Doctor Who: The Aztecs (9 page)

The Doctor was puzzled. ‘Why do you say that?’ he asked.

‘It came from Yetaxa’s tomb’

The Doctor was dumbfounded. ‘From where?’

‘The tomb. See, it has Yetaxa’s sign on it,’ she pointed to the snake, ‘the coiled serpent.’

‘But that is the emblem of the Aztec nation,’ the Doctor said.

‘That is so,’ Cameca replied, ‘only the serpent is held either in the eagle’s beak or its claws. Yetaxa’s sign of the coiled serpent is separate from the eagle.’

The Doctor turned the brooch over in his hands. ‘It is quite magnificent.’ He smiled at her and asked casually how she had come by it.

Cameca blushed. ‘Though married, Ixta’s father fell in love with me. I did what I could to discourage his advances. But he insisted that I accept the brooch, which he gave to me seven days before he disappeared.’

‘Disappeared?’

‘Yes, here, in this garden,’ Cameca replied, ‘he was never seen again.’ She dismissed the topic with a gesture of her hand. ‘But it was a long time ago and now I look forward to a life of bliss with you.’

‘And I with you, my dear,’ the Doctor said absently, his mind on other matters.

‘Peace and contentment,’ Camaro reflected. ‘Serenity,’ the Doctor echoed.

‘We shall have a garden of our own,’ she announced. The Doctor’s eyes lit up. ‘Yes, of course,’ he agreed, ‘a garden of our own.’ And his eyes travelled to the wall and the stone with the coiled snake carved on it.

As soon as he decently could the Doctor took his leave of Cameca and hurried to the barracks. When the Doctor burst into his quarters, Ian was desperately trying to think of something constructive he could do to put them safely back on board the TARDIS and get them on their way.

‘Eureka, Chesterton, I have it!’ the Doctor exclaimed, and then hesitated, ‘or at least I think I have.’

‘What?’ Ian asked, taken aback.

The Doctor held the brooch in the palm of his right hand and poked it with his left forefinger. ‘This came from Yetaxa’s tomb. And who took it?’ he demanded without waiting for an answer. ‘His father!’ He pointed dramatically at Ixta’s quarters on the other side of the courtyard and then poked the brooch again. ‘So there’s the proof that a secret way into the tomb exists and Ixta’s father knew about it.’ The Doctor looked about him conspiratorily and moved closer to Ian. But-what is much more important, Chesterton, my dear boy, is that I believe I know where it is.’ His voice was little more than an urgent whisper. ‘Underneath the garden is an irrigation tunnel used for watering the flowers, and in the back wall is a stone with a coiled snake — Yetaxa’s sign — carved on it. I’m certain that the stone can be removed to reveal a way into the tunnel. I’m convinced that under the temple wall there will be a flight of stairs leading up to the tomb.’ The Doctor’s eyes darted here and there in search of a possible eavesdropper before he continued. ‘Tonight, Chesterton, tonight, once Ixta is asleep, come to the garden where I shall be waiting for you.’

‘All right, Doctor, I’ll be there,’ Ian said.

‘Good fellow,’ the Doctor replied and slapped him on the back.

‘How did you get hold of this?’ Ian asked, tapping the brooch.

The Doctor cleared his throat. ‘My fiancee gave it to me as a present.’

‘I see,’ Ian replied before it registered. ‘Your what?’ he choked.

‘I made some cocoa and became engaged to Cameca.’ Ian began to chuckle

‘It’s no laughing matter, Chesterton.’

Ian tried to keep a straight face.

‘And the sooner we’re away from here, the better’ ‘Yes, Doctor,’ Ian managed to reply, his shoulders shaking. ‘I’ll be there tonight’

The Doctor turned to leave.

‘Oh, and by the way, Doctor, congratulations,’ he said and doubled up.

The Doctor stormed off. From his quarters Ixta watched him go.

Barbara was in the antechamber when a guard announced that the High Priest of Sacrifice and the Priest of Knowledge awaited her in the temple. Her defences came up instinctively. ‘Say that I shall receive them presently.’ she said.

The guard bowed and withdrew.

Barbara considered her strategy. Should she listen to them first and then riposte as best she could, or should she go directly on the attack? She placed the plumed crown on her head and decided on the latter course of action. When she reached the temple, she ignored them until she sat upon the throne.

‘Why do you attend me?’ Her voice was glacial. Tlotoxl kept his eyes fixed on her while Tonila looked down at his posy and shuffled his feet. ‘There is a matter we would place before you, Great Spirit,’ he burbled Barbara raised one eyebrow. ‘You wish the Gods to favour the Priest of Knowledge with their good opinions?’

‘Their advice,’ Tonila conceded.

