26th Time

Within days, Son of the Condor had made forced marches to the sacred city of the Chibchas. He carried the proof of the first victory of the Chibcha army. He expressly disobeyed the orders of Ita Za Berú, changing tactics, reaping immediate results: Carib prisoners....

He presented them tied up, with their mouths tied, put on their knees and held firmly by Chibcha warriors, who showed all their attention in the surveillance of these. The prisoners presented a deplorable aspect by the continuity of blows received.

--Permission to speak great father and my father Saba Tamac -said the young man with a formal bow- we bring you a sample of the triumph of your Chibchas armies; we offer them to you: they are Carib warriors and we apologize before our mother and my mother Blue Bird, for the aspect of these; but it had to be this way, it was not possible otherwise.

--Why?" --asked the king, looking at the prisoners.

--They systematically refuse to eat, they pretend to starve to death. I brought him more prisoners, but in carelessness they threw themselves into the gorges to commit suicide. Then at night some of them put their necks within reach of the mouths of the others, so that the latter could burst their aorta with their teeth; that is why we tied their mouths. This one," ---said the young man, pointing to a burly warrior,-- "when we tried to feed him, he removed a finger from one of our warriors who was trying to feed him.

--All characters,"-- said the cacique, looking alternately at the men on their knees, --"we will show them in the plaza and then we will sacrifice them to the gods so that they will be auspicious to us.

Ave Azul watched silently from a corner of the royal hall. The princess carried her daughter niece in her arms. The woman was amazed to see Carib warriors imprisoned, tied up and beaten so savagely. When they saw her, they immediately changed their kneeling position, prostrating themselves before their princess. One of them spoke to her in the Carib language.

--- My mother and mother our Blue Bird, I am Koruko, I show my shame for letting ourselves be defeated by these flabby and weak men.