Priest Quisac considered his question, while laying out his sleeping mat. “Time is relative to the position of the sun and the stars.”
“Meaning what exactly?”
“If you were to leave here on the winter solstice, you would likely arrive on the winter solstice in your time, as well.”
William felt disappointed by that concept. “That means every day that passes for me here, is a day that passes for my family too.”
“Time is not passing for them now. But the time will pass for them when their future arrives, whether you return or not.”
William found some degree of comfort realizing that his family wasn’t worrying in that very moment, since they weren’t even alive yet. It was also reassuring to know that there was a possible way for him to get back home… if he wanted to. Yet thinking of Teshna definitely put another kink into that debate.
He let out a big yawn and decided to put thoughts of returning home out of his mind for the moment. The winter solstice was still months away, and he had to concentrate on completing his obligation to Dzibanché. If they didn’t stop King Aztuk, he wouldn’t live long enough to have any options whatsoever. All he knew for certain was that he had the next few months to live before the coming battle… and so he might as well enjoy himself. As he began to slip off to sleep, he pictured Teshna and imagined, in vivid detail, how he wanted to spend his time over the months ahead.
Chapter Twelve
Though exhausted after the journey from Bacalar, William was revitalized by the warm greeting he and Priest Quisac received upon their arrival in Dzibanché. Seashell trumpets bellowed and a crowd of cheering citizens followed them the final distance to the King’s palace. Upon entering the courtyard, William felt the bloodstone heating up on his chest, and he sensed happiness emanating from the great ceiba tree, like it was glad to see him.
His attention locked onto Teshna, and his heart skipped a beat. She stood beneath the tree looking like a beautiful exotic fruit hanging from its limb. The Princess seemed frozen for a moment when their eyes met. She was breathing hard, as though she had just run there from a distance away.
“Balam!” she said with a burst of joy, racing up to him.
“I’ve missed you,” William said with a loving smile as they embraced, unable to hide his feelings for her. He held her in his arms, enjoying the warmth of her body against him, feeling the soft curves of her hips beneath her huipil blouse.
“I was so worried,” she said, holding him tight.
Scattered giggles came from girls in the courtyard, tickled by their show of emotion. Priest Quisac cleared his throat to get their attention.
Teshna blushed when she noticed everyone looking their way, suddenly becoming aware of her lapse of conduct. She tightened her demeanor and took a step back. “I am… pleased… that you have returned safely,” she said.
“Indeed,” the Serpent Priest said with a smirk.
“Thanks to Itzamna,” Yax said as he rounded the corner of the northern hallway. He met them near the ceiba tree. “We have been anxious for your return. Tell me, Priest Quisac, do you have the sacred items?”
“Yes, we have recovered the sacred items of Bacalar,” the Serpent Priest said with a hint of sadness in his voice.
“What troubles you?” Teshna asked.
The Serpent Priest moved to a nearby stone bench and sat with a heavy groan. He looked up with troubled eyes, and said, “Bacalar is no more.”
“What?” Yax asked.
“Hey, Will,” Betty said, waving as she entered the courtyard. William waved back.
Yax moved closer to Priest Quisac, looking concerned. “What do you mean that Bacalar is no more?”
Priest Quisac explained the events in Bacalar, and how the surviving priests went to Chichén Itzá. “But our goal to retrieve the sacred items and to warn the Itzaes of the threat in this region has been achieved.”
Teshna placed her hand on William’s shoulder, looking anxious to ask him something. “Did you achieve your goal as well, Balam?” she asked, staring at him with intense eyes. “Did you find what you were looking for at the Sacred Cavern of Jade?”
Seashell trumpets blasted from off in the distance, drawing everyone’s attention to the palace entrance. Teshna, on the other hand, didn’t pay attention to the sound. Her eyes remained locked onto William, waiting for him to respond.
“Yes, I did find some answers… but they only lead to more questions,” William said.
“What are you talking about?” Betty asked after seeing the serious look on his face.
“The way back to our time, Betty,” he said. “If we go through the Serpent Passage on the day of the winter solstice, it might send us back.”
Sounds of people shouting outside drew even more attention, and Yax signaled the palace guards to investigate.
“You mean go through that tunnel again?” Betty asked. “But it’s under water! And we don’t have your dive gear anymore.”
“Yeah, I know.” William threw his hands up. “Look, there’s no use worrying about it right now.”
Teshna tugged on William’s arm, pulling his attention back to her. She gestured for him to translate what he had just told Betty. “It’s possible we could return on the winter solstice,” William said in Yucatec-Maya. “But the solstice is months away, and there’s plenty to focus on right here.” William studied the curves of Teshna’s body as he spoke. When their eyes met again he became serious. “I mean… to focus on the coming battle, of course.”
“Yes, of course,” she said with a wink.
William’s attention shifted to the palace entrance as Captain Salmac burst into the courtyard, ordering people out of the way. Guards hurried in behind Salmac, carrying an injured man on a litter, leaving a trail of bloody footprints on the plaster floor as they went. William recognized the man they carried. He was one of the ambassadors from Kohunlich.
“Ambassador Chen-Uk!” Yax said, rushing to his side as they set the litter down.
