The Emperor's Men 8 Read online

  Achak was a good general. He had prepared the battle thoroughly and was always ready to learn even more effective methods of murder. He had used the small spear catapults with enthusiasm. He was already talking about larger models that could be used to fire more than just spears, gravel, many pointed stones that drove through the ranks of the enemies like a cloud of death, slitting their skin, mutilating their faces and making them blind with pain, willing recipients of the deadly blow from the hands of soldiers who only had to finish what the projectiles had started.

  Achak had painted this with a passion that the Japanese didn’t fail to recognize. In fact, after the victory celebrations, they would start building more weapons, thereby strengthening their capabilities. Anyway, the old general was his man, in every way. His loyalty to the king, to Chitam, was only on the surface. His heart belonged to Inugami, as long as it gave him the opportunity to shed the blood of other people in battle.

  Inugami wanted to give that to him, and plenty of it.

  The general fell on his knees.

  “Lord, I greet you. It is a time of triumph.”

  “That it is. Raise.”

  Inugami waved and everyone left the room except Achak, who finally sat on a stool. He was a little shaky on his feet, had been drinking well, and the intoxication of the fight had started to turn into an intoxication of alcohol.

  “What is your plan, sir? What’s the next step?” he articulated with the great care of a man who knew he had to be very focused to be able to speak clearly.

  “Tayasal, general, just as we discussed it.”

  Achak’s eyes shone. “The enemy will crawl in the dust before us. The head of the King of Tayasal will roll over the floor. Nothing and nobody stands in our way. Another grand victory, another defeat for the enemy. This is Mutal’s time, and you, great Inugami, are the prophet of that time.”

  The Japanese smiled. He quite liked Achak’s attitude.

  “You have the full list of casualties?”

  “Lord, we haven’t lost a hundred men. The army is sure of victory and ready to march.”

  “Tayasal is small.”

  “And Yaxchilan is big and close. It may be that the new king comes up with ideas.”

  There had to be a new king, that was clear. Such a large city did not remain without a ruler for long. They still didn’t know anything about him or his plans. That would change in the foreseeable future.

  “He lacks warriors,” Inugami said.

  “He may also lack stupidity. I advise keeping the Saclemacal garrison as small as possible.”

  Inugami sat down too, his expression thoughtful.

  “I’m afraid of an uprising, General. We are doing this differently now. We conquer and secure, we manage and keep. Do you understand that, Achak?”

  “You explained it to me. I think 500 men will be enough. None of your warrior slaves coming from this city. They might be inclined to rethink their loyalty. We’ll take them with us on the campaign.”

  “We’ll take them all to Tayasal. Five hundred men. Who should be governor?”

  Achak had apparently not thought about it yet. He frowned and was obviously trying to find a clever answer to the question. Inugami did not push him, took the break to fill a plate with fruit. The battle had made him hungry, and the table was richly covered. He found it remarkable that the old general, although he had every right to do so, did not himself ask for the post equivalent to that of a king – as long as Inugami was not present. Achak was not someone who wanted to rule – his only goal was to create the military basis for such rule.

  “We have two options, sir. We elevate someone from here and put a general of ours at his side to keep an eye on him. The other alternative would be to promote one of ours and completely ignore the local nobility. Both options have their risks.”

  “What is your advice?”

  “You are striving for a new kind of rule, new bonds of loyalty, and a permanent connection between the cities. An empire, as you called it. You must be certain of the loyalty of the people who rule this empire for you.”

  “What does Chitam say?”

  Achak seemed surprised at the question. During the whole conversation, he obviously hadn’t considered the King of Mutal, who was now actually King of Saclemacal. Inugami thought that was a good sign. It showed how unimportant Chitam was becoming in the eyes of his most important followers. The time was near to depose the King and put an end to this charade. Soon, very soon.

  “Chitam hasn’t said anything to me yet. He may think and act like his ancestors, elevating someone from the city who swear allegiance and promises tribute – and then marching off again. Those times are over.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  “I want to appoint one of our men to be governor.”

  “So be it.”

  “I need suggestions. Someone with intelligence who knows his limits. Loyal, as far as we can be sure.”

  Achak hesitated long enough to arouse Inugami’s suspicions.

  “What’s the problem, general?”

  “My lord …”

  “Speak up.”

  “We cannot actually be completely sure of anyone at the moment. There is … not everyone speaks and acts freely, not everyone clearly shows where his loyalty actually lies. Lord, you will find the safest candidates for such an office among those who are personally loyal because they know what treason means to them – and what wonderful reward they can expect if they remain loyal and do what you expect.”

  Achak didn’t say anything else and looked at Inugami, who immediately nodded thoughtfully.

  The old man was of course absolutely right.

  In this situation, his choice was indeed limited. Very limited. But he could make the best of it. He wanted to use his own people as governors, in the larger cities, which were further away and could not be controlled directly. Aritomo would be king one day, though he had no idea yet. But not so close to Mutal. That would be a waste of limited resources. Saclemacal was easy to get to, quick to punish; it was a small town with limited resources, not a potential center of resistance. Basically only important because of its symbolic value as the first building block of the new empire but ultimately as a settlement of negligible importance.

