The King's Fifth: Chapters 22–31

The cacique left behind two of his retainers, young men of serious mien who seated themselves on either side of the doorway.

For there exists some way that we can dredge up that golden reef.

The lake formed by the earthen dam was a third the size of the whole city. If somehow the dam could be breached, the water would rush out, down upon the city in a roaring flood, sweeping everything before it, leaving the gold exposed.

The sun burst from the plain and, as at Nexpan, a cry of exultation rose from the crowd.

Into gourds filled with glistening oil, retainers dipped their hands and ran them over Tlascingo’s body and his face, even the bottoms of his feet.

“Perhaps a trough, a channel across the terrace," Mendoza said.

On the second afternoon, when the bags were finished, Mendoza scoured the camp for things he could trade to Tlascingo—an iron bar, a worn-out surcingle, a shirt lacking buttons, a mirror of Zuñiga’s, which he broke into five pieces.

Her eyes were fixed on the animals plodding along behind me.

I walked along beside them, ready if Blue Star took the notion to stand on her hind legs or to lie down or bolt through the trees.

With misgivings I handed it up.

With such a mad scheme, many things could go amiss.

As I stood transfixed, a plume of white water broke from the mountain, hung in the bright morning air, and fell sparkling to earth.

“How much gold did the lake yield?”

“As Mendoza thought, everyone who could escape the torrent scrambled to the roof tops.”

“Why should he? He has gold to last a hundred years.” Roa glanced at the heavily laden train.

No Indians were in sight, but while we ate supper Tigre stalked back and forth in front of the bulwark, stopping from time to time to sniff the air.

Nightfall was still two hours away, but there was wood about and a small stream meandered along our path, so here Mendoza ordered us to encamp.

Was Roa the hapless fowl in the tree?

On the fourth day, because the animals needed rest, we stayed in camp, treating their galls as best we could and gathering grass to make fresh pads for their backs.

By firelight we dug a shallow grave and buried him, rolling heavy stones upon the grave against marauding beasts.

It was toilsome work, work for two men, yet soon after the sun rose the bags lay in their wooden saddles and the conducta was in line, ready to leave.

“By right of succession,” I said, “I now command the conducta. Do you wish to stay with us or go to Háwikuh?”

Today in the courtroom there are two palm fans and two boys to pull at the ropes. Still it is sweltering hot.

She starts to speak, but seeing Don Felipe behind me, pauses. Then, as he moves discreetly out of hearing, she says, “I hope that my words did not harm you with the judges.”

Velasco, who had loaned Captain Mendoza two mules, and was known as a usurer, would claim more than his share, perhaps a fifth of the treasure.

It was a look of fear, as if he saw my soul poised on some noisome brink.

We found no water here, used all that we carried, but two days later came to a brackish hole, where I watered the animals and refilled our casks.

It was a great depression in the earth, flat, naked of trees or brush, and stark white in color.

A waning moon cast light on the white dust.

Sand was blowing and the horizon wavered before my eyes, yet I noticed no more than a furlong away, on the very edge of the Inferno, rows of yellow craters, which I had passed in the night and not seen.

I eat little but drink the chocolate, which is hot and frothy.

"Hidalgo,” he says, very cheerful, which is always a bad sign with him, “you must have slept well, for you look as fresh-cheeked as a rose in the Queen’s garden. Ah, to be young once more. When every day is a sweet confection to be popped into the mouth...”

“Word has come to me that the royal fiscal and some of his cohorts are sending an expedition to Cíbola. They will use the notes you have given to the Audiencia. Tell me, caballero, will these notes lead them to the hiding place of the treasure?”

There is no sign on the faces of the judges of what the verdict will be. Wrapped in their fur-trimmed robes, they seem anxious to be done with the proceedings.

“In consideration of the defendant’s youth,” the royal fiscal says, "and in light of the defendant’s own desire to be of help in the location of the treasure, we, the Royal Audiencia, commute this sentence to a period of three years, which is to be spent in His Majesty’s prison, San Juan de Ulúa.”