His problem was, now that they were here, he just wanted to fulfil his task, deliver the message. It looked like it was going to be a little while yet before he could do that.
Nevertheless, they did not sustain nor maintain [their God]; they only raised their faces to the sky, and they did not know why they had come so far as they did. There they were then, in great number, the black men and the white men, men of many classes, men of many tongues, that it was wonderful to hear them.
— Popol Vuh, Part III, Chapter 3
TWENTY
Though it was late in the afternoon, everywhere they looked there was activity, sounds, scents, familiar and unfamiliar. Leaving the wooden dockside, they were immediately standing upon large, flat paving stones making a wide walkway along the water’s edge. People hurried back and forth or merely strolled. Stalls clustered in bunches with various goods on display, and broad houses with wide open doors stretched along the length, their shadowed interiors giving little clue to what lay inside, though Tohil guessed they might be used for storing the multitude of goods that had come in from the canoes. No one who passed the travellers gave them more than a second glance. Tohil spotted a pair of carved and painted stone pillars further up the promenade and what looked like a wide street leading further into the city.
“There,” he said, and they set off together.
The twin pillars on either side of the broad paved street were like a kind of gateway, heralding their entrance to the city proper. They were painted brightly in blues, reds and whites. As they approached, Tohil could see that they were also covered in carvings of the gods and other spirits, some familiar, some not. Further in, Tohil could see the tops of temples, reaching high above the other buildings. Everywhere he looked, there was stone; stone buildings, stone streets, stone carvings. He wondered if it might not be more appropriately called the City of Stone, rather than the Great City, though it appeared that the latter name applied just as well.
They wandered down the avenue, looking at everything. At either side of them as they passed buildings clustered one against the other, some containing workshops, doing stonework, making clothes, another with racks of newly made clay pots drying and ready for firing. There were weapons makers, other things that Tohil could only guess at. Everywhere they looked, there was something new to see. The voices swelled and faded around them, many different forms of speech from people like none he had ever seen. And still the street went on and on and the buildings continued. They passed a place dispensing both chicha and chocolate, and he had a deep urge to partake, the smell of chocolate immediately bringing saliva to his mouth. He quickly turned away from the place. They weren’t to be distracted now.
Further up the street, stood a few more stalls, one with vegetables on display, the other with dried fish. A woman stood in front of the latter, haggling with the owner. They seemed to agree on a bargain, and she reached into the basket she was carrying, pulled out a small pouch, and one by one, started counting something out to the stall-keeper’s outstretched hand. As they neared, Tohil suddenly realised that they were cocoa beans. The stall-keeper appeared satisfied and handed the woman four dried fish. He immediately remembered the small sack that the priest had given him in the last city. He had wondered at the time why the priest would give him cocoa beans, but now he knew. He reached down and felt the pouch. It felt pleasingly full. He smiled.
“What is it?” asked Xquic.
“Nothing. I just realised something,” he told her. “I will tell you later.”
“Oh, come on.”
“No, no,” he said. “It doesn’t matter now. We need to find this palace.”
“Do you know what a palace is?” asked Tepeu.
“No, not really,” Tohil replied slowly, with the realisation that he actually had no idea. “It has to be some sort of big building, don’t you think? If the Dwarf King lives there.” He couldn’t imagine that a king would live in a little house, though looking around, it didn’t look like anything was little here. Even the workshops that they passed were larger than the houses in the village that they had come from.
As they moved further into the city, that problem became even worse. They passed many side-streets and small alleys, and with each intersection, the surrounding buildings seemed to grow even larger. And yet, still the city stretched on and they had not yet reached the centre. In a couple of the side-streets they passed, the roads crossed water, solid looking bridges spanning it. He couldn’t tell whether these were rivers, or places where the sea came in. He was beginning to wonder if the place even had a centre. How many people must live here?
Twilight was starting to fall now, and yet the numbers of people had not diminished. As they passed doorways, they could see lamps being lit, fires already burning, the smell of smoke growing to add to the confusion of scents already surrounding them. And then finally, they reached a large open space, a plaza, more than a simple square. On the side that they’d just come from, sat a large temple and opposite another facing it. To their left was a broad, impressive building with many doors and steps leading up to it. At the other end lay what Tohil supposed was a ball court, tiered stone benches lining either side for viewing, the stone rings set high upon the walls and a long flat playing area, paved in stone, sitting lower than the surrounding ground that enclosed it. Although he had never seen one, its function was clear. Their tales and legends were full of ball games.
Smoke issued from the tops of both temples, showing them to be very much alive and in operation. At the front of the other building, people were busy lighting large torches. All across the open space in front of them, people walked, either heading for other destinations, or simply strolling. Among them, there were warriors, and at the top of the stairs leading to the larger building, more warriors stood on either side of each of the doorways. These warriors, however, were dressed as jaguars. That was significant in itself. Jaguar warriors were the elite, the strongest fighting men and truly worthy of respect.
“That has to be the Grand Palace,” said Tohil.
