 | CHAPTER VIII. Centeola |  |
8. CHAPTER VIII.
The hour of trial, and, with it, the hour of retribution,
was at hand. With feelings of intense solicitude, indeed,
but with no weak relentings, no touch of fear or irresolution,
Alcoan and his gifted and heroic daughter summoned
their attendants, and, with them, set forth for the
scene of action for that memorable day. As in the order
and manner of their march yesterday, Centeola rode on
her beautiful white steed. By her side walked Alcoan
with the peculiar oaken staff generally carried by Sages,
symbolizing, in this instance, his tribe by being carved in
the shape of a serpent. In their rear followed the attendant
maidens, and then all the men, except Wampa, who,
from his great strength and resolution, was placed in front
to take the lead and clear the way for the cortege through
the crowded streets. Scarcely had they left their quarters
before they perceived that they were the objects of general
observation and scrutiny among the multitude. As
they proceeded along the narrow street, in which they had
set forth, throngs of people were continually rushing by
them, or running along by their side, eagerly scanning
and her horse appeared especially to attract their attention,
and elicit their surprise. And when they reached
the great street leading down from the Western gate, the
crowd became an almost compact mass of living bodies,
all pressing eagerly forward towards the Sacred Inclosure,
which was evidently the great point of attraction for the
day. As the train reached this point, it was compelled
to come to a stand; for, at first they found it impossible
to find a sufficient space among the moving mass
to enable them to fall in and move along with the current.
In a few minutes, however, they were relieved from their
dilemma in the most unexpected manner: for, at this
juncture, their ears were saluted by the loud cries of heralds,
who came rushing down the street, brandishing their
long spears, and sternly ordering the crowd to fall back
on either side, to make room for the “Procession of the
Sacred Virgins” which was proclaimed to be approaching.
This procession was regarded as one of the most interesting
and important of all the ceremonies of the Great
Festival of the God of War, for whose honor it was especially
designed. Previous to the day of the Festival,
it was customary for a select band of girls, who thereby
obtained the appellation of the Sacred Virgins, to fashion,
or construct, from the flour of maize and wild rice, mixed
with honey and the pulp of fruits, an idol representing
the God of War, and clothe and deck it out in costly attire
the first morning of the Festival was placed sitting upright
on a litter, and borne in solemn procession through
the principal streets of the city, immediately attended by
those particularly designated as the Sacred Virgins,
followed by a long and splendid array of young girls,
dressed in white and adorned with a profusion of the most
beautiful flowers it was possible to obtain. After moving
through the streets in this manner, this showy cortege
always proceeded directly to the Sacred Enclosure,
there, in front of the Great Temple, to inaugurate the
opening ceremony of the Festival. In the present instance
the procession, having already made their customary
rounds through the streets, was on its way to its final
destination.
In a few minutes after it had been announced and the
way opened for it, as above described, the heralded procession
came sweeping by amidst the loud beating of drums
and the reiterated cheers and shouts of the excited multitude.
Falling in directly in the rear of this procession,
the Sage, his daughter and their train, with Wampa in
front, and Tulozin, who had now overtaken them, following
closely behind them, were hurried rapidly along with
the great human tide, unquestioned and almost unnoticed in
the general rush, till they had entered the Sacred Enclosure.
Here on a slightly raised, broad platform extending
along in front of the Council Hall, sat the King in his royal
and attendant state officials, all showily attired for the occasion.
On the opposite side of the street, and close to
the foot of the Great Temple, had been erected another,
much smaller, but more elevated platform, which was
principally occupied by a vacant throne, designed for the
High Priest of the Temple, who was now reserving his
presence for the most important ceremony of the day.
As the procession of the Sacred Virgins passed between
these two platforms, and, according to custom, there came
to a halt facing the King, Centeola's party, having just
before partially extricated themselves from the mid-current
of the rushing throng, were pressed and crowded up
close to the end of the King's platform, where, hedged in
on every side, and thus involuntarily brought to a stand,
they became involuntary spectators of all that transpired.