“They found him near Kinichná,” Salmac said.
A crowd gathered as Yax placed his hand on the dying man’s shoulder, drawing the Ambassador’s fading eyes his way. “What happened to you?” Yax asked.
“Captured on the trail…” Ambassador Chen-Uk said, coughing up blood, “Others taken to Calakmul…” He lost his breath and died with a frozen gaze into the sky.
After a moment of silence, Teshna asked, “What does this mean?”
“It means,” Priest Quisac said, “that they will know we have harvested our crops, and that we are preparing for battle.”
Yax looked worried. “Do you believe they may change the day of their planned attack, Priest Quisac?”
“No. King Aztuk plans around the stars. He also knows that we will continue to weaken over time as our supplies are exhausted. It is to his advantage to wait.”
Chief Etznab plowed through the crowd, his stocky frame knocking people out of his way. “King Stone Frog, this could be used to our advantage. Kohunlich may side with us after seeing what Calakmul did to its ambassador. I say we carry the body back to Kohunlich with a contingent of our nobles and demand help against Calakmul.”
“We may have little choice but to go,” Priest Quisac said, agreeing with Etznab. “Otherwise, they will think that we harmed their people.”
Teshna kneeled beside the dead man and shut his eyes. “Surely Calakmul has done this to turn Kohunlich against us.”
Yax contemplated the matter, while the nobles crammed into the courtyard, along with a fair number of servants and guards. They talked amongst each other about the fallen ambassador, escalating the background noise to the level of a loud restaurant on Friday night.
“Silence!” Yax demanded, quieting the crowd. He shook his head, looking exasperated. The people backed away, opening a larger space around the King. “Yes, we must return the ambassador to Kohunlich and explain this to King Snarl Tooth.”
Teshna stepped away from the ambassador with a troub
led look. “Even if we bring the body back to Kohunlich, how would we convince them that we did not do this?” she said, pointing at the dead man.
Yax regarded his sister with confidence. “We must send a convoy with high status, so that King Snarl Tooth will be satisfied that our motives are true. Teshna, you know King Snarl Tooth. Next to me, you hold the highest status. You will lead the team.”
Teshna froze for a moment, surprised by the unexpected order. Yet she nodded, seeming to agree with the logic of his choice. Yax turned to scan the faces around him, selecting others like he was choosing a team for a pickup game. “Lamat, for you have been our chief trade merchant with Kohunlich, and Subiac, for your prior battle history with their king. One of our ceremonial priests shall also accompany the servants who carry the body.”
“They will need protection for the journey,” Chief Etznab said.
“Of course, within reason,” Yax said.
“I will go,” Captain Salmac said, volunteering with a smug look at William.
“As will I,” William said, returning a poised stare of his own back at Salmac. He would have gone anyhow, regardless of Salmac’s attempt at showing him up. Most of all, William didn’t want to be separated from Teshna for more days than he already had been.
A long moment of silence followed beneath the great ceiba tree, with all those gathered reflecting on the difficult challenges ahead. Servants carried the body out while others wiped up the blood. They couldn’t get all the stain up, leaving a mark of the incident on the plaster floor.
After a lengthy discussion, Yax and Priest Quisac agreed that it would be beneficial for William to go on the trip, hoping that his presence might also help to persuade King Snarl Tooth.
At sunrise, they began their mission to return the dead ambassador, heading south toward Kohunlich. William would have felt more comfortable with additional guards on the trip, but Teshna explained that a larger group could be misinterpreted. Given the delicate nature of their assignment, they had to be careful to not appear as a hostile force. He had hoped that Priest Quisac would join them; he had become accustomed to his guidance. But the Serpent Priest remained in Dzibanché to assist Yax and the others with the battle plans. Betty also stayed behind; she had to help the weapon-making teams, and she also wanted to learn to use the bow. “I’m not going anywhere until I can protect myself,” she said, before they left.
In the end, it was a rather small team. Salmac and a couple guards were at the front, followed by Teshna and himself. Subiac and Lamat walked a few paces behind them. Further back, Priest Ik-Tanil escorted the four servants who carried the ambassador’s body on a litter covered with a red embroidered tapestry. Two more guards trailed at the very back.
William noticed Captain Salmac glancing back; his blue macaw-feathered crocodile jaw headdress cast a shadow over his face, making it hard to see who he was looking at. Salmac turned away the moment William caught his stare. He wondered what Salmac’s problem was… why did the Captain always seem angry with him?
Around noon, the team veered off the main road and took another path that led to Kinichná—the town that had sent players for the recent ball game. William later learned that Betty had found the real Kinichná ball players in a ditch—murdered on the day of the game. The imposters had taken their uniforms. Had she not snuck off for a swim that day, she would not have found the bodies, or stopped William from drinking the poison at the game.
While scanning the empty huts and buildings along the way to the ceremonial center, he wondered why the town was so deserted. Teshna explained how the entire population had migrated to Dzibanché for protection.
They stopped to rest at the base of a tall orange-painted pyramid. William sat beside Teshna, and they munched on some dried fruit, becoming lost in each other’s eyes for a time. William noticed Salmac staring at them again. He hated how awkward he felt around Teshna when the Captain was near. Yet William knew he would need the warrior’s support in the days ahead. He decided he would talk to Salmac, to figure out what was bothering him.
