Chapter 5 Chapter Four

Under the cloudy blue sky at dawn, Jia Boye rode his horse into the gravel path overlooking the bank of the Hatun Mayo River.The dense forest shielded him from the morning breeze, and he guessed that the faint golden light of the rising sun was shrouded in the distant mountain tops.The sky is high and the air is crisp.The humidity of the night receded from the leaves bit by bit. He rode slowly towards the summit of Cajamar, feeling more and more relaxed.The charming mountain breeze, the intoxicating breeze... It seemed that with a big kick, he was finally able to escape the tense atmosphere among the expedition members.

The Governor's brother, Anando, went to Spain again.Accompanied by several nobles, he was preparing to go back to report the glorious victory at Cajamar, and he also carried a testimony with him: the king's balsa raft, full of gold. Jia Boye was not very happy about his departure.When it comes to betrayal and shamelessness, the governor's two younger brothers are even worse than Anando.There is a tension in the city between "those who have" and "those who have nothing": gold, as it is said, is gold, and the more you have, the more greedy: those who have become rich hope There is more, and those who have picked up scraps of gold are ready to kill for their fortune.It is said that the quarrel between Almagro and Pizarro, two friends they had met in Panama, had reached a point of no control.

Then came some disturbing rumors.It is said that under the secret command of Charguccima—who is still imprisoned in the palace of Hernando Pizarro—the Indian crowds gathered on the hilltops surrounding the city.The interpreter Filibilo described the number of the Inca army as so large that his generals even had to divide them into three or four legions to facilitate management. Charles Guzima was questioned again.However, this time, he remained silent, so Mr. Francisco sent Su Tuo to lead a team to Cargas to find out the truth. Every day, there are always a few knights searching back and forth on the avenue around the city, trying to find the footprints of the Inca vanguard and prepare for the groundless attack.

Gradually, eeriely, the fear builds up. What they dreaded was not the autumn weather when they discovered the mighty Empire, nor the helpless horror of the night of the Great Battle when they knew they had to fight a hundred hours.It is a heavy anxiety that cannot be ignored.At night, the fear disappears, returns, hides in the wind, or tramples livestock in the undergrowth... Suddenly, a rush of fast horses galloped wildly, catching Jia Boye who was sitting on the saddle by surprise. "Mr. Jia Boye! Mr. Jia Boye!" Jia Boye recognized the dark green velvet coat, the speckled white horse, and the reins studded with silver nails.Pedro Cardano, always elegant, was one of the few Spanish companions who did not distaste Jaberye.They were about the same age and almost became classmates in college.Cardano was one of the few literate people on the expedition.Plus, he spends a lot of time writing, and it seems like he enjoys the stories he writes.He was also one of the few good men, one of the most respectable in his conduct during the great battle of November, who never uttered a word against the Inca king.His attitude and his dark complexion and prominent cheekbones almost made him mistaken for an Indian, so he was nicknamed Little Indian.

"Hey, Pedro! Why are you riding so fast? Any bad news?" Cardano shook his head, a smile appeared on his lips, and his breath was a little panting. "That's not it! After I saw you leave, I followed you." "I'm not sure I need a companion," he said tepidly. "Jia Boye," Cardano replied calmly, "I think the military regulations forbid walking alone in the mountains..." "Ah, the rules!" Jia Boye sighed helplessly and complained. Slowly, at a normal walking pace, the two men finally reached the first mountain top.The river flows peacefully under their feet.It was broad daylight and the rising thermals were blown away by light breezes.It is hard to believe that there are thousands of men with axes and slings hiding in such a beautiful scenery.

