The two mammaconas who were to accompany Maria-Teresa to the Enchanted8 Realms of the Sun stood on each side of her, while the ten other priestesses, formed in two lines, passed and re-passed before her, in the intricate steps of a sacred dance. When they came before the Dead One’s throne, they fell to their knees, then rose again, chanting: “This is Huayna Capac, King of kings, son of the great Tapac Inca Yupanqui. He has come by the Corridors of Night to claim the new Coya offered by the Inca people to his son Atahualpa.” Then they moved backwards9, crossing and re-crossing, swaying their black veils. Twelve times they repeated this movement, and each time the chant grew louder, while the purl of the quenias swelled10 and broadened.
Maria-Teresa, holding Christobal closely to her, stared fixedly12 at Huayna Capac, and the Dead One seemed to stare back at her. He also wore the bat-skin robe made for the Corridors of Night, but beneath it could be seen the royal mantle13 and the golden sandals. His face, calm and severe, majestic14 in its still beauty, nearly had the hues15 of life; it was framed in masses of coal-black hair, crowned with the royal borla in which quivered the plumes16 of the coraquenque. Under the half-closed lids the eyes seemed living. The dead king was seated naturally, his hands resting on his knees, and so life-like was his whole attitude that to Maria-Teresa’s horrified17 eyes he seemed to be breathing. Only little Christobal heard her half-strangled cry, for the mammaconas were repeating their chant for the twelfth time, and with the piercing note of the quenias, deadened all other sound in the House of the Serpent.
Down below there, the mob of Indians was swaying, swaying gently from right to left, in imitation of the rhythmic18 movements of the three Guardians19 of the Temple. Maria-Teresa kept her eyes fixed11 on the dead king, not only because he was just opposite her and, half fascinated, she could not do otherwise, but also because she did not wish to look at the Red Ponchos20. She felt that if her eyes were allowed to wander for an instant, they would fatally betray the four.
Maria-Teresa was now as if half buried in the idea of death; she felt as if the earth had already claimed her, only leaving her head free for a little longer. She was becoming gradually hypnotized by the motionless monarch21, while the fanatical crowd about her wondered, awestruck.
Huascar raised his arm, two fingers of his right hand imposing22 immediate23 and absolute silence. The Guardians of the Temple drew near, pointing towards the vacant seat on the golden throne. Two mammaconas lifted up Maria-Teresa, carried her to it, and placed her beside Huayna Capac, son of the great Tapac Inca Yupanqui. Then the double throne was turned until it faced the assembly and the Red Ponchos.
Maria-Teresa closed her eyes, shivering at the thought of the corpse24 beside her. She dared not open them, realizing with horrible distinctness that if she did she must try to run down to Dick, or call out something that would betray them. Though her eyes were closed, and she outwardly seemed as dead as the mummy beside her, Maria-Teresa knew what was happening. Little Christobal, peeping over the curve of his sister’s arms, was watching everything, and a whisper, so low that she hardly felt the breath rising along her bare neck, said: “Dick has lifted his head.... Papa is looking at us... we must not move.” Maria-Teresa pressed her trembling fingers on the child’s lips, and he was silent.
So they were there. Her tired brain, working, working, wondered what they were going to do. It was horrible to know them there, hidden and helpless. For if they had not been helpless, they would not be hidden, they would have come with police and soldiers. Could it be that the Indians were masters of the country now? Then she thought of the revolution, of Garcia, who had once loved her. Why had they not gone to him? At a word, he would have come with his whole army. And they, hidden under their red ponchos, what could they do? What was their plan?
The mammaconas were chanting:—
“Earthquakes shook the world. The moon was girt with rings of many colors. Thunder fell on the royal palace, and reduced it to ashes. An eagle, hard pursued by falcons25, circled over the great square of the city, filling the heavens with his cries. Pierced by the talons26 of his foes27, he fell dead at the feet of the noblest among the Incas.”
At these words, recalling the defeat and death of their last ruler, all bent their heads, groaning28, and the breath of the quenia players trembled in the dead men’s bones. Huascar had also bent to the ground; then he raised his forehead and his eyes met those of Maria-Teresa. She shivered, and when he moved toward her, she thought her last hour had come. She had been able to appeal to the mercy of the crowd, but she could not call to this man, whose look showed that he loved her. She closed her eyes.
Huascar’s voice reached her, slow, cadenced29, and monotonous30.
“Coya, thou belongest to Huayna Capac, the great King who will take thee to the House of the Sons of the Sun. We leave thee alone with him. He will lead thee through the Corridors of Night, which no living man must know, and in the temple will seat thee among the Hundred Wives. Thou must obey him, thou must rise only if he rises! Thou must obey. And remember that the serpent watches in the House of the Serpent.”
He withdrew, still facing her, with the three Guardians of the Temple, while the great crowd below flowed silently through the three doors.
All the mammaconas followed, drawing their black veils over their faces, like widows leaving a cemetery31. Even the two who were also to die left her, first bending to kiss her feet, peeping shoeless from under the bat-skin robe.
Darkness was rapidly gaining the hall. Why were they leaving her alone there? What was this horror which even they dared not see? She must not rise unless he rose. Would this dead thing come to life, then, take her by the hand, and lead her into the eternal night? What of the Red Ponchos? She looked. They were still there, prostrate32 at the foot of the steps. The Guards of the Sacrifice, she had heard them called. They were stopping! A surge of joy filled her heart She felt less afraid now.
