Read Online Doctor Who: The Aztecs by John Lucarotti - Free Book Online
Authors: John Lucarotti
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sent him reeling.
‘Destroy him, Ixta,’ Tlotoxl was triumphant.
‘Yetaxa forbade it,’ Autloc replied.
‘A false God forbids it,’ Tlotoxl sneered, and turned back to Ixta. ‘Destroy him.’
Ian warded off the repeated blows as best he could, but he knew he had only seconds to live. And then he heard Barbara’s voice.
‘Stop!’ she commanded as she stood at the entrance to the courtyard. Ixta lowered his cudgel, Ian reeling did the same. Tlotoxl turned to Barbara, with venom in his voice.
‘Your place is in the temple.’
‘Even though I am a false God? No, Tlotoxl, I am loyal to those who serve me.’
Tlotoxl looked at her with loathing and then turned to Ixta. ‘Execute him,’ he cried out exultantly, then looked at Barbara. ‘If you are Yetaxa — save him,’ pointing to Ian as Ixta raised the cudgel.
Ian barely saw the movement, but he succeeded in blocking the blow, knowing that the next one would bury the studs in his brain. Ixta raised the cudgel to strike but before he could bring it down Barbara held Tlotoxl from behind, the razor-sharp edge of an obsidian knife against his throat.
‘As dies my servant, so dies your High Priest of Sacrifice.’
Everyone froze. It was no idle threat and they all knew it, Tlotoxl included. He looked at Ixta and shook his head slowly, carefully. Ixta lowered the cudgel. ‘Now, both of you, put them to one side,’ Barbara ordered, still keeping the knife at Tlotoxl’s throat.
Ian dropped his cudgel and Ixta laid his on the ground. Tonila waddled over and picked them up, then gave them to the Perfect Victim who struck them over his head. ‘Neither of the Chosen Warriors may claim a victory,’ he announced.
Barbara came from behind Tlotoxl to face him but she still had the knife in her hand.
‘I did as you commanded. Now you must obey me.’ Tlotoxl closed his eyes.
‘My servants shall not be punished’
‘So be it,’ Tlotoxl replied almost inaudibly, as Ian slid to the ground and slept.
Several minutes later the High Priest of Sacrifice stood with Ixta in his quarters. The Chosen Warrior was suffering from pins and needles in his hand as his blood circulation was restored and his arm came gradually back to life.
‘With my hare hands I cannot defeat him,’ he admitted ruefully, but added that he was determined to command their armies.
‘So you shall,’ Tlotoxl spoke soothingly and opened his right hand. Lying in the palm was the cactus thorn which Tlotoxl had picked up from the ground.’Why did the old man give you this to win a victory?’
‘It was a trick,’ Ixta smiled. ‘He did not know the contest was with Ian and he promised to help me if I told him the secrets of my father’s father’s work.’
‘What secrets?’ Tlotoxl was intrigued.
‘How the tomb of Yetaxa maybe entered,’ Ixta flexed his arm, opening and closing his hand.
‘I must question him about it.’ Tlotoxl placed the thorn on the table.
‘He was at my mercy.’ Ixta was suddenly tense with frustration.
‘And shall be again,’ the High Priest promised before he limped away.
8 Cups of Cocoa
Barbara sat on the throne in the temple and looked down at the worried High Priest of Knowledge who stood in front of her.
‘Tlotoxl was humiliated. He will not forget, nor will he forgive,’ he warned her.
Barbara shrugged. ‘I did as he commanded.’
‘But not as he expected.’
‘What did he want, a miracle?’ She smiled at Autloc. ‘We all awaited one,’ he confessed.
Barbara stood and stepped down to the temple floor. ‘Why should I use divine powers when human ability will suffice?’ she asked sweetly.
Autloc could not resist a twitch of a grin. ‘Yetaxa has spoken,’ he tried to keep his tone of voice solemn. Barbara walked towards the terrace and the sacrificial altar. A few paces short of it, she stopped and turned back to face the High Priest. ‘Have you thought about my prophesy?’