Cardano rode his horse to catch up with Jia Boye.The two men stood side by side, admiring the beautiful view of the city with the smoke from the kitchen. "What the hell rumors," Jia Boye finally cursed. "I'll bet you all the gold I didn't get, that there won't be a single Inca soldier within a few kilometers!" Cardano smiled. "Another person who talks nonsense!" "That's nonsense, Pedro! And we know why, don't we?" Cardano pursed his lips slightly.His shy, cautious demeanor was mixed with a courage that seemed unstoppable.At times he was even more blunt in his conversation:

"You mean that Almagro's men want to get rid of the Inca King Atahualpa? Because they rushed to Cuzco, they hurriedly smelted the gold obtained illegally?" "Atahuallpa's ransom room has been partially emptied, and even more," Jaberye said. "Those newcomers and their Mr. Dick can't wait any longer. Atahualpa's appearance and the fear of Xia Leguzma's soldiers, the idea of ​​an attack to free Atahualpa, made them feel like ants on a hot pot. In fact, we don't want to bury the body here, do we?" Cardano hesitated for a moment. "Mr. Francisco won't let them do that. I mean: kill the Inca."

Jia Boye affectionately stroked the neck of his red-brown horse.Now whenever someone praised the governor in front of him, he couldn't help but think again, the smell of burnt human flesh that he could smell standing next to the firewood of Chargucci horse. "Trust me, I hope it's true." "Does he know it's just a threat?" "Mr. Francesco knows everything and understands everything. Nobody knows what's going on here better than he does. It's clear to everyone that he's cheated Mr. Dick a little bit. For ten years they've set out on expeditions together, They used to be good partners holding hands against the storm together. But now one is very rich and has become a governor, and the other has spent all his savings and is still only a captain!"

After listening to these few words in silence, they continued to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the grassland for a while.After that, Cardano nodded, showing a helpless smile. "Now I know why the governor's brother hates you so much, Mr. Jia Boye. Before that, I only knew that he was jealous of the friendship between you and his brother. It turns out that you have too sharp eyes. They will never let you go... ..." Jia Boye smiled lightly and looked at him friendly. "Just wait and see if your eyes will become sharper in the future, Pedro. Don't think that such good eyesight will not attract you maliciously."

Pedro stared at him without answering, but that grateful smile already explained the decision he had made. After a simple farewell, Jia Boye stabbed the horse with spurs and ran towards the city. When putting on the straw sandals, Anna Maya found a beautiful big spider on the belt, with long and shiny leg hair.After a slap, the spider dropped onto the bare thigh, circled between the knees, scrambled down, and slipped onto the flagstone floor, like a dark shadow, under the straw mat. She stood still for a while.She doesn't like early mornings as much as she used to.Recently, she often wakes up drenched in sweat. She is always afraid of having a premonition, worried about being deceived by lies, and can't stand the solemn and serious atmosphere in the courtyard of the palace.The Inca king was kept secret of any servant's death, escape, or other insignificant incidents.Everyone drew an invisible circle around him, and the circle became smaller and smaller.Inside the circle, he is still the supreme master.Outside the circle, there is chaos, weak kingship, and chaos...

