Chapter 7 Chapter Six
Five more times.For the next twenty days, the wise Vera Omar will train Ana Maya in the Atrium of the Sun, where no one except the High Priest is allowed to enter or exit.
Five more times, she had to watch the body of the only king being mummified.His corpse was exposed to the sun for a while, and then coated with grass and saltpeter ointment; for a while at night, it was coldly packed with large ice cubes specially transported down the mountain from the high mountain wrapped in straw.
In the last few times, the king's body is no longer lying flat, but sitting supported by a reed grass frame.His legs were bent back, his heels under his hips, and they were bone-thick because they were so dry.It was finally the last time. The corpse of the only king was no longer naked, but was covered with a high-grade woolen quilt. He had a serene expression and wore a crown of feathers on his head.
In the twilight, because the king's expression was so vivid, Anna Maya once thought that he saw his lips squirming and his eyes wide open looking at her.
Every time after visiting the king's mummy, the wise man Vera Omar's temper would turn a little bit better.Even when he asked her to repeat the few unchanging sentences in front of the statue of the twin brothers, his voice became more patient.He calmly told her that the world is composed of three parts, one of which is in front of her eyes, called the land boundary, including mountains, lakes, animals, humans and some things made by humans, as well as inter-ethnic wars and Laughter, parenting, and diseases of all kinds; but also morality and the heavenly laws of the Cusco Inca, the princes of the Quartet Empire, and those worldly nobles who only the sun god recognized as adopted sons.
"The sun god lives in the sky. His wife, sister, moon god, and younger brother, the god of lightning, often go back and forth between them. What he steps on is Kamakenkeya, including the residence of his ancestors..."
"But where is the only king now?" Annamaya asked puzzled.
"Everywhere, little girl. In the sky, with his Father the sun. Underground, around the patriarchs. He's here too, with us, through his twin brother, you can hear him... ...if you are strong enough!"
Vera Omar smiled.Now, even when he teased her, he stopped uttering harsh words or scorn.
"That's why we say that he is in another world," he continued. "The other world is the Land of Ultimate Bliss. In order to be able to go there in the future, we must not make mistakes when we live in this world, let alone violate the laws of Cuzco. Died in peace."
After quietly chewing the coca leaves in his mouth for a while, the wise man nodded and concluded:
"You, you are only entitled to die when King Wanya Kapac asks you to die! And you can never leave this twin brother, understand?"
Does she really understand?Even she herself doesn't know.
That evening she saw Prince Atahualpa again for the first time.She was eating alone when he came into her room.Terrified, she knocked over the bowls containing vegetable soup and potatoes.
She stooped at once and knelt by the bed, but Atahualpa said softly:
"You can get up and look at me, Kamakenkoya."
She obeyed with a little fear.However, Atahualpa's eyes gave her confidence, and although his lips were more melancholy and serious than before, she still found him as handsome and strong as when she first saw him.
"Anamaya, I am very satisfied with you. The wise man told me that you are a quick learner, obedient, and seem to be very capable."
She blushed shyly and bowed her head slowly in reply.But the next question cuts right in:
"Kamakenkeya, do you now remember what the One King said to you?"
She shook her head sadly:
"No, Almighty Prince, I cannot recall."
"Can't remember a word?"
"Can't remember, but..."
"but?"
She stood up and looked him in the face, to convince him that she wasn't lying:
"I know I have those words in my memory. But I don't think the One and Only King wants me to remember them today."
Atahualpa stared at her silently for a moment before walking towards her.After glancing at the curtain of the door, he asked in a faint voice she could barely hear:
"are you sure?"
"No," Annamaya replied in the same tone, "no, I'm not sure. But when I was with that twin, I knew I hadn't forgotten, but I just couldn't say it."
A look of satisfaction flashed through Atahualpa's sad, inflamed eyes.Unexpectedly, he gently reached out and rubbed her arm with his fingertips.
After being silent for a while, he spoke again:
"Please be careful, Kamakenkeya, be careful! I will protect you here, but those who are not my subordinates may hurt you."
"Why? Prince Almighty, why did they do this?"
"Because those words you know will determine the future fate of the Empire. Be careful, Annamaya girl, and be careful what you say, especially after a great funeral."
"A big funeral?"
