Casca 10: The Conquistador

by Barry Sadler

  Moctezuma felt his mind reel, yet he motioned for Tezcuzcli to continue.

  "Their trappings and weapons are all of white iron. They wear iron on their bodies as we do the cotton our women weave. Their bows and their swords are also of iron, as are their helmets and shields. They have strange animals that appear much like huge hornless deer. These deer carry them on their backs faster than the swiftest of our runners and can travel great distances without rest.

  "The strangers' bodies are completely covered, leaving only their faces to view. Their skin is white, as if covered with chalk. And their food is much like human food. It is white and not heavy. It is something like straw but with the taste of a cornstalk. It is a little sweet as if flavored with honey. Yes, it tastes of honey and is sweet food.

  "Their dogs are monstrous, with flat ears and long, dangling tongues. Their eyes are a burning yellow that flash fire. Their bellies are hollow and their flanks long and narrow. They are tireless and very strong, finding and killing game for the strangers and returning with it in their mouths. They lay the kill before their masters, never eating it themselves unless their masters say it is permissible. Thus do they serve the strangers."

  When they finished their report, Moctezuma felt his heart shrivel with dread. The strangers must be kept away. Fast runners were sent to Tuedilli with his orders that the strangers must not come to Mexico.

  Tuedilli returned to speak with Cortes after ten days had passed since their last meeting, and then only after receiving his orders from Mexico. He brought gifts of food and cloth to the Spaniards but told Cortes that the journey to Mexico was very dangerous and long. His king would not grant him permission to escort the Spaniards there, as it might cause them harm to travel over such desolate lands and through hostile regions where tribes lived that were not friends of the Spaniards.

  Cortes continued to argue for an immediate reception by the Aztec king, but to no avail. That night all the servants given them by Tuedilli disappeared with the dawn. Every hut was empty. The departing servants had gone back into the brush with the supplies.

  Taking four hundred men with him, Cortes headed into the countryside, looking for the natives. After entering the town used as a headquarters by Tuedilli, he found that it was also abandoned. The people had gone, leaving only a sacrificial altar strewn with pieces of paper dipped in blood to show that since last night sacrifices had been made. He turned back to his ships and decided that without the supplies guaranteed him by Tuedilli, he would have to move his base of operations and set sail.

  After his talks with the Indians of Cempola, he gave the order to sail toward their lands, where he hoped to secure provisions and allies.

  Before they left, Cortes called a meeting of his company. After they had gathered, he solemnly declared: "I claim all this land in the name of Emperor Don Carlos and Spain." Following his declaration, he immediately established a committee of judges and administrators and had himself proclaimed governor of the new lands – pending official confirmation from the emperor, of course.

  After a brief reconnaissance by ship, one of Cortes's men spotted a fair harbor near the lands of Cempola. From there Cortes took to land again, finding the boundary markers separating the Cempolans from the Aztecs on a river three leagues from their landing site.

  Casca was with the lead element as they forded the river and moved upstream. They reached a small village before nightfall. He and the three other horsemen approached twenty Indians they'd spotted on a nearby hill. Riding toward them, they made signs of peace while Casca shouted greetings. The Indians took off as if devils were coming after them. They thought, as many others had, that the Spaniards and their horses were one beast. Casca kicked his horse in the flanks and overtook the Indians on a flat piece of ground on the other side of the hill. The Indians had no arms and threw themselves face down to the earth, crying out for mercy. Casca spoke to them softly, using his still-weak vocabulary to allay the worst of their fears. The Indians were brought back to Cortes, who was pleased that they were of the same type as those he had met earlier. Their noses and ears were pierced and stretched to grotesque lengths.

  He spoke to them kindly through Marina, saying that he was their friend and wished to speak to their lord and bring him the friendship of another great king. The Indians said that it was too late for him to reach Cempola before nightfall but that they would guide him to a village large enough to feed his men and then take him to Cempola in the morning.

