“Used for the what?” William asked. He had not heard that weapon name before.
“The atlatl,” Subiac said. He waddled over to the group of women carving rounded grooves into long poles, and he grabbed one. “The atlatl enables the spear to travel further than can be thrown by hand.” He demonstrated the throwing technique, moving the atlatl over his head with a wrist-snapping action at the end.
“Oh, like what Priest Quisac uses,” William said, recalling the day of the ball game when he killed the guy running off with the bloodstone.
“Yes, but the Serpent Priest uses a shorter version,” Teshna said, “with smaller obsidian darts instead of a short spear.”
“An interesting adaptation, but it does not match the distance of the classic atlatl,” Subiac said with a huff.
They arrived at the station where bows were being made, and Subiac spoke with the women on the team. They all turned at once and eyeballed Betty from head to toe.
Teshna picked up a bow and a handful of arrows. She told William that she was going to practice near the ballcourt, and for him to join her after getting Betty started. She skipped off with the enthusiasm of a kid about to try out a new kite.
The Mayan ladies seemed delighted to have Betty’s assistance. A heavy Mayan woman chewing on a big wad of gum approached and ushered Betty over to work on her first bow. She showed her how to use the obsidian knives to cut notches at the ends, and to attach the strings that had a somewhat greasy texture. William translated until Betty understood what to do.
“At least I can help with something,” Betty said.
“It’s also good for us to get to know these people better,” William said, “since we’ll need their support.”
Betty smirked. “It seems you’re getting to know these people pretty good already, if you ask me… at least
“What do you mean?”
“Ah, come on, Will, I wasn’t born yesterday. I can see something’s been going on between you and Teshna. It doesn’t take a Serpent Priest to figure that out.”
“Yeah, I know. I do like her… a lot,” he said, backing away. He didn’t want to discuss girls with Betty. “I’m gonna go watch Teshna practice now.”
Betty became serious. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to get too attached to anyone here, William. It’ll just make it harder to leave.”
He left with a heavy sigh, his head hanging down. Betty was right, of course. He would have to be careful to not become too close to the beautiful Mayan Princess-to stay focused on their goal of returning home. Then he ignored that thought and ran off to see Teshna.
They all met later at sunset as planned, inside a chamber of the North Palace-the same building where William had made his speech on the steps just the night before. Yax, Teshna, Priest Quisac, William, Betty, Subiac, five captains of the royal guard, and two other nobles sat on animal skin rugs in a semi-circle of the war planning room, each munching on their dinner rations; fruit, beans, squash, and rabbit meat seasoned with spicy chili peppers.
“Let us feast in honor of the Maize god, Yum Kaax,” the Serpent Priest said prior to the meal, “who assisted in our delay of the demon, allowing us to be sustained another day.”
As William ate, he could feel Teshna’s attention upon him, and he couldn’t help but to glance her way. He tried to remain serious, to match the look of the men around him. Yet the moment he caught eye contact with her, he couldn’t help but smile. She did the same; her exotic jeweled teeth sparkled in the flickering light of the burning torches. Teshna’s beauty stood out dramatically in the chamber, especially in contrast to the room’s wall paintings of bloodshed and sacrifice.
William recognized the buff guard that had been glaring at him the other day, before they went to the ball game. He shifted his gaze between Teshna and William, his pointy teeth clenched.
Yax stood, attracting everyone’s attention. “The nobles and captains in this room were chosen because of their loyalty to me.” He turned to the group of rough-looking royal guards sitting together on one side of the circle; each warrior had scars and injuries that clearly indicated their experience on the battlefield. “You did not bow down to my uncle. Even after I was captured, and all our forces had surrendered, you still remained opposed. You were willing to sacrifice your lives for me.” Yax shifted his gaze to the other side of the circle where Priest Quisac, Subiac, and the other nobles sat. The King sighed. “Yet I am not resentful at those who had conceded to my uncle’s authority. It appeared that the gods had made their choice, and most the people believed that my sacrifice would strengthen our kingdom. In the end, I began to believe it too… until Balam and Bati arrived.
Betty jabbed William in the ribs for him to translate. He leaned over and whispered a summary of what Yax said.
Yax pointed to the chubby man across from him, the heavy man with a bone pierced through his nose. “Noble Lamat, tell us of the final inventory of our supplies.”
“Yes, Lord Stone Frog,” he said, clearing his throat. He explained the details of the harvest, the hunt, and the slaughter of their raised animals. “We even collected beetles and other insects that we could find-roasting them for final rations, if necessary.” Lamat cringed when he mentioned eating the bugs. The thought of having cooked beetles and ants for dinner didn’t appeal to William either.
“What are the final calculations, Caban?” Yax asked the noble seated beside Lamat; he had a long face and big, beak-like nose.
Caban’s eyes darted back and forth, recalling the figures. “Based on our current population, our supply will expire in ninety-three days.”
Yax’s face tightened as he swallowed the rabbit meat he had been chewing. He had a drink of water and set his cup down. William could see he was trying to hide his worries. “What about the extended surveys?” Yax asked.
“Calakmul is now patrolling our hunting and trade routes,” Lamat said. “Those who ventured beyond our borders have not returned.”
The King stood with his hands on his hips, and then he pointed to Subiac. “Tell me of our weapons supply.”
“Weapons will not be an issue, Lord Stone Frog,” Subiac said. “We are ahead of schedule; we will have more weapons than men to carry them.”
“Speaking of that,” Yax said, spotting the Chief of the royal guard, a wide man who looked more like a walking tree trunk. “Etznab, what is the full count of men able to fight?”
The Chief glanced at the other captains. “In truth, we are closer to one thousand,” he said in a low monotone voice. Many in our land are too old, too young, or in failing health. We simply do not have enough men for the coming battle.”
An uncomfortable moment of silence followed, filled only by Yax’s sandals clacking against the plaster floor as he paced around the room, contemplating the bad news. He stared at his long shadow beside him, dancing in the flickering light of the burning torches.
William took the period of silence to catch Betty up on the situation-about the lack of enough men to fight.
“How about the women?” Betty asked, drawing everyone’s attention. “If the
The nobles and warriors stared at Betty with curiosity. They were glued to her words-even though they couldn’t understand her-entranced by her passionate delivery.
“I’ll take some of those Calakmul scumbags out myself, if I have to,” Betty said. “They’ll be sorry for the day they stopped by this ladies doorstep. That’s for damn sure. What do you say, Teshna? Are you with me on this, girlfriend?”
A long pause followed as the room’s attention landed on William, expecting him to translate. He considered how to best put it, wanting to be careful not to offend. “Bati is saying that beyond making the weapons, the women could also take part in the battle.”
Boisterous laughing from the royal guards echoed through the chamber, but stopped when they could see the King contemplating the notion.
“The women would be slaughtered-cut down as easily as the corn is harvested,” Etznab said.