The image, which had been borne forward at the head
of the procession, was now, with great formality brought
upon the platform and presented to the King, who, in
turn ordered it to be delivered over to the priests of Mixitli;
when it was at once taken in hand by them, broken into
small fragments and distributed to the crowd, by whom
it was received with shouts of exultation and eagerly
eaten, each repeating — “thus we eat the body of the
God, and thus we shall be made strong to fight his battles,
and to scatter our own foes.”
As soon as this ceremony was concluded, the Sacred
rites, (such as oblations of fruits, flowers, birds and small
quadrupeds, to the sun, the moon and some of the subordinate
acknowledged deities,) which had been usually
made to follow the one that had just taken place. But
all these lighter sacred rites and displays, were lost sight
of by the multitude in their anxiety for the speedy occurrence
of the doubly important chief ceremony of the Festival.
And the loud and prolonged cries of “the Sacrifices!
the Sacrifices of the virgins!” rose from every
quarter of the densely crowded Sacred Arena, till the
thousand times repeated demand filled the heavens with
vociferous clamor; while the lively commotion and the
surging to and fro of the vast throng, with other demonstrations
of their eagerness, plainly testified their angry
impatience at every moment's delay in complying with
their request.
The King then rose, and, waving his official wand towards
the crowd in order to impose silence, thus addressed
the people —
“It has always been our custom to reserve the ceremony
of the human Sacrifices, so important for propitiating
the protecting deity of our nation, to the last; so as to
make a fitting close of the glorious Festival we have so
long and wisely yearly held in his honor. But inasmuch
as our city, and with it the whole nation, is so immediately
threatened by a formidable foe, and as we need the speedy
the sacrifices should take place early on this, the first day
of the Festival, and as soon as the less important ceremonies
which have ever been permitted to follow the beautiful
rite we have just witnessed, are over, the Sacrifices of
the Virgins shall immediately proceed.”
But the temper of the crowd, goaded almost to madness,
as they were, at the thought of the so nearly threatening
danger, would brook no delay, and the eager cry
was again raised, “the Sacrifices! the Sacrifices! The
God is angry and must be immediately appeased. Let
the King permit no delay! The Sacrifices! the Sacrifices!”
And as if to make good the assertion of the anger of the
God by a visible demonstration, as first uttered, at that
moment a strange, deep, rumbling sound was heard, and
the earth shook and vibrated too palpably not to arrest instant
attention. All stood aghast, and were struck dumb
with surprise and apprehension; while the King and his
Councillors exchanged glances of lively concern. A dead
pause succeeded; when the crowd rallying from their surprise,
and now being joined by the whole band of Priests and
Seers, fiercely broke forth anew with the loud and united
cry of, “the Sacrifices! the Sacrifices!” with an earnestness
and determination that plainly evinced they would
brook no futher delay or opposition.
The King, therefore, after a hurried consultation with
some of the leading Councillors, rose and said —
“The wishes of the people shall be heeded. Let the
virgins, who have been consecrated to the God of War, be
brought forth and prepared for the final ceremony.”
In a short time the doomed virgins, heralded by a band
of six subordinate Priests, and enclosed on every side by
armed guards, were led forth from their prison chamber,
opening from one side of the Great Temple, and arranged
in front of the smaller platform beneath it. By the desperate
exertion of the King's emissaries, all but one of
the required twenty virgins, had during the night, been
brought in; and it was announced by one of the priests
that the hunt was still going on for the victim still wanting
to make up the full score that had been decreed to the
God. And here they stood in all the bloom of their
youth and beauty passively but fearfully awaiting their
dreaded fate. Not the first ray of hope lighted a single
countenance, but the looks of all were deeply stamped
with the most painful expressions of anguish and despair;
while convulsive sobs and half suppressed cries of mortal
terror were often bursting from their pallid lips. A large
basket of garlands and flower wreaths was now borne forward
by the servants of the Priests, who, having severally
selected their portions of these flowery ornaments, proceeded
to deck with them the heads and necks of the devoted
band. When they had been thus arrayed, a Priest
formally addressed the poor trembling creatures, telling
them how proud and happy they should feel in the honor
assuring them that they should be all immediately translated
to the House of the Sun, where they would lead
lives of endless delight, hailing that luminary in the morning
with music and dancing, when, as he mounted upward
on his glorious course through the sky, they would be
joined by the innumerable souls of young warriors slain
in battle, and all would attend him with similar festivities
to the place of his sitting.
