Doctor Who: The Aztecs by John Lucarotti

possible so that he could use a mixture of techniques — all-in, judo and karate — of which he was confident the Aztecs knew nothing. He paused to consider the problem.
    ‘Does fatigue affect the young man in Yetaxa’s service’?’ Tlotoxl’s voice was sardonic.
    Ian looked at him evenly. ‘Does the High Priest of Sacrifice scorn my attempts to prove my worthiness to command?’ Ian picked up a second cudgel and began swinging both of them in a gymnasium routine. As the studded cudgels were heavier than Indian clubs his wrists soon began to ache but he was determined not to let Tlotoxl see any sign of it. Ixta came onto the courtyard and went to Tlotoxl’s side as Ian stepped up his tempo.
    ‘Can you conquer him, Ixta?’ Tlotoxl murmured.
    ‘I know it,’ Ixta grinned and called to Ian, who stopped, secretly grateful, and turned to face him. ‘Yes, Ixta?’
    ‘I challenge you to a contest of strength.’
    ‘A fight?’
    ‘Without weapons. Your hands defeated me. Now let mine strive for victory over you.’
    Ian was suspicious. He could not understand why Ixta would throw down the gauntlet where he had the least likelihood of success.
    ‘Will you refuse him?’ Tlotoxl’s voice rasped. ‘No,’ Ian replied.
    ‘Then we fight here as the sun sets.’
    ‘All right’ Ian began to swing the cudgels again but his brain sought the reason behind the challenge.
    ‘You are confident of victory?’ Tlotoxl’s eyes were fixed on Ian as he muttered the question to Ixta. ‘If you wish it, he shall die,’ Ixta replied.
    Tlotoxl nodded. ‘Let him die,’ he said with a brushing aside movement of his hand.
    Barbara and Autloc were in the temple. She was standing beside the throne and the High Priest of Knowledge had been questioning her about Aztec mythology. Once again Barbara owed much to her studies at university.
    ‘I shall tell the High Priest of Sacrifice that I am satisfied of your divinity,’ Autloc said when the questioning was finished.
    ‘That won’t stop Tlotoxl.’ Barbara smiled wryly. ‘He is determined to destroy me.’
    ‘He cannot whilst I believe you to be Yetaxa,’ Autloc said gravely.
    ‘Yet you question me at his bidding.’
    ‘We both serve Huitzilipochtti.’
    ‘Do you?’ Barbara looked at him quizzically. ‘Were you not angry when I forbade the sacrifice to the Rain God?’
    ‘Do you then question the necessity of human sacrifice?’
    ‘I accept it. We send messengers to many Gods,’ Autloc smiled at her, ‘why should the Gods not send a messenger to us?’
    ‘To say there must be no more human sacrifice,’ Barbara suggested quietly. She walked around the throne running her right forefinger along the arm, over the back and along the other arm.
    ‘I shall not oppose the Gods if it is their will that such sacrifices cease.’
    ‘And Tlotoxl, what of him?’
    ‘I have said we both serve Huitzilipochtli and through him other Gods whose biddings we obey.’
    Barbara smiled at his serious face. ‘The High Priest of Knowledge speaks with great wisdom.’
    He studied his posy of flowers for a few seconds before replying. ‘If your words are denied, shall we not be living in defiance of the Gods?’ he asked.
    Barbara went back mentally to her history hooks again and the end of the Aztec civilisation under the Spanish yoke. ‘Famine, drought and disaster will come and more and more sacrifices will be made in supplication,’ she said slowly, measuring out her words. ‘I see a time to come when ten thousand warriors will die in one day under the obsidian knives of High Priests of Sacrifice.’
    ‘In one day?’ Autloc was deeply distressed.
    Barbara thought about the Aztecs’ last desperate bid to turn the tide of battle in their favour, never fully realising that a loincloth, sandals, plumed head-dress, stabbing sword, studded cudgel, arrows and a shield were no match for armoured breastplates, boots, steel helmets, cannons, blunderbusses, arquebusses and pistols.
    ‘Then