She looked at me, her eyes widening in mock surprise. 'Why, is that a joke, brother?'
It had to be written somewhere, on some divination priest's codex, that I'd never have the upper hand with her. 'Very well. I'll stick to serious subjects, if that curbs your hilarity. Are you sure about the patolli? You didn't step out at some point?'
'For a very short time,' Mihmatini said. 'Huei couldn't have gone out and murdered the priestess, or whatever you think she did. She didn't have time.'
'Hmm,' I said. It all sounded solid. But still…
'You're calling me a liar?' Mihmatini said.
She might have protected Huei out of friendship or gratitude. But if that was so, my sister had changed much in the years since our childhood. I didn't think that was the case. 'You might not realise the significance of something you saw, but–'
'I know what I saw,' Mihmatini said. 'Huei was with me the whole evening, Acatl. I'll swear to it in court, if it comes to that.'
I hadn't really thought Huei was the culprit, in any case. She might have hated Neutemoc's lover, but one thing was sure: she truly loved her husband. Which didn't leave me with anything I could use to spare Neutemoc the death penalty.
SIX
I came back to the temple with a full stomach, intending to stay only briefly before I resumed my talk with Neutemoc. But I found Teomitl waiting for me at the entrance to the storehouse, chatting with Ezamahual: a lean, nervous novice priest, a son of peasants who couldn't believe he'd had the good fortune of entering calmecac. Given how captivated Ezamahual was by Teomitl's talk, I could have emptied the storehouse in front of him without raising the alarm.
Ah well. Youth would wear off at some point. I belatedly realised I wasn't so old myself: only thirty. But I felt old; out of place.
Teomitl didn't see me immediately, but Ezamahual did. He straightened up and Teomitl turned.
'Acatl-tzin. I've come back from the registers. I have what you asked from me.'
He was still filled with that coiled energy; it lay beneath every word, every short, stabbing gesture he made with his hands. 'Out of all the names you gave me, only Priestess Zollin was born on a Jaguar day.'
He gave me a quick account of the names: neither the dancers, Huei nor the other senior priestesses of the calmecac could have summoned that nahual.
There was one name missing from that recitation, though. 'Mahuizoh?' I asked. 'The Jaguar Knight? You couldn't find him?'
'I searched,' Teomitl said, in what was almost an angry retort. I was starting to understand such a reaction was usual with him, and wondering if I had the patience to deal with that. 'There are two Mahuizohs who are members of the Jaguar Knights.'
'And?' I asked.
'Their birthdates?' I expected him to protest, but he surprised me by closing his eyes. 'One Rain and Three Jaguar.'
'I'm impressed,' I admitted. 'What about their age?'
'They're both around thirty-six,' Teomitl said.
Tlaloc's lightning strike me. It didn't remove Mahuizoh from my list. Though it was significantly shorter now, with just the priestess Zollin, the Jaguar Knight Mahuizoh, and my brother Neutemoc left. I wished the search parties would find Eleuia, or, failing that, some evidence that would help me decide.
Teomitl was still standing, waiting. 'You did well,' I said.
'No.' He sounded disgusted. 'I was one hour at the records for six birthdates. That's hardly the pinnacle of efficiency.'
'You're too hard on yourself,' I said. An uncanny trait, when coupled with his staggering arrogance.
He shook his head. 'Realist. Give me something else to do.'
'I don't have–'
'You're in the middle of an investigation, and you're doing it alone.' He must have seen my face, for he said, 'The Guardian told me.'
I wish I could tell Ceyaxochitl some words of my own. 'You're not giving the orders,' I snapped. 'That's the first rule you'll have to learn.'
Teomitl smiled, and I knew why. I'd already given halfway in. 'Tell me the others,' he said.
I'd sworn I wouldn't take any apprentices, that I wouldn't hold out my heart to be torn apart. 'You have no idea where this will lead you.'
'The underworld?' he asked.
'You should have enough good sense to be afraid of Mictlan.'
'Yes,' Teomitl said. 'I'm afraid. But don't the courageous go on, even in the face of fear?'
Again, an unexpected answer. There was obviously more to him than his arrogance, and that had to be the reason Ceyaxochitl had sent him to me.
But I still didn't know what to do with him.
'I can help,' Teomitl said. 'I can do better than this.'
I was going to regret it. But still… 'Very well,' I said. 'Go back into the girls' calmecac. See if you can find some trail, or someone who's seen something. That nahual didn't enter here through the main gate, and we still don't know how it left the building.' What in the Fifth World had happened to that beast? At least, it would keep Teomitl busy for a while.
Teomitl nodded. If he was excited, he let nothing of that show on his face, just went rigid, like a warrior