“Why don’t we just ask someone?” asked Xquic, looking over at the building.
“I’ll do it,” said Tepeu and immediately wandered across the square and intercepted a man dressed like a common person. He was back a few moments later.
“That is the Grand Palace,” he said. “That behind us is the Temple of the Moon. That one is the Temple of the Sun.”
“Well,” said Tohil, not moving, just looking across at the building. He didn’t know why he was hesitating.
Xquic was looking at him questioningly. “Well?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps we should wait.” Was it the presence of the Jaguars that was intimidating him? The jaguar was a symbol of protection, but he had bartered away that protection in exchange for their passage. Something just didn’t feel right.
Xquic punched him in the arm. “What are you waiting for. We’re here. We’ve come all this way and you just stand there like a stupid sloth. Maybe we should find you a tree to hang in.”
He rubbed his arm where she’d hit him. Of course, she was right.
Together they crossed the square and climbed the steps, heading for the central doorway. As they approached, one of the Jaguars lowered his spear.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Tohil peered through the doorway. On the other side lay a vast chamber, torches lining walls painted with bright colours depicting various scenes, a raised platform upon which sat a tall throne, seemingly crafted from bones, and cloth and other things, hard to make out the details from here. People moved about inside in feathered robes, carrying staves or other things. At the other end lay more doorways. He couldn’t see any further.
“In there,” he said.
“What was that?”
“We need to go in there,” said Tepeu.
The Jaguar laughed then. “And why would you want to do that?”
“We have a message for the Dwarf King,” said Tohil.
&nbs
p; This time the other Jaguar joined in the laughter.
“Of course, you do,” said the first.
“No, really,” said Tohil.
“Time to leave,” said the Jaguar, gesturing with his spear point. The laughter slipped from his face. “You can come back tomorrow for the audience with the rest of the villagers.”
Did Tohil detect a note of contempt there?
“It’s important,” said Xquic then.
“Go,” said the Jaguar. His face had lost any trace of amusement.
Tohil looked at the spear, now pointing distinctly towards them and at the other Jaguar who had also now adjusted his weapon to point in their direction. It was clear that there was little choice. He turned and reluctantly made his way back down the stairs, the others following on behind.
“So, what do we do now?” said Xquic.
“Find somewhere to stay tonight, and come back in the morning, unless you want to argue with a couple of Jaguars,” said Tohil, though having to spend more time waiting didn’t please him. There was nothing else they could do though. He felt the frustration working inside.
“But where would we stay?” asked Tepeu.
Tohil looked around the square. “This city must have many visitors. There must be somewhere for them to stay.”
“And they will just let us,” said Xquic.
“I think I might have a solution to that,” said Tohil.
She looked at him quizzically.
Eventually, with the help of multiple requests for directions, they found themselves in a poorer part of the city, some way from the main plaza. With Tepeu’s language skills, finally, they managed to find what amounted to a simple hostelry. There, Tohil, with Tepeu’s assistance, was able to parlay most of his sack of cocoa beans into sleeping pallets for the night and a simple meal for the three of them. He had been worried at first, but there also seemed to be little concern here about the separation of males and females. They were not the only patrons. There were families and couples also making use of the facilities. Some had clearly come from far away, but all of them were simple folk, evidently farmers, or fisherfolk, or just villagers all.
The next morning, Tohil managed to negotiate with the hostelry’s owner to allow them to leave most of their gear in his establishment till they returned. It cost him the remaining cocoa beans, but he thought it better than having to carry everything around with them. He had expected his small cache of beans to last longer, but clearly the Great City fostered great prices as well. He couldn’t imagine that they would be allowed in to see the Dwarf King carrying weapons, and their various pouches, gourds and sacks could be an issue too. He had debated simply leaving everything, but for now, he had no idea whether they would require them for their return journey, and they were going to return. By now, he also did not believe that they could count on the kindness of strangers in this big city, and here, everyone was a stranger.
At last, they found their way back to the central plaza, but as soon as they emerged from the small side-street, Tohil’s heart fell. It was still early, but already the square was full of people, lined up in an ever-increasing set of queues leading up to the doors of the Grand Palace. There were merchants, nobles, simple people, different dress, hairstyles, jewellery, and the lines seemed to go on forever. None of them were moving. At the doors to the palace, Jaguars stood in place, barring entry. With a frown, Tohil picked one of the lines and walked over to join the back. He tried counting the number of people in front of him, but more than once lost where he had got up to.
“Why are there these lines?” he eventually asked the person in front of them.
“It is like this every second day,” said the man. “They do not allow entry until a bit later in the morning. They only let you in one by one for an audience. Everybody arrives early to try to make sure they get a place. The audience only lasts for a couple of hours. If you don’t get in....” The man shrugged.
