29th time

Blue Bird entered Tahirza's room, the child was sleeping gracefully in her cradle of furs and feathers. Her instinct was triggered calling her attention, with expert eyes she saw the whole room and walking very slowly she took out a ceremonial but effective dagger that she always carried hidden.

The room was empty, but something else was there. A transparent something moved on the polished stone walls and inside his brain the words of an extremely beautiful tone burst out.

--Don't be afraid... don't be afraid- those words said inside her, dissipating in the window that presence.

Bluebird was ecstatic for moments, marveling at the transparency coming out. Carefully she peeked her face out of the immense window and saw in the distance on the saman tree of the patio, perched the ever-present Condor cub. The bird saw her in a friendly manner and took off in a carefree flight into the cold blue sky.

The princess watched for a moment as the bird flew away. She understood that the fate of the baby who was sleeping peacefully among the skins was important, perhaps too important. A scent. An exquisite aroma never felt before, almost solid, overwhelmed her. Two immense tears ran down her face. She picked up the creature and carefully carried it, pressing it very carefully against her chest.

V

Ita Za Beru received from his lord and master more complete reasons than those heard by Son of the Condor. The general cursed his brother again for sending him into another dirty trap. Nor did he much like Saba Tamac's wariness in his gestures toward his person. Now it was his turn to present before the Council of Tribes his balance of operations for the month of war. The famous twenty-four hours were an impressive string of defeats, which evidenced a political way out of the case. Ita Za Beru had kept in professional language of the operations and their consequences, but his speech became a praise to the performance of the enemies, with an exaltation to their courage and bravery. The Caribs were but too dangerous. It was feasible to think that the war would stalemate and there would be neither winners nor losers.

--This is unacceptable," --said the great Saba Tamac, --"the generals who do not show victories must offer their lives to the people.

--Then take mine,"-- said Ita Za Beru in a show of false bravery, --"I am responsible for the conduct of the war by following your precise instructions. But in my defense, just a few days ago when I arrived I made my observations. We cannot maintain a war of fixed positions, that is extremely dangerous, in the face of an enemy with an extraordinary elasticity. We need more Inca battalions.

---They have fared worse than we have. They are not accustomed to the heat, nor to the insects, nor to malaria, which ravages them more than the war itself," ---remarked a member of the Council of Tribes, giving himself away as having informers among the troops, when he made this confession.