  Inugami nodded and stretched.

  “Did that fellow Balkun survive the battle? The man who saved Chitam’s family from the fire?”

  “He was brave and unharmed,” Achak replied with a knowing smile. The old man seemed to be able to understand and agree with his thoughts. Inugami smiled back.

  “Then call him, General.”

  4

  Inocoyotl hated waiting, at least as much as he was used to do it. It was one of the prerogatives of great rulers to keep anyone waiting who was not of the same rank, and no matter how many Mayan kings existed, the number of rulers who were actually accepted as equal was not great. If you were king of one of the big cities, not somewhere in the province but of a real center of military, economic and political power, then lower kings had to endure until they were called, and nobody was allowed to show any impatience. In this, a Mayan ruler was no different from a king of Teotihuacán, and so he endured what was to be endured.

  K’uk’ Bahlam, King of B’aakal, was one of the great ones. After Inocoyotl arrived in the city and had been received with great respect, he had waited a day for the Lord to address him. During this time, he had been granted the freedom to take a look around this metropolis and quickly learned that there were only a few cities besides B’aakal and Mutal that had achieved this size and wealth. K’uk’ Bahlam was a ruler who was very aware of his dignity and power. At the same time, however, it was he who had invited to this conference, and since he wanted something, he was not half as distant as one would have expected him to be. The King of Popo’ had arrived before Inocoyotl, and he was of roughly the same rank and standin
g as K’uk’, but the other rulers, although they governed only small spots, were treated with respect and appropriately. Inocoyotl might represent the great Teotihuacán, but he was not a king, and so it was only right that he had to wait.

  No problem.

  He had used his time.

  The rumors about the strange messengers of the gods had been fleshed out during his stay. It was difficult now to dismiss everything as a web of fancies. Inocoyotl became friends with the thought that his gracious divine ruler had sent him here at a time when something very, very strange was happening. He had the greatest respect for his king and had no doubt about his wisdom and foresight. But he would have some questions after his return, if his master was in a good mood. Meztli might even reveal on his own if all of this was indeed mere coincidence or intention. Inocoyotl, at any rate, felt he was in the right place at the right time, and as much as he believed in divine will, he trusted the fact that sometimes a king knew more than his faithful servant.

  Maintaining the good humor and mercy of his king depended not least on the success of his mission. Inocoyotl had the problem, however, that he did not know exactly what should be considered a success. He was deep in thought in the waiting room, far from bored when a servant called for him to enter the audience chamber.

  He thanked and followed the man.

  K’uk Bahlam’s chamber was not large. But the king himself was, a massive man with a nose so dominant that Inocoyotl for a moment forgot his manners and stared at them involuntarily. He was not expected to throw himself on the floor. He represented a power that even the highest Mayan kings had healthy respect for. However, the ambassador was not lacking in deference. He bowed deeply and did not straighten up until Bahlam asked him to sit down.

  The king was not alone. A clerk sat next to him and would record the most important aspects of the conversation. B’aakal was known for its carefully kept archive. And next to the king sat a second man of dignified appearance, dressed in similarly magnificent feather headdresses. Inocoyotl couldn’t be sure, but he assumed that this was the king of Popo’, whose name he hadn’t heard yet. It was sometimes difficult to keep track of the Maya. They had so many important rulers.

  But if the rumors were true, there were efforts to change this.

  “Greetings to the envoy from Teotihuacán,” boomed Bahlam’s deep voice. “Sit down and tell us about your great lord.”

  Inocoyotl bowed again and took a seat. Since the Lord of Popo’ didn’t seem to be communicating with him, he turned his attention to the jovial figure of Bahlam. However, he was not fooled by this. Bahlam’s body was large and soft, but his will was harder than the best obsidian.

  “Noble King, noble majesties, I send you my lord’s greetings, and I’m delighted to see you in the best of health. The friendship of my lord and king is unbreakable, and his blessings accompany you. Teotihuacán sees you as a family, and we are united by a bond that stretches through the ages. Thank you for the friendly welcome, the kind hospitality and the opportunity to step in front of you.”

  K’uk’ Bahlam’s broad face grew even wider, as his lips twisted into a smile, thus expressing his benevolence. “Thank you, ambassador. It is an astonishing coincidence that you appear here at the exact time when a major crisis is looming, and I have called a gathering of dignitaries to discuss this.”

  Inocoyotl kept his composure. It was remarkable that Bahlam had exactly the same thoughts as the envoy himself. His respect for the massive man grew a little more. “A coincidence, indeed. I only heard about this meeting on my way here.”

  “So you weren’t sent directly as an observer, as a participant in the deliberations?”

  “No,” Inocoyotl said the truth. “My mission was of a more general nature. I should strengthen relationships with our friends, the Maya, and visit many cities. It was not my specific job to attend this conference; I knew nothing about it and neither did my master.”

  He wasn’t so sure about the last claim, but of course he couldn’t show that.

  Bahlam nodded. “But then you hurried here.”

  “It seemed appropriate to me. Am I welcome?”

