Chapter 7

Altulay while tasting a llama ham with sweet sauce of mereyes, saw his stepdaughters, the daughters of Hialpeca; strong color, bovine eyes, muscular legs and wide hips, their breasts pointing straight to the sky, with that expression of quiet resignation, waiting for the wise decisions of his father regarding the marriage. Needless to say, the lord of the Incas would never ever consent to a liaison with the last of his subordinate chieftains, not even because they were daughters of Saba Tamac. His interest was only in the marriage of his granddaughters. Criterion shared with enthusiasm in the court Timotocuicas, because it allowed them to show intransigent in wanting equally links with the Inca princesses, to obtain to receive compensations in Gold and Diamonds when having to bend to accept the princesses daughters of Hialpeca. When Altulay drank his cold chicha, looking sideways at his own daughters, something told him that Marutta and especially Xixata, would have their own opinions about the marriage.

Saba Tamac entered the council, accompanied by Altulay. The cacique saw his daughter, who came accompanying the mother. The Grand Cacique greeted Xixata with a genuine affectionate kiss.

Before asking, Altulay informed him that Xixata, as an Inca princess, was interested in learning the ways of the kingdom; although it was forbidden for her to rule in the Chibcha court, nothing prevented her from acting in the very powerful court of her grandfather.

Xixata was wearing her simple white rope costume and the white ribbon in her hair that proclaimed her virginity. Only her two gold bracelets indicated her dual Inca and Chibcha royalty.

Upon entering, the council members stood up and bowed courteously, still staring at the eyes............ would obey for now.

The women silently sat cross-legged on a mat at the door of the room.

Ruth-Za-Berú, addressed the father of the Chibchas.

Father and brother Saba Tamac, today we are before you, to expose our ideas, in the spirit of clarifying all the state of the kingdom, and consequently to know your decisions.

Saba Tamac, made the protocol greeting and sat around the fire, as one more among his equals.

Ruth-Za-Beru continued.

We must expose you, son of the second Sun, We are living in times we were not supposed to breathe. We do not intend to offend anyone, but the army feels insulted by the presence of the Inca Army on our southern border. The officers think that there are doubts in your heart about their ability to defend our people and your precious life. Their anguish increases when they see that lately the Incas pass to our territory complete contingents of the sacred warriors of the Inca Manco Capac himself, permanently raising their tents and not explaining their plans.

Once the introduction was finished, a heavy silence enveloped the council, several glances brazenly turned to the place where Altulay and his daughter were seated. What Ruth-Za-Beru had said left no doubt as to where the army was leaning in its possible future obedience.

Ruth-Za-Berú, according to the custom, remained looking at the ground, waiting for the royal answer.

Brothers,---- said Saba Tamac recklessly by way of greeting---- I am very pleased with the council's greeting, and my heart rejoices, that apart from legislative tasks, we also have military strategic capacity. Anyone would say that Ita-Za-Berú is behind the curtains giving military intelligence reports to the council, before me. --The cacique finished saying with an air of offended reproach.

the ground, waiting for the royal answer.

Brothers,---- said Saba Tamac recklessly by way of greeting---- I am very pleased with the council's greeting, and my heart rejoices, that apart from legislative tasks, we also have military strategic capacity. Anyone would say that Ita-Za-Berú is behind the curtains giving military intelligence reports to the council, before me. --The cacique said with an air of offended reproach.

Ita-Za-Berú is fulfilling his military duties in the southern puna. But do not deceive yourself, our brother father. We put nothing in our mouths to offend you ........., we only tell the truth that you apparently refuse to see.

Saba Tamac raised his hand, imposing silence. This time he looked at the faces of the council members one by one.

--Many think,"--- said Saba Tamac, hiding in the official tone of the speeches -----, that the presence of the Inca troops here, is to shore up the power of Altulay, before the court. If ....... you think so... do not put that face...I can imagine, that some people affirmed that I am a prisoner inside the palace, that every day I lose the control of the things. The reality is, that I myself asked for those Inca troops. The incursions of the Jiraharas in the South, have caused millions of Gold pieces in losses, both in goods and lives. I must say with rage and pain, that my Chibcha detachments have been beating about the bush in the icy puna and the patrols in the green hell have been a complete failure. Then I have been forced, by the forcefulness of the same reports presented by Ita-Za-Berú, to ask for military instructors for the improvement of the control, of the counterinsurgency, on the part of our army. It is also no secret to anyone of the robberies of the caravans made by the Motilones and Guajiros or someone disguised as them, there in the northern border, forcing us to mobilize entire contingents of the reserves there. That is why the Inca presence in the South. They help us to maintain order and control of the Jiraharas there in the South. They will be there, until a word from me ordering otherwise.

--We support you in the idea,--- replied Ruth-Za-Berú, according to the booklet---- but there is practically no southern border. There are Inca troops on both sides of the checkpoints and in our South the currency used is the Inca Sol and they are even charging taxes, which is the last straw. Think of your empire, our brother father, that our independence is diluted like the snow that comes down from the Andes and forms the great rivers of our Gods.

Saba Tamac was silent. That was not what was practiced with Ruth-Za-Berú before the council. He went out of the script shamelessly, inflaming the situation even more. He watched his wives out of the corner of his eye. Altulay was weaving quietly and Xixata was staring at the council. The man made almost the same worried face as his entire council. For a moment he did not know what to say.

-It is necessary to recruit five thousand men,--" said one of the subaltern caciques, while inhaling the wooden pipe, with marijuana tobacco from the coast.

--We are not able to do that," --said Saba Tamac defensively.

--Unity of our tribes is necessary. You must marry your daughters immediately to us---- said a young cacique exultantly, looking at Xixata.

-- It is a decision that I must think very well----- conceded Saba Tamac, feeling that he was stepping barefoot on quartz points.------, My daughters I will marry them with the criterion of harmony with all the tribes; to maintain the stability of the borders of the empire.

--You are affirming that we do not have the courage to guarantee the integrity of the empire,---accused an astonished subordinate chieftain.

--I am affirming my determination to maintain the peace and prosperity of the entire kingdom and each one of its inhabitants," --said Saba Tamac, raising his voice slightly, feeling that he was losing the purpose of the visit.

--I understand;--said serenely, the subaltern cacique who asked for the marriages----, the prosperity and peace of the kingdom is based on losing our independence in the Inca spears.

--Gentlemen---- ended Saba Tamac, getting up from the meeting, with the impression of having left things exactly a hundred times worse, than before the council---We have many important cases on the agenda. That of the taxes that was mentioned before. We have the syphilis epidemic, we have the matter of a new emerald mine, we have the marriage and s-u-c-e-s-i-ó-n problem. But for now, he called an emergency council, with the presence of the Warrior Chiefs, with the point of dealing with Inca military aid. I will explain myself better and you will explain yourselves better and between all we will reach a consensus.

Said this Saba Tamac went out wrapping himself in his cloak, leaving behind him, the accusing silence of the council of tribes.