These ceremonies being over, the King arose and waving
his royal wand towards the multitude, announced that
the all important rites were then about to be commenced,
and enjoined on all to witness them with devout attention,
and with earnest secret prayers to the God, that he would
graciously accept the oblation, become propitiated, and interpose
his potent arm and save the city from the dreaded
foe.
Loud and prolonged exclamations in approval of this
address every where burst forth from the multitudes.
Then a pause and momentary silence ensued, during
which, the clear flute-like tones of the voice of Centeola
rose melodiously and solemnly on the air, causing thousands
of faces to turn in surprise towards the spot from
which such unwonted accents had proceeded, when with
still greater surprise, their eyes fell upon the transcendent
form and face of the gifted maiden, speaking from
her spotless white steed, which, now for the first time attracting
the curiosity and wonder of the throng, who becoming
hushed into silence, were eagerly intent on catching the
words she might be uttering.
“King of the Imperial City,” she began, “I this hour
appear before thee on a mission, which has been prompted
by the Great Spirit, the Supreme God whom I alone worship,
and sanctioned by a large class of the best and most
enlightened of your subjects of the Seven Tribes. In
that great name, and in the name of those dutiful subjects,
I come to protest against the inhuman sacrifices of
these innocent virgins — I come.”
“Who is it, who dares thus to question and oppose the
decrees of the King and Council?” exclaimed a Councillor
starting to his feet with looks of angry excitement.
“Away with her! away with her!” shouted the
priests.
“No, no! It is something more than a woman — it
surely must be a goddess!” cried a dozen voices from
the fickle crowd, who were evidently struck with wonder
at the marvellous beauty of the maiden, at the richness of
her costume, and at the, to them, strange and imposing
animal on which she sat, and which, by many of them,
was taken as part of herself, — “it is a goddess come
among us! Let her not be driven away, let her be
heard.”
The King hesitated and began to consult with his Councillor
former to give any orders in the matter, Centeola resumed
—
“I come, O King, to condemn and denounce these
sacrifices, which are an abomination in the sight of Heaven.
They are proposed to be made to propitiate a God,
if such a God there be, who has no power over the affairs
of men. They are therefore in vain, and worse than in
vain; for they will surely call down the wrath of the
Great God of Heaven and Earth on thee and thy corrupt
and idolatrous city. They will bring upon thee, thy city,
and all our beloved Azatlan, the very doom thou art vainly
thinking to avert by these unhallowed rites and ceremonies.
Release then, these poor trembling victims of
wrong and superstition, forego the whole system of human
sacrifices, and repent thy Heaven-offending purpose;
and it may be that the Good Supreme, in his mercy, will
yet spare and punish not. But if not, if this great
wickedness is consummated, I prophecy that the doom of
this proud city, and, with it, this dynasty, is sealed forever.
I see the avenging bolt suspended over us in the
heavens above, and I hear the deep mutterings of the
coming wrath in the earth beneath. Be warned then, O
King and Councillors, in season. Stay the sacrifices and
hope to live — persist in them and perish.”
This address was hailed by a howl of wrath from the
united vociferations of the Priests and Seers, in which
could be distinguished the fierce demands —
“Away with her! she blasphemes the God! she defies
the King! away with her to the deepest dungeon in the
Temple!”
