for the combined fire of the cannon. The logs burst into splinters as the muzzles vomited thunder and flame. Then the horses nearly charged into the faces of the awestruck Aztecs, the men on the animal’s backs crying out to Saint James and the king. They wheeled their horses, spinning away only mere feet from the terrified Aztecs.
It was then that Cortes asked Tuedilli, "Does Moctezuma have much gold?"
Stunned, Tuedilli responded automatically: "Yes!"
Cortes grinned at the fear on his guest's face. "Then have him send me some of it, for my companions suffer from a sickness that can be cured only by gold." Cortes was at last revealing his true colors.
Marina whispered into the ear of Tuedilli; "Can you not see the gods have returned?" Tuedilli made a hasty apology for having to leave the company. He wanted to put some distance between himself and these terrible beings and monstrous implements of destruction. This would have to be reported immediately to the capital. Runners would be sent to Tenochtitlan, seventy leagues distant, and take with them the pictures drawn on cotton cloth of what he had witnessed. Then he would make sacrifices of his own to appease and gain the support of his gods. Before he left, he ordered two of his nobles to remain in the camp to see to the needs of the Spaniards. In their charge were two thousand Indians who had been drafted from the local tribes to be the servants of the Spaniards. Tuedilli now understood Moctezuma's fear of the strangers from the sea. If they were not gods, they still had powers not known to mortal men. He knew that Moctezuma would be troubled greatly by his message.
CHAPTER NINE
After Casca's meeting in the tent of Cortes, he came away impressed with the man's drive and absolute faith in his destiny. He'd told Casca to continue to use his brain since there might come a time when he would have need of an intelligent friend. Casca used this opening as an opportunity to ask Cortes for permission to use the services of Aquilar and Marina. From then on, he spent most of his time listening to the speech of the Aztecs, trying to reach back into the dim recesses of his memory for any familiar words. Some of the language struck distant chords, but what he really experienced was the half-familiar taste of something long forgotten. It was from Aquilar and Marina that he began to learn the rudiments of the speech the Aztecs called Nahual. For many days, even after the gifts of Moctezuma had come and been presented, he devoted most of his time to learning the things he would need to know. Marina told him of the Aztecs and their culture, how the place of lakes where their capital was had two names that were used interchangeably. The valley was called Mexico, which meant the source or the center. Its people were called either Aztec or Mexicas, as even Tenochtitlan was called the city of Mexico. This she had long since related to Cortes that he might not be confused with the interchanging of titles.
Casca worked from dawn till dusk. If he wasn't pestering Aquilar or Marina, he was dragging a protesting Juan with him to visit with the Indians, making them show him different articles and their corresponding names in Nahual. He had always had the gift of tongues, and it served him well in his endless travels from one nation and culture to the next. He found that many of the words were becoming more familiar now. He learned much more quickly than Aquilar or even Marina could have expected. He had a purpose in his mind, and to accomplish it, he required the knowledge of a minimum amount of words. He had to learn whether the Aztecs were worth saving. He had seen the pure gleam of avarice in the eyes of the Spaniards when Tuedilli and his nobles had presented Cortes with their offerings from Moctezuma.
To Juan it was a bit boring. He couldn't understand why his friend went to such lengths to understand pagans. Casca had hoped that Juan would take an interest in the natives beyond their
It was then that Cortes asked Tuedilli, "Does Moctezuma have much gold?"
Stunned, Tuedilli responded automatically: "Yes!"
Cortes grinned at the fear on his guest's face. "Then have him send me some of it, for my companions suffer from a sickness that can be cured only by gold." Cortes was at last revealing his true colors.
Marina whispered into the ear of Tuedilli; "Can you not see the gods have returned?" Tuedilli made a hasty apology for having to leave the company. He wanted to put some distance between himself and these terrible beings and monstrous implements of destruction. This would have to be reported immediately to the capital. Runners would be sent to Tenochtitlan, seventy leagues distant, and take with them the pictures drawn on cotton cloth of what he had witnessed. Then he would make sacrifices of his own to appease and gain the support of his gods. Before he left, he ordered two of his nobles to remain in the camp to see to the needs of the Spaniards. In their charge were two thousand Indians who had been drafted from the local tribes to be the servants of the Spaniards. Tuedilli now understood Moctezuma's fear of the strangers from the sea. If they were not gods, they still had powers not known to mortal men. He knew that Moctezuma would be troubled greatly by his message.
CHAPTER NINE
After Casca's meeting in the tent of Cortes, he came away impressed with the man's drive and absolute faith in his destiny. He'd told Casca to continue to use his brain since there might come a time when he would have need of an intelligent friend. Casca used this opening as an opportunity to ask Cortes for permission to use the services of Aquilar and Marina. From then on, he spent most of his time listening to the speech of the Aztecs, trying to reach back into the dim recesses of his memory for any familiar words. Some of the language struck distant chords, but what he really experienced was the half-familiar taste of something long forgotten. It was from Aquilar and Marina that he began to learn the rudiments of the speech the Aztecs called Nahual. For many days, even after the gifts of Moctezuma had come and been presented, he devoted most of his time to learning the things he would need to know. Marina told him of the Aztecs and their culture, how the place of lakes where their capital was had two names that were used interchangeably. The valley was called Mexico, which meant the source or the center. Its people were called either Aztec or Mexicas, as even Tenochtitlan was called the city of Mexico. This she had long since related to Cortes that he might not be confused with the interchanging of titles.
Casca worked from dawn till dusk. If he wasn't pestering Aquilar or Marina, he was dragging a protesting Juan with him to visit with the Indians, making them show him different articles and their corresponding names in Nahual. He had always had the gift of tongues, and it served him well in his endless travels from one nation and culture to the next. He found that many of the words were becoming more familiar now. He learned much more quickly than Aquilar or even Marina could have expected. He had a purpose in his mind, and to accomplish it, he required the knowledge of a minimum amount of words. He had to learn whether the Aztecs were worth saving. He had seen the pure gleam of avarice in the eyes of the Spaniards when Tuedilli and his nobles had presented Cortes with their offerings from Moctezuma.
To Juan it was a bit boring. He couldn't understand why his friend went to such lengths to understand pagans. Casca had hoped that Juan would take an interest in the natives beyond their
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