  When they neared the village, several of the Indians requested that they be permitted to go in advance of the Spaniards to inform their lord of what had happened and what had been said. They promised they would return in the morning and left their comrades with the Spaniards to serve them until their return. Food was sent from the village as the Spaniards made camp outside to await the morning.

  As they had promised, those Cortes had freed to go to Cempola returned with several hundred slaves bearing gifts and food. They bowed low to Cortes, dipping straws in their blood to honor him; then they gave him their master's words. The strangers would be welcome. They told Cortes privately that their lord was a very large man, and to travel any distance was too difficult for him, as he weighed as much as three or four average men.

  Leading them onto a good road, they soon reached Cempola, which was only a few miles farther on. They passed through orchards and fields and were greeted by the Indians with flowers and gifts. Six horsemen had ridden ahead into the city and returned to Cortes with the words that the courtyards of Cempola were covered in silver plate. Cortes sent them back with orders to show no surprise at anything they might see. The Indians must never think they had anything which was better than what the Castilians were used to.

  CHAPTER TEN

  They entered the streets of Cempola on a wide tree-lined avenue filled with awed natives, gaping in wonder at the sight of the Spaniards on their horses. The ranks were fully armored and were being led into the city by Cortes. In the center of the column, the cannon were being guarded by the best of the infantry. They came to a wide square with high walls and battlements. To the embarrassment of those who had reported that the walls of Cempola were lined with silver, they found instead that the Cempolans had used a plaster made of polished gypsum that gleamed in the sun as if it were made of the precious metal.

  Inside the enclosure were rooms and apartments. At the far side stood seven towers that were separated from each other, each in its turn a bit taller than the next.

  The Spaniards waited in silence, eyes watching the walls of the battlements for any sign of treachery. The cannon had been primed before the march and were ready to be fired. Cortes was greeted by nobles of the city who bowed low before him and asked if he would accompany them to their lord's palace only a few steps away. This he did, escorted by several of his officers and Casca. He had decided on the latter as an afterthought.

  Tazcamili, the lord of Cempola, came out of his palace to the edge of the steps and halted. On each side of him was a strong, nearly nude warrior holding his arm to give him support. It was true. He was nearly as big as four men, not in size but in girth. The man was a mountain of fat and suet. His eyes were nearly lost in folds of tissue. It was easy to see why he didn't travel very far and had need of the constant attendance of two stout warriors. They would have a hard time of it if he ever slipped and fell. Getting him back to his feet would be a major operation. The lord of Cempola never lay down to sleep. Such was his size that if he did, he would have died from the sheer weight of his own body on his rib cage and heart. He had to sleep in the sitting position or not sleep at all.

  Advancing up the stairs, Cortes was all smiles as he held out his hands in greeting. The two men bowed to each other and through Marina and Geronimo gave greetings, after which Tazcamili retired to the interior of his palace. The Spaniards were shown to large spacious rooms and apartments. Cortes was not going to relax his security despite the friendly reception. His men were distributed throughout the rooms, the can
non were positioned to cover the main entrance, and the horses were put under strict guard. Cortes ordered that no one, on pain of death, was to go outside without his permission. There was always the chance that they were being brought into a trap of some kind.

  Food was provided and pallets and hammocks brought for their use. Cortes and Tazcamili would meet again on the morrow. The lord of Cempola claimed that pressing duties were keeping him from paying his respects properly as he wished to do on this fortunate day.

  Cortes had noticed Casca's recently acquired grasp of the tongue of the natives and thought it prudent to have him by his side when they met with Tazcamili. One could never tell when the savages might be plotting, and if they thought no Spaniard spoke their barbarous language, they might reveal information that could prove to be of value to the Spaniard. Casca was not to speak Nahual to the Indians. He was instructed to listen only and report if he heard anything of interest.

  The next day, after the exchanging of a few small gifts, the two leaders got down to business. With his escort of fifty officers, Cortes went to the palace of Tazcamili. The rest were to obey his orders as stated earlier.

