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With a short, fierce ejaculation, Victo sprang to her feet, right hand once again grasping shaft of javelin, its copper point gleaming ruddily in the rays of lamp as though already moistened by the heart-blood of yonder villain. Far differently acted the maiden, her figure trembling with fear and wonder commingled, her lips slightly blanched as she clung closer to her mother.
A low murmur from the eager crowd told how anxious they were to hear more, and, taking her cue from that, Victo made a graceful motion with her white hand, following it by words that sounded rarely sweet in their deep mellowness, after the harsh, dry notes of the paba. "Who dares to bring such base charges against the Daughters of Quetzal'? Who are our accusers, head priest?"
With an evident effort Victo rallied, tones far from steady as she begged both young men to save themselves without thought of them. "I thank you; heaven alone knows how overjoyed I am to hear from my dear husband, my poor child's own father! And he is near, to But go, go! Guide and protect him, Ixtli, for Go, I implore you, sir!"
But Ixtli merely sighed, then spoke in sad tones, explaining how he alone had been taken wholly into the confidence of the Sun Children. Even the captain of their guards knew Victo and Glady as but descendants of the great Fair God whom the audacious trickery of a rival sent far away from the land of his favoured people, to find an abiding-place in the sun itself. "He good brave.
The young Aztec needed no further prompting, loving Victo and Glady as he did, hating and despising the high priest. And in shrill, clear tones came the wondrous oracle: "Tlacopa lies! Tlacopa is an evil dog! The Mother of the Gods loves and will defend her friends, the Children of the great and good Quetzal'."
Then came the bitter denunciation by Tlacopa, followed by the coldly dignified words of Victo, after which the innocent lamb yielded up its life in order that the future might be predicted through the still quivering heart.
With a low cry, Victo drew back a bit, weapon lowering as she recognised friend in place of enemy. "It is you, Aztotl?" she spoke, in mellow tones. "I thought did you remove the usual guards, this evening?" "The blame falls to my share, Sun Child," the Red Heron made answer, with a meekness strange in one of his build and general appearance, that of a king among ordinary warriors.
Through Tlacopa issued the awesome oracles, and when his voice thundered forth the dread fiat, who dared to openly rebel? Further questioning brought forth one more important fact, that there was absolutely no hope of either Victo or Glady coming forth from the valley, either by night or by day.
From his laboured statement, Bruno gathered that the sudden death of one who had dared to lift an armed hand against the woman so mysteriously placed there in their very midst awed all opposition to the general belief in the divine origin of mother and child; and ere long Victo was installed as a sort of high priestess of the temple more especially devoted to the Sun God.
It did not take long questioning, or shrewd, to convince the professor that in Ixtli they could count upon a true and daring supporter in case they should conclude to interfere in behalf of his patroness and teacher, adored Victo.
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