Tohil thanked him and looked at the lines of people. There was no possibility. A while later, and the first people in their line were finally admitted, the Jaguars at the door quickly stepping into place to block further access. Their line shuffled slowly forward. The next admittance came from the adjacent line, and they took a couple of steps forward in turn. More people had already joined the end of that line. The sun was beating down on the stonework now as it travelled higher in the sky. He found himself wishing that they’d at least brought their water gourds with them. He considered trying to bypass the lines of people, but he could only imagine what their reactions would be. Their experience with the Jaguars on the evening before was enough on its own to discourage that idea. There had to be another way. It was becoming clearer by the minute that they would not reach those doors this morning. Already, they had faced so many challenges to get here, challenges brought about by lack of order. Now it was the bureaucracy that stood in their way.
“Why can’t they move a little faster,” mutter Xquic from behind him.
“I know,” said Tohil. “Look at how many people there are though.”
He scanned the lines again, feeling almost defeated. He looked around the square, at the buildings, and then, he had an idea.
“I think I may have a way,” he said. The Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. He just had to choose one. It didn’t take him long. The Moon God, another aspect of the jaguar dealt with all things magical, the mysteries of the night and darkness, those things that were hidden away. Chac Chel, the Red Rainbow held those aspects that felt right. Her links to the jaguar supported that thought. It seemed to him that it would be the right place. Besides, it was the Sun God that he associated with sacrifice, and he didn’t want to deal with that right now. Briefly, his thoughts flashed to Quapar, and he felt an emptiness inside, picturing his face and other things that went with that memory. No, he couldn’t afford to dwell on it. He shook those thoughts away.
“Wait here,” he said, turning to the others. “Keep the place. I am going to try something.”
“But what?” said Xquic.
“Just wait. Hopefully I’ll be back soon.”
She clearly wasn’t pleased. Those narrowed eyes spoke volumes, but he couldn’t worry about that now. Quickly, he broke from the line and headed for the temple stairs.
This staircase itself reached up and up, taller than any he had seen. As with the others, they were carved with different figures, painted. There seemed to be more blue and black here in the paintings than the temple on the other side, where the decorations were primarily red and white. He counted as he climbed. By the time he reached the top, he had reached one hundred. He turned and looked down at the people, looking so small below. He turned back to the temple house, seeking a particular carving above the doorframe, but of it, there was no sign. At that, he felt inexplicably relieved, even though he had no idea whether that was a good sign or a bad one. He had no idea if he could trust these priests or any priests. It was entirely possible that all of them just served the demands of the Seelee. Swallowing back his hesitation, he stepped inside the door.
Inside, there was one priest and a warrior, not a Jaguar this time at least, and he felt a little less intimidated for that. Over in one corner, two lesser priests, or acolytes, dressed in simpler robes busied themselves with some preparation that he couldn’t see. They didn’t even turn as he entered. The warrior was another matter. He immediately stepped forward.
“What do you want here, boy?”
“I need to speak to the priest,” he said as levelly as he could.
“He is busy,” said the warrior.
At that the priest looked over at them, he caught Tohil’s gaze. Perhaps it was something in his expression, the way he looked, but he lifted one hand.
“No wait,” he said. “What is it you want, child?”
Tohil bit his lip and stepped forward, under the warrior’s disapproving gaze. Stammering a little at first, and then more confidently, he proceeded to recount the story of his task, their journey, the
temple. The priest listened in silence.
“I have to speak to the Dwarf King,” he finished as his story trailed to a stop.
There were a few seconds of silence that had him seriously doubting that he had made the right choice, but then the old priest spoke.
“So, it is finally here,” he said. He blinked a couple of times apparently thinking, looking off into the distance. The nearby warrior kept Tohil fixed with a hard gaze. Finally, the priest seemed to come to a decision because he pursed his lips and slowly nodded his head.
Tohil simply stood there waiting, growing increasingly impatient.
“All right,” said the priest. “You can tell the Jaguars that you come with Naran’s blessing. That is my name. That may get you in there sooner. At least you will not be turned away.”
“Turned away?”
“Of course. The Dwarf King is a ruler. He is the mouthpiece of the gods. All the gods. He is, after all, a direct descendant of the gods. He should not have to deal with minor matters.”
Tohil had not even considered that possibility. Of course, he hadn’t yet seen any others being turned away, but now that he thought about it, it would make sense. The priest said nothing, watching him with interest and perhaps something else resting in that gaze.
“Is there nothing else you can do?” asked Tohil.
“What would you have me do, boy?” asked the priest. “The Dwarf King has the power to turn me away just like any other. I would do his bidding. He does not do mine.”
Tohil bowed his head and backed away under the watchful gaze of the priest and the silent warrior. In his mind, he was repeating the priest’s name so he wouldn’t forget it.
As he walked down the many steps, feeling a small victory, but at the same time a little defeated, Tohil spotted Xquic and Tepeu still waiting patiently in line. He waved to attract their attention and eventually Tepeu spotted him. By the time he reached the bottom of the temple stairs, he had signalled the pair of them to come over and join him. It was clear that they wouldn’t even get as far as the doors today, but that left them with another problem. All his resources were gone.
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