Finally, late on the morning of the third day, the astronomer left his notes, packed them away in his satchel and made his way back to the canoe’s centre where they sat.
“You see up there,” he said. “Past that cliff there is supposed to be a road. It will take us north but only for a way. At the end of that road we will meet forest and the land will start to rise. I do not think we will have much to worry about during that part of the journey, though the way will be hard in places. When we reach the end of the first bit of forest, it will be perhaps about a day’s more march to reach our destination.”
It was the most words Tohil had heard the astronomer say in one burst. Briefly, he called up the map in his head, trying to confirm what the astronomer had said. He could see places that he might have been referring to, but it wasn’t totally clear. After a moment, he dismissed the image. He was right though; they shouldn’t face too many problems through the forest. Pity the raiding party that stumbled upon them, though with so many of them, they would be announcing their presence for a good distance. He doubted that any raiding party would understand what it was they might face. Also, Tohil thought, if what Tzacol said was true, then it would have taken them just a few days to travel what had taken weeks on their way to the Great City. If only they had been able to travel to the river and found a boat. There was no way for them to have known that though and wishing would not change what had already occurred.
They reached the cliff and glided on past it. Beyond, the land suddenly dipped again and there, built up on a mound that looked like a wall, stood the promised road. It looked just like the white road had, but this time, it stopped abruptly at the river’s edge. One by one, the canoes slipped in towards the bank, pulled up alongside and stopped. The bank was low enough here that it allowed their vessels to be pulled up as soon as they had alighted, groups of warriors heaving and straining to pull them forward. A small contingent of warriors was tasked to remain and guard the vessels. The rest of them set to unloading supplies and distributing them among their number. As the activity bustled around them, Tohil simply stood and looked at the mound of earth, paved on top and running off into the distance. And so, there would be the next stage of their journey. Looking at it now, it brought back memories of what had happened the last time they travelled along a road. None of them were good. He felt Xquic’s hand upon his arm, but his focus was far away by then.
It was Tzacol’s voice issuing commands that brought him back to the present. The warriors that were to continue with them were loaded up with supplies and had already formed up around them. It only took them moments to climb the earthen bank and line up on either side of the flat paved surface running off into the distance, with Tohil, Xquic and Tepeu, led by the astronomer intent on nothing other than getting underway, shielded between them. As Tohil looked at the road ahead, he could see it curve back and forth across the landscape here and there, slipping like a serpent. He didn’t like the thought of that very much at all. He swallowed back the feeling and started walking with the others, his staff held before him. At the same time, he couldn’t help but pay attention to the golden serpent coiling down its length.
And then he entered again from above, but as he was almost inside, with only the soles of his feet showing, the great hill slid and fell slowly down on his chest. Zipacná never returned and he was changed into stone.
— Popol Vuh, Part I, Chapter 8
TWENTY-SEVEN
As their party progressed along what he had come to think of as the new white road, Tohil barely had an eye for the passing landscape, the snatches of low conversation he could hear from the warriors, even for Xquic’s promptings. Tzacol had revealed absolutely nothing of what he had been working on during their journey up the river, leaving Tohil to wonder about the significance of some of the things he had been dreaming. There was one thing he was certain of; if they were to have any chance of success, then some answers better start coming to him soon.
By the time the light started fading, they had passed open fields, a village where the locals stood open mouthed and watched them pass, a few small clumps of forest. Tzacol signalled a halt, and instead of setting up on the road itself, they moved off and down to an open scrubby piece of land and prepared for the night. The warriors set about gathering wood, a fire was lit, and food prepared. All the while, Tohil felt completely disconnected from the activities. It was as if he was simply watching it all from afar. Finally, he could bear it no longer, and he sought out the astronomer. As he stood and wandered off, he could see Xquic watching him, a worried expression on her face. He supposed he owed both she and Tepeu some sort of explanation, but he couldn’t deal with that now.
When he reached his spot, Tohil stood above the astronomer, looking down at him as he was peering by firelight at a page of scratched symbols. Finally, Tzacol acknowledged his presence.
“Yes, what is it? Did you have another dream?” He barely looked up from his notes.
Tohil squatted next to him before answering.
“No, I did not have another dream,” he said. “I think you need to give me some answers though. I have been telling you everything I can remember, but you tell me nothing.”
The astronomer narrowed his eyes.
“What would you have me tell you, Tohil? What could I explain to you that you could possibly understand?”
“I’m sorry….”
“Look at you,” he said. “What are you? A simple villager dressed up as something you are not. Do you think that gives you some sort of special privilege, that you are suddenly full of magic and can change the world?”
Tohil was more than taken aback by this outburst, but it reminded him of someone else, someone he had believed to be his friend. He thought for a moment about his response, staring at the astronomer, a frown creasing his brow.
“What is your problem, Tzacol? The Dwarf King chose me to perform this task. Is that it? I may not understand all of the dreams yet, but I am learning to make sense of what I see. I didn’t ask for this.”