  Bahlam laughed. It was remarkable what tremors the brief outburst caused on his body. “A lot. The gods look benevolently down at us. We could use the help of our generous friend, your king, someday.”

  Inocoyotl said nothing and just bowed. He knew that he had extensive powers. His king might support whatever he said here, even what he didn’t think was right, just to save his face. In such a case, however, the head of his envoy would no longer be sitting on his shoulders too securely once he returned. Inocoyotl quite liked the current position of his head. He had to be very careful. “I’ve only heard rumors so far, noble majesties.”

  “It started with rumors. But it is now much more than that.”

  “Do you want to inform me?”

  “That is the purpose of this gathering.” Bahlam rose.

  Inocoyotl immediately wanted to do the same, but the king waved him off. The flexibility with which he was able to move was amazing, as if all the fat on his bones were actually muscles. Inocoyotl frowned. Indeed, there may have been more muscles than it appeared. He didn’t want to face the man in battle. The outcome could be surprising.

  And Inocoyotl was really attached to his head.

  Bahlam spread his arms and spoke. “Many weeks ago there were the first indications that amazing things had happened in Mutal. They spoke of messengers of the gods that would have appeared one day from heaven, brought by a strange vehicle, a metal container of impressive size, which the temple crushed among itself. We didn’t take these rumors too seriously, they sounded a little … hysterical.”

  Inocoyotl just grunted. Who would blame Bahlam? That was his first reaction to the story. Visions of priests who had given themselves to chi too intensively and wanted to impress gullible people to demonstrate their usefulness.

  “But then these rumors grew as our own informants began to confirm them in their reports. Indeed, something extraordinary has happened in Mutal. And any doubts we might have had have been cleared up by recent events that you probably haven’t heard of.”

  Inocoyotl nodded promptly. “I’m listening, high king.”

  “And attentively, as I observe. Good.”

  Bahlam walked through the room during his lecture, driven by an inner unrest that now seemed to be transferred to Inocoyotl. He had to hold on to himself not to jump up. The one who remained completely uninvolved was the lord of Popo’. He had even closed his eyes. “Our dear brother, the king of Yaxchilan, has always been a man full of ambition and confidence. He used a victory over a neighboring town to fuel enthusiasm for a campaign against Mutal, and he managed to find two valuable allies in this regard, the lords of Saclemacal and Tayasal. An impressive army marched toward Mutal, and although this city is so big and powerful, I wouldn’t have given much of its chances of a successful defense.”

  Inocoyotl said nothing. The Mayan habit of constantly attacking each other was well known in Teotihuacán. His own king was very pleased with this practice. Mayan kings in battle meant that none of them could ever pose a serious threat to the Eternal City. So they should keep pounding each other’s skulls. Inocoyotl found this a very reasonable attitude. The description presented to him thus so far corresponded to what he had to expect from the current power politics of this region. “What happened?”

  “Mutal prevailed. The king of Yaxchilan is dead. Thousands of prisoners have been made.”

  “One hears a lot about the power of Mutal’s warriors,” Inocoyotl said, unable to hide the fact that he was somewhat proud. Mutal’s current dynasty was founded by a noble Teotihuacán who had led one of the last great campaigns in this region. It seemed that some of his people’s energy and ability had been transferred to his offspring. If a Mayan state was honored by Teotihuacán, it was Mutal.

  Bahlam
knew that, of course. And he was a polite man. “Indeed, envoy. But all reports speak of magic weapons that brought great destruction to the attackers, thundering sticks from which invisible arrows shot, and large fires that spontaneously spread like magic. They speak of men in strange robes who have conquered the ear and heart of the King of Mutal and a metal vehicle that rests on one of their temples.”

  “These reports sound … embellished.”

  Bahlam laughed again in his shattering way. The sound came deep from his body and felt like a volcano was preparing to erupt. There was something contagious as well as terrifying.

  “My spies are men of the greatest reliability, I expressly admonish them to only report what they hear and see and never to try to interpret these things.”

  Inocoyotl believed that the king was extremely careful when selecting and instructing his agents, especially those in Mutal. He was concerned that the truth did not seem to be far from the visions of drunken priests.

  “That’s how you called this important conference,” Inocoyotl concluded. “In the visit of the messengers of the gods you see a danger, not a blessing.”

  “I doubt it’s messengers from the gods. I have no doubt, however, that they are a danger, except for Mutal itself, and I don’t want to come to a final judgment there either.”

  “What is the danger? How do you want to deal with this? Do you wish to attack Mutal? Who should support you?”

  Bahlam laughed again, and Inocoyotl imagined hearing respect in the laughter. “Everyone at this conference once wanted to conquer Mutal. Even the mighty Teotihuacán, if I remember correctly.”

  Inocoyotl shook his head mockingly, grinning. He started to warm up for this king.

  “The problem is not whether and when we attack Mutal, but rather where the king of that city, supported by the messengers of the gods, is now turning his eye. The last thing we heard today, delivered directly by messenger from one of my spies, is this: King Chitam of Mutal’s troops have set out to punish Saclemacal for participating in the attack on Mutal. And everyone agrees that this city will not be the last to fall victim to the campaign.”