  Taking Cortes and his officers with him into a low room thatched with palm fronds, Tazcamili offered them seats on short benches carved from one piece of wood like chipping blocks. Marina sat by Cortes, her eyes never leaving those of Tazcamili. She listened and faithfully rendered the lord's words to her master as best she could. Casca said nothing; he merely found a spot near one of Tazcamili's nobles and sat with them, watching those at the table maneuver one another about for the best advantage. Tazcamili was no match for the sophistication of the European. He had the added disadvantage of being in superstitious awe of the men in iron, though he spoke to them as he would have to any other of noble birth.

  Cortes sweet-talked Tazcamili, telling him, in the name of his king, Don Carlos, about his mission to bring good things to the people he met. Tazcamili listened carefully, noting in the telling that Cortes did not speak overly well of the Aztecs and their treatment of him. Although he said nothing ill of them, much could be discerned by what was not spoken.

  Tazcamili in turn said to the Spaniard, "Noble lord, I think that it would be a good thing if you know something of my people, for their tale is the same as most of those of these lands. Once we were our own masters; that was before the Mexicas came out of the deserts. Before the Aztecs settled in the valley and built their city of Tenochtitlan, they sent their priests to work evil among the peaceful tribes, searching out their weaknesses and then subjugating them. If a nation became the willing vassal of the Aztecs, it was made certain they would never rise against them in strength. To accomplish this, these vassals were required to send levees of young men and women to the Aztec altars.

  "If a nation fights them and is defeated, their warriors are taken to be sacrificed to the Aztec war gods. Those who resisted Moctezuma would have their flesh fed to his warriors after the sacrifice. And those who survived would be forced to work from the rising of the sun to its setting, even the women and children. If the harvests were poor, they were left to starve, with no compassion or pity shown to any. On all tribes, vassal or conquered, they inflict heavy taxes and tribute, giving nothing in return other than the priest's dagger. If any complain, they are slain. The Aztecs were never known for compassion in their treatment of those they considered beneath them."

  Tazcamili paused to catch his breath as he tried to read the face of his guest. Seeing that Cortes was showing obvious sympathy to his words and shock over the manner in which the subjects of Moctezuma were treated, he continued with renewed strength, for he had heard how the few men of the Spaniards had defeated the warriors of Tabasco. He told Cortes of Tenochtitlan, the great city built on the waters of the lake Texcoco. He told him of the wealth, power, and splendor of the Aztec empire, noting the gleam in Cortes's eye when he spoke of the gold paid as tribute to the king of Mexica. Then he spoke of the other tribes.

  "My lord, I think it is fitting that you should know that not all tribes are completely dominated by the Aztecs, even if they do pay tribute. There are still many who carry their heads high with pride and courage and cling to their gods. The Tlaxcalans, Totonacs, Huejotzingo, and many others are enemies of Moctezuma, and after what has happened at Tabasco, I am sure they would be more than ready to make an alliance with the men of iron, if it was so desired."

  Cortes didn't wish to commit himself to an alliance this soon; it would be premature. But he was more than pleased at the idea of having thousands of Indian allies to do his bidding if needed. He spoke gently to Tazcamili. "My good lord, I am most grieved at what you have said concerning the treatment of your people and others by the Aztecs. Rest assured that when I speak to Moctezuma, I shall use all that is in my power to make him see that justice is given. For that is the manner in which things are done in my country by my lord and master, Don Carlos, king of Spain, who is now your good friend. As you have offered your friendship to me, so it is in turn given to my master, and his power to protect you is now an obligation that I gladly assume in his name."

  Cortes left, remarking that he had been gone too long from his ships and that it was time for him to return and see to the needs of his men. Tazcamili smiled through blubbery lips as he offered Cortes the honor of being a guest in his city, where he would provide all that his new friend's men might need.