The astronomer’s face retained the sour expression, and then pressing his lips into a thin line he looked back down at his figures, offering nothing in response.
Tohil sighed. “Listen,” he said. “You have as much responsibility to help me understand what I am seeing too. Don’t you see that? I still have no idea what I am supposed to do. Stop the Seelee from awakening. Wonderful. How do I do that? All right, it has something to do with these calendar stones, but what? Unless I can understand that, we will fail. I didn’t choose this, I really didn’t. And you are right. These stupid clothes don’t give me any special power. But neither do your fancy astronomer’s robes.”
Tzacol whirled on him then, the firelight reflected in his eyes. “Years I studied and I learned,” he hissed. “For more than half my life I have watched the heavens, observed and interpreted them. Who are you to question me? I earned the right to wear these robes.”
“And I am not saying that you didn’t.”
They sat there staring at each other. Tohil could feel the hostility radiating from this man. He had to try another approach. They were starting to attract the attention of some of the Jaguars.
“Listen to me,” said Tohil, more gently. “I would love to just return to my normal life, but it seems like that’s not going to happen. I don’t want anything special from this. I don’t care about glory or status. I care about what I am supposed to do, about our people. I really don’t want anything. I just want it done. But for that to happen, I need your help. Can’t you see that?”
The astronomer sighed and looked away.
“You are right, I supposed,” he said quietly, grudgingly. He said the next without meeting Tohil’s eyes. “I do not know enough yet. That’s why I haven’t told you anything. I have some ideas.”
“Perhaps if we discussed them….”
“I don’t know. Perhaps.”
“Just think about it,” Tohil told him.
He got to his feet and wa
ndered back to his companions, leaving the astronomer to chew it over. It would do no good to force it now. He sat down beside Xquic, still looking over at the self-absorbed man sitting there.
“What was that about,” asked Xquic.
“Trying to get something useful out of him,” Tohil told her.
“Still don’t like him,” said Tepeu.
“I know what you mean, but we need him all the same. Sometimes, I guess, you don’t need to like someone to work with them.”
Tepeu merely humphed in response.
oOo
He found himself in a familiar white space. Light pictures floated above the round calendar table. This time, it was not so large, and this time, he was not alone. He sucked in his breath, but the several figures seemed not to notice him. They were Seelee, that much was clear. There were four of them, clustered around the table, gesturing at the various displays and talking, the words too muffled to make out. At first, he thought they were naked, far too pale, their flesh bearing the same lack of colour as the room itself. As they moved, however, he realised that they wore something that was like a skin, all white, covering their entire bodies. The skin continued down their arms and covered their hands as well. They wore masks upon their heads, but these were different. Instead of the round gourd-like shapes, these were flat at the sides. At the front, there was a flat, transparent plate. He could vaguely see their features through it, but somehow shadowed. They were faces not unlike his own. One of them looked in his direction, and he held his breath, but the Seelee looked right through him. Tentatively, Tohil stepped forward to see what they were doing, to try to catch their words. His heart was hammering. He knew that it was important that they didn’t see him there. Cautiously he took another step. The murmured voices continued, oblivious to his presence. He risked a glance around. Now there were walls. They extended as far as he could see, and they were not smooth. Lines and lines of rectangular recesses ran the entire length. Each of them held a box like structure, smooth, pale sides, but all of them were open. An opaque, pearly cover, slightly rounded, tilted open, attached at the far side. Within the boxes, now, he could see, lay figures, stretched out, the top of a flat mask covering the facial features. He turned his attention back to the table.
“Instruction,” came a voice from all around them.
One of the Seelee figures spoke. “Initiate time sequence.”
“Period,” said the voice.
Another figure reeled off a sequence of numbers.
There were noises then. They came from all around. Tohil turned to look. All along the walls, the rounded lids were closing, sealing the figures away.
“Sequence initiated,” came the bodiless voice.
For a short time, nothing happened.
One of the figures turned and looked at him. He could see surprise through that transparent plate. There was a quick exchange of words between them, and then the first one started towards him.
Tohil lifted his arms. Suddenly he was carrying something in his hands. It was a staff. No. It was something else. It was like a blowgun only different. Something issued from the front of it and the Seelee fell. He swung the thing to point at the others. Together, they also fell to the ground, dropping as though felled by a massive blow. He lowered the staff thing. The figures lay there.
Slowly, the light faded until all was grey shadow. Gradually, the fallen figures started losing their shape, the skins collapsing inward till they lay flat upon the floor. At the same time, the heads sank inwards, flattening.
He became conscious of a stirring of air that grew to a slight breeze.
Everything turned to dust, and gently blew away like streamers of ash.
oOo
Tohil opened his eyes and sat upright. It was still dark. The fire was burning low and a full moon looked down upon them, bathing them with a pale light. Here and there, some warriors stood watchful of their perimeter. All around, figures lay, some stirring slightly. Xquic lay beside him, on her back, mouth half open, breathing deeply. Carefully, he got to his feet, not wanting to disturb her. Telling her could wait for now. He picked his way across sleeping forms, heading to where he had last seen the astronomer. The man was curled, his satchel beneath one cheek, his robes wrapped about him. Tohil leaned down and gently shook his shoulder. Tzacol stirred and muttered. Tohil shook him again.
