　we　waste　more　time　in　talkingtell　me；　White　Lord；　do　you
desire　her；　and　if　so；　are　you　ready　to　pay　me　my　price？　It　is　that
you　shall　assure　to　me　the　friendship　of　the　prince　Kari；　should　he
become　Inca；　and　the　continuance　of　my　power　and　office。〃

〃My　answer　is　that　I　do　desire　this　lady；　O　High…priest；　and　that　if　I
can　I　will　obtain　from　Kari　the　promise　of　what　you　seek。　And　now
where　is　the　loophole？〃

〃I　seem　to　remember；　Lord；　that　there　is　an　ancient　law　which　says
that　none　who　are　maimed　may　be　the　wives　of　the　Sun。　It　is　true　that
this　law　applies　to　them　/before/　they　contract　the　holy　marriage。
Still；　if　the　point　came　up　before　me　as　high…priest；　I　might　perhaps
find　that　it　applied　also　to　those　who　were　maimed　/after/　marriage。
The　case　is　rare；　for　which　precedents　cannot　be　found　if　the　search
be　thorough。　Now　through　the　wickedness　of　Urco；　as　it　happens；　this
lady　Quilla　has　been　blinded；　and　therefore　is　no　longer　perfect　in
her　body。　Do　you　understand？〃

〃Quite。　But　what　would　Upanqui　or　Kari　say？　The　Incas　you　declare　are
always　bigots　and　might　interpret　this　law　otherwise。〃

〃I　cannot　tell；　Lord；　but　let　us　cease　from　beating　bushes。　I　will
help　you　if　I　can；　if　you　will　help　me　if　/you/　can；　though　I　daresay
that　in　the　end　you；　who　are　not　a　bigot；　must　take　the　law　into　your
own　hands；　as　perhaps　the　lady　Quilla；　who　is　a　moon…worshipper；　would
be　willing　to　do　also。〃

The　finish　of　it　was　that　this　cunning　priest　and　statesman　and　I　made
a　bargain。　If　I　could　win　Kari　over　to　his　interests；　then　he　swore　by
the　Sun　that　he　would　gain　me　access　to　the　lady　Quilla　and　help　me　to
fly　with　her；　if　so　we　both　wished；　while　I　on　my　part　swore　to　plead
his　cause　with　Kari。　Moreover；　as　he　showed　me；　there　was　little　fear
that　either　of　us　would　break　these　oaths　since　henceforth　each　lay　in
the　power　of　the　other。

After　this　we　passed　on　to　public　matters。　I　was　charged　to　offer　an
honourable　truce　to　Huaracha　and　the　Chancas　with　permission　to　them
to　camp　their　armies　in　certain　valleys　near　to　Cuzco　where　they　would
be　fed　until　peace　was　declared；　which　peace　would　give　them　all　they
needed；　namely；　their　freedom　and　safeguards　from　attack。　For　the　rest
I　was　to　bring　Kari　and　those　who　had　deserted　to　him　on　the　yesterday
into　Cuzco　where　none　would　molest　them。

Then　he　went；　leaving　me　happier　than　I　had　been　since　I　bade　farewell
to　Quilla。　For　now　at　last　I　saw　light；　a　faint　uncertain　light；　it
was　true；　only　to　be　reached；　if　reached　at　all；　through　many
difficulties　and　dangers；　but　still　light。　At　last　I　had　found　someone
in　this　land　of　black　superstition　who　was　not　a　bigot；　and　who；　being
the　High…priest　of　the　Sun；　knew　too　much　of　his　god　to　fear　him　or　to
believe　that　he　should　come　down　to　earth　and　burn　it　up　should　one　of
the　hundreds　of　his　brides　seek　another　husband。　Of　course　this　Larico
might　betray　me　and　Quilla；　but　I　did　not　think　he　would；　since　he　had
nothing　to　gain　thereby；　and　might　have　much　to　lose；　for　the　reason
that　I　was　able；　or　he　thought　that　I　was　able；　to　set　Kari　against
him。　At　least　I　could　only　go　forward　and　trust　to　fortune；　though　in
fact　hitherto　she　had　never　shown　me　favour　where　woman　was　concerned。



Awhile　later　I　was　being　borne　in　one　of　the　Inca's　own　litters　back
to　the　camp　of　the　Chancas；　accompanied　by　an　embassy　of　great　lords。

We　passed　over　that　dreadful；　bloodstained　plain　where；　under　a　flag
of　truce；　both　sides　were　engaged　in　burying　the　thousands　of　their
dead；　and　came　to　the　ridge　whence　we　had　c