Chapter 43 Chapter Forty-Two

It was midday, but the sky was cloudy. They had led the expedition a few minutes earlier to the plateau overlooking the valley.Now even the horse could feel the master's uneasiness.Despite their physical exhaustion and the high mountains, they decided to abandon the stone mountain road and ride quickly across the weedy plateau.But whether it is the Greek Bedo, Diaiko de Molina or the governor's younger brother Juan, they all just want to be able to hold the rein firmly, just like Jaberye. He breathed in the bitter cold wind in the Andes, looking a little drunk.Suddenly, not to show off or compete, he kicked the horse's belly hard with both feet.The horse trembled in pain all over its body. After shaking its body lightly, it lowered its ears, opened its mouth wide, and began to run wildly.Jia Boye heard a burst of laughter and calling from behind, but he didn't turn his head, he just sat on the saddle intently, swinging up and down with the rhythm of the horse's hoof as much as possible.

The horse's hooves stepped on the solid ground, making a powerful clang, which echoed his surging heartbeat.After riding over a row of agave hedges, he turned into a stone-walled path that looked like a stone path with an exit.At the end of the road, I saw a steep grassland and a few big rocks. Several alpacas were grazing among the rocks. After hearing the sound of horseshoes, they were scared and hid everywhere. Just a few paces from the dizzyingly high cliff, he was really spooked, so he pulled on the reins, reined in the precipice, and jumped off his horse.He walked to a rock that was bigger than the house, climbed up the rock, fixed his eyes, and saw a beautiful scene in the world.

Beneath his feet was a river valley like an endless sea, hovering between the cliffs of high mountains and mountains that seemed to be topped by a sea of ​​​​clouds, but its width was only four to eight kilometers.And the banks of the river were filled with tents! Thousands of white tents are lined up closely together like feathers on a large wing, and some of them are still shining with golden light and shadow.Several military flags were hung high on the flagpoles, shining brightly against the white background.Bursts of thick yellow cooking smoke curled up and stagnated under the sea of ​​clouds.The noise came and went, including low-pitched horns, screams, summons, etc...

A big city made of tents, full of life! "My goodness!" Jia Boye didn't even notice the appearance of the other companions, and Bei Duo's exclamation surprised him a lot. Besides, on the other side of the valley, at the foot of the summit opposite them, along what seemed to be a swamp, there were some glimmers of light, though cloudy.Young Juan Pizarro was the first to attack. "Is it gold? Are those shiny things gold?" he asked sharply. None of the other three companions answered, because they were so tired that they didn't even have a chance to catch their breath.Although sweat drenched their padded-lined breastplates, they shivered and their hands and feet were stiff.

After careful inspection, they found that the tents were not set up casually like ordinary military camps, but were neatly arranged in a square or rectangular shape, clearly demarcating various areas, including roads, squares, and courtyards.This temporary city erected in front of their eyes was stronger than a wall, forming an insurmountable barrier, stretching across the road going south! How many thousand people or soldiers were stationed there? Two or three or forty thousand? Maybe twice? Oh my God, Jia Boye gritted his teeth and thought, but there are only a few of us! "He really chose the right place for the camp, the Inca king," Bedo muttered, seeming to see through Jia Boye's mind. "He knows exactly how to get us here!"

"Look at that city! It's a real city!" Diaico de Molina shouted after walking around the boulder. The city was directly below them, a little to the right, on a steep ridge that ran all the way to the left bank of the swamp.The earth-walled buildings in the city are as hard as stones and are very strong, and the roofs have all been renovated or have undergone special maintenance.In short, compared with the large tent area stretching on the grassland, this city is really pitifully small, with only dozens of scattered and crowded square courtyards in it.On the east side and facing the grassland, there is a long row of adobe walls surrounding a square.

It's a big, empty square. "That's where we're going," Jia Boye whispered involuntarily, "but it doesn't look like anyone is waiting for us..." Shortness of breath and chest pain, he quickly sat down on the stone.He didn't try to take another look at the magnificent landscape before him until he felt more comfortable. He is finally here! Come, standing in front of this river valley as big as the ocean, although the valley is sinister like an unknown monster, it is fascinatingly beautiful. Bedo and Alonso had already turned around and mounted their horses excitedly, and reported what they saw to the Governor.At this time, the dark clouds that originally shrouded them behind suddenly dispersed, and the dazzling sunlight poured on the top of the white tent, and a ray of sunlight climbed up his neck.