“Wake up.”
“Wh-what is it?” He looked around blearily. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“You have to hear this,” said Tohil in a low voice.
The astronomer sat up, rubbing his eyes, working his mouth.
Quietly, Tohil started to recount what he had seen in the dream. With his words, the astronomer was very quickly fully awake.
“Tell me again,” he said.
Tohil complied, detailing all that he had seen.
“The numbers,” said Tzacol. He reached out and gripped Tohil’s arm. “Those figures. Do you remember those figures?”
Tohil tried to recreate the sequence in his mind, and then started speaking the words.
“Wait, wait,” said Tzacol, scrabbling for his satchel. He hastily withdrew something to write with and a rough sheaf of papers. Some of the papers already had writing on them, but that didn’t seem to matter.
“Now, repeat them again.”
The astronomer furiously scribbled down what Tohil was saying, stopping him once or twice to give himself time to catch up.
“And that’s it?”
“Yes, as far as I can remember.”
“And you are sure this is the sequence?”
“As I told you, as far as I can remember.”
The astronomer peered down at what he had scrawled, chewing at his lips. “Yes, yes, it could be,” he muttered to himself. “If I take…no…wait.” He almost seemed to have forgotten Tohil’s presence entirely. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, his face up to the sky. He appeared to be holding his breath, and then he let it out with a long exhalation and lowered his face once more, opening his eyes.
“You were right to bring this to me now,” he said. “I need time. I need quite some time. But thank you, Tohil.”
Had the astronomer really just thanked him? Tohil nodded, stayed squatting there for another moment, then got to his feet and carefully walked back to where Xquic still lay sleeping. Gently, he lowered himself to the ground beside her, the vaguest of smiles upon his lips. He spared a glance over at the astronomer, seeing him still poring over his sheets of writings by the meagre firelight, and then slowly closed his eyes. Within minutes, he had drifted back into a deep and dreamless sleep.
oOo
“Tohil, wake up.”
It was Xquic, her hand on his chest.
He opened his eyes, dragging himself to wakefulness and looking around. All around, warriors were getting ready to depart. How long had he slept? He shook his head trying to rid himself of the last vestiges of his sleep. He couldn’t remember any other dreams, but he remembered the one he had had, and his conversation with the astronomer.
“I need to get something to drink,” he said.
Xquic looked around, located a water gourd, and handed it to him. He sat up and took it from her, and once he had wet his mouth, handed it back. He sat up, his back a little sore from the hard ground, and looked around for the staff. Tepeu stood holding it, watching him.
“And I need to do some other things,” said Tohil, finally getting to his feet. He started to wander off to a small clump of bushes he had spotted. Immediately, a small contingent of Jaguars flanked him.
“No, no,” said Tohil. “I’m just going over there. You stay. I will just be a minute.”
The Jaguars looked at one and other and then reluctantly hung back. They were clearly not happy about it, but right now, Tohil didn’t care. Within a couple of minutes, he made his way back to the group and the Jaguars fell into line, looking a lot more satisfied with the situation. He joined his friends.
“So, can I have that, Tepeu?”
he said.
Tepeu looked at the staff, humphed and handed it over.
“Have either of you got something to eat?” Tohil asked. “I’m starving. And not dried fish, please.”
Tepeu dug into his things and handed him a strip of roast meat, cold but fresh from the previous evening.
“Thanks.” He tore off a chunk and started chewing as they moved away from their campsite and up onto the road.
“You seem to be in good spirits this morning,” said Xquic.
Tohil nodded. “Mmm-hmm,” he said around a mouthful.
“What?”
Tohil swallowed what he was chewing and started to recount the details of the dream to them.
“So,” he said finally, before taking another bite. “I think we are closer. Tzacol needs to do some more calculations, but I think we are nearer to the key.”
“Huh,” said Xquic. “But you still don’t know what you have to do?”
“Actually, I think I do, sort of…. Some pieces are missing, but I have an idea.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?” said Tepeu.
“Yes, it is. Though I still have no idea how we are supposed to get into the temple. We lived there for years. We never found a way in. We tried many times. We climbed all over that thing. We looked at every carving, at the doors. I have no understanding of how the Bird People ever thought they were going to get inside or what they were going to do when they got there. I’ve thought about that a lot.”
“The gods will guide you,” said Xquic.
“Maybe,” said Tohil. “Maybe.”
He tore off another chunk of meat and chewed thoughtfully as they continued up the road.
Later that morning, they had made good progress, and with the relative ease of travelling along the road, they had reached a point where they could see the start of the forest ahead of them. He was going to miss the roadway and he didn’t relish the prospect of having to hack their way through thick undergrowth again. At least they had the numbers to make light work of it.
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