where will it end, Yetaxa?’ Autloc’s voice quavered.
‘In total destruction,’ Barbara replied softly. ‘Your civilisation will pass forever from this land.’
‘You prophesy our doom.’ Autloc’s hands quivered in despair.
Barbara stood silently beside the throne and waited. ‘Let me think on these words, great Spirit,’ he said finally, bowed to her and hurried from the temple. Barbara watched him leave. What are you playing at Barbara Wright? she asked herself. Still trying to meddle with history? You know it can’t be done, didn’t the Doctor tell you, didn’t you ignore him, and fail? So what are you doing quoting facts and statistics out of history books and causing enormous distress to the only Aztec ally you have? She felt ashamed and suddenly very tired. She left the temple and went down to the antechamber to rest.
7 No Holds Barred
The High Priests met on the stairs and Autloc related word for word all that Barbara had told him.
‘So she prophesies our doom,’ Tlotoxl sneered. ‘Without doubt to avert her own.’ He jabbed a finger at Autloc. ‘I tell you she is not Yetaxa, she is a false God.’ ‘I do not know it,’ Autloc replied firmly.
‘Question her again and again and again, then you will learn if speak the truth.’
They heard the Doctor puffing his way up the stairs. ‘The old man,’ Tlotoxl said, ‘let us withdraw.’
They hid in the shadows of an alcove and watched the Doctor as he muttered that he was too old for this sort of thing and continued climbing up the stairs to the antechamber where Barbara was resting.
She started as he came in. ‘Doctor, go away,’ but he flopped onto a couch instead. ‘No one’s allowed to see’
‘Nonsense,’ the Doctor gasped, ‘the guards didn’t stop me.’ He waved an arm vaguely towards the door. ‘And besides, I’m supposed to be your aged servant.’ There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice which Barbara decided to ignore.
‘Didn’t Tlotoxl warn you that during my questioning none of you are allowed up here?’
‘No,’ the Doctor stood up wearily. ‘All right, I’ll go as soon as I’ve told you that I’ll know how to get into the tomb by tonight.’
Barbara was relieved. ‘I won’t be sorry,’ she said.
‘All I had to do was make sure that the warrior grandson of the man who built this temple wins a fight at sunset,’ the Doctor confided with a wink.
‘But that’s Ixta,’ Barbara cried, ‘Ian’s rival for command, and it’s to be a fight to the death, Tlotoxl told me so.’
The Doctor was alarmed. ‘I must warn Chesterton,’ he said and went to the antechamber door. He opened it, but the way was barred by two guards with Tlotoxl and Autloc.
‘Take him,’ Tlotoxl commanded, ‘he has transgressed the law.’
The guards seized the Doctor’s arms and led him away as he protested in vain. Tlotoxl followed them. Autloc remained and Barbara looked at him angrily.
‘They had no right to arrest my aged servant.’
‘As the High Priest of Sacrifice observed, he has.. ’ Barbara cut him of with a chopping motion of her hand. ‘No one told him! He didn’t know!’
Autloc frowned. ‘If that is so then to hold him prisoner is unjust. I shall obtain his release.’
‘I thank you, Autloc.’
The High Priest bowed and turned to leave the antechamber.
‘Wait,’ Barbara said suddenly,’There is to be a contest between my servant, Ian, and the chosen warrior, Ixta. I forbid it.’
Autloc looked at her uncomfortably. ‘Great Spirit, the contest cannot be avoided. Only one of them may command our armies’
‘Then let it be Ixta.’
Autloc was shocked. ‘You deny your servant honour?’ he asked.
Barbara shook her head and said that the contest was ill-timed, that Ixta had been in training for many months. Autloc protested that he had seen Ian defeat Ixta with his thumb and, besides, the combat would not be mortal. ‘See that it remains so,’ Barbara commanded.
‘Yetaxa has spoken,’
‘In total destruction,’ Barbara replied softly. ‘Your civilisation will pass forever from this land.’
‘You prophesy our doom.’ Autloc’s hands quivered in despair.
Barbara stood silently beside the throne and waited. ‘Let me think on these words, great Spirit,’ he said finally, bowed to her and hurried from the temple. Barbara watched him leave. What are you playing at Barbara Wright? she asked herself. Still trying to meddle with history? You know it can’t be done, didn’t the Doctor tell you, didn’t you ignore him, and fail? So what are you doing quoting facts and statistics out of history books and causing enormous distress to the only Aztec ally you have? She felt ashamed and suddenly very tired. She left the temple and went down to the antechamber to rest.
7 No Holds Barred
The High Priests met on the stairs and Autloc related word for word all that Barbara had told him.
‘So she prophesies our doom,’ Tlotoxl sneered. ‘Without doubt to avert her own.’ He jabbed a finger at Autloc. ‘I tell you she is not Yetaxa, she is a false God.’ ‘I do not know it,’ Autloc replied firmly.
‘Question her again and again and again, then you will learn if speak the truth.’
They heard the Doctor puffing his way up the stairs. ‘The old man,’ Tlotoxl said, ‘let us withdraw.’
They hid in the shadows of an alcove and watched the Doctor as he muttered that he was too old for this sort of thing and continued climbing up the stairs to the antechamber where Barbara was resting.
She started as he came in. ‘Doctor, go away,’ but he flopped onto a couch instead. ‘No one’s allowed to see’
‘Nonsense,’ the Doctor gasped, ‘the guards didn’t stop me.’ He waved an arm vaguely towards the door. ‘And besides, I’m supposed to be your aged servant.’ There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice which Barbara decided to ignore.
‘Didn’t Tlotoxl warn you that during my questioning none of you are allowed up here?’
‘No,’ the Doctor stood up wearily. ‘All right, I’ll go as soon as I’ve told you that I’ll know how to get into the tomb by tonight.’
Barbara was relieved. ‘I won’t be sorry,’ she said.
‘All I had to do was make sure that the warrior grandson of the man who built this temple wins a fight at sunset,’ the Doctor confided with a wink.
‘But that’s Ixta,’ Barbara cried, ‘Ian’s rival for command, and it’s to be a fight to the death, Tlotoxl told me so.’
The Doctor was alarmed. ‘I must warn Chesterton,’ he said and went to the antechamber door. He opened it, but the way was barred by two guards with Tlotoxl and Autloc.
‘Take him,’ Tlotoxl commanded, ‘he has transgressed the law.’
The guards seized the Doctor’s arms and led him away as he protested in vain. Tlotoxl followed them. Autloc remained and Barbara looked at him angrily.
‘They had no right to arrest my aged servant.’
‘As the High Priest of Sacrifice observed, he has.. ’ Barbara cut him of with a chopping motion of her hand. ‘No one told him! He didn’t know!’
Autloc frowned. ‘If that is so then to hold him prisoner is unjust. I shall obtain his release.’
‘I thank you, Autloc.’
The High Priest bowed and turned to leave the antechamber.
‘Wait,’ Barbara said suddenly,’There is to be a contest between my servant, Ian, and the chosen warrior, Ixta. I forbid it.’
Autloc looked at her uncomfortably. ‘Great Spirit, the contest cannot be avoided. Only one of them may command our armies’
‘Then let it be Ixta.’
Autloc was shocked. ‘You deny your servant honour?’ he asked.
Barbara shook her head and said that the contest was ill-timed, that Ixta had been in training for many months. Autloc protested that he had seen Ian defeat Ixta with his thumb and, besides, the combat would not be mortal. ‘See that it remains so,’ Barbara commanded.
‘Yetaxa has spoken,’
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