31th time

Unaware of what was happening on their southern borders. The chieftains of the alliance held their meeting amidst great enthusiasm. The results of the war were more than satisfactory. The Chibchas were used to bite the dust of defeat often and had no spirit to continue. Chief Rafahtrak was a stubborn enthusiast of the good news that was on the horizon.

Toribuco, chieftain of the Goajiros, was more cautious and expressed himself.

--Let's not get carried away by euphoria. In reality the Chibchas have not prepared themselves for a serious fight, they remain unperturbed in their fixed positions and await our attacks. It is time to solidify our triumphs at the political table, we will win many more things than continuing the war. If they come out in force, we will have to look at things more carefully ...".

--How careful,"-- Rafahtrak told him, "---we've hit them too hard.

-- You mean my troops,"-- countered Serpiente Negra (black snake), the subaltern chieftain of the Carib peoples, ---"each and every victory belongs to my people.

-- My Timotocuico warriors are present in every action,"-- claimed the chieftain angrily looking at the Carib, both men looking at each other in defiance.

-- Of course! after my warriors have done all the work. They are not easy triumphs. The Chibchas are not bad warriors; they have simply come up with a bad strategy with an inept chief,"--- the Black Snake chieftain chewed out every word.

-- Yes, sir. Thank God Ita Za Berú is their chief; the idiot of Saba Tamac does not know what a favor he is doing us---said smiling Xuzito, chief of the Motilones, while he smoked a tobacco.

--We must force their arm with peace discussions, we are in a perfect position to wrest everything from them in our favor,--" said the great Goajiro Toribuco.

--Peace? --Now that we are dancing with them,"-- said Rafahtrak amused.

--Yes, we have a position of strength, we will impose our conditions, they are on the defensive and feel guilty. Let's ask them for gold, diamonds, emeralds and lots of slaves and land. They will give it to us at the first time,"-- Xuzito insisted.

--First they will have to receive more humiliations from my warriors," --said Black Snake, crossing his arms and closing his eyes to maintain the dominant position in the meeting.

--What Toribuco says is quite logical. Nor can we consider an eternal war,"-- said Xuzito suddenly cautiously, sticking to his initial idea of asking for the money.

--Why can't we go with our armies and go up into the mountains and lay siege to the sacred city,"-- asked Rafahtrak boldly.

--Don't lose perspective," --said Toribuco,-- "you will get the front line troops there and the Inca army more than well planted.

---The Incas are not going to get entangled in this war. ---The Caribe chief said from his posture.

They already are, be careful; nobody prevents them from taking the Chibcha empire and coming against us.

--I don't believe it,"-- said Rafahtrak suddenly frightened.

--Well, believe it,"-- replied Toribuco, who did know the distant empire and even more so its dangerous King--, "and if they come, the sea will be too small a pool for us to swim in on the run.

--Go??!--" answered Black Serpent incredulously, poking Rafahtrak, laughing inwardly. ---Imposter; she was already growing up to be the legitimate queen and in just a few years she would receive the total obedience of the Timotocuicas. That was her secret. But would it be the secret of the others?

Xuzito suddenly looked into the corner and mused--- it could be a very bad business.

Xixata on the terrace of the temple of the Moon, enjoyed as always the cold of the night wasteland. Suddenly a sudden rage came over her against Son of the Condor. She was homesick for her palace and was not sure she could successfully complete the difficult adaptation test for her choice in the temple. Because of Son of the Condor she had lost her dignity, because of him she had fallen out with her older sister, because of him she had quarreled with her mother, because of him she was doomed to say no to any suitor who offered himself to her. And because of him she was ready to lose even her life, slave of a passion that did not subside neither with time nor with distance.

A kiss on the back of her neck came suddenly.

--I love you,"-- said Son of the Condor, who, defying all danger and all limitations, always found a way to get to where she was.

The young woman turned and a passionate kiss burned her lips, a gift from this man who was also willing to do anything for her.

They were silent

--I came to tell your father that I disobeyed his orders,"-- the young man whispered to her, --"I did not heed his instructions and destroyed our enemies. I also came to tell him that...I am yours. Nothing and no one will stop me from saying it.

Triple Ugly was carrying an errand from his lord and master to the palace, when Tanda passed through a side corridor followed by his mother Hialpeca. The young man bowed and with the corner of his eye he saw the huge beauty of the woman, while he asked the gods to silence the buzzing of his heart that thundered in his temples. If he would have to climb Chimborazo and bathe forty times in the fiery lava to obtain the favors of that princess, well, he would do it with twenty times the gift. He felt his soul crawling behind that exotic walk.

The meeting of the chiefs of the alliance was still going on, when a few Timotocuico warriors arrived in a state of total shock. The news was more than alarming. Days before a resounding victory of the Chibchas armies happened, deploying a totally new tactic, they managed to disrupt with extreme ease a Caribbean division of more than eight hundred men, they were fertilizer in the low plains of Corozopando and some five hundred Timotocuicas warriors withdrew without presenting battle... The caciques swallowed thickly and an invisible black cloud covered the bright sun.

Well," ---said Rafahtrak with infinite mockery, ---"triumphs are exclusive to the Caribs. But it seems that the defeats are also theirs in their entirety.

--Watch your tongue,"-- said the Black Snake, looking at him awkwardly, ---"don't play jokes with me.

--Nor with the Chibchas," ---returned Chief Rafahtrak with a provocative smile.

Black Snake pounced like a cunaguaro on Rafahtrak, being contained in the same air by Xuzito and Toribuco.

---Freeze! this way we are not going to get anywhere," ---exclaimed the caciques, separating the two warriors with great effort, ready to tear each other apart immediately.

--Idiot,"--- said Timotocuicas with a spit in the face of Serpiente Negra.

--Idiot, your grandmother," ---answered Rafahtrak, dodging the other's slaps, since he was the one who received the spit.

Blue Bird supposed that the Carib warriors should be safe by now. The woman took her hot tizana and recalled...........

The royal prison was a fortified and impregnable mass of stone. Whoever entered it must lose all hope. Its immense cells were under the floors and in its high ceilings were the orifices through which the prisoners were lowered with a rope and only once. The head jailer was astonished to see the blue bird princess. The woman made a gesture of silence to the man, who knelt before the sacred presence.

---I come to ask of you a supreme sacrifice.

---I was born for it. I only beg you not to abandon my offspring,"---- said the warrior prostrate before the beautiful woman.

---Absolutely. So it has been decided," ----promised the princess.

---Where are the Carib prisoners?--

--They are in the last cellar,"--- said the man from his prostrate position.

--That is the sacrifice,"--- explained the woman to the man, who understood absolutely. It was his happiest hour, he would go up to the stars by the order of a queen. The gods would have a special place for him.

The man led the woman and when they reached the edge of one of the immense holes, he threw a rope.

---Climb up," ----ordered the princess.

The warriors climbed out with astonishing agility and as they stood before their princess they knelt reverentially, holding their embarrassed faces in their hands.

----I understand how you feel,---" the woman told them almost imperceptibly,--- "in fact, I was once a prisoner here myself. But you should be proud of the mission I am entrusting to you. You must tell the people that you are witnesses of Tahirza, that she exists and is queen from now on. No one can blaspheme by sitting on her throne. All owe her obedience.

The men nodded silently. That order was also for the Carib peoples. It implied peace. It implied the union of the warring peoples.