A strange shadow suddenly appeared between valley bottoms, cliffs, hilltops and ravines.It snaked its way, into a ravine in the forest, and snaked its way from tent to tent, trying to go on, reborn, as if guided by a real life. The sunlight gradually disappeared, and finally there was only a light shadow as thick as a spear.Just now at the foot of the mountain leading to the city, Jia Boye saw a square grassland, dotted with as many small stones as new sprouting potato seedlings, a bright shadow appeared, illuminating the field ditches and the green grassland.That's a very familiar graphic!It is the same pattern that Sebatian painted on the sand facing Tumbes.It was exactly the same as the birthmark on his shoulder.

Slowly, the dark clouds began to move.He believed that he saw the canine teeth on the pattern, its ears were swaying gently with the breeze, and two yellow stones appeared right where the eyes were. He felt the weight of the sky on his eyelids, making it hard for him to keep his eyes open.Like a child addicted to fantasy, he closed his eyes and let the beast jump and run in his mind. Pizarro gave him a push, pulling him back from his dream to reality. He jumped up suddenly. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" the governor admired. There was a look of pride in his eyes.Jia Boye did not see the slightest fear or doubt in him.Pizarro's five fingers were still pressing hard on his shoulders, as if they were about to snap off his shoulder blades.

"Didn't I promise you that I would definitely bring you here? Didn't I promise you this promise?" He was still out of breath from exhaustion, and even his beard was so excited. "We're here, boy! We're finally here! They're all there waiting for us, and they'll finally know what we are!" When they arrived in batches, there was an uproar at the scene, led by the cavalry, the Pizarro brothers, Suto and Benacasa, followed by the infantry regiment, and then the wounded officers and soldiers, porters, slaves, Indians on the coast... ...how many of them are there?About ten thousand people.How many people are fighting?Up to two or three thousand people.What about the number of opponents?Ten times, twenty times, or even a hundred times more than them.