"You will naturally understand... I have confidence in you. I believe in my father's choice, even though he is a weirdo. However, please remain vigilant, because my brother Huascar's subordinates do not have a good thing. They also want to know about those The words hidden in your heart!"
Later, when she was alone in the room again, Annamaya was in terror again.Silence was like a bottomless abyss with its mouth wide open, gnawing at her tightly.
Silence surrounded her and froze the entire palace.
She was chilled by her own silence.
Did Prince Atahualpa tell her the truth?Are those words that she kept in her heart, hidden from others, so important?why?
And, in particular, why her?
Now if someone knocked a rock off her neck and hit her chest, she had nothing to fear.
Why her?
She's just a little girl!What on earth had she done to make her bear such a burden?
But what if she got it wrong?What if the words hadn't been addressed to her, what if she'd been too tired to forget King Vanya Kapac's interminable narration?
Her eyes were clouded with tears.The small dim oil lamp beside the bed turned into misty rain in her tears.
She was scared, scared to death!And no one came to help her.Not even dwarfs can get close to her since she became Kamaken Keya.Perhaps he was also afraid of her.How lonely she is, living alone in those three worlds described by the wise men!
Suddenly, she jumped up.
In the darkest part of the room, she seemed to see a ray of light, a pair of yellow puma eyes staring at her.To avoid screaming, she pursed her lips tightly and grabbed the quilt hard.
Yes, there were big golden eyes staring at her.It was the puma looking at her.She guessed it had rounded ears, a twitching nose, and sharp tusks.She could hardly breathe.Some words are choked in my heart, but I just can't say them:
"Don't kill me, cougar! Don't kill me, I have to live long enough to be with that twin brother. I beg you, cougar, don't eat me. Please let me live, I will be forever grateful your!……"
Like when it came, the puma disappeared in a flash.Shadows are just shadows after all.
It took Anna Maya a long time to fall asleep, but she still sat still, not daring to move, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.
In the early morning of the next day, deafening horrific wailing and crying filled the entire palace at once.
Ana Maya walked into the atrium, convinced that another disaster was imminent.What she saw made her shudder.All the court ladies and concubines circled in the atrium covered with wing rooms on all sides.They follow one another, only a few steps away from each other, face down, with tears in their eyes.Then suddenly, as if by an uncontrollable stimulus, they all threw up their arms and wailed to the sky.
"Viracocha! Viracocha! Please support us!"
Again they burst into tears, and with terrified eyes, cried out:
"Oh! Andi, please appease our only king! Oh! Andi, please appease him! Please be patient, because we will come to worship and serve him soon..."
Faced with this terrifying scene, Annamaya's hair stood on end, and her whole body was covered with goose bumps.When she retreated to the corner of the wing in order to hide in the house, she heard a noise from the outer wall of the palace again.Thousands of wailing sounds pierced the sky, depressing the originally clear sky.
She shivered, hugging her knees with her hands, curled up beside the bed, and just like that, with anxiety in her heart, she waited for hours.No one came to take care of her.Amidst the cacophony of agony, people seemed to have forgotten her long ago.
Fright and pain finally invaded her heart from far and near. For the first time in her life, she closed her eyes unconsciously and prayed to her twin brothers.She murmured to him, asking him to be at ease and not to be afraid.
"I will keep my word! Never, never will I give you up, twin brother. Everything you ask, I will do..."
Finally, near noon, Vera Omar the Wise entered her bedroom.He looked brighter than usual, wearing a blue-red shawl, a multicolored crown of long thin feathers, and a breastplate of gold that covered his chest to his waist.The expression on his face was calm and serene.
The two mothers of the Saintess Hall lowered their heads and followed him in.One of them held a white robe in his hand, and the other a white turban, on which stood a golden helmet in the shape of a crown, with two red feathers in an emerald border.
Without saying a word, the two mothers skillfully changed Anna Maya into the white robe, and then put the crown on the pre-braided long hair.
After the task was completed, they backed away, looking down at the ground.Vera Omar stared at Anna Maya for a while, and the two eyes met. After that, the wise man blinked to confirm what he saw. It seemed that he was satisfied with Anna Maya.
"Come with me!" he said succinctly.
In the center of the atrium, four soldiers carried a sedan chair, inside which sat golden statues of twin brothers.The statue shines like the sun.