‘Yet you sin against them with your test of poison,’ Barbara snapped as Tonila studied his posy even more intently.

‘Let us talk of this other matter,’ Tlotoxl cajoled.

‘Be quiet.’ It was like a whiplash across his back, but he gritted his teeth and contained his fury.

Barbara looked back at Tonila. ‘Your offence against the Gods is forgiven. Now, what would you discuss?’ The punishment for one who talks out against our teachings and defies our laws’ Barbara realised that this time it was a verbal trap Tlotoxl was trying to spring. Was this spoken in public?’ she asked cautiously. ‘Yes, Great Spirit, and after being duly warned,’ Tonila emphasised.

‘Were there witnesses to the warning?’ One step at a time, she thought.

‘Autloc and myself.’

‘What was the offence?’ Barbara was concerned that Autloc was involved and curious to know why he wasn’t with them.

‘Denying a desire of the Perfect Victim’

‘Be specific, Tonila. What was his wish’?’ Like the poisoned draught, she guessed this interview was being conducted behind Autloc’s back.

‘To be wed.’

Barbara thought that taking a bride two days before one died willingly was absurd. ‘To be wed and widowed in two days, what kind of marriage is that for an Aztec maiden?’ she asked.

Tlotoxl’s eyes glinted with secret pleasure. He had rehearsed Tonila well and Barbara had fallen into the trap.

Tonila argued that Aztec warriors frequently wed before going off to war and some did not return, but they were not proclaimed Gods as the Perfect Victim would be.

‘There could be no greater honour,’ he concluded. ‘And if she wanted to marry again?’

Tonila shook his head vigorously. ‘Marriage to a mortal would be unthinkable to the widow of a God.’

‘So this maiden has defied your teachings and your law by spurning his proposal of marriage,’ Barbara said, and when Tonila nodded, she thought ‘Good for you, girl’. ‘And what does the law prescribe for such an offence?’ she asked.

Tonila waved his posy. ‘We know of none. Such a rejection has never occurred before; he replied, ‘that is why we have sought your advice’

Liar, Barbara thought and stared at Tlotoxl. ‘She will not die,’ her voice was adamant.

‘Publicly ridiculed,’ Tonila proposed.

Barbara thought that if there must be a punishment, ridicule would be relatively harmless.

Tlotoxl took a half-step forward. ‘Scourged,’ he hissed, ‘her ears and tongue pierced with thorns.’ ‘I forbid it’ Barbara snapped.

‘Autloc upholds it’ Tlotoxt’s voice was a menace. ‘Let him say so,’ Barbara replied dryly.

‘He will, he will; Tonila assured her, ‘when the time comes.’

‘And when will that be?’

‘On the day of darkness,’ Tonila replied.

‘Before all the people; Tlotoxl made a sweeping gesture with his arm before pointing at Barbara, ‘and you must be there so that the gravity of the offence is known.’

‘I shall witness the punishment from the temple,’ Barbara said, an idea formulating in her brain, ‘but I wish my servants to be present with me. Ian, my aged servant. and my handmaiden.’

‘It shall be arranged,’ Tlotoxl said without expression, ‘both the men and your handmaiden will he there. That I promise.’

As the High Priest of Sacrifice limped from the temple with Tonila at his side, Barbara sensed she had made a mistake somewhere. She went over their conversation several times in her head and then summoned the High Priest of Knowledge to the temple.

Autloc’s face was grave as he listened to Barbara’s account of her encounter with Tonila and the High Priest of Sacrifice.

‘Tlotoxl insisted you upheld such bestial treatment. Is that true?’ she asked.

‘Is it still your intention to intervene at the sacrifice of the Perfect Victim?’ Autloc countered.

‘Of course, it is,’ Barbara said firmly.

‘Then I shall match your courage, Yetaxa,’ he replied, ‘though it grieves my heart, as it must yours.’

‘I’ll shed no tears over an end to human sacrifice.’ Barbara was resolute.

‘I was referring to your handmaiden,’ Autloc explained.

‘What about Susan?’ Barbara asked sharply.

Autloc was perplexed. ‘You have just spoken of her offence.’

Barbara jumped to her feet. ‘Susan was to be the bride?’ she exclaimed.

‘Did not Tlotoxl say so?’

So that had been the trap, Barbara thought, a deliberate omission on Tlotoxl’s part and a stupid one on hers.

‘I shall forbid the punishment.’

‘You cannot,’ Autloc replied flatly.

‘Oh yes, I cane she said fiercely. ‘Susan is to be punished at the eclipse so when you and I stop the human sacrifice then I will order Tlotoxl to release her as well.’

Autloc shook his head. ‘She is to be punished before the sacrifice to the Sun God.’