All the people calmed down and watched the evolution of the matter quietly.Some fell down on the rocks, holding their heads in their hands; others simply stood, with their beards blowing in the wind, their eyes wide open, and they held their breath.The arena was silent.At this time, as if to meet them in the distance, a horn suddenly sounded a mournful cry. The guy in charge of the prologue admitted that he was scared to death, and none of the others would. Ambassador Sikanshara walked up to the Governor and looked at him with wide black eyes.He had wanted to frighten the Spanish captain, hoping to see him dare not even blink an eye when he flaunted his leadership to him.But Mr. Francisco Pizarro turned to Sikanciala and gave him a friendly smile: "It's time to go to the appointment." He said calmly. As soon as they came out of the mountain pass, it began to drizzle again.The slope on the Royal Avenue is very steep, and the horses step on the stone-paved road, which is dangerous.In short, without any order, the cavalry has already firmly fastened the reins in their hands. No one dared to look towards the bottom of the valley.From the huge Indian tent area, there were long and short horn sounds.However, their team was already noisy enough, so they didn't care about other outside voices at all. Most of the members of the Indian team remained on standby at the pass, and only the slaves and porters followed the Spaniards up the climb.Mr. Enando declared that he had the right to be at the head of the procession, accompanied by the Inca ambassador Kanshara, a dozen or so walking entourages, and five personal knights.The Greeks Bedok and Sebatian were both placed in the forward ranks.Even Munger, but not his dog.Jia Boye had no chance at all to refuse the request to join the vanguard: because no one proposed to him.But it doesn't matter, because being able to walk side by side with the governor is enough to make him excited, and they keep a distance of two to three hundred meters from the forward troops. The thatched huts and sheep sheds that flanked the Royal Mile were empty.The farmland is also barren, and the shouts of any village women and children cannot be heard.The lavender stalks on a quinoa field beside the road are bent and drooping, beaten up by the wind and rain. Going down, the Royal Avenue becomes narrower and narrower, and the slope of the road is too steep, so you have to use stairs.There, the thatched huts were replaced by brick or stone huts, but unfortunately the huts were empty. The sound of running water is endless.Several pools are surrounded by the northern hills and swamps that meander to the Inca hot spring area, and suddenly thick mist emerges, like cooking smoke.All the people turned their heads uneasily, only to realize that it was the result of the hot air from the hot spring being extremely frozen after meeting the cold air. Jia Boye noticed that the Governor never left the Indian city. Now the city is much bigger than when I looked down from the hill just now.In the valley with rolling hills, behind the large and intricate streets and houses surrounding the large square, they suddenly found a blockhouse. The expedition team slowed down instinctively, and Mr. Francisco turned to face Jia Boye and opened his throat so that the team behind could hear: "It's just a big rock!" This statement is not false at all.It was a perfect cone of rock, brown and black from the rain, with a spiral staircase hewn into it.All in all, it looks like a snail shell with a narrow building on top.Don Francisco pointed to the building with his gloved finger and said: "We will erect a statue of Christ there and plant a rose garden for our God!" A few titters sounded from below, but then stopped.Brother Wei Shengde Vallevid drew a holy sign and muttered to himself: "May the Lord hear your request!" "It heard it," replied Don Francisco, laughing. When they set foot on the first street in the city, the downpour turned to frost as the horses' hooves clattered over the densely packed stone bricks.Billions of small white hailstones hit their steel helmets, frostbite their cheeks and noses, and the ground was suddenly white. The square they finally reached was also white, flawless, without any footprints. The plaza was gigantic, larger than any Inca temple plaza they had passed.Jia Boye was shaking all over, but not because of the sudden hailstorm, he thought to himself, this square is bigger than any other square of truth in Spain. Its appearance is irregular, as if a rectangle becomes a trapezoid after the two sides are truncated, and it looks like a triangle after a long time. On its south side stood a brick wall taller than a man and at least five hundred paces in length, separating it from the swamp area.The other three sides are covered with beautiful buildings with countless passages.Each building is very long, more than two hundred paces, and is as wide as the square.Like the squares everywhere, there is a pyramid with several steps in front of the tower on the left side for Indians to worship their gods and hold some religious ceremonies. The same as when it came, the hail stopped as soon as it said it would stop.The whole team stood still.Mr. Enando and the vanguard also stopped.In the silence, everyone could only hear Wei Shengde Vallevide's mechanical prayers