told me.
No Imperial Audience. That must mean that the Revered Speaker must be hovering at Mictlan's gates. The political infighting would now start in earnest. That was my only chance: that the High Priest of Tlaloc would be too busy plotting against his peers to worry over much about Neutemoc's fate.
I doubted it would be that easy.
I went back to my temple. In the courtyard, two priests were busy sweeping the ground, preparing for the afternoon's offerings; a further group were in one of the worship-rooms, in vigil for a dead woman.
I went into the shrine, where I dressed in my full regalia: the ivory skull-mask askew on my forehead, and the cloak of rich cotton, embroidered with owls, carefully tied around my shoulders.
Then I went down again, and settled into one of the furthest rooms: the same one where I'd given life to the jade heart, an eternity ago. I sat on the ground with maguey paper spread across my knees, dangling Eleuia's blackened jade pendant in front of my face.
What did I have?
Evidence that underworld magic had been behind all of this, and that someone as yet unidentified had summoned the nahual magic to cover Huei's tracks.
Mihmatini's testimony, as well as those of the slaves, would establish that the Wind of Knives had come for Huei, marking her as the summoner of the beast. If I was lucky, Mihmatini would also have a description of the two men who had come to see Huei in the afternoon.
Best not to rely on luck. Seven Serpent hadn't seemed to be on my side lately.
'Acatl-tzin?' Ichtaca's voice asked.
Startled, I raised my eyes. Ichtaca was standing in the doorway, lit by the midday sun. 'Yes?' I asked. 'I'm busy.'
His gaze held mine, inscrutable. 'So I see.'
As usual, he made me feel like a child caught sneaking out of the house. 'Yes,' I said, testily. 'Now if you don't mind, I have an audience to prepare for.'
I'd expected him to go away; but he didn't move. 'The Imperial Audience?'
'How did you know?'
He shrugged. 'Rumours. Your brother was under question yesterday and the day before.'
'Yes,' I said, irritated. 'And I intend to make sure he doesn't endure another day of this.' Although the High Priest would want to do the exact opposite.
Ichtaca shrugged again, but said nothing.
'Acatl-tzin?' the offering priest, Palli, asked from behind Ichtaca. 'Your sister is here.'
I got up, wrapping the string of Eleuia's jade pendant around my wrist, and went out, bypassing Ichtaca without a word.
In the courtyard, Mihmatini was waiting for me, along with the burly slave who had stood guard at the gate when I'd arrived last night.
'This is Quechomitl,' Mihmatini said.
He and I looked at each other, warily. This time, I was welldressed. But from his stiff stance, Quechomitl hadn't forgotten the drunkard he'd almost thrown out on the previous evening.
'He saw the men you wanted,' Mihmatini said. 'But they covered their heads with the hood of their cloaks.'
'Hooded cloaks?' I asked. Those were rare; but, as Mihmatini had said, it made sense that the men would cover their tracks. I asked Quechomitl, 'What did they look like?'
Ichtaca was still in the courtyard, his rotund face thoughtful – battling with some decision, I could tell, but I didn't know which one.
The slave, Quechomitl, shrugged. 'Men in their prime,' he said. 'Strong ones.'
'You're sure they were men?' That eliminated Priestess Zollin, but not the Jaguar Knight, Mahuizoh.
Quechomitl nodded, obviously annoyed at my lack of trust. Well, it was mutual.
'There are complications,' I said to Mihmatini, as we walked towards the temple exit, Ichtaca still trailing behind us. 'The Emperor won't attend the audience.'
'Then who will?'
'The High Priests,' I said, grimly. 'One of whom will be busy trying to condemn Neutemoc.'
'Great,' Mihmatini said. 'Neutemoc always did have a talent for making enemies. So what do you plan on doing?'
'I think you're mistaken,' a voice said, behind me. Ichtaca.
Surprised, I turned to face him. 'What are you talking about?'
'The Imperial Audience,' Ichtaca said, shaking his head. He was angry, I realised, though I didn't know why. 'If the Emperor is unable to take his responsibilities, it's not the High Priests who will replace him.'
'I was told–'
'Whoever told you was either lying or misinformed,' Ichtaca said.
I didn't judge it pertinent to mention Yaotl's name. The two of them had long been locked in a battle of wills – possibly because Yaotl was a foreigner, and because Ichtaca was unwilling to admit that anything good could come from outside the Mexica Empire.
'Someone has to take charge of the hearings,' I said.
Ichtaca nodded. 'Someone will. The Master of the House of Darts, Tizoc-tzin.'