‘I won’t let him harm her, I won’t!’ Barbara’s voice was final.

The High Priest looked at her. ‘Will you, then, sacrifice all you believe in, all you have given me to believe, to save your handmaiden pain?’

Barbara had no answer.

11 Crawl, Swim, Climb

The moon was full and rode high in the star-studded sky as Ian slipped out of his quarters and crossed the courtyard silently and swiftly to the entrance. He wore only a warrior’s loincloth and sandals, with a short stabbing sword slung on his hip. He opened the door, and sidled along the passageway which led to the main barracks. Ixta sneaked out of his quarters and followed him.

All was quiet as Ian hurried across the main courtyard to the gates at the far end. Ixta stayed in the shadow of the barrack-room walls while he stalked Ian, who went out onto the deserted streets and along the broad avenue which led to the pyramid and, behind it, the garden where the Doctor waited impatiently. Keeping his distance, Ixta followed.

Ian reached the door in the garden wall, but before he opened it he glanced up and down the avenue. Ixta ducked into the shadows of the pyramid and pressed himself against the side. Ian stepped into the garden and came face to face with the Doctor.

‘I was beginning to worry about you, Chesterton,’ he muttered.

‘I waited until I knew the coast would be clear,’ Ian murmured.

‘So no one saw you,’ the Doctor kept his voice down. ‘No,’ Ian replied softly.

‘There’s no one in the garden, either,’ the Doctor hissed.

’Then why are we whispering’?’ Ian asked out loud. ‘Quite right, quite right,’ the Doctor replied, and led Ian to the back wall, pulled aside the bougainvillea and showed him the carved snake on the stone. ‘I’ve tried to move it, but it didn’t budge an inch,’ the Doctor said. ‘Let me have a go.’ Ian squatted down in front of the stone, unsheathed his stabbing sword and scraped the surrounds of the stone with the tip. ‘Hardened clay,’ he said. Some of the chippings came away, and he thrust the sword blade in deeper and deeper until it was up to the hilt. Then be began sawing away at the clay. As he did he felt the stone give. ‘You’re right, Doctor, look, the edges are bevelled to you can get a grip on them.’ He showed the Doctor the slanted sides. ‘But it’ll take a few minutes to clear it.’

‘We’re not pressed for time, dear boy — not yet,’ the Doctor replied.

Ixta watched the whole operation with great interest from behind a shrub.

When Ian had cleaned all the clay from around the stone, he could just manage to grip the bevelled sides with his fingertips. He put the sword back in its sheath and glanced up at the Doctor.

‘Here goes,’ he said, squeezing his fingertips against both sides he tried to pull the stone towards him. To his surprise it slid out easily and he could soon put his hands underneath it. ‘No wonder,’ he remarked, ‘it’s greased,’ and he lifted out the stone and laid it on the ground. He peered into the hole. ‘It looks like a manhole to a tunnel, but I can’t see very well.’

The Doctor took the pencil-torch from his breast pocket and handed it to Ian. ‘Use that,’ he said. lan shone the torch into the hole and explained that there was a six foot drop to the bottom of the tunnel which seemed to be about three feet high but handholds had been gouged in the stones so that one could get back up.

Ixta had been on the point of challenging them, but the torch had frightened him, so he remained concealed. ‘You stay guard, Chesterton,’ the Doctor said as lan wriggled backwards out of the hole.

‘No, Doctor, you stay guard, I’ll go in.’

‘Then both of us will go,’ the Doctor insisted.

Ian grinned. ‘You’re hardly dressed for a spelaeological crawl,’ he observed as he handed the torch to the Doctor.

Instinctively, Ixta cowered back behind the bushes, wondering what magic Ian possessed to be able to make light without fire.

Ian turned around and slid, feet first, into the hole. Reaching the bottom of the tunnel would mean about a two-foot drop once he released the outside of the hole, as the greased lining would not allow him to hold on.

‘If all goes well, Doctor,’ he said cheerfully, ‘I’ll meet you at the garden gate again.’

‘Good luck, Chesterton,’ the Doctor replied as Ian let go and dropped from sight.

As he hit the bottom of the tunnel his feet shot out from underneath him and he grabbed the handholds to keep his balance.

‘Here’s the torch. Catch,’ the Doctor called and threw it into the hole.

lan grabbed it and shone the light first in one direction and then in the other. The base and sides of the tunnel were square but the top was vaulted. One way was about ten feet long and ended at what appeared to be a wall.In the other direction the tunnel stretched beyond the range of the torch towards the temple. Ian crouched to enter the tunnel but the bottom was too slippery so he got down on all fours realising that, joking aside, he really was in for a time-consuming spelaeological crawl.