talking to himself. Across the square, by a trapezoidal gate facing the Grand Canyon, a dog was barking.It was an Indian dog, thin and small like a harrier, and its hair was shaved so short that there was hardly any hair on its body.Several Nepalese hounds in the team also barked, but they were stopped immediately. The time for evening prayers has come.Yet the sky was still clouded and as dark as it had been in the evening. Everyone's faces were solemn, not just caused by fear.During this period of time, Jia Boye was used to seeing the expression of fear.He looked around and saw more shock than fear on their expressions. Of course, no one forgets that on the other side of the wall, at the bottom of the valley where the barking mad dog fell, there are still tens of thousands of Indians standing.Everyone on the team knows it, their blood boils, they know today is going to be a special day. Yes, this November day, also a special day in the Alpine summer, will be a real day in history.After this day, the life of human beings and the world of gods will be completely changed. Only the governor did not change his face. After carefully surveying the Temple Square, he turned and stared at Ambassador Sikanshara, as if waiting for an order or a gesture.But nothing happened.The Indian aristocrat's airy lips didn't even move, and his eyes didn't even blink. Among the one hundred and seven Spaniards, he and the few servants who accompanied him were the only ones in bright clothes.Against the background of the winter sun and the snow-white hail all over the ground, his big golden earrings shone like the disappearing sun. He walked forward steadily, with a strange but solemn expression on his face.The governor's elder brother, who had always been arrogant and rude, criticized the Indian for being ridiculously arrogant, which really made Jia Boye dumbfounded.This man was perhaps a dangerous man, as was the slender-faced young prince, who should have returned to the Indian king's camp and reported to him their meeting the night before. Therefore, with a light poke from the spur, Mr. Francisco galloped straight to the bottom of the pyramid.The horseshoes stepped on the hail and made regular friction sounds, leaving clear scratches. Before reaching the stairs, he pulled the rein vigorously, then turned the horse's head around quickly, just facing the Indian army who had been standing still, he shouted: "Ambassador, inform Prince Atahualpa that the envoy of Charles V. is here waiting for him. Ask him to tell us where we should lodge." The only king, Atahualpa, whose skin was still red, took a hot bath when the hailstorm just happened.At this moment, he was in a room facing the inner courtyard, lying on a canvas hammock hung between two carved beams and painted pillars.He squinted, watching the thawing hail outside the window, and breathing in the steam from the scalding hot spring. Antti Panla was busy fanning him from the resurgent heat after the hail had thawed.The steamy smell of sulfurous water filled the air. Retreating aside, sitting among several concubines, Anna Maya asked herself, could he be drowsy from taking too long in the hot bath, or, like her, he was also thinking about what he had just done by the river valley. What did you see? At that time, the sun was too strong and the distance was too far to see the faces of those foreigners clearly.Still, from the steep foothills, they could tell that the expedition was heading down the Royal Mile, between the potato and quinoa fields. As Sikanshala and Guyappa said, this expedition was not particularly spectacular, nor was it a well-armed army. Instead, it was like an iron-gray umbilical cord winding in the verdant nature. There is absolutely no color in sight that pleases the Son of the Sun.At best they could only be described as a dull black and gray team, no different from an earthworm wriggling from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the valley. But perhaps the only king was asleep, for he was indifferent to the commotion outside the house, even when Guyappa was kneeling under his hammock. Guyappa has been kneeling and waiting for questioning from the Sole King.Since the king did not speak, he could only continue to bow his head and ask respectfully: "The Messenger of the Sole King, Sikanshara, has arrived, and he says that the foreigners have entered the temple square." Atahualpa was silent for a while before asking: "What are they doing now?" "They stood in front of the Uxunu Pyramid, surrounded by their captain. Some of them walked through the streets and entered houses by themselves, as if they were searching for deserters hiding everywhere. Sikanshala wants me to tell you that they They were all terrified." This time Atahualpa finally opened his eyes and smiled at Gujapa. "Fear on the outside doesn't necessarily mean fear on the inside, Brother Guyappa! Has Huminavi done what he was supposed to do?" "One and only king, at dawn this morning, twenty thousand soldiers surrounded the entire town. They all hid in the dark, or hid behind hills and tall trees, or hid themselves in tall grass. Those foreign countries They've all fallen into their trap. Now it's just a matter of your order, and from tonight we'll burn them all alive like suckling pigs." "I know you want to go to war, Guapa! But you also