This is really a strange life. Jia Boye's love not only failed to bring her stability, but made it more and more chaotic. "Are you dreaming, Ana Maya?" Yin Qi still sneaked into her room nimbly as usual.That's how she was rescued, and that's how she traveled to every corner of the palace.In the chaos, few people would ask where this maid came from, because there was a shortage of manpower everywhere. "I try to wake up during the day." Ana Maya smiled. "Can I talk to you?" Yin Qi has a mischievous and serious side at the same time, making Anna Maya feel like a mother. "Have you heard the rumors about Antti Panla as I have?" "I'm not interested in Antti Panla." Even though she was facing her, Anna Maya still couldn't help showing an unhappy tone.The hatred for this princess who was once as beautiful as a fairy is still unforgettable to her.Yin Qi looked at her, startled. "I'm sorry," Anna Maya gently took Yin Qi's hand. "Well, what rumor?" "It is said that the interpreter for the Spaniards captivated Antti Panla." "Filipino?" Yin Qi nodded. "Anti Panla... slept with Filipino?" "You don't even know?" Anna Maya shrugged disdainfully. "Impossible. Antti Panla is a woman from Atahualpa! How dare she?" Yin Qi looked stubborn. She grabbed Anna Maya's wrist and said firmly: "That's right! I saw them. I didn't sleep that night. I hid in the temple for a while before coming to the Quad. It so happened that they..." "them……" "Filipino reached out and touched her, and she was overjoyed." Anna Maya recalled some unhappy past experiences with this cunning princess."Did they see you?" she asked unhappily. "I don't think so." "I told you to be careful, Yin Qi!" "Kamakenkea! I heard them talking about Atahualpa's name, and I thought I should tell you!" "Very well...thank you. Don't forget to be careful. Now, go, little girl." Yin Qi continued to stare at Anna Maya for a while, and then reluctantly left obediently. Anna Maya stood upright.She felt a pain crawling all over her body, and shame, fear and disappointment invaded her body like poison.She should run and speak to the Inca as before, and warn him of the approaching danger. But this time, she felt so painful that she urgently needed to be alone. "Stupid! Stupid!" From the crack in the wall, Jia Boye heard someone swearing.He jumped off his horse, handed the reins to an Indian stationed in front of the square yard, and walked into the back yard.A Spaniard was striking an Indian on the head, ears, and neck with the ball of his sword.The man was bleeding all over his face and screamed again and again. "What happened?" Jia Boye asked. The Spaniard looked back, and under the messy brown curly hair was still a bulging, childish face that looked like an angel.Just looking at the back, Jia Boye did not immediately recognize him as the governor's younger brother, Gonzalo Pizarro.He was the handsomest of the men who came to Cajamar.It's a pity that his handsomeness is just a mask, but in fact he is evil like a devil. Gonzalo smiled with feigned friendliness, and pointed the end of his sword at a table with a cross-axe at the foot. "We commissioned this beast for a high price to make a table. A table, you understand? Not a sacristy or some great altar, but a table!" Gonzalo leaned against the table, and the table shook slightly. "And then?" Jia Boye asked, forcing a natural smile like Gong Saluo. "And then? The table is wobbly." Jia Boye approached the other end of the table and put his hands on the table. "It won't shake!" He said calmly. "I said it would shake." Jia Boye bent down and took out the cross-axe, and handed it over to the terrified Indian. "Take it," he said in Quechua dialect, "don't be afraid." The man hesitated, taking the tool carefully and looking at Gonzalo in fear. "I think it's very stable," Jia Boye said jokingly, deliberately drawing Gong Salo's attention. "But even if it's unstable, your Brother Governor would not agree to lose a poor wretch's life for such a thing." Gonzalo put a convulsive hand on the hilt of his sword.Hearing the governor's brother's name, he stopped and thought for a moment. "Be careful with me," he said finally. "Master," Jia Boye continued to smile, "I will keep vigilant day and night." Such sarcasm made Gonzalo blush. "Don't think I'll let you go like Enando." He snorted. "I hear you, Gonzalo. I miss your brother and his red feather. I guess you're afraid of your brother too. Don't you see I'm shaking?" After Jia Boye turned around and walked out of the courtyard, he secretly slipped a fruit to the kind Indian who helped him hook the horse with his thumb. Gonzalo pushed the craftsman, who kept his head down, looking at the ground. "Make a new one, dead monkey!" He cursed, "Stop wobbling again." Afterwards, he turned around and looked at the exit that Jia Boye left, and clenched his fists against the door. "Be careful!" he repeated to himself. Afterwards, smile. Sitting on the imperial chair, the only king closed his eyes, expressionless, motionless, like a mummy. When he opened his eyes, the pupils were like two tiny black dots lost in a sea of ​​blood-red irises. Anna Maya was silent.Old feelings resurfaced, deeper than anger at Atahualpa, more painful than heartbreak