A half dozen excited Councillors sprang to their feet;
but before they could be heard, the great drum sent forth
its deep, rolling notes from the temple above, to announce
that the High Priest, the great master of the ceremonies
at hand, has issued from his palace and was, with his retinue
on his way to the scene of action. Instantly the
whole crowd was thrown into commotion; and from every
quarter loud rose the commingling shouts and exclamations
—
“Tolpan, the High Priest! The High Priest is coming!
Clear the way for the High Priest!”
All eyes were turned in the direction indicated by these
clamorous demonstrations; when, through the long vista
made by the dividing ranks of the heaving masses along
the way, the august personage in question, gorgeously arrayed,
and in a gilded chair, borne on the shoulders of
four liveried serving men, was seen slowly advancing between
the two living walls of the compressed throng, numbers
of whom were abjectly prostrating themselves before
one who was supposed to become invested for the time
being, with all the attributes of the God of War himself,
and, therefore, equally entitled to the same worship. So
strongly indeed had this notion been impressed on the
minds of the people by the priesthood and Seers, and tacitly
Priest ordered or did, on such occasions, was never allowed
to be countermanded, or questioned even by the
King himself.
As the High Priest, in his conspicuous seat, drew near,
he was seen by the motions he was making with his sacred
staff to his bearers, to be so directing his course as to
bring him directly to the place occupied by Centeola and
her party at one end of the platform, on which sat the King
and Council. Nearer and nearer came the vehicle with
its sacred freight, till it was at length brought to a stand
directly by the side of the horse, on which Centeola was
sitting, her guards on that side having been rudely borne
back and separated from her by the tremendous press of
the rushing crowd.
“Maiden,” said the High Priest, touching her on the
shoulder with his staff, and speaking in a low tone, intended
to reach no other ear but hers, — “maiden turn and
hear me.”
Centeola, wholly unprepared for being thus addressed,
suddenly turned her head round to the speaker; when to
her utter astonishment, she beheld, in the High Priest, no
other than the sinister-eyed emissary who had insulted
her at her father's lodge and renewed his infamous persecutions
at her quarters in the city the preceding evening.
She recoiled at the discovery, but lost not her self possession;
while the object of her loathing indignation resumed
—
“I well know thy purpose in appearing here, and now
know from what has been told me on my way hither, and
from what I read in the angry looks of all around me, in
what manner thou hast declared it. And in those looks,
thou, also, may read what will be thy fate, if thy words
of insult to the God I represent, and contempt and treason
to the King and Council, be not speedily recalled. But
even now, listen to what I last night proposed and thou
shalt be saved. Wilt thou yield?”
“No! I then gave thee my answer; and I now repeat
it in the face of all thy detestable menaces. No!
a thousand times, no!”
“I warn thee then, to prepare for a fate, from which
no power but mine can save thee. On occasions like
this, I am supreme; and I will not be balked with impunity.
Again I say listen and be saved, or refuse and
share the fate of those about to be led up to the altar of
sacrifice.”
“Monster! I alike despise thee and all thy dastardly
threats and intimations. Instantly free me from thy
hated presence!”
The last words of the indignant maiden were uttered
so loud that they were heard, not only by the King and
Council, but a large portion of the surrounding multitude
who, in conjunction with the Priests and Seers quickly
raised the shout —
“She is audaciously reviling the High Priest, while he
to the dungeon!”
Though burning with suppressed wrath, the High
Priest, the better to subserve his infamous purpose which
even now he resolved not to yield, controlled his passion,
and moving to the consecrated chair, which as before stated
had been placed for him on a small, elevated platform
erected at the foot of the Temple, glanced around on the
hushed multitudes with unruffled looks, intended to exhibit
to them his equanimity and forbearance; when waving
his sacred staff to attract and command their attention,
he loudly ordered his assistants to prepare for the immediate
commencement of the sacrifices fully believing that
the witnessing of the dreadful deaths of so many of her
sex would cause the obdurate maiden to relent and beg
for the mercy which, on one condition, he was still ready
to grant her.
| CHAPTER VIII. Centeola | |