‘On little else. And it is true that if we defy the
‘Destroy him, Ixta,’ Tlotoxl was triumphant.
‘Yetaxa forbade it,’ Autloc replied.
‘A false God forbids it,’ Tlotoxl sneered, and turned back to Ixta. ‘Destroy him.’
Ian warded off the repeated blows as best he could, but he knew he had only seconds to live. And then he heard Barbara’s voice.
‘Stop!’ she commanded as she stood at the entrance to the courtyard. Ixta lowered his cudgel, Ian reeling did the same. Tlotoxl turned to Barbara, with venom in his voice.
‘Your place is in the temple.’
‘Even though I am a false God? No, Tlotoxl, I am loyal to those who serve me.’
Tlotoxl looked at her with loathing and then turned to Ixta. ‘Execute him,’ he cried out exultantly, then looked at Barbara. ‘If you are Yetaxa — save him,’ pointing to Ian as Ixta raised the cudgel.
Ian barely saw the movement, but he succeeded in blocking the blow, knowing that the next one would bury the studs in his brain. Ixta raised the cudgel to strike but before he could bring it down Barbara held Tlotoxl from behind, the razor-sharp edge of an obsidian knife against his throat.
‘As dies my servant, so dies your High Priest of Sacrifice.’
Everyone froze. It was no idle threat and they all knew it, Tlotoxl included. He looked at Ixta and shook his head slowly, carefully. Ixta lowered the cudgel. ‘Now, both of you, put them to one side,’ Barbara ordered, still keeping the knife at Tlotoxl’s throat.
Ian dropped his cudgel and Ixta laid his on the ground. Tonila waddled over and picked them up, then gave them to the Perfect Victim who struck them over his head. ‘Neither of the Chosen Warriors may claim a victory,’ he announced.
Barbara came from behind Tlotoxl to face him but she still had the knife in her hand.
‘I did as you commanded. Now you must obey me.’ Tlotoxl closed his eyes.
‘My servants shall not be punished’
‘So be it,’ Tlotoxl replied almost inaudibly, as Ian slid to the ground and slept.
Several minutes later the High Priest of Sacrifice stood with Ixta in his quarters. The Chosen Warrior was suffering from pins and needles in his hand as his blood circulation was restored and his arm came gradually back to life.
‘With my hare hands I cannot defeat him,’ he admitted ruefully, but added that he was determined to command their armies.
‘So you shall,’ Tlotoxl spoke soothingly and opened his right hand. Lying in the palm was the cactus thorn which Tlotoxl had picked up from the ground.’Why did the old man give you this to win a victory?’
‘It was a trick,’ Ixta smiled. ‘He did not know the contest was with Ian and he promised to help me if I told him the secrets of my father’s father’s work.’
‘What secrets?’ Tlotoxl was intrigued.
‘How the tomb of Yetaxa maybe entered,’ Ixta flexed his arm, opening and closing his hand.
‘I must question him about it.’ Tlotoxl placed the thorn on the table.
‘He was at my mercy.’ Ixta was suddenly tense with frustration.
‘And shall be again,’ the High Priest promised before he limped away.
8 Cups of Cocoa
Barbara sat on the throne in the temple and looked down at the worried High Priest of Knowledge who stood in front of her.
‘Tlotoxl was humiliated. He will not forget, nor will he forgive,’ he warned her.
Barbara shrugged. ‘I did as he commanded.’
‘But not as he expected.’
‘What did he want, a miracle?’ She smiled at Autloc. ‘We all awaited one,’ he confessed.
Barbara stood and stepped down to the temple floor. ‘Why should I use divine powers when human ability will suffice?’ she asked sweetly.
Autloc could not resist a twitch of a grin. ‘Yetaxa has spoken,’ he tried to keep his tone of voice solemn. Barbara walked towards the terrace and the sacrificial altar. A few paces short of it, she stopped and turned back to face the High Priest. ‘Have you thought about my prophesy?’
‘On little else. And it is true that if we defy the
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