or bitterness. is gentle. But suddenly, as if recognizing the feeling, the one and only king made a gesture unexpectedly.He slid the bench down to the floor covered in guanaco hides and alpaca blankets.He stretched out his hand to Anna Maya, muttering in his breath, "Kamaken Keya!" So she crawled forward on her knees, and put her hand on the Son of the Sun's hand, palm to palm. The One and Only King trembled, his whole body trembled, his lips, his hands, his chest, trembled with the world, even his teeth chattered.The trembling situation is like those angular broken stones in the temple that have been pondered thousands of times, turning non-stop when the landlady Panxia turned over. So the Inca put his arms around Ana Maya and pulled her closer to him.He clung to her as his father, Vanya Kapac, had clung to her on the eve of his death.He held her close to his breast, as she had done before, when she was instructed by the comet, pointing to him a fate of victory and glory. There was the sound of riding boots on the floor of the inner courtyard.This is how they hugged each other when Doge Francisco Pizarro came to the threshold. Pizarro hesitated for a moment on the threshold, embarrassed.Behind him, Filibilo was taken aback by what he saw in his always cunning and uncertain eyes.After the governor hesitated for a few seconds, since nothing happened, he called softly and respectfully: "King Atahualpa!" The Inca king let go of his arms, and Anna Maya stood up unhurriedly.She walked behind Atahualpa, and he sat back in the imperial chair.She stared at Filibilo, and the interpreter turned his head away anxiously.She recalled what Yin Qi said again, but the four words from the governor's mouth diverted her attention—— "you're free!" She wasn't sure what she heard in her ears. The Governor fixed his eyes on Atahualpa's face. "You are free," he repeated, "but I know what you mean." Filibilo looked up at Ana Maya while translating. "What do you mean?" asked the Inca king. "What did the governor say?" Anna Maya repeated it. She looked at the governor, but she just couldn't read his mind. "I've heard some rumors, Lord Atahualpa!" Pizarro's tone was lighter than before, "I don't take them seriously, but the rumors continue... In my palace, there are chieftains almost every day. Come and tell me that you ordered all the provinces of the country to gather troops to prepare against us. Your general Xia Leguzima is here with us, but you gave orders to several other captains, Jizhijizi and Huminavi. Because I like you so much, I don't believe what they tell me. However, I still want to ask you: 'I don't believe they are right?'" Atahualpa's face suddenly brightened. "You're right! It's all nonsense." The governor nodded after listening to Philippilo's nervous translation. "Great! Then, as I promised you in the past, under my protection, you can immediately return to the empire in the north and govern it peacefully to show the glory of Emperor Charles V and God. In addition... " Atahualpa listened carefully, waiting.But Pizarro suddenly shut up at the same time, without being in the least impatient. "I'm dying," said Atahualpa at last. "How? Die?" the governor said in surprise. "I'm going to see my Heavenly Father soon." Pizarro does not deny, does not refute... Through the door curtain, Anna Maya suddenly caught a glimpse of Jia Boye, who sneaked to the governor's side. "I'm sorry, Mr. Francisco!" he whispered in his ear, out of breath. "I didn't come sooner." Pizarro did not turn to look at him.He continued to stare at the Inca king. "Don't say that, my friend," he said softly, "you will not die. If you meet enemies, and Christians who don't know you, we will protect you from them! I value you friendship between me." "I'm tired." The Inca retorted in the same tone. "Rest. Take it easy and have a nice day." After Pizarro bent his dry body into two and bowed deeply, he went out, followed by Philippiello and Jia Boye. "Where are they?" asked the governor, standing in the inner courtyard. Two soldiers came forward.Surprised, Jia Boye found Sai Batian with a serious face, holding an iron chain as thick as a child's wrist. "What are you going to do with this?" he asked. Sebastian didn't answer.Jia Boye turned to face the governor. "Mr. Francesco, please explain to me!" "Come here," Pizarro said to Jia Boye after signaling the two soldiers to enter the room of the Inca king, "let's talk." Ana Maya stands behind Atahualpa.When she saw that the door curtain was lifted again, and the two Spaniards held the chains in their hands, she couldn't help but backed away. "Don't worry," Atahualpa said, "you'll be fine." Sebatian approached the immobile Inca king.His eyes dodged, and after looking at Anna Maya's pair of blue eyes for a while, he quickly avoided them again. "Tell them to do what they have to do," Atahualpa said quietly. The black giant put an iron chain around the Inca's neck, taking special care not to tie it too tightly.To the chain was another small chain, fastened with a clasp to one of the lowest beams. Atahualpa was unmoved from beginning to end, with a bleak smile in his eyes, and his expression was very relaxed. "Look," he said to Anna Maya, "I'm free!"