  However, if Cortes wished to return to his ships, it was only a short distance and they could continue their discussions at a later date. Before Cortes departed, Tazcamili called to his chamberlain and had gifts brought in for the Spaniard. Eight Indian girls, one of whom was his own niece, were given as wives for the officers of Cortes's company. Though the women were not very attractive by his standards, Cortes knew that to refuse them would be a deadly insult. He accepted the gift of the women and took his leave. The women were carried on litters to their rooms, where he distributed them among his officers, of whom Casca was not one, and for that Casca was, to say the least, very thankful.

  When they left Cempola, it took only a day's march to reach a city on the river called Quiahuixtlan, a city of the Totonacs. His ships had not arrived there yet, and so he made himself at home, at the invitation of the town chief, who already had been informed of his coming by Tazcamili. Here, Cortes received more proof that not all the towns and nations of this land were under the complete control of Moctezuma.

  Escorted into the city by the elders of the town, they were taken to the city square, where balls of copal, a resinous incense, were burned in a clay brazier. The smoke was waved with fans over Cortes and his men as a kind of ceremony they observed with their lords and their gods.

  The chief of the town repeated almost the exact sentiments of Tazcamili, stating in detail that Moctezuma would be very angry at his receiving the Spaniard, for they had been given orders that none were to aid the strangers or give them comfort of any kind.

  As they were speaking, Casca looked out the door and saw a group of eighteen men crossing the square. He knew a bureaucrat when he saw one. Each man carried a thick short wand and a feathered fly-flap purse. The Totonacs became extremely agitated, whispering to Cortes that they were there to collect tribute for Moctezuma . They were very much afraid that the tax men would report back that Cortes and his men had been given comfort and shelter. For that, Moctezuma was quite capable of having every man, woman, and child in the village put to death. Keeping one hand on his sword and one eye on the Aztecs, Casca heard Cortes as he rose from his bench and told the Totonacs; "I promise you this: The lord Moctezuma will not harm you for giving me shelter. He will reward you for your kindness. But if he does not, I promise you, as I did the lord of Cempola, that I will protect the friends of Spain against all who would do them harm. My soldiers are the equal of a thousand Aztecs, as you have witnessed by the battle of Tabasco. Moctezuma also knows my power and will not have me for a foe."

  The Totonac chief had started to rise to his feet to bow before the Azt
ecs, when Cortes stopped him. Having decided to play his hand a bit further, he told the chief and his elders: "To show you what I and my men can do, order your men to seize these tax collectors of Moctezuma, for I shall be with you, and not even the great Moctezuma himself will be able to molest you. Such is his respect for me."

  Casca thought that Cortes might have let his mouth overload his ass, but the Totonacs did as he said. They grabbed the Aztecs, and when they resisted, they had them whipped. Then they tied their hands and feet to a long pole and held the pole as if the Aztecs were suckling pigs before the roast. Once they made the move, the Totonacs wanted to go all the way and kill the tax men to prevent them from returning to tell of their treatment. But Cortes persuaded them not to do so for the time being. At Cortes's insistence, the tax men were placed in a room adjoining those of the Spaniards. A fire was built, and Cortes posted guards at the door. After completing this small task, he left for his rooms to rest; he had things yet to do this evening.

  Waiting till he was sure the Indians were asleep, Cortes went to Geronimo de Aquilar and told him to release two of the Aztecs and bring them to his rooms. This was done as ordered, and when the Aztecs were brought before Cortes, he professed no knowledge of how they had been captured while in the process of performing their duty of collecting lawful tribute for their master, Moctezuma.

  The tax men begged Cortes to protect them, for the men of the Totonacs were known to have no love for the Mexicas.

  Cortes smiled behind his beard before answering them. "I should indeed be sorry if the servants of the lord Moctezuma became injured or distressed in my presence. But I will look after you and see that you are brought to safety. You should thank God and myself for your freedom – God because he has brought me to your lands, me because I wish to be no more than a good friend to your king. Therefore, you will take this message back with you to Moctezuma. Tell his majesty that I consider him my friend and desire to serve him as such. I know of his fame, power, and goodness. Tell him also that I am pleased that chance gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my affection for him by arranging the release of your own persons from the hostile hands of the Totonacs.