Regardless of the wailing of the concubines and maids in the entourage, Vera Omar raised his eyes and asked her to sit on a chair in front of the sedan chair. He was the only one walking ahead of her, pointing his javelin at the sky .
Just as this strange parade swayed through the four atriums of the palace, Anna Maya heard a huge commotion from outside the palace again.But Vera Omar turned a deaf ear and moved on.At this moment, the sun was in the middle of the day, and all the figures became small and dark.
The parade finally reached the gate of the palace, and the noise outside the palace gradually weakened.Two horn players playing spiral shells lead the way for them.Vera Omar swung the javelin in his hand, and the city gate was opened.
The terrifying sight frightened Anna Maya.
In front of you, a large number of people crowded into the big square, shouting and screaming.No matter men, women, old or young, all put their hands up to the sky, praying to Andy!
But the low, reverberating sound of the shell-horn sounded again, and continued for a long time, drowning the wailing of the crowd.Everyone looked solemnly, looking at the gate of the palace.
Thousands of eyes look at the golden statues of the wise man, Kamakenkoya and the twin brothers.There were cries from all corners of the square at the same time.Vera Omar walked straight into the crowd, and the crowd immediately retreated to both sides like a piece of fabric torn from it.Then, like a wave, the entire square resounded with a reserved mourning, and everyone gathered at Anna Maya's feet with respectful condolences.
With an order, everyone bowed and bowed their heads.
After that, she took a step.She was white, beautiful and tall, looking straight ahead, stepped on the passage that Vera Omar had opened for her, and walked into the main square.
The horn sounded again.
Thousands of mouths murmured non-stop, and thousands of eyes eagerly stared at the girl in white robe.The crowd retreated again, like a field of quinoa bent over by a strong wind, and dispersed as Anna Maya's footsteps approached.
At the other end of the square, the Viracocha Temple opened all the temple doors under the protection of two lines of soldiers.The horn blew lowly, and Vera Omar led the way into a beautiful round hall. The walls of the hall, from the floor to the ceiling, were covered with exquisite light-colored shells.Smoke from burning coca leaves filled the air, dimming the brightness of the room.
When the bearers parked the statue of the twin brothers in the center of the hall, Vera Omar immediately stood on the left side of the sedan chair.Instinctively, Ana Maya moved to the right of the statue.
After hearing the footsteps of the soldiers leaving, the wise man raised his hands and recited in a crisp voice:
The last few words echoed in Anna Maya's mind.Just like inside the hall, there is silence outside the temple gate.
The wise man asked Ana Maya to repeat the prayers with him.
In total they recited and raised their hands three times.Afterwards, the wise man found a jug full of sacrificial beer, and poured the wine around Ana Maya and the idol.Then only the priests were allowed to enter the temple, and they filed in and poured the holy wine on the ground after saying a prayer.
This festival lasted until very late.It was so late that even the sun went down, dragging the figure as long as a javelin.
The horn sounded again at last.The parade finally retreated from the square.
But Anna Maya was taken by surprise, and now she was completely alone.
Afterwards, following the golden idol, when she returned to the palace and walked through the atriums, why was there no one there?The women disappeared, the children disappeared, and even the men disappeared.
The entire palace was empty as if no one had ever lived in it.
The silence was chilling.
"Where did they all go?" she asked excitedly. "Where did they all go?"
Vera Omar looked at her seriously, with green coca leaf juice oozing from the corner of her mouth, and with a calm satisfied smile on her face, she replied:
"They all followed the One King to serve him in heaven."
That night, Anna Maya couldn't sleep all night, and the palace was suffocatingly silent.
She sobbed loudly.
How many of them went to the sacred stone area around Quito to serve King Vanya Capac with their sincerity and life in the world?How many of them have stepped on the path of their ancestors and gone to the underworld to serve the only king?
Thousands of people!
All queens, concubines and ladies-in-waiting, all retinues, slaves and servants captured from war.
All people disappeared from the world!The city is filled with the smell of blood and death.The first time she smelled this disgusting smell was when the Incas attacked her forest village.
It was not yet clear, and she couldn't hold back any longer, and finally got up and walked out of the house.The moonlight was bright and round, so bright that the figure was clearly printed on the ground.For a split second, Ana Maya thought she was lost, forgotten by this desolate world.
Then, suddenly, thousands of groans sounded softly in the night, as if all the souls that followed the One King were saying goodbye to her.
Notes:
Notes: