25th time

--What do you propose then??-- asked Saba Tamac defensively, knowing in his gut that what his wife had said was absolutely true. As always, her plans had a hole through which the water was leaking out.

-- Send them emissaries of peace, tell them that we accept Tahirza's rights, but that her education is at our expense. You must renounce to any type of invasion, you will compensate with gold and slaves the death of Litu Ratú, that you will discover and deliver to them the guilty ones of the murder, and finally to calm them you thank the great Inca and you beg him to keep his troops away from our territory.

--!Never,!!" --said the other immediately and emphatically.

--You prefer to exalt yourself in a fifty-year war than to ask for forgiveness," exclaimed Altulay, surprised at such useless stubbornness.

--I prefer," --said Saba Tamac, trembling with anger, "--I will not explain or humiliate myself. The war was started by them, then they will also provide the dead. I do not see why I am the one who should ask for forgiveness when I am the offended one.

Son of the Condor and his troops began to patrol the low plains of Arauca, engaging in those violent battles against the Caribs, in the river channels, in the marshes flooded with water where the brave warriors appeared untimely in those gigantic canoes, attacking them with a rain of arrows poisoned with curare and launching themselves to the attack with their sharp stone axes, which split their leather shields like flower petals, to then disappear as if by magic. Then immediately began the harassment of the Timotocuicas and Goajiros, who engaged in intermittent battles for hours. Then came the attacks of the Motilones at midnight. This meant that Hijo del Condor slept only a few minutes, fighting without rest day and night, losing many troops.

--I am more or less becoming aware of their tactics," --said the young cacique to Triple Feo, --"it will not be easy. We are fighting against four different peoples, each with their own war tactics.

--I have afraid of the Caribs,--" said Triple Feo smiling.

--And I am afraid of all of them. -Repeated Son of the Condor, laughing,-- "but don't worry, we will soon catch up. The troops are already getting tanned, they were very comfortable there in the sacred city: eating, drinking and courting pretty girls.