know very well what kind of decision we have made. Luna doesn't like us fighting at night, and Andi asked me to curb my warlike appetite. This is what we want tomorrow It should be done. Tomorrow will be a big day worth celebrating for the son of Emperor An." "We will act according to your instructions, the only king." Guapa said regretfully. "I want Sikanshala to tell them to spend the night in the square tonight. Tell them that they may come to see me tomorrow if they have a chance." When Guyappa retreated, the feather fan in Anti Panla's hand accidentally slapped Atahualpa's cheek.He roared loudly, propping up his upper body on his elbows, with a fierce look in his eyes.Anti Panla screamed, quickly knelt down, and crawled back. Another concubine immediately came to take her place.Atahualpa's bloodshot eyes happened to meet Anamaya's, but the latter did not avoid his gaze. "They're just ordinary people, aren't they, Kamakenkoya? When Viracocha stops sending heavenly soldiers to support me, it's time for me to meet my Cusco ancestors..." His tone was full of bitterness, and Anna Maya really didn't know how to answer.She suddenly remembered the night spent with him, maybe, definitely, she was dreaming... Jia Boye pushed away a piece of tapestry with the blade of his long sword.Dim light immediately shone into the damp hall, which smelled of earth and weeds.The house appeared to be empty. Just as he was about to put down a rug next to the door again, he heard a small sound.It turned out to be a light brown Indian wild boar circling around a pile of china bowls.Then another appeared, and then suddenly ten appeared, like a swarm of squeaky mice. So Jia Boye finally saw a pair of shining eyes behind the firewood pile on the opposite corner. Then he saw a foot, a very small foot.And a little hand.It's a kid! Jia Boye happily showed a reassuring smile.He switched to holding the sword with his left hand, then leaned over and said softly: "Hello, little boy." The child was overly frightened and opened his eyes wide.He was handsome, with silky-smooth skin on his cheeks, well-defined, feminine lips, and thick black hair covering his well-proportioned and delicate face. Jia Boye squatted down, his riding boots creaked as the leather was folded in half, and the long sword and spurs in his hand clashed with each other.He took off his right glove, smiled exaggeratedly and held out his hand to the child. "Don't be afraid," he said as gently as possible, "don't be afraid, little friend..." Even he himself was surprised by the tone of his voice.Before that, he had no time to think about the feelings he might bring to the children. He was wearing a cotton shirt, which was not only dirty but even water-stained, he wore armor, held a long sword, and had a beard growing below his eyes. The Indian pigs became more and more restless and ran about. "Don't be afraid, kid," Jia Boye repeated, "I'm your friend..." The child was still unmoved, so Jia Boye had no choice but to get up, but his hand was still stretched out to the child, ready to walk forward. Seeing this, the child jumped up and hopped across the room like a kitten. "little boy!" However, due to the sudden incident, Jia Boye watched the child squint his eyes, clenched his fists, and with the last bit of strength, he punched him in the face, and then escaped his arrest , escaped the door.After he regained consciousness, the child had already run out of the inner courtyard. He jumped over a pile of firewood, climbed over a wall, and disappeared. Standing by the door of the inner courtyard, Sai Batian couldn't help laughing. "I didn't intend to scare him." Jia Boye argued, putting on the gloves again. Sebastian stopped laughing.They looked at each other. "Me too, when I was young, I ran away whenever I saw a Spaniard," said the black Sai Batian, "and most of the time, my friend Jia Boye, it's really right for me to do that!" "How is it?" the governor asked after they returned to the square. "There are no soldiers," Jia Boye said, "only a few children, women and old people." "There are no men or soldiers, only a few guards standing in front of the warehouse full of sundries." Sai Batian emphasized. "They look peaceful," Jia Boye replied. "The women are busy weaving and ignore us." "How many?" asked the governor. "At most four or five hundred people." Sai Batian pointed to a tall and beautiful wall on the left opposite and said: "There is the imperial palace, and there are some servants in it. Its inner courtyard is different from other places. All the walls have been painted, and there are snake patterns carved on the stones." "Don't joke about snakes," said Mr. Enando grimacing, his mount fidgeting. "Did Mr. Jia Boye also find several defensive fortresses?" "Up there, Mr. Enando," Jaberye replied, brushing off his sarcasm. "Looking down from the top of the mountain, the scenery is very beautiful. There are towns and plains. Even the road leading to the tent area and the Inca residential area can be clearly seen. The road is not only wide, paved with stones, and even densely planted on both sides. Trees, all the way to the swamp. If they want to use force against us, it will be difficult for us to not notice." "If you think about it, you can see it clearly when you climb that high," Meng Ge muttered. "You don't need to climb up