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It had been spirited away or else buried forever beneath the ruins of the town. The soldiers, their greed for treasure excited, insisted upon the torture of the noble Guatemoc and his comrade.
It was Guatemoc as he had come from the fray, which, except for its harvest of burning houses, was finished for that night. The plumes were shorn from his head, his golden armour was hacked by the Spanish swords, and he bled from a shot wound in the neck. 'Greeting, Teule, he said. 'Certainly I never thought to see you alive to-night, or myself either for that matter.
'You are not of our people, yet my heart goes out to such a man. And still smiling she left us. 'Who is that great lady? I asked of Guatemoc. 'That is my cousin Otomie, the princess of the Otomie, my uncle Montezuma's favourite daughter, he answered. 'She likes you, Teule, and that is well for you for many reasons. Hush! As he spoke the screen at the far end of the chamber was drawn aside.
Now as the husband of Otomie, you are a lord among the lords, having honour and great possessions, and as such be seated by your brother Guatemoc, and join our council. I did as he bade me, and Otomie withdrew from our presence. Then Cuitlahua spoke again, no longer of me and my matters, but of the urgent affairs of state.
Finally he began to address them. He bade them lay down their arms and disperse. The people, led by the great lords and Montezuma's brother, Cuitlahua, and his nephew, Guatemoc, answered with a roar of rage, and the roar spread as the purport of the message was communicated to those further back. Montezuma stood appalled.
What worse thing has been done to your Christian God than has been done again and again to our gods by your white kindred? But let us talk no more of this matter, and I pray you, my brother, do not utter such ill-omened words to me again, lest it should strain our love. Do you then believe that the Teules will return? 'Ay, Guatemoc, so surely as to-morrow's sun shall rise.
This was the prayer of those who sent the envoys, that I should raise a force of Otomies and travel with it across the country to Yucatan, and there with others who would be gathered, wait a favourable opportunity to throw myself upon the Spaniards when they were entangled in the forests and swamps, putting them to the sword and releasing Guatemoc.
When I had breakfasted with the household of the prince Guatemoc, I was led to the hall of justice, which was named the 'tribunal of god. Here on a golden throne sat Montezuma, administering justice in such pomp as I cannot describe. About him were his counsellors and great lords, and before him was placed a human skull crowned with emeralds so large that a blaze of light went up from them.
It seems that some knave had betrayed to Cortes that an attempt would be made to rescue the prince, and that thereon Cortes commanded that he should be hung. It seems also that Guatemoc met his death as he had met the misfortunes of his life, proudly and without fear. These were his last words: 'I did ill, Malinche, when I held my hand from taking my own life before I surrendered myself to you.
But neither dead nor living was he among those men who entered Mexico that day. That night I saw Guatemoc and asked him how things went. 'Well for the kite that roosts in the dove's nest, he answered with a bitter laugh, 'but very ill for the dove.
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