Priest Ik-Tanil approached, leaving the company of the servants; they remained with the dead ambassador beneath the shade of a zapote tree. With his black and white painted body, the priest looked more like a zebra wearing a funny hat, William thought.
“The gift that I mentioned for King Snarl Tooth,” Teshna said to the priest, pointing to the side of the pyramid. “It is in the chamber. Please retrieve it.”
Ik-Tanil nodded and went to look for it.
Teshna spotted Subiac climbing the long stairway up the pyramid, using his spear as a walking stick. She called out to him, but he didn’t hear her. She huffed and turned to William, looking annoyed. “I’ll be right back.”
“Sure, okay,” William said, watching Teshna run after Subiac. When he turned back, he saw Salmac leaning against a tree and sipping from his water jug. William figured it was a good time to speak with the Captain.
“Elder Subiac,” Teshna hollered, getting his attention on the platform along the second level. “Do I have to command you to rest?”
“Greetings, Princess,” he said. “I believe a storm is approaching.” He pointed his spear at the grey clouds rolling in.
“Yes, it would appear so. Elder Subiac, you should be resting below. Our time here will not be long. It is important that you make it to Kohunlich. King Snarl Tooth will be pleased to see you.”
“Yes, I will see my old friend from the kingdom of the Sun god once more,” Subiac said with a serious gaze into the sky. He sighed and regarded Teshna with a melancholy face. “Allow an old man one last view from this magnificent pyramid.” He continued up the steps to the last platform at the top.
Teshna followed after him, worried that he might fall. “We can come here again… on the way back,” she said, as they reached the top platform.
Subiac sat on a short stone bench at the top of the temple. He gazed across the horizon, breathing with a raspy breath. “I regret that I will not be making the trip back,” he said matter-of-factly.
“What do you mean? Of course you will. We will return in a few days.”
“My time in this world is nearly complete.”
“If you are not well to travel, then you should have remained behind,” she said, scolding him.
Subiac shook his head and smiled. “My health is not the issue,” he said. He leaned closer, his war-torn face further exaggerating his intensity. “Last night I had a vivid dream… the masks of Kohunlich awoke and became the Sun god, Kinich Ahau. He warned me to stay away—threatened that if I were to look into his stony eyes once more, it would be my end.”
Teshna threw her hands up. “Yet you still came?”
Subiac laughed. “I have faced many challenges in my life. This will merely be my last.”
Teshna sighed. Without the Serpent Priest available to analyze his dream, she didn’t know what to think. “Your dream could mean many things, Subiac. I wouldn’t worry.”
Subiac stood abruptly, staring to the south. “Vultures!” he said, and shot a knowing look back to Teshna. “They have found a large feast… many bodies… not far from here.”
William took a deep breath, slung his pack over his shoulder, and made his way over to Salmac. “Is there something you want to say to me, Captain Salmac?”
Salmac glared back at him. The other guards took notice of the brooding looks between them, and they moved in closer for a better view. Salmac capped his jug and tossed it to the ground. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“We need to get along, Salmac, so we can work together.”
“You know what I think?” Salmac said, staring at William with contempt. “You’ve got everyone fooled… especially the Princess. You look different, and you sound different… but you’re no better than any of us!”
“I never said I was,” William said, getting angry. The bloodstone started glowing on his chest.
Salmac pointed at the stone. “If it wasn’t for that bloodstone around your
neck you would be as helpless as that dead ambassador over there.”
William couldn’t believe what a jerk Salmac was. “Hey, I don’t need this bloodstone to prove myself.”
He heard Teshna hollering something from the pyramid and they both shot their attention her way.
“Vultures!” Teshna called out, descending the steps with the urgency of a park ranger reporting a forest fire. “Not far from here… just off the trail to the south. Salmac, scout ahead, and we’ll meet you there.”
Captain Salmac nodded to Teshna and then leaned over to William with a smug grin. “I don’t need a bloodstone either,” he said. “I prove myself every day without one. Can you?” He rushed down the trail, taking one of his men with him.
“What was that all about?” Teshna asked, noticing William’s annoyed face.
William threw his headdress to the ground, pulled off the bloodstone necklace, and stuffed it into his pack. “I’m going too,” he said, and handed his pack to Teshna. He took off in a sprint after Salmac.
Teshna called out to him as he ran down the trail, “Balam, what’s wrong?”
A light rain began to fall as William hustled down the path for several minutes, trailing behind Salmac and the guard like he was trying to catch up at a track event. He saw them slow to a stop, with frozen stares to the side of the road. By the time he reached them, the drizzle had become a heavy rain, drenching them as they gawked at the ugly scene below. A dozen slaughtered corpses had been picked apart by vultures. The other guard waved his spear at the birds, trying to scare them off.
“What happened here,” William asked, taken aback.
Salmac shrugged. “What do you care?”
“What do you want from me, Salmac?” William asked.
“I want you out of my way!” the Captain said and shoved William hard in the chest, knocking him back.
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