to know the truth." "Mr. Francisco," interrupted Captain Suto, "I think there is something wrong with it." "what?" Su Tuo hinted with his eyes that the Indian messengers of Ambassador Sikanshala had returned. "I think it's a trap," Su Tuo explained, "They put us in an excellent observation spot, but we couldn't see anything, surrounded by high walls, and tens of thousands of soldiers surrounded us Right or left. No, Governor, I don't like it here. Indians are Indians after all, but these Indians know how to fight, know how to use tactics, and get what they want—don't underestimate them." "Su Tuo is right," Mr. Enando said regretfully. "We know that once we listen to their good words, we must pay a heavy price. What comes out of their mouths are either lies or tricks." "We can set up a small battery over there, my lord," said the Greek Bedo, pointing to the platform on the top of the pyramid. "In this way, we can hit it in a radius of a hundred miles." Everyone looked up at the top of Wu Xunu and the steep stairs leading to it. "Okay," said Don Francisco at last. "Before dark, you will lead the necessary manpower to set up the small fort there." "It's a pity that it's not enough," Anando looked at Jia Boye maliciously. "That stupid guy doesn't know what to observe at all. You have to see clearly the city built on the cliff. They may attack us from there, and secretly block all the roads from the rear." "Well, brother," Mr. Francesco said calmly, and Jia Boye silently endured the insult again, "If you are worried, why don't you go out and make sure it's safe?" Ainando was stunned for a moment, and then accidentally pulled the rein, the horse opened its mouth wide, and raised its hoofs and galloped forward in fright.Jia Boye stared straight at him, secretly snickering.Afterwards, Enando signaled to the two or three knights, and the sound of horseshoes resounded on the stone pavement. They rode fast and prepared to cross the square. The surrounding soldiers all held their breaths.Several captains were nervous like ants on a hot pan.Only Brother Wei Shengde left the crowd, went to the porter team, and checked the large suitcases containing the large cross, holy water and sacrificial robes. After Mr. Enando and his entourage disappeared through a door by the side of the square, the interpreter Martinilo immediately walked up to Mr. Francisco's horse and bowed respectfully to him. "Sikanshara has received orders from the Sole King Atahualpa," he reported. "Huh? What did you say?" "The only king, Atahualpa, asked him to tell the governor, you can spend the night in the square tonight, and wait until tomorrow morning..." Jia Boye had already guessed the reason why Martinilo hesitated to speak.The young interpreter finally bowed his head and concluded: "The only king, Atahualpa, said that in order to thank his Father Sun for helping him achieve victory, he was fasting and it was not appropriate to leave the holy pool. He said that he would come tomorrow...to visit the Governor General." Mr. Francisco threw a fit of rage in public, then turned to look at Ambassador Sikanshala.In his fierce eyes, Jia Boye seemed to feel that there was more of a joke than anger. "Want me to sleep in the square! Where to sleep, out in the clouds and rain? I don't accept it, Ambassador! How can I sleep out in the open as His Majesty's envoy? And there is a nice and comfortable room right in front of me." For use! Besides, I hate pointless waiting!" However, while Martinilo was busy translating, Captain Suto said: "Mr. Francisco, please let me go to the camp of the Inca king to find out what he wants to do to us." "It's very risky to do that, Su Tuo, you will be detained by him." "Anyway, it's no more dangerous than being trapped here as cannon fodder. Besides, we can also learn what his barracks look like. This Atahualpa! I'm going to lead twenty cavalry there, and we must let them know how powerful we are... ..." "Especially, talk to him without dismounting and with due dignity. Don't piss him off, Suto, but stick to your guns. Take that ambassador with you, I think he's an eyesore here. Take Philip by the way. Go with Bilo, he is less honest, but smarter than Martinilo. Play hard and soft in front of the Inca king, let him understand that everything can be resolved by peaceful means!" Su Tuo agreed with a smile on his lips, and was already ready to take action in his heart. Then he appointed a group of entourage, and Jia Boye led his horse to the governor's horse: "My lord, please forgive me for boldly asking you as an idiot, please let me go, maybe I can help you a little bit." Mr. Francisco frowned and studied him carefully. "Don't lose any of my horses," he answered curtly. Afterwards, he turned to face Su Tuo, and muttered to add: "Don't forget to tell the Inca king that I will never sleep in the wild, I insist!" "You have already said it, governor!" Su Tuo replied with a smile, "I will definitely remember." His eyes fixed on the captain, hesitant to speak, Mr. Francisco took the reins of his horse and said: "This is the first time, Captain Su Tuo, you broke into an Indian army camp with 30,000 soldiers alone and with bare hands...May God bless you, friend." "I know," Su Tuo said with a smile, "just wait, I will definitely bring you good news, Mr. Francisco!" Jia Boye smiled to himself.