32th time

Son of the Condor could not sleep in his tents, it was hard for him to let go of Xixata's arms and kisses. At dawn he trotted towards the walled city. He would go again to the Temple. That is why now he was striding up the infinite stairs of the Temple to stand like any other citizen waiting for it to open to the public. He had already entered the previous night incognito. Today he would do it normally.

When he entered, he was guided by the torches and arrived at the main hall, where the aspirants sat on the floor before the solid gold altar praying and singing to the gods. He could not recognize which of them was Xixata. With despair he watched as relatives easily found his daughters and the unemployed man watched the time pass without being able to talk to his beloved. She had to resign, go with him to the palace and talk to Saba Tamac, both were free and could make their love effective.

--I know you are there," ---he said to Xixata, wherever you were, ---"I am coming to find you to tell the truth, both of you. I am sure nothing bad will happen.

A gigantic pinch on his back shook the boy, who almost let out a scream.

Xixata whispered behind his back.

--Shut up, you reckless fool, people don't need to know about our things.--

--You opened a hole in my back,"-- moaned the boy, excitedly seeing the silhouette of his daily torment.

--Come, we'll talk on the terrace. What did you say? Are you coming to get me?

---Yes. We'll go to the palace. I'm going to ask Saba Tamac for your hand.

VII

Once freed, the Caribs slipped like shadows in the cold night. They slipped through the walls of the city and like lynxes they jumped without making the slightest noise, running swiftly in the darkness. By the time Son of the Condor impatiently waited at the gates of the temple of the moon, the Carib warriors were already fleeing far away in the direction of their warm lands in the north.

When Son of the Condor finished visiting Xixata, unable to convince her to accompany him, he walked calmly through the streets towards the palace and noticed the commotion.

---The Carib prisoners escaped. The Carib prisoners escaped," -----the people shouted amidst a wave of terror. The Caribs had somehow broken out of their cells, killed the jailer and fled into the dark night. This had been confirmed by the review after finding the jailer's corpse.

The news brought Saba Tamac out of his hermetic prayers. The man came out of his private oratory and before going to the throne he passed through the immense royal dining room. There a placid Blue Bird was having breakfast with boiled potatoes, tomatoes, avocados in spicy sauce and llama cheese with plenty of roasted corn cakes.

--Are you going to explain to me,??-- said Saba Tamac, remembering the conversation of days before when the escaped Indians were presented to him before the throne, "----What did you talk about with those Indians, that day when Son of the Condor brought them to me? Do you have any idea how they managed to escape from a prison where nobody has been able to escape for 300 years and they managed to do it in a few days?..

--That day I told them," ---answered the beautiful woman, licking her fingers,--- "to be patient. That the beatings and tortures were only a sign of the rage and impotence of your poor army, which needs thousands of men to defeat a fistful of Caribs. As you well know, I introduced them to Tahirza and told them that she was the queen of the Timotocuicas and that the war must cease immediately. As for the escape of the prisoners, truly my dear love, it is not my fault that your inept army is not even good enough to take care of prisoners crippled by so many blows.

---How it hurts you!"---- said the man hurt by the offenses of a loved one.

---Of course it hurts me; it hurts me to see my lord husband and my husband, full of doubts and dancing like a seagull in the middle of the storm. From the beginning this got out of hand. Now you want to intervene in everything and the way you are going, you are going to ruin the Chibchas. You don't know how sorry I am for your daughters.

---At this point, what do you want me to do?--

---The easiest thing. You are an omnipotent king. Forget about your absurd laws. Abdicate in favor of Xixata, she is more than intelligent and serene in spite of her young age, against her the Incas will not dare.

--No," ---said the frightened man, ---"you cannot go against the traditions.

--If you can,"---- replied the woman, going on the attack, ----"send Tanda to the north and make the Timotocuicas accept her once and for all as queen regent of Tahirza.

---No," ---said the man, frankly terrified, taking a step back, beaten by the weight of the words, even Blue Bird saw things that he could not intuit, "---they would assassinate her immediately.

----Not if she goes with the Inca army and me.

---No," ---said Saba Tamac, running out of the dining room, "---they would think that I am weak, the world would come down against the kingdom. The army would not accept such radical changes.

-----The radical changes will happen when the Timotocuicas and Caribs parade through these streets, that day you will open your eyes,"---- said the queen prophetically behind the fleeing man's back, -----"for I am sure that soon more Carib troops will arrive from the islands.

Blue Bird saw the empty hole through which her husband fled and saw at his side the little girl playing placidly with her little fingers.

----Majesty Tahirza. Grow up soon...so you can save your kingdom and give us peace. Poor Saba Tamac.....poor Saba Tamac...