yellow of corn, her hair unbound like that of a young courtesan about to dance with warriors. 'Acatl-tzin.' She smiled, uncovering rows of black-stained teeth – unfortunately for her, so much seduction was wasted on me. I had once faced the goddess she worshipped, and compared to Her raw power, artifices were rather paltry.
'I hadn't expected to see you again.'
She raised a thin, artful eyebrow. 'Why not?'
'The She-Snake's guards are looking for you.'
She had the grace to look amused. 'Let them look. It's you I've come to see.'
'To mock me? I'd have thought you'd played your part,' I said.
'My part.' She tossed her head back, in the familiar fashion of courtesans trying to appear coy. 'And what do you think my part is exactly, Acatl-tzin?'
'False accusations. Sowing discord.' When she said nothing, I added, 'And attempting to steal sacrifices.'
That got a smile, if nothing else. 'Please. I wouldn't attempt to scrape corn from the belly of another god. The sacrifices were merely… irresistible.'
Irresistible. The proximity of death; of godhood – and something else, something in the way she said it… What hadn't I seen? 'Sex,' I said, flatly.
'I prefer the term 'lust',' Xiloxoch said. She smiled again, stroking the pine tree as she'd hold a lover's arm. 'My mistress takes power where She can.'
Small, paltry offerings of semen and vaginal secretions – nowhere near full blood sacrifices, but perhaps enough to keep an exiled goddess satiated.
'I could call the guards,' I said.
'Ah, but will you do such a thing, without even listening to me?'
'Perhaps I don't want to listen to you,' I said. But my curiosity was too strong – even though I suspected she was going to feed me more lies. 'Fine. What do you want?'
Xiloxoch tossed her head back. 'Oh, Acatl-tzin. This isn't about what I want. This is about you.'
'You have nothing I want.'
'Do I not?' Her eyes were mocking – and for a moment, they reminded me of Xochiquetzal's burning gaze, of Her face in the moment She'd risen from her low-backed chair to confront me, the embodiment of a force beyond human imagination or control. 'Or perhaps I do. Perhaps it's time to make alliances, Acatl-tzin.'
'Alliances.' I dragged my voice back from where it seemed to have fled. 'Alliances. I don't need help.'
'You don't? I'm glad to know you have a good understanding of what's going on, then.' Her lips quirked up. 'Tell me you do, and I'll leave you alone.'
And she knew very well that I wouldn't, the Duality curse her. 'What are you offering?' And at what price?
'A little help,' Xiloxoch said. 'A little… destabilisation for certain parties.'
'You speak in riddles.'
'Of course.' She smiled again. 'Why should I make life easier for you?'
'Then why are you helping me at all?'
She smiled again; her blackened teeth seemed to have turned into the maw of a jaguar. 'Because I don't particularly appreciate any of the sides taking part in this. Because as long as you're all weak, Xochiquetzal is strong.'
And as long as she could lead us astray, she would. 'You'll forgive me for not feeling particularly trusting.'
'No matter.' She leaned against the pine tree, looking at the sky. From the slaves' quarters came the rhythmic sound of maize being pounded into flour. 'I'll give it to you regardless.'
'At what price?'
'I told you. As long as everyone is busy…' She opened out her hand, revealing a bundle of cotton clothes. 'I thought you might want to see this.'
When I took it from her, I felt the weight of Chalchiuhtlicue's magic, a smell like brackish swamp water, or the bloated flesh of drowned men. Carefully, I unwrapped it, and found a torn feather quill, filled with powder, which looked for all the world like the one Palli had found on Eptli's body. Except that the powder was a different, richer colour, more dark orange than yellow: I'd have said cacao, except that it was not dark enough for that.
I wasn't crazy enough to rub it between my fingers. 'Where did you get this?'
Xiloxoch pursed her lips, which were as red as chafed skin. 'You'll remember I collected Zoquitl's possessions. This was among them.'
'And we didn't see it.'
She smiled, as if my scepticism was of little matter. 'It was well hidden, and you didn't search the room that well.'
I wasn't altogether sure I believed her, but then I couldn't see why she'd want to give this, and how she'd have filled it with Chalchiuhtlicue's magic. 'You have the bravery of warriors about to die, then. The sickness–'
'Please. I have my own protections. In any case–' she smiled again, an expression that was no doubt meant as seductive, but was starting to be decidedly unpleasant 'it's all yours. You'll know what to make of it.'
Other than the fact that it had been the vector for the sickness, and slightly different from the one that had killed Eptli… no, I didn't. 'Well, that was helpful. I certainly feel more knowledgeable.'
'Make of it what you wish. I could tell you you're looking in the wrong place, but you already know that.'
'Yes,' I said. 'Was that all you had to say? You're wasting my time, once again.'