The Guardians of the Temple had left. Huascar had left.
Would the Red Ponchos follow? No, they did not move. She was watching them now, with her whole soul. They were still there, motionless, ready to spring to her rescue when the hall was empty, ready to carry her to the horses that must be waiting. The Dead One at all events could do nothing to prevent it.
There were only twenty Indians left in the hall now... only five... four... three.... They turned slowly at the doorway33 to look at her again... She sat motionless, rigid34.... She must not move unless the Dead One moved.... Only the four Red Ponchos remained....
She half screamed.... They also had risen, pacing slowly toward the doors.
It could not be! They could not be deserting her! But they were going away like the others, without looking in her direction. No, she must not scream... she must wait patiently... wait for a sign. Still walking slowly, three of them had gone to the three doors, but the fourth, Dick, turned suddenly, his finger on his lips.
Forgetting Huascar’s words, Maria-Teresa half rose in her seat. There was a revolver in Dick’s fist now, and her father had vanished through one of the doors, looking to make sure that the courtyard was deserted35. Then his voice gave the signal:—“Recuerda!” (Remember!) Dick dashed up the porphyry steps, Don Christobal following, while the two others remained at the doors.
“Come, Maria-Teresa! Quick!”
Dick stretched out his hands to take little Christobal, and Maria-Teresa had risen, when a terrible whistling sound filled the hall, and the two prisoners, shrieking36, were hurled37 back into the seat by the monstrous38 folds of a huge serpent which seemed to spring into life about them, binding39 them down to the throne of Death. The serpent of the House of the Serpent had come to claim his prey40.
Raising his revolver, Dick thundered at the hideous41 head towering above them, whistling with wide-open jaws42, and tore at the coils which imprisoned43 his fiancée. His hands fell, not on living flesh, but on hard, cold metal; copper44 rings which ground one against the other, overlapped45, and drew tighter. It was in vain that he and Don Christobal tore at them with furious hands.
“Look out! They are coming!” shouted Natividad from the doorway, and the hall was invaded by Indians, while the Serpent shrieked46 stridently, and a thousand rattles47 seemed to sound the alarm. The Marquis still tore at the coils that were choking his children, but Dick, hesitating a moment, dashed down the stairs. In a twinkling, the hall was full of Indians, priests, caciques, mammaconas, scores of Quichua soldiers from the train of Oviedo Runtu, who alone remained invisible.
Huascar appeared, still calm and immovable, as if this scene did not surprise him, as if nothing could surprise him. Had he known beforehand what was to have happened, he could not have given his orders more deliberately48. Don Christobal, Natividad, and Uncle Francis were tied up in a trice, the latter at last alarmed by the brutality49 of his captors. Dick had disappeared.
“Take them away,” ordered Huascar.
Don Christobal struggled, turned and looked once again. “Maria-Teresa! Christobal!” Then he too was hurried away.
Meanwhile Huascar, more and more somber50, directed the search for Dick. They hunted in vain; he had disappeared like a drop of water in the sea. Finally, Huascar gave the order to clear the hall again.
Left alone with the Guardians of the Temple, who stood caressing51 the serpent’s folds with their hideous little hands, the high-priest went behind the throne. In a moment, the brazen52 monster was silent, loosened its grip, and shrank link by link, until it vanished whence it had come.
Going to the wall, Huascar placed his hand on the coraquenque, and the massive stones rolled back; the throne shook, slipped backwards, and vanished down the Corridors of Night, taking with it the dead King, Maria-Teresa and little Christobal, both unconscious. The wall closed upon them, hiding again the secrets which only those who are ready to die may know.
The Guardians of the Temple bent their monstrous heads in obeisance53 before Huascar, and in their turn went out Huascar, last High-Priest of the Incas, was alone in the House of the Serpent Slowly going to the top of the porphyry steps, he sat down. His head dropped between his hands, and there he remained till dawn.
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1
pivot
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| v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的 | |
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2
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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4
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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7
dirge
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| n.哀乐，挽歌，庄重悲哀的乐曲 | |
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8
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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9
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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10
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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11
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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12
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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13
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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14
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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15
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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16
plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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17
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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18
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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19
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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20
ponchos
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| n.斗篷( poncho的名词复数 ) | |
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21
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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22
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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23
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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24
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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25
falcons
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| n.猎鹰( falcon的名词复数 ) | |
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26
talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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27
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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28
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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29
cadenced
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| adj.音调整齐的，有节奏的 | |
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30
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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31
cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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32
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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33
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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34
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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35
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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36
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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37
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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38
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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39
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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40
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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41
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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42
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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43
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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45
overlapped
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| _adj.重叠的v.部分重叠( overlap的过去式和过去分词 )；（物体）部份重叠；交叠；（时间上）部份重叠 | |
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46
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
rattles
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| （使）发出格格的响声， （使）作嘎嘎声( rattle的第三人称单数 )； 喋喋不休地说话； 迅速而嘎嘎作响地移动，堕下或走动； 使紧张，使恐惧 | |
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48
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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49
brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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50
somber
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| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
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51
caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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52
brazen
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| adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的 | |
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53
obeisance
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| n